 Poster: A snowHead
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This has to be your worst nightmare come true. Two Parisians have spent the night on a Les Arcs chairlift. They were found this morning in a state of hypothermia by lifties and rushed to hospital in Bourg St Maurice. The men were aged 36 and 26 and were said to not be in danger... They took the chairlift at Arcs 1600 for one last run on Saturday evening but the lift was shut down and they were stuck hanging above the slopes at 1800 meters. Fortunately it was not too cold, temperatures were around -2 to -4C and they were well dressed.
Damien Comandon, director general of the Société des Montagnes de l'Arc (SMA) has blamed the lifties for lack of vigilance. The police have launched an inquiry.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 27-03-05 14:00; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Beat me to it! Unbelievable, eh. What I can't understand is why they didn't manage to attract the attention of the pisteurs closing off the piste - the lift is above it all the way.
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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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Have you seen Les Bronzés font du ski?
They were lucky it was not cold though... although it must have been pretty damn miserable.
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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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Unusual these days not to have a phone between them - is there coverage at that spot?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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laundryman, did I really take that long to post 
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davidof, (ref Bronzés)... who was it, Jean-Claude?  A classic.
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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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laundryman, Mobiles work there - no problem.
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PG, If my distant memories are correct, then Les Arcs has achieved this once before over at Arc 2000.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| PG wrote: |
| What I can't understand is why they didn't manage to attract the attention of the pisteurs closing off the piste |
Do I detect some suspicion on your part? (read: Free Holiday and interview with Paris Match). I must confess as they were supposed to be near the arrival station the thought had crossed my mind. Maybe you should hot tail it down to the hospital to find out more?
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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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Well they were "very warmly dressed" - despite the daytime temperatures! They were lucky though - it poured down last night, for some hours - I would have thought they would have been drenched.
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Crikey - the extremes some will go, just to be on the morning's first chair!
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You know it makes sense.
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I assumed lift companies had a system which would prevent even deliberate "lift lingering". i.e. close gates, wait for n chairs/gondolas to go past, stop lift.
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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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Maybe they decided a night on the chair would be more comfortable than their accomodation?
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Poster: A snowHead
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pistemeister, presumably the other 12 people staying in their studio didn't notice they weren't there 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Ian Hopkinson wrote: |
| I assumed lift companies had a system which would prevent even deliberate "lift lingering". i.e. close gates, wait for n chairs/gondolas to go past, stop lift. |
Some updates:
Turns out it is the medieval French numbering system wots to blame. Bottom liftie radio'ed up to top liftie:
"les derniers sont sur la chaise quatre-vingt-dix" and top liftie only heard "quatre-vingt"
The two guys didn't have their mobiles because they have had enough of spending time on chairlifts with English people who have bought appartments in 1950 and spend all their time on chairlifts calling Charles in London to tell them about how much their appartment has appreciated since the last holiday. They wanted some peace and quiet.
The two guys are not going to sue les Arcs and consider the matter closed. They will continue their holiday.
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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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Think of the advantages of a week of this though, no room bill to pay, first lift each morning and a wide choice of slopeside accommodation to boot. I'd upgrade from a chair to a bubble though, I think it might be worth the extra.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The same thing happened years ago in Wengen on the Wixi chairlift, apparently. Last guy on the chairlift was wearing blue and liftie radioed this to the top. Unfortunately a guy 30 chairs in front was also wearing blue. The poor guy died of hypothermia. This happened about 15 years ago I believe.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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beanie1, A good case for always carrying a length of rope in your rucksack I would have thought.
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now forgive me if this sounds stupid, but surely all they need to do to prevent this EVER happening is to send up a Patroller or 2nd lifite on the last chair while that tow's liftie waits at the bottom and stops anyone else getting on - then the Patroller or 2nd lifite stops the tow when they get off at the top
very surprised they aint sueing - i sure as hell would!
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beanie1, the only way I can see that happening on the Wixi chairlift was if it was heavy snow at the time as the Wixi is visable over the whole of its length
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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barry, in some modern lifts they tip the seats up, so know the lift is empty when they're all tipped up. Not sure, but don't think from memory that that's possible on the lift in question. Maybe they could just put something onto the last chair - a sort of token that indicates it's the last one?
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D G Orf,
I have no idea if it's true - I was just repeating what I was told by friends who are locals. Don't see why they'd make something like that up though. Maybe it was snowing! Anyway, retelling that story always brings up the topic - how would you get off the lift if that happened to you? Personally I think I'd tie one ski pole to the foot rest, tie the other pole to the end of it and shimmy down them. Hopefully this would lead to a realistic drop!
skanky, I think in a lot of resorts they do tie a ribbon or similar to the last chair.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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beanie1, I agree it's possible, but I could only see it happening in very poor visability, some lifts now have video cameras on them in spots where the lift cannot be seen from either end station to help prevent just this sort of thing
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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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| skanky wrote: |
| Maybe they could just put something onto the last chair - a sort of token that indicates it's the last one? |
I've seen some lifties do this - for example they put a post or shovel on the last chair.
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Beats radio.
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You know it makes sense.
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skanky, well yes, you're right, they could put a radio on the last chair, but that might be a little small and harder to spot. 
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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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Ray Zorro,
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Poster: A snowHead
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If the saftey bar had sensors on them this would never happen. When all bars are up they should touch some kind of magnetic sensor which will send a small current that lights a bulb in the controllers cabin if this light is not on then the lift should be left running until all the chairs are checked. If someone is on the lift with the bar up they deserve every thing they get.
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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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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4387653.stm BBC article but doesn't add much to what we already know.
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| French media reported that the ordeal left the men half-conscious and one was speechless. |
Hypothermia well established. Lucky Guys.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Relatively speaking!
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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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| kuwait_ian wrote: |
| and one was speechless. |
I'd be livid, never mind speechless!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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This story kind of proves my fear of chairlifts.
It couldn't happen on a T Bar !
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 31-03-05 12:21; edited 1 time in total
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| FenlandSkier wrote: |
| Think of the advantages of a week of this though, no room bill to pay, first lift each morning and a wide choice of slopeside accommodation to boot. I'd upgrade from a chair to a bubble though, I think it might be worth the extra. |
Yeah, and a truly ski-in/ski-out location.
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Ah but no breakfast or dinner 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Same thing happened in Verbier last week. British guy stayed for one beer too many at the Cabane Mont Fort and hopped on to the La Chaux 4 man after the liftie had gone up. Apparently he dangled there for 5 hours before calling the emergency services who came to get him. Goodness knows what he was thinking about in the meantime...
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He waited for FIVE HOURS after the lift had closed before calling 999 on his mobile phone? He must be very patient or very stupid!
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FAQ
