What is steep!

A snowHead

What have you skied and how steep was it?

Was it fall you die stuff?

Where was it?

How steep?

A snowHead

skierchris, You can fall and die on a green Confused

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

Natasha Richardson.

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Traversing with your buckles scraping the snow/ice Shocked

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Trouble with being an old hand on Snowheads, almost everyone has heard my stories about 8 times: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=1440&highlight=victoria

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There are always others disagreeing with my analysis but here are some facts

When a slope has snow there is a gradient beyond which the snow basher cannot get up as it will not be safe if it slides down over a loose layer of snow. Resort owners try to winch the snow bashers in some resorts. The steepest "groomed" piste in Austria has a displayed gradient of about 38 degree or 78 percent (78 units vertical against 100 units horizontal or arctangent of 0.7 Cool

. Therefore if you are on a groomed piste you are unlikely to exceed this gradient significantly as this is a matter of physics.

If the piste is not groomed then the gradient can be anything.

The extreme skiing in some American resorts has been defined as an ungroomed but designated area where the gradient can be 50 degree of higher.

If you see extreme skiing by the true experts, like those videoed by Waren Miller, you can see they do slope well over 60 degree and into possibly 75 degree or even steeper. These people have been seen skiing faster than a slow avalanche can reach them.

On a steep and long groomed black piste the risk of injury is a fall may be unstoppable until you reach a flatter terrain.

After all it is free

I don't know about 75º. Certainly over 60º, but I've read that snow won't stick on slopes much over 60º.

However, I think skierchris was asking about our personal experiences. Unless it is icy you should be able to stop yourself on a 40º slope if you have been taught how.

Slopes always look steeper when you look down them, but also when you look at them head-on compared to from the side.

Ok how about some real examples, i've skied a few nice lines in Chamonix.

Rond, Cosmiques, Ensa, anyone else?

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Had you already read mine then, skierchris? I thought with 70 posts perhaps you hadn't.

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saikee, I am not sure there are many places outside Alaska (with its sticky maritime climate snow) that you will get much snow sticking in a stable fashion at >55 degrees other than stuff blown into chutes. And I suspect - from his website - the OP isn't really that interested in "pistes" in the European sense.

skierchris, Certainly anything at 42 degrees or more I find it steep. But I like it. I haven't skied the stuff with high "exposure" but I am guessing that is what you love.

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I just like skiing, all types of skiing.

Skiing steeps is like anything, the more you ski the further your confidence allows you to push yourself.

I find it's like trad rock climbing in a way, its as safe as you want to make it. You just have to trust your ability and your head.

If it's giving you that little rush and a bit of good old fear mixed in then you are going to feel all the better for attempting it.

Thats the same at any level though, from beginner to pro!

All fun and games as they say.
Very Happy

skierchris, and this is the moment when you pimp your ski school... Wink

You know it makes sense.

Steep is when I side slip it - simples!

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

Megamum,

A snowHead

I think the most challenging slope Ive done is The Tunnel immediately after you exit, the tunnel. That first pitch of moguls snowHead

A snowHead

skierchris, you may have more luck posting this question on the TGR forums - they have quite a lot of guys (and gals!) skiing steep lines.

Here:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3

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I found €15 for a crappy burger and chips pretty steep...

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Megamum, Nice!

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horizon, Fair point, but its all a bit yo! over there!

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stoatsbrother, What would you rather chat about? the thickness of your socks?

After all it is free

snowball, stoatsbrother,

I have two DVD by Warren Miller on extreme skiers on every part of the globe and places without any skiing resorts like Alaska. These people are doing it steeper every year. You can see from their videos many slopes are well over 60 degrees. You never see them stop for a rest. Of course what we see is the bits that came out successfully but the extreme skiing videos do show some mishaps.

The only piste map they have is the shots from the instant camera on the day they survey the mountains.

If we look at the mountains in places like Alaska there are evidently snow covered slopes steeper than 60 or 70 degrees and the extreme skiers would just ski over it. Every year I notice they jump over the cliff higher than the previous years. If the drop is too much and cannot be jumped over they carry parachute now.

The extreme skiing is a challenge and not the type of sport we do in a skiing resort. However if we talk about steep gradients I don't think it is for the slopes less than 60 degrees for the people who do extreme skiing.

For me: 35°+. The steepest prolonged slope I have ever skied was probably Triffide 1 at La Grave. I should not have been there, and felt lucky to survive it; I shan't be in a hurry to go there again. When I got to the bottom I saw a skier who had broken his femur. The following week, IIRC, Arnie Wilson's companion died there. Awful. Not a place to take lightly.

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For me it's the point when I stand at the top and think 'oh cr@p' and then force myself to start the run before my legs start to shake and I can't do it. Toofy Grin

(this is quite likely considerably less steep than the rest of you) Embarassed

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Schuss in Boots, That would be Hemel then wink

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skierchris, slight sense-of-humour failure old chap?

I'm very happy to talk about steepness. And I am sure you are too. Given you run training camps for skiing Steeps... Wink

saikee, you seem much better at judging steepness from video screens than I am. Of course unless the camera is viewing the skier at from the same altitude and directly from the side - you cannot really judge the angle properly.

anarchicsaltire, NehNeh

(but I'm not saying you're wrong) Laughing

You know it makes sense.

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

A snowHead

I reckon once your past 35 degrees it's classed as steep, certainly by the time you get to 40 degree

A snowHead

achilles, should hope so - it's his business. Smile

pam w, thinness is in now. wink

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

stoatsbrother, Ive noticed that thin is it in thing Toofy Grin

I was wondering what to do with my older 'fatter' ones,

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skierchris,
I guess, I think its steep when you can rest your hand on the snow and very steep when its your elbow. I find the angle thing a bit hard to judge, whenever I or others around me have tried to estimate the angle of a slope we have been standing on it always seems that we over estimate the angle. Also its not just the angle that counts, but more the consequences and how sustained.

I have done most of my steep skiing around Cham.

Don't be put off by the assorted trols, sock puppets, and general wind up merchants, personally I am very interested in what you have to say, and if you have your firms links in your signature its only the same as many others do, at least yours gives a little authority to your opinion.

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

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Mon 15-11-10 1:59; edited 1 time in total

I skied Highlands bowl B 1 I think it was 45 degrees, after a big snowfall. A much longer, exposed pitch of the same would make the ol' ring go 5 pence 50 pence especially if not well covered. For me its more about who is going to get the ski that caught at my first turn cos I'll be f****d if Im going to walk back up that from here !! Moreover, who is going to want to stop where they want to turn then bring down my ski ??
Hanging wall or gate at west 1 and 2 was also about 45 (so I am told). It has some nice cliffs to launch off to get some 40ft air if thats your thing. Def not mine, but made the palms sweat knowing they're around.

Perception is reality,...so if you think its
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Shocked

I used to guage how steep my wife thought a slope was by how long she just stood looking at it, then by the amount of abuse I got. Laughing

..... she now skis with her new husband.... the poor sod !!

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As far as the groomed goes from about 30 degrees. 45 sustained feels like a wall, stories of 55+ are mostly bull. Super steep you are into jump turns and double pole plants (if you are a euro)

Help!!

What is steep!

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