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Rope training course for off-piste and backcountry skiers

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Following the success of last year's rope training course organised by BernardC I'm trying to arrange a similar event for this autumn, but taking place at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead. This might be useful for those people who attended last year's course to get a refresher on the techniques they learned as well as an opportunity to learn some new skills for those people who weren't able to travel to Plas-y-Brenin last time. Martin Chester, who ran the course last year, is happy to travel down to Hemel to run the course again. Bernard did a very helpful review of last year's course which you can find here.

We are still trying to work out the logistics of whether it will be possible to run this course at The Snow Centre, and I suspect that whoever is in charge of health and safety is going to freak a little when I explain that we will want to do a little abseiling/prussic work, so for the time being I'm just gauging interest. I have no idea about dates yet, but hopefully we will be able to do this on a weekend so people won't have to dip in to their annual leave. If you have any interest in coming along for this please get in touch here, by PM or by email.

Those interested:
FlyingStantoni
DaughterOfFrankInston
david@mediacopy
Sideshow_Bob
RPF


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 1-09-09 19:25; edited 5 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Count me in.

DaughterOfFrankInston will also do it.
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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?
rob@rar, I'm Interested.

I wanted to make last years but it was my Birthday rolling eyes

It would be good if there is an option this year for Plas-y-Brenin. Hemmel is a fair way for us up north Very Happy
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Interested if it's a weekend
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar, I think you must be hankering for a peerage now. Laughing
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Hurtle, Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yep, should have said - needs to be a weekend.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
rob@rar, I'm definately interested. Presume it will be either a Sat or Sun?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
spyderjon wrote:
Presume it will be either a Sat or Sun?

Yes, that's what I'm aiming for, although that decision won't be mine.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Interested, but will have to be after September for me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
RPF wrote:
... have to be after September ...

I think that is likely to be the case.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Wouldnt be able to make Hemel unfortunately..

Im still hoping to be able to sort something out in Scotland in 2010 as per last years suggestion.
( http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=44973&highlight= )
That way all those skills can be learned and practiced for real, ie lowers and prussicing back up corrie edges/cornices etc plus get a bit of skiing done.

Ill put a seperate post up shortly.

Cheers
Mark
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I'm interested if on a weekend Rob.

Mark, also interested in the Scottish one if it coincided with holidays (Easter) or is over a weekend.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ahem, any chance of HH/location in the thread title please??
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
kitenski, and start a 'not another HH thread' war again Very Happy
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
It's looking unlikely that we will be able to run this course on a weekend during the winter season at Hemel. It's difficult to allocate the time and space we would need for the ropework at a time when the slope is at its busiest. Sorry about this! I hope to resurrect the idea after the winter when it will be easier to get space to run a course like this, so I'll post to see if there is any interest.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
any mileage in running it at a climbing wall? no skiing but plenty of places to be messing around with ropes
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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?
Agree - Hemel isn't the best place for it unless you can get permission to abseil off the staircase or bar balcony. Besides making ski anchors seems that there is no real benefit to being on snow as non mountainous environments go and I doubt anyone would be happy with you diggting a big snow bollard in the snow. Climbing wall or local quarry would work.
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Seeing the £ take such a hit makes me think more about a visit to Scotland some time this year...so two birds with one stone.

Just a thought
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
fatbob, how deep's the snow at a domw anyway, even if they let you dig I'm not sure there's enough without moving a big pile. The use of sand on the course last year was a good way of demonstrating snow anchors I though although even then you couldn't really demonstarte a bollard.

I very much doubt they would let you ab of a balcony anyway although maybe it would be at the call of the guy running the course.

A climbing wall could be a good venue although for abing you really want somewhere that the instructor can hang around at the top which isn't an option at most walls. The wall at Mile End had a bit where that was possible but I've not been there for years.

Scotland would be a good option, especially as mark handford, seems more than willing to run a course. Wales or the Lakes are also possibilities but they're even more conditions dependant. At least in Scotland you're almost certain to have enough snow somewhere to dig about in even if there isn't enough to ski.
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Swirly, we had discussed building up a pile of snow deep enough for snow anchors.

I don't have any links with a climbing wall so if someone wants to to take a lead please feel free. For me the reason for doing it at Hemel was (a) the novelty of doing it on snow (although the abseiling/prussic elements would have been on an external wall/balcony) as well as the opportunity for some skiing, and (b) it was in the south east for those who thought the trip to mid-Wales or Scotland was too far. Obviously nothing to stop similar events in different parts of the country if there's enough demand.
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