What have you looked at, thought about and decided . . . not today

A snowHead

I like to think I'm pretty ballsy but age is certainly catching up with me.

Hopefully everyone gets a chance to see if claims meet reality e.g. on eosb etc. to verify some of the claims on SH because some of them are very impressive.

The stuff Phil Ingle posts isn't even a claim, the photos are there to prove it but who has walked away from what ?

I looked at Corbet's Couloir and just thought it was stupid. I'd never land it. I'd just be doing it expecting to fall so I could say I'd done it but maybe not ski the rest of my trip.

I've fallen down Peyto's Pitch at Lake Louise with great aplomb and was lucky not to get injured but got down Gravity Pull.

Probably my best 'technical skiing' was Paintbrush at JH.

I looked at the path down to the Grand Couloir and thought wouldn't like to come off the side on the way down but after that the couloir wasn't a particularly big deal. Belive me I didn't zip line it or anything but was quite comfortable (admittedly in good conditions, in heavy conditions it was f . . .airly hard work but that was about physical effort not whether I was going to freeze).

Somewhere in between is me.

Fess up, dudes. Everybody must of walked away from something

A snowHead

The Trolles run down into Tignes Le Lac at the end of the day. Not because I cant do it , but I dont enjoy it it !!.

Im knackered its mogulled to death and just when you think your doing OK, their is someone in your line who really should not be there in the first place.

Option 1 : take the Aerorski Gondola down and have a few beers (my preferred option)

Option 2 Wait till the piste is clear and subject your knackered thighs to some of the biggest moguls in the Alps !! WHY have a few beers instead snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Also the Tunnel Alpe D'Huez, Much the same reasons as above, got down it, but can't honestly say I skied it.

If youve done you'll know what I mean unless youre a ski god snowHead

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I have a pathological fear of black piste markers. I'll normally find any other way down to avoid them.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Unpisted/mogulled black runs. I think I could cope, then I get there and bottle it.
Deffo need more lessons.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Climax, Hangmans Hollow and MJB's at Mammoth Mountain. Very steep and narrow at the top and some Super Size moguls.
My bro tried it in Jan 2009 and goes back to work next week ! 3 x ruptured knee ligaments.

After all it is free

Babe Ruth at Snowmass, not as bad as Corbet, but was nonetheless akin to skiing down a lift shaft.

I "looked at, thought about and decided . . . not today". NOT EVER!

Don't remember the piste, but it was Lake Louise, we were on our way down to the Temple Lodge from the front side. The moguls were so high I couldn't see over them. I managed to find a way across onto another piste in the end, that wasn't much better though.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

North Face of Bellecote. I was invited to ski down it by snowcrazy with him in 2006, but declined as my head was not right Sad

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

In general, I think a good call is if you are tired, then you can give something a miss. You can't get away with that day-in, day-out though.

I think you can cowboy down most things but it is better if you are in the mood, of course.
Fitness is mostly the arbiter IMV

snow reports

snowbunny, I look at that each day from our appt, & havent yet got the courage up to do it - dont think I could, anyway, come to thnk of it Confused

genepi, apparently I have the technical ability. What I lacked then, was the mental attitude (commitment) to use my skills, somewhere challenging.

JT I was suitably fit and not tired IYKWIM

You know it makes sense.

I looked over the edge into Blowhole at Whistler and said "no thanks". Some years later on a return trip we hiked some 40 minute out of bounds. While the rest of the gang dropped into a little gully, I again declined as I knew my legs were wobbly. I was rewarded with thigh deep powder all the way down Flute Nose. It's now inbounds and that experience is unlikely to be repeated

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

The Big Couloir in Big Sky: I can't imagine that I'll ever be good enough to ski it, even with a guide. Looking back at my photos, I can't believe that anyone gets down the top part alive - the ski tracks seem to appear mid-mountain as if the skiers were carried through the couloir itself by a guardian angel.

A snowHead

what have i looked at, thought about and decided...not today?... ...the ugly b!tch i woke up beside this morning.......she was lying on my arm..... i chewed it off so she wouldnt wake and got outta there pronto......

okbye

A snowHead

snowpatrol, you've done that line before.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Responding to one of PJSki's comments, enough said.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

666, nice thread idea.

Corbetts - is about it so far as far as my brain will let me remember - there must be others - and going to La Grave this year - so I suspect will have more to report later.

The main thing which influences my call is the run out. Things which continue to fall away, or are above a large cliff band, spook me the most.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I looked at the swiss wall in Avoriaz a few times and just didn't see the reward ever being worth the risk - there were invariably 100 odd people sprawling their way down it and titanic sinking size moguls. No regrets skipping that one!

You'll need to Register first of course.

couldn't get my head around making the first turn on the Pan de Rideau in La Grave last Easter so ended up sideslipping the first pitch Sad

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Actually I should qualify my thinking when I started the thread. The stuff I've thought I would do, got to the top of and decided . . . maybe not.

There is quite a bit of stuff I looked at from the lift and decided against even trying.

Virtually all of CPR ridge at Kicking Horse. I did the one run with an 'easy' entrance.

Heli High at Panorama I started down and decided it was too heavy, the trees were too close and bugged out, which took about 15 mins to get back to the main run.

At Big Mtn there was a run where the trees were so tight at the entrance I imagined it would be hard to walk between them let alone ski.

After all it is free

I did see a very small child in Courcheval this year at the top of a steep and relatively narrow Black run (cant remember which one) Saying lets go down this one and her mother saying we are not doing a black this late in the day.

666, CPR ridge is sweet in soft snow. Toofy Grin

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

DaveC, I did the Wall quite some time ago without realising it was "that" run - it's called Chavanette on the piste map, IIRC. The last time I was there I'd just had lunch and decided against it, to avoid stomach cramps. rolling eyes

However, it was something like 5 years of shuffle-to-the-top-then-side-stepping-back-to-safety before I skied Bouquetin on Mt Chery at Les Gets. I know several multi-year saisonnaires who still haven't skied it. Shocked

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

andyph, Really, ..???? it is a piste isn't it..?

snow reports

JT, like so many "tough" runs, it's the drop-off which is off-putting. Probably no more than 45% but looks worse (definitely steeper than the Wall).

I still have a bogey to sort out which is the bottom section of Mauriennaise in the Orelle valley. Had a good crack at it in April - skied out the top part, but there is a downhill section which you have to ski before you get a look at the last pitch and its difficult to get back to the blue - Gentianes if you bottle it, in April we thought it would still be mogulled and so so went Gentianes for the last section, then when we looked back it looked like a billiard table, and there wasn't enough time to ski it again - talk about gutted - I could have done it in April - it was in that snow state well within my current capabilites and I missed out on the opportunity and don't know when I will get another stab at it now. It is now the one that got away and I can nail it I know I can snowHead

You know it makes sense.

I turned away from Les Coqs in La Plange this year after looking at a sign saying " Don't even try this unless you are bl00dy fantastic. " I looked up at it later on and it looked pretty solid with trees and rocks all over the place. I keep on challanging myself but there is always one moment in each holiday when i realise that this one is beyond my ability. Fitness certainly plays a big part and i will be much fitter this year for skipping between moguls.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Decided not to do the nth face of bellecote this year when in les arcs. Mostly cause i was on my own & didn't want to commit to such a big line without a partner as opposed to any lack of ability.

Declined an offer to ski the glacier de rateau (not sure what the actual line is called) when in la grave a number of years ago. At the time i wasn't prepared to commit to a 50 degree potential death run. I'd probably give it a go now if the company & conditions were right.

I've bailed on the cosmiques & the glacier ronde once or twice but that was more to do with the hangover i was experiencing as i've skied both a bunch of times.

A snowHead

Isn't it strange the difference it makes having someone with you? Having only recently discovered the delights of skiing with someone - a combination of finally being good enough to cover a sufficient amount of the mountain to make it worthwhile for someone else to ski with me and also to have someone to ski with I find it makes a huge difference to what I am prepared to take on in terms of difficulty (I have got the odd black in when I've had someone with me) or the speed I'm prepared to go at on the flat (Flowa et al in VT!!. Yes, when all is said and done I 'know' there is no-one else getting me down except me, but having someone else there seems to make a huge difference. This is BZK stuff, might go and start a new thread there actually. Job jobbed http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=54903

666 this is a good thread, its quite reassuring to know that even good skiers can have 2nd thoughts.

A snowHead

I've walked from dropping off this (in winter obviously) and it still haunts me, http://i38.tinypic.com/2dj1qg.jpg

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Jonny luv plums, below the north face near Alpiglen?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

stoatsbrother, no the scheidegg train depot. done the alpiglen one and the eigergletscher one Smile

You'll need to Register first of course.

Swiss Wall for me too. Peered over the top to see what all the fuss was about, and then had an instantaneous urge to see what it's like to go down on a chairlift.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

andy,

After all it is free

my current job, at least 5 times a week rolling eyes

Now i'm going to swell shimmys head just this once.
Shimmy, a friend of ours and myself had a look at the Grand Couloir in Courchevel first thing in the morning. Mrs shimmy said lets do it. We then watched the skiier in front of us snowplough down the couloir and promptly fall on his back bottom 3 times.
Couloir was bottled.

This year i am f%king doing it. I have always wanted a helicopter ride down. Shocked

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Jonny luv plums, Ah ha... thought alpiglen would have been a bit tame.

Help!!

What have you looked at, thought about and decided . . . not today

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste