 Poster: A snowHead
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| agw wrote: |
abc - good tips - plus it always helps if you can have a good look at the run from the comfort of a chairlift on the way up.  |
They always look easy from the chair though....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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andyph, I can do parallel turns, and speed in itself is not a problem for me, it's just when I get freaked out about how steep something is my legs just won't work, probably because I keep telling them that!
I also always worry about other people on the slopes.
Bikergirl 
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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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My 3rd day on snow, made it to the top of a tricky rope tow, got off, wondered why the path has stopped, asked my Coach "Are we going down THERE ? !"
Luckily it was slightly foggy so the true horror was hidden from me. It turned out OK, I kept making the turns and reached the bottom.
It's a shame that the resort ruined it a couple of years later by getting rid of the tow and putting in a 3man while reshaping the slope 
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First was in a lesson. Excited at the idea of going down my first black run at the time, the instructor didn't tell us we were going down a black but I knew the piste was black. I asked him, and he told me to be quiet. It was a fairly easy black in Montgenevre which overgrades the majority of its runs. The red to get to it, I believe had a steeper pitch on it. I believe in most large French resorts it would have been a red.
I was more scared going down my first red. I was taken down in my second day of skiing in snow. A pretty uncontrolled attempt I will admit with a very basic parrallel turn.
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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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I remember doing one of my first blacks: it was in La Rosiere and I did most of it head first and not attached to my skis. I'd persuaded a guy from the chalet to take me down and he looked absolutely appalled by my performance and as terrified as me - he probably thought he'd have to take me to the hospital / deal with the blood. He did then teach me how to stop myself when I was in free slide which was very very useful. He also refused to ski with me again! Quite right too.
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| allanm wrote: |
| agw wrote: |
| abc - good tips - plus it always helps if you can have a good look at the run from the comfort of a chairlift on the way up. |
They always look easy from the chair though.... |
The way to judge slope angle when going UP the lift, is the turn your neck around and look DOWN it. That would give a better perspective.
Watch how others does it. If everyone on it were way better than you and ski it in ways you can't, don't!
Also, when you sometimes see people frailing on a seemingly "easy" slope, you should sound the alarm in your head. It may indicate the snow condition is particularly bad, for example.
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I like the way that black poles and blue poles are almost indistinguishable through yellow tinted goggles.
I've inadvertently tricked beginners down black runs a few times because of that.
"Come on, down this blue, looks pretty easy..."
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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 have to ask... Why a frozen mogul field for a first black?? Mogul field OR icy, fair enough, but both?
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Bikergirl, I was thinking that if you're happy having your skis parallel you should be able to side-slip somewhere on all but the steepest pistes. As someone noted earlier, there's often just one patch on a black piste that earns it that qualification, and the rest is red standard which should be doable if you can parallel turn.
Perhaps you just need a friend (not partner) to give you confidence. Or better, an instructor.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My first black was run 3 on the PLanai at Schladming - a few days after it had been used for the WC night slalom, so was artificially iced up (but at least was free of moguls).
We had arrived in resort about 6PM on the Saturday night, with that run floodlit, when the coach stopped alongside the bottom of it. Looking up it then, it looked SO steep, I wondered how anybody could ski it.
Wednesday morning, I finally did it, after standing nervously at the top of the final pitch for at least 10 minutes - fell once, but then did it several more times that week without falling.
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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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paulio, I've done that 'in reverse' - frightened myself stupid thinking I was getting myself onto a black that was in fact a blue.
First black was 'kandahar' in Les Houches. Very easy - almost disappointingly so - mainly because I've never really felt the need to ski black runs to enjoy myself so when eventually I did my skill level was probably a lot better than your average heart in mouth first timer (I have subsequently found one or two that are substantially more testing!!) It probably only happened at all because I booked a private lesson and was on it before I knew it and the legs not working thing didn't kick in because I trusted the instructor as well as it not being any worse than a number of reds I'd done before.
Now when I get onto bits 'I don't like' I just think 'one turn at a time' which helps combat the 'wobbly' legs.
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You know it makes sense.
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Trolles in Tignes....in April this year...There was a bit of trepidation at first, but I was concentrating so hard on the way down I didn't have time to be scared. Mind you, each turn was a mission, as the conditions 'porridge-like' at best. My legs were greatful when I got down.
2nd Black - Face, Val D'Isere...again, April '09. With my new found confidence I tackled the run, starts off nice and easy, but by the lower steeps I was up to the knees (or was that hips) in soupy moguls....never worked so hard.
I'd love to do both of those runs in good conditions...
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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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| paulio wrote: |
I like the way that black poles and blue poles are almost indistinguishable through yellow tinted goggles.
I've inadvertently tricked beginners down black runs a few times because of that.
"Come on, down this blue, looks pretty easy..." |
At Zell am Ziller, I skied with the TO "ski Leaders", and the day they did the Zillertal Arena includes one black that can only be avoided by downloading in a chairlift if you are getting to where we were going.
But when somebody in the group said "Isn't that a black?", their response was "It's a dark blue"
It wasn't the hardest black I've done. Steep, but good snow and plenty of width.
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Poster: A snowHead
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andyph, I know it's a confidence thing for me, but I've had a couple of crap instructors (inc partner) who said something along the lines of "just follow me", plus a couple
of nasty experiences with ice (not being able to get past it).
I also think I learn better by "feeling" the turn etc and reading/watching vids
Good job I love it! 
Bikergirl
p.s. How do I highlight someone's name that I'm replying to?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| DaddyLouLou wrote: |
| Ecurueils (sp) above Plan Peisey. |
Funnily enough that was myn and my wife's first black run, albeit unintentional, following the same above mentioned blue/black yellow goggles problem!
It was early afternoon on the very first day of our second ever week of skiing (for her, boarding for me), having been to Vallandry the previous year (which only saw us pick up 5 days/4 days riding each as we both had minor injuries). We got to the top of the peisey chair and it was almost a white out - very low visibility.
Through my goggles in the poor visibility I was convinced the poles we were following were blue and we were heading down to the bottom of the 2300 chair. "Are you sure they aren't black poles" she asked. "no no, this is definately the blue I confidently replied, must be your goggles".
"getting a bit steep" she added a bit further down.
It wasn't too long (yet too late to walk back up) before we realised were on Ecrueils down to Peisey, and it was mogulled to crap. Must've taken us above 45 minutes, with everything from laughter to me being called most names under the sun
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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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Bikergirl, you just click on their name.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
| Ecurueils (sp) above Plan Peisey. |
Been discussed here before, not trying to burst bubbles but it aint a black. 
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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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| thefatcontroller wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Ecurueils (sp) above Plan Peisey. |
Been discussed here before, not trying to burst bubbles but it aint a black. |
The alternative route off the right hand side, down the bottom can be quite challenging...
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My first was a short link between La Rosiere and La Thuile. I made it down with lots of traverse/side slipping. Wasn't my choice, OH misread piste map and we were going to miss the last lift back! Major issue was getting seriously lucky when as I was frozen thinking about my first team, a man lost it at the top of the run (came in at high speed from red leading to it) and his skis ran over the back of my skis while he skimmed in front of me. Glad I was actually frozen still at that time, as if I'd been moving, I'd've been turning where he flew past!
OH was determined for me to do an easy first black that first week, so that I didn't get black phobia.
The next week in Tignes I did the glacier black and Trolles, both in lessons.
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My first Black was Suisse in Courchevel. An ESF instructor decided that I was ready for it by basically not telling me it was a black until I was on it! I remember falling loosing one pole and have a young child stop and hand me it back.
I do not mind the steepness of blacks. It is the moguls that get in the way. One of these days I will be skipping down a mogul field but not yet.
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ph, Think you did one in Norway first
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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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ph, it was this year that I changed moguls from "aaargh, avoid" to "fun fun fun, let's go!" They're great, get stuck in.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ph, Go slow. Slower. Slower still. Thaaat's it.
Pole plant on top.
Ski around. Not through, or over. Lots of thigh steering.
You'll get it on your third run.
(N.B actual instructors: this is just my shorthand for how I conquered them. It may not be established 'correct' technique.)
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 16-11-09 20:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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And what's all this ski talk anyway? Are you trying to get your AZ ratio below 98%?
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ph, we always have a good laugh in the mogul fields 
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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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Shimmy Alcott,
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ph, we always have a good laugh in the mogul fields
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We do.
I would just like to be able to do them at a bit more speed. I know what I should be doing. Pole plant on the top and breaking on the soft snow at the top of a mogul. It is however easier said than done to link up the turns and not come to compete stop on a black.
paulio,
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Are you trying to get your AZ ratio below 98%
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It was 95% I will have you know. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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World Cup downhill in Lake Louise after about 3 weeks skiing. It was late afternoon and getting icy. I got stuck, lost a ski and couldn't get it back on one of the short steeps (which they probably take in the air in the race) but was OK after that.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Right, now I'm home I can put names to my black runs (yes, I'm a saddo that keeps piste maps).
Pretty sure I didn't do any black runs in my youth so the only black run I remember doing in France ever was 'Epaule de Charvet' in Val D'Isère Jan 2000. It gave me nightmares for several weeks although was mercifully short. I decided that was my first and last black run.
However, in Passo Tonale March 2006 I did a couple of black runs including 'Paradiso' down from the glacier. Both were OK.
Then in Kitzbuhel March 2008, I actually liked black runs 16a, 23 and 63. However I DID NOT like black runs 38 and 69!
So in Courmayeur last season I only attempted one (Des Eves) which was OK. There were three others, one of which was unpisted (Dell Orso), one which I could see from the chairlift and didn't like the look of (Rocce Bianche) and one which had a sign at the top saying 'expert skiers only' (Diretta), so I shied away from them.
Pretty sure that's my black run history. Not entirely sure I feel the need to add to it. I know my limits!
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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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queen bodecia, I love those 'experts only' signs. They're rarely all that meaningful beyond 'take care on this one'.
As I'm sure me and FtS have both banged on about a hundred times, make sure you do the black ones down to the valley in La Thuile. They're absolutely incredible. There's a decent chance you won't enjoy them in the strictest sense of the word (often icy, badly so), but you'll get down and they feel like a real achievement.
Pics as well please 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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was "the tiger" at glenshee. can still feel the ice jarring my teeth
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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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Hmm, can't remember my first regular black...but 2 seasons ago did my first black switch from top to bottom...it was...fun!
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First black run was the World Cup Slalom run in Wengen . It had snowed overnight and came down it on a nice carpet of snow, no problem what was all the fuss about. The next time I came down that run shortly after the race it was sheet ice which did my confidence a battering.
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I straightlined it. Followed by a controled hockeystop at the bottom
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Whitegold, whats the fun in 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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My first black run was Trolles in Tignes. TBH I was a bit disappointed as for most of it didn't seem much steeper than a red. I skied it in early December last year and I don't think I saw one other person on the run. In peak season with loads of skiers coming down I bet it's an interesting watch from the bars at the bottom of the piste. Great schuss at the end though!
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FAQ
. It was a huge mogul field in La Plagne that was completely frozen. We still giggle about it but she was a complete wreck at the bottom of it. Fair dues she got down and it really was a straight in the deep end of the swimming pool with cement boots on learning curve. 
We survived, made the event of her first black more fun 
