 Poster: A snowHead
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I was in Zell last week and whilst there we had a fabulous snowfall of somewhere around 2 feet of fresh powder on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday & Thursday saw brilliant sunshine and the Avalanche Risk was a 4 with advice not to stray from the marked runs.... My regular guide echoed this and said it would be unsafe for us to tour to Saalbach or Piesendorf... the Kitzsteinhorn was actually closed one day as it was deemed unsafe to open.
These conditions meant that there were body bags all over the place as skiers and boarders not used to such snow levels were twisting knees and dislocating shoulders at a phenomenal rate of knots... rather more seriously though, one foolhardy chap elected to pursue his passion for off piste skiing (i think... but he could have been boarding) despite the conditions and warnings...
An instructor told me the man was found dead by ski patrol in some trees fairly near a piste... nobody actually knows for sure what happened but the word in resort was that he had died from head injuries and was not wearing a helmet..... there was more than a little speculation that he'd probably lost control in the deep snow and hit a tree whilst trying to ski between runs...
Not quite sure whether the motto here is to wear a helmet at all times, not to go off piste alone, or to follow the advice of ski patrol as they give it for a reason... probably a combination of all three... This was the second skier to die in Zell this season.... the first I believe was an irish chap who was found on one of the black runs there with head injuries... It's not a tough resort, and certainly not renowned for crazy skiing like the Verbiers and St Antons of this world... but it just goes to show that these tragic fatal accidents can happen in any resort at any time, and anything which makes our exciting sport safer to participate in for all concerned has got to be good news.
This sad event has motivated me to invest in a good quality helmet before my next trip... funny really as I'd never have dreamed of riding a motorbike off road without one so why would I have ever contemplated skiing without one???? Also, I'll continue to religiously follow ski patrols warnings, as I always have done...
These tragedies should really serve as a lesson to us all.... it's nice to feel the wind in your hair whilst tearing down a piste or a deep powder valley... but you only get one head, and what happened to these two poor guys has certainly changed my views on helmets..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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SnowGod, That is so sad, and a lesson to us all . . . I'm pleased you've bought a helmet.
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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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Very sad, but no justification - particularly since, as usual, the facts are unknown - for another helmet thread. It's getting ridiculous, perhaps the name should be changed to snowHelmets.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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SnowGod, I think that skiing through trees and down rocky gullies is where a helmet may well be deemed appropriate. More for glancing blows rather than major trauma.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In what way?
I've bought a helmet since my last trip, and certainly intend wearing it in future.
But if a blow to the head is hard enough to kill, there seems to be general agreement among the medical profession that a helmet will only rarely prevent that - and may only reduce the trauma enough to leave you a vegetable rather than dead.
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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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im for zell on Monday. no helmet but will definetly be renting one with my board rental. Do most rental shops offer helmet rental too?
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What alex_heney says and, anyway, the tragic death of the Irishman had its own thread on here, with a contribution from a close friend of his - who did not, as I recall, feel the need to refer to helmets.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Come on! A snowgod doesn't need helmet!!!
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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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So, from Monday to Friday I was at nearby Kitzbuhel. If the avy risk was 4 at Zell am See, how come there were no warnings at Kitz? I was skiing off piste a lot and I wasn't even warned/told by any one that there was a... high... avvy risk?
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skiking4, The Avalanche risk will be posted at the bottomof all major lifts and in the lift pass office (I'm assuming here). It's your responsibility to find out what it is - not theirs to babysit you.
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You know it makes sense.
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skiking4, Did you not notice the blinking/turning yellow light at the bottom of every lift? There is a general high level (4+) Warning for practically the whole of Austria and Germany currently due to the heavy snowfall and the strong wind during the last week. That's also why many of the linking roads to the slopes are closed - due to the extremely high avalanche risk. It is still high as it is still snowing and more is forecast in my area (shared with Kitz) until Tuesday/Wednesday of the coming week.
As Easiski so succinctly says - it is YOUR responsibility to find out.
That way you do not put anyone else in danger - especially the rescue services who are obliged by Austrian law to dig you out dead or alive.
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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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Oh. Since this was my first trip in Europe, I assumed that there would be an avvy warning on the lift towers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The "4 Risk" was on Zells dedicated ski channel on TV which was on in our room and in the breakfast room, and also wideliy publicised at the lift pass office and lift stations... as far as I could see on the general Austrian ski channel it was pretty much a 4 across Austria all week from Monday onwards... in future I'd check before you go out skiking4, for you own safety and that of the ski patrol who'd inevitably have to come and ifnd you....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skiking4, I have no idea why you would think that. I have skied in a lot of US and Canadian hills and not seen warnings on towers there either. At the bottom of lifts and on notice boards maybe. Your Bad. And given the recent snow conditions - really a bit obvious?
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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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skiking4
Do you honestly think someone is going to give you a personal weather forecast. ? It is also quite obvious that so much snow in such a short time will up the risk. However to say if there was a risk warning in Zell why not Kitz is crazy. The weather conditions in Austria can be totally changing every 1 or 2 miles. In Saalbach last week many lifts were closed. in Leogang ( linked to Saalbach/Hinterglemm) and where I live they were not. Also it was prohibited to go of piste,. A level 4 is very high ,the risk scale going from 1 ( low ) to 5 (dangerous). In 2000 9 trainee instructors died in an avalanche in Kaprun, skiing of -piste with instruction and it was level 2 which is normally deemed OK with care.
I think maybe in future you might need to consider taking responsibility for your own safety and that of others a little more seriously. : 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skiking4, the avvy risk sign was probably on display but written in a foreign language 
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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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There are very clear avalanche risk warnings at Kitzbuhel, as you would expect. Skiing off-piste in Europe is not like skiing inbounds in N America - your description in your Kitzbuhel thread of where you skiied with the avalanche risk at 4 is a bit frightening to say the least, never mind reckless for those who may have had to rescue you  http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=45206
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| 2 ft of snow the day before arrival, 3 ft of snow on Tuesday, a couple of inches on Friday. |
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| Off piste: The couloirs to the left of C1 are amazing. Steep 40+ degree couloirs that are barely skied. The big bowl to the right of C7 is also very good. The big ditch in the middle offers some 40+ degree turns up top. The Barenbodkel (however u spell it) has some nice off piste opportunities. The many tree lined chutes to skiers left of the chair are some more 40+ degree turns while also being gladed in spots. But if you want GNARLY, then you'll have to head under the Hahnenkammbahn gondola lift, which has many different entries, all leading into a high 40 degree narrow couloir. There's not tons of gnarly, but enough for me. |
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