 Poster: A snowHead
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I am going skiing in 3V next month with a group of 3 others. All of us are advanced/expert level skiers except 1 guy who has only 1 weeks experience. I have never been to 3V before and some of the others have got it into their heads that we must all head off to ski the grand couloir in courchevel as a thing to definitely do. The only thing is that they have convinced this other guy with 1 weeks experience to come with us. Now I think this is a terrible idea because from what I have seen it looks way too difficult for a 1 week skier? I have already tried to tell this guy but he just says he will be ok and stop worrying  Is it realistic that he can ski this after 1 week or should I call the air ambulance in advance?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Don't take him. He'll be a danger not just to himself but more importantly to other skiers who he'll probably take out while sliding down on his back bottom.
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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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Depends if you like him or not.
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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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For a 1st week skier (or 2nd) it would be too much and no fun so why do it.
When you come out of the lift, you ski down the ridge, which is normally just a winding rut line with steep drops on both sides, so this will share the heck out of him and then you need to drop into the run as the top is much steeper the base.
There is a winding red run down from the same lift that bends round to the left so he could meet you at the end of the run and still have fun himself. Ain't that what skiing is meant to be ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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magwheel, The ridge/path in can be really hairy definitely NOT one for a one week skier
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Welcome to  s magwheel.
You should tell your friends they are being idiots.
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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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I remember skiing it back in the 1970s, so it's nice to know that it's still there.
I recall it being free of rocks. If it's well-filled, he'll fall all over the place and make a complete @rse of himself. If I remember it bottoms out in a main piste. He'll probably survive intact, but it'll get boring waiting for him to sort himself out.
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If a one week skier likes the look of the ridge leading away from the top of the Saulire gondola then he has certainly got some cajones! A bad turn and fall on this ridge could prove fatal with a big drop on either side. There is a scary pic somewhere on a thread from last winter.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks, I am going to at least try to convince him to come and ski some less steep stuff with me when the others want to do some of the more difficult runs. I am not that bothered but the other guys feel they have to ski every black / bit of steep off-piste in sight. Not ideal when we are going with a relative beginner.
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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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fall, slide, hit mogul, launch over 2 more, land, hit mougul, launch over 2 more, repeat all the way down the slope. Once he's got himself back on his feet he'll probably only have to walk 500m back up to collect his skis, googles, poles etc
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So how long have these "experts" been skiing that they think someone who had skied 4 or 5 weeks, let alone one, could ski with them?
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yoda, it would be even better if he then posted it here!
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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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magwheel, Make sure he has a very forgiving insurance policy! You can have a large coffee at the restaurant at the bottom of the hill while you wait for him!
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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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Why don't you 'experts' ski it, and let him ski down the piste and meet him at the bottom??Or is that too much of an easy option??
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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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| rambotion wrote: |
| By the way does anyone know if the couloirs are skiable yet as i am going in january and would really like to ski them again. |
The storm on Sunday stripped the couloirs of a lot of there snow as well as a lot of the off piste across the 3 valleys at the moment.More is needed to improve things im afraid but there is still some good snow to be found if you seek local knowledge,Be carefull is the local advice at present .
Regards Mark
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Trenmold wrote: |
| If a one week skier likes the look of the ridge leading away from the top of the Saulire gondola then he has certainly got some cajones! A bad turn and fall on this ridge could prove fatal with a big drop on either side. There is a scary pic somewhere on a thread from last winter. |
where??
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| FlyingStantoni wrote: |
Welcome to s magwheel.
You should tell your friends they are being idiots. |
Ditto, on both accounts.
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please please please don't let him anywhere near it.
Two years ago, was skiing down this very slope with partner, when heard a shout - partner was taken out by a skier who had fallen near the top and was moving down the slope on his face at great speed, then the two of them hit me - and mr k and I were skiing pretty spaced out in case either of us fell, to stop just such a thing happening! I was very bruised and battered as their weight sent me flying, had to take time off from skiing (and I've skied the day after I ruptured my medial collateral ligament, wearing a brace, as I didn't want to miss any skiing time).
At the time we just put it down as one of those things - until the bloke that took me out skied off - not only totally unable to ski the slope, but not really up to putting two turns together on the flat run out.
Needless to say, not at all amused - so don't just think about the fact that your friend could be seriously hurt, but that he does bear some responsibility for keeping those around him safe as well.
Sorry, rant over. Just wish I'd been able to say these things to the guy that took me out at the time and made me miss some skiing.
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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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I skiied it after only 6 days skiing (i.e. i was a beginner, although learnt quickly). Its not recommended and I really struggled. And again..I only went because the friends i was skiing with were advanced.
How difficult it is depends on the snow conditions - i.e. icey, powder, moguls etc. Its not open all the time anyway, so your friends may be disappointed.
Anway i am fairly sure your friend will have second thoughts once he sees the ridge he has to cross before he even gets to the top of the couloir.
if he is determined to do it I suggest a quick solution/way to put him off is to show him some of the "easier" blacks in courcheval/meribel (eg. suisses in courch or even bosses in meribel could be a good tester as this can develop into a large mogul field) and see how he gets on skiing them. Assuming he struggles with these easier ones I'm sure he will have second thoughts about GC.
Has he skiied many black runs before?
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k, very good points. I look a light-hearted attitude above, but you're right. Human projectiles can do much damage. Hope you're reasonably well mended.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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k, Crikey  Top - and highly justified - rant!
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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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magwheel, For goodness sake don't let him do it. The ridge leading to the couloir will be challenging enough but he really could do himself and others an injury, it scares me to think that a skiier with one weeks experience would even think about it. Do as alex99, suggests and take him to look at some of the blacks in the 3V and I'm sure he won't then want to to the GC.
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magwheel, My 11 year old son, Ollie, just read this thread and he said he thinks your friend is "Bonkers and will probably kill himself" Ollie skied it last year and he's been skiing since he was three and when he skied the GC he was with locals and very strictly supervised and it was in mint condition. He cannot believe that a beginner would even think about doing it.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
So how long have these "experts" been skiing that they think someone who had skied 4 or 5 weeks, let alone one, could ski with them?
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That's the sort of reason why I prefer to avoid that sort of resort. Loads of people over-reaching themselves and endangering others. Gits. I saw someone absolutely cannoning down the Swiss Wall. Petrifying to watch (from the chair!). The slope was extremely bare and icy, loads of rocks. The chap just did a few rather tentative turns, then flew. There were few people on the piste (and plenty on the chair) but it was sheer good luck that he didn't kill someone on the way down.
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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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magwheel, Let him sort it out when you get there. Once you see the entrance you experts will be able to sort it out.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well Feck me! Why does anyone care about this. I am off to 3V myself next month and i would love to see this death defying attempt.... and see it fail and then see the bill for rescue and the xrays would be nice too. What do piste police do anyway? Surely they should be on this and getting irresponsible wasters off the mountain before they injure others and put rescue teams at risk.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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magwheel, Let him sort it out when you get there. Once you see the entrance you experts will be able to sort it out.
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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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It's about 40 degrees. Your staircase is about 38 degrees. Put snow on your staircase and tell him to ski down it. 
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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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If your 1st week skier likes the look of the Grand Couloir, after this why not jump into a car and whizz over to Alpe d'Huez and have a crack at The Tunnel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why bother...?? he is not going to ski it, he is going to survive it at best, without injury or big dent in confidence.
What sort of adavanced/experts skiers will put a mate or anyone through that..?
If the guy wants to do it and fancies it and can handle himself safely, then maybe, maybe, let him learn the hard-way...but to talk somene blindly into it if they don't know any better, is just plain stupid.
I agree, something is wrong here..!!
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If they take him they are completely irresponsible 
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i think your average 1 week skier will take one look at the ridge and get no further than that
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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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there are nicer slopes to be found with less people if you can hire a guide!!
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I completely agree that he shouldn't do it if the run is as difficult as described, but the only point i want to make is that there are different types of one week skiers. Some people learn very quickly and ski red runs from day 2 or 3 and some others I know cannot even perform parallel turns after 4 or 5 weeks of skiing!
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FAQ
He refused to go back and do the run again when i suggested it 