 Poster: A snowHead
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Whats the best remedy?
No matter what combination of goggles, glasses or the naked eye I use, I can't tell if i'm going uphill or downhill if the light is really flat.
I have good eyesight btw.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In really really flat light it is very easy to lose almost every reference. I have skied behind a guide when it was just like following an animated figure in a video game who was seen against a white screen - rather than being in real life. If you are following someone who really knows the terrain, it's your luck day - ski close. Otherwise, I try to pick out a reference like the edge of a tree line (but be wary where it's leading you). If you are on piste try to pick out the piste markers, of course. Keep well balanced and low, with legs relaxed. When you get down, stay in areas of better light - or head for the nearest coffee house or pub!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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up4it, Head for the trees  Or any wooded area it really does help. For instance in La Plagne head or Montalbert or Montchavin and the really nice pistes through the forests there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| up4it wrote: |
Whats the best remedy?
No matter what combination of goggles, glasses or the naked eye I use, I can't tell if i'm going uphill or downhill if the light is really flat.
I have good eyesight btw. |
Go indoors. Being serious I suffer as badly as you and I suffer so much it just isn't worth it. Had a bad crash last year in flat light and tore all my neck muscles so now don't bother. Just curious, do you suffer sea sickness?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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up4it, Feel through your boot is the best remedy.
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clive5, Not so easy when your head is also spinning........... 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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thefatcontroller, I can't move in the normal way I've got ski boots on 
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If you can't head for trees use The Force.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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thefatcontroller, Try getting someone to ski behind you that you trust. Shut your eyes and get them to tell you when to turn left and right. you will suddenly find another sense if you can keep your eyes shut.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 22-01-09 19:12; edited 1 time in total
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| thefatcontroller wrote: |
| up4it wrote: |
Whats the best remedy?
No matter what combination of goggles, glasses or the naked eye I use, I can't tell if i'm going uphill or downhill if the light is really flat.
I have good eyesight btw. |
Go indoors. Being serious I suffer as badly as you and I suffer so much it just isn't worth it.... |
I agree, definitely stay indoors!! I feel skiing should be enjoyable, and not like a game of "blind man's buff" with the strong likelyhood of a crash as a prize.... 
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You know it makes sense.
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| clive5 wrote: |
| thefatcontroller, Try getting someone to ski behind you that you trust. Shut your eyes and get them to tell you when to turn left and right. you will suddenly find another sense if you can keep your eyes shut. |
A not dissimilar exercise, although not quite as intimidating, is to ski with your boots completely undone (at a fairly steady pace). I think most people have balance and stance issues in flat light, so skiing with your eyes closed or your boots undone requires you to work much harder on a centtral stance if you are going to have any control over your skis. The better you are at keeping balanced in trying conditions the more easily you should be able to ski in flat light.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Julieanne, You never know until you try.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, I now standing on a balance cushion on one legt whilst watching tv at night. Wobble about and look straight ahead. Got to be doing me some good on the old balance skills.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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up4it, a head torch? 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Scarpa wrote: |
| Wobble about and look straight ahead. Got to be doing me some good on the old balance skills. |
Yup, sounds good to me.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Boredsurfing, If that's the case do you buy a lift pass daily?
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| clive5 wrote: |
| Julieanne, You never know until you try. |
Yes dear, true. Indeed, I have tried a few times (been caught in snowstorms or flat light --when on the mountain already- and I didn't much enjoy it ...
Therefore, in horrible weather, I don't go up the mountain. (I have a cosy lie-in and then wander round the village! )
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Julieanne, Yes you have done all of that. But have you tried what I suggested? Until you have tried?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Julieanne, I will tell you when to vote left then right. Sorry ski left then right
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Or try the old technique reccommended to me... tie 3 ski poles together... throw down slope... ski to end... repeat 
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Scarpa, Run that past me one more time?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
If you are on piste try to pick out the piste markers, of course. Keep well balanced and low, with legs relaxed. When you get down, stay in areas of better light - or head for the nearest coffee house or pub!
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Sounds like good advice to me. Especially the last bit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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clive5, Someone on this forum was skiing in a whiteout. The only way to ensure that they were sking down a possible angle and not off a drop was to utilise the aforementioned technique. The linked ski poles gave a direction and target to focus on. Proper whiteouts (not just poor vis) are very disabling.
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Poster: A snowHead
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though I think there's a bit of confusion here between "flat light" and "nil visibility". Sometimes when the light is flat you can see the surroundings - mountains, restaurants, piste markers, other skiers etc. But no detail at all on the surface of the snow. It's disconcerting, but nothing like as bad as a "white out" when you can't see anything. In poor visibility it is, indeed, very helpful to ski in the trees. But in a genuine white out (not just a foggy day) you wouldn't see a tree until you were about to hit it. A true white out is uncommon, thankfully, and extemely difficult. The nearest I ever got to one (in a familiar area) I was completely lost. fortunately an ESF instructor with three lads in tow skied right past me and I tagged on the end of their group, hoping they wouldn't notice (and that they weren't about to launch themselves down some couloir). He led us all safely down the mountain but I had to stay extremely close not to lose them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, just beat me to the punch - I was going to make the same distinction.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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pam w, fair point. I must admit that, from the detail, I took the OP to mean a white-out - and my response was on that assumption.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ScarpaI have never heard of the three ski pole technique sounds like a good idea in extreme conditionns
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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clive5, I'd never heard of it either. I've been in few whiteouts whilst climbing... it's horrible. I remember a US Army drill in the arctic... they threw a few beer cans a few feet in front of the troops and asked them to estimate the distance to the "oil drums". The answers were usually in hundreds of yards.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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One thing I have learnt in France(?) is that the piste markers on your right are not a single colour (normally have an orange middle) and the ones on your left are plain black. Handy to know in a whiteout.
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thefatcontroller, Nope, thats just in Les Arcs 2000
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Boredsurfing, You sure..............
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Schuss in Boots, Trust me I found as mrsfatcontroller was taking me back along from Transarc to Peisey in Les Arcs in flat light/whiteout/godknowswhat as she point out politely that as the pole with the marker was on my left I was skiing to my death (at the time I think that was my plan  )
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