OK, so I know this run is 78%, and the steepest piste in Austria, but has anyone on here skiied it? Seen it? Bottled it?
Got any photos other than the ones on Google?
I know it has been mentioned before on here (I did do a search) but it was only mentioned in connection with someone being killed on it, and also as part of wider discussions about steep pistes.
I'm going to Mayrhofen at the end of January, and I'm wondering whether to attempt it or not. I've also read that once you start, there's no going back - and if you fall, you slide a VERY long way.
I'm a decent intermediate with 20 years experience and do most blacks no problem, but the idea of this being hideously steep AND icy is a bit daunting!
I suspect I may just go up the chairlift next to it and watch everyone else going down on their ars*s.
I've looked on YouTube and it doesn't look that terrifying but you don't really get an indication of steepness.
I did read there's another slightly less fearsome black there too, is that worth a go?
BTW IIRC it had a safe run out so not a no fall run. Not a challenge in good snow (when I did it ), but probably none too pleasant in hard conditions. As long as snow's ok I wouldn't imagine you'd have any problem at all.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
You can look at it from he chairlift first, and get a very good idea of the run. I have done that, but didn't attempt to ski it - by the time I might have had the chance, I was carrying a calf injury, and was not about to risk any major falls on that.
It is very steep, but only for a couple of hundred yards or so, and the steep bit is all in a straight line, with a large roller to stop you if you have fallen and are sliding.
Did it a few years back. I was probably about a 4 or 5 week skier back then. Didnt think it was too bad. I did fall on it on one occasion but that was just a bit sloppy of me catching an edge. I did slide a very long way but it is a very wide piste and normally quiet so it is difficult to hit anything and there is no edge to go off or anything.
I would tackle it now without a second thought, when i saw the thread i had to go and check my piste map for which piste it was. When i saw which one i was suprised as i really didnt think it was anything spectacular. Not as bad as the run at the top of Sierra Nevada.
With your experience you should have no problem. I have some video actually from us sitting at the bar at the bottom of the run as a helicopter comes in to pick someone up. There was a piste basher parked at the large flat area at the base and we thought at the time that someone had hit it but on reflection they had probably brought the casualty to that point in the piste basher.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
One of the biggest risks on the Harakiri are the other people who want to ski it because its "the steepest piste in Austria" who really shouldn't be there.
It is a north facing slope, always in the shade. It has lot of man made snow blown onto the steepest section to give it a good base. It is often hard packed and, for want of a better word, icy. I hesitate to say icy, as it is usually grippy and if you have good edges and know how to use them it's a breeze. However, there are plenty of people who try and ski it with edging skills in need of some improvement, resulting in lots of people out of control.
If you fall at the steepest point there is a slight double fall line that pulls you down to underneath the chairlift and, although, the piste seems to be really wide and a long way from the steepest section to the piste markers under the chairlift, I've sometimes seen people stop their fall against the piste markers.
Look at it from the chairlift, see how the snow looks, see how other people are skiing it and then decide.
You can get to the bottom (flat) section of it by skiing down Black 4 and turning left along a road, so if you're not sure after looking from the chairlift it might be worth at it from the bottom too.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Is it steeper than Diamant Noir at Flaine? I remember the top pitch of that being very steep for a piste.
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.
Cheers all, I reckon it'll be fine. I've probably skiied stuff just as steep in France (I'm sure the top of the Aiguille Rouge at Les Arcs was pretty steep), it's just the marketing of Harakiri!
I suspect the secret is to commit to it - and don't stop hehe.
I'll let you know if I do brave it.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I’ll be in Mayrhofen the third week of January and am looking forward to ski the Harakiri. I’ve done le Tunnel in Alpe d’Huez, which I found exstremely steep and mogully but rewarding so it should be fine I guess .
From this photo it looks like the wall of death ..
.. but then in this one - not too bad at all:
Ah well, I've bought a helmet this year, it can't be that bad.
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.
It's easy in good conditions, and fairly easy in icy conditions as well as long as you time your run to make sure you're not too close to the muppets cartwheeling down it out of control. Good edges and confidence are the key factors - this is not an ideal run for someone's first black, but if you've done the one facing it which comes straight down Gerent (piste 14), you'll wonder what all of the fuss is about, as the Gerent run is much longer (4 or 5 times the length), almost as steep in the bottom section, and lightly mogulled most of the time.
It runs from the top to the floor of the valley.
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
Hum, bet that's a leg-burner! Looks very steep at the bottom too, after it turns the corner.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Short and sweet and as long as it is not sheet ice it is easy to ski! Just be mindfull of the blue run that cits across the bottom and muppets falling from above. Black 14 is much more challaging and rewarding as it some of the off piste under the big lift to the right of the hari
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Is that the run from the Schneekar Hutte?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ghost Dog, yes, from the top of Gerent all the way back to the bottom of the Schneekar lift. At the top, there's a smart restaurant and cafe with a large bronze eagle on the roof. Red 7 runs from the same start point to the same end point, and is one of my favourite runs as it goes on for ever, and is great fun once it gets into the trees. Above the treeline, it is an autobahn - lots of speeding people, but light traffic around the occasional fat trucker...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
OK, so I did it...
Badly!
First off, we did piste 17, which is the one mentioned above (it's not 14). It's a long black, but not that testing. It goes very steep at the bottom which involves a bit of a leap of faith, but really it was no trouble at all.
So later in the day it was onto Harakiri. To be honest, I wasn't really in the frame of mind to do it. My legs were already getting tired, and the signs at the top really are quite intimidating. However my mate egged me on, so I went for it. Once you're committed, there's no going back. If you fall, you slide a VERY long way, but the biggest danger is from being hit by someone falling above you. We saw this happen a couple of times, and there's the potential for a nasty injury.
What I will say is, only do this run if you have no confidence problems whatsoever. Any confident and, more importantly, competent skier will get down this without too much trouble. It wasn't especially icy.
Trust me, it is STEEP.
I'm a very experienced and pretty technically good skier. However I still have some confidence issues after having a panic attack on a steep slope many years ago. I'm a lot better now, but unfortunately I lost my nerve a bit at the top of Harakiri and made a hash of it!
Sidestepped down the first bit.. then put a couple of turns in ... lost control and landed at the side, off-piste. Didn't slide down, but had to get up and push backwards back onto the piste. Got going again, did about 3 turns before picking up too much speed. Turned up the mountain to try and get back under control but there wasn't enough room before I reached the edge of the piste, and my ski pinged off. It SHOT down the slope, followed by me hehe! Slid down trying to slow myself with my other ski, so I didn't slide that fast, and ended up at the bottom covered in snow
So I'd like to say I cruised down it like a pro, but sadly it wasn't the case.
The whole experience wasn't that scary (once I'd got past the top bit!), and the fall only damaged my ego. I really have the ability to ski it, it was just my nerve which let me down.
Ah well.
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?
SaraJ wrote:
One of the biggest risks on the Harakiri are the other people who want to ski it because its "the steepest piste in Austria" who really shouldn't be there.
Like the guy entering stage rear at 1:22 in this clip??? (Not at Harakiri, Mayrhofen)
I did the Harakiri run two weeks ago in Mayrhofen. Conditions were OK, certainly not icy. While the run is steep, i didn't find it very hard or extreme. As I have said earlier, Le Tunnel in Alpe d'Huez for example is far, far harder. It was fun though and still only recommended for (indeed confident and) competent skiers/boarders.
I also liked the Schneekar/Devils Run/no. 17-run. It was a bit icy, but I managed to ski from the top station of the Schneekar lift to the bottom station in one go. Very rewarding, but my legs burned like hell at the the end of the run
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
), but probably none too pleasant in hard conditions. As long as snow's ok I wouldn't imagine you'd have any problem at all.
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