 Poster: A snowHead
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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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Happy New Year Steve to you and the family.
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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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Happy New Year Steve, Claire and family. Won't be out this season due to a fractured ankle. Mark and Marina
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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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Happy New Year and Decade,
great pic of Santons. Makes Epaule du Charvet look quite steep. With those moguls it would be a quad burner. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Having skied and Telemarked round EK for the past 20 odd years I never considered why Santons was closed off nearly every time!
Thanks Steve for the education , and Happy New Year!
Nick
Ps. Just chuckling to myself, first snowboarding trip for a couple of friends, I let them do the guiding, crusing down Santons when one of them says
"wow, I thought a black run would be more scary"
Santons was closed and we were on the path leading into the top of the EdC, we were past the point of no return. I can confirm that massive moguls are pretty hard work in telemark, day 3 of snowboarding for the lads was a longer challenge! The look on their faces as we came round the last corner and the village is
Straight down!
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@La paix,
Yes Santons is often closed because of the danger of avalanche from the steep sides. Similarly Piste L is often closed for the same reason.
About 2 years ago when Santons was closed a group entered the piste from the side and were buried.
I believe Santons has been upgraded from a blue to red run. I haven't checked the piste map in a few years.
@PeakyB,
The lower part of Epaule du Charvet is very steep. The start of the run from the bottom of the Fontaine Froide lift tarts as a gentle slope and then drops steeply. Aptly named it is shaped like a "Shoulder".
The easiest black run in the EK is The Face because they usually piste it every night. There are other challenging black runs in the EK because they don't piste them.
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@welshflyer, yes I’d never dream of dodging the closed netting on Santons.
Strangely I’ve always found the less steep approach at the top of Epaule du Charvet more disconcerting than the steeper parts. Never fathomed why.
But I love the steeper parts, even when average sized moguls on it. Then you reach the point whilst still on the steep section where you just have to tuck into a schuss. Hold on tight as the path veers left, or face a long pole before the path back to Val D centre starts to go downhill again.
I think the Face is relatively easy some times of day in some conditions. Not so in the afternoon on a cold day, if it turns icy.
Both these blacks pale into insignificance for me compared with Foret, which is a proper challenge.
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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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Thanks lynnecha and PeakyB
mpurser2 - oh no your kidding me - what a shame... will have to have double beers next season at the Rosee to make up! Get well soon - best wishes to all of you and Mish!
La paix - thanks and glad could educate... love that comment from your friend!
welshflyer - yup your right there... scary what 'could' happen on those pistes! It has been uprated to a red now your right! Yes the Face is probably the easiest black out there - just long and at days end is not ideal thats for sure!
PeakyB - yea I think Foret is one of the harder blacks in resort - Marmottons for me is the toughest overall if not pisted for months on end it is a LONG mogul field!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Steve Angus,
| Quote: |
PeakyB - yea I think Foret is one of the harder blacks in resort - Marmottons for me is the toughest overall if not pisted for months on end it is a LONG mogul field!
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Think I've only 'done' Marmottons twice and recall picking my way through the tops of bushes sticking through the snow. Don't remember it feeling as scary as Foret can be though. But it tests out the leg muscles for sure.
Hard to resist double or triple loops around Arcelle, rather than faff about on Marmottons!
You seem to use Sun Bar for lunch quite a lot. Haven't been in for 3 or 4 seasons, has it changed much? Good place to sit out and watch people enjoying the Face.
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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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@PeakyB, don’t see many takers on marmattons , am with you would rather lap arcelle . Used the sun bar once never again
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm not sure if you would classify it as a black, but I always enjoy starting off down the black Sache run which has a nice remote 'off piste' feel to it then cutting off on the red traverse which joins up with the easy runs down to Brevières.
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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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@john2, Sache was certainly graded black for many years. Like many such pistes, difficulty depends much on conditions and how long since it last saw a piste basher.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Combe Folle lift? Skiers hiding behind the avalanche thingy near the top of the photo.
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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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Love reading this thread guys. It’s been nearly 30 years since I was last in l’espace Killy but only a couple of weeks until I’m back there again. Can’t wait!
CW
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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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Up and over chair fornet to solaize or as my wife calls it “the scare chair”
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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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...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 8-10-20 7:20; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Steve Angus,
Banane couloir? Above the top avalanche barrier. Loyes Express?
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@Kenzie, Ditto
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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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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| Anyone wanna guess exactly where this photo is taken? |
Going down from Solaise towards Glaciers chair, Looking left towards Laissinant chair, Danaides hard left at the CatEx.
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@Steve Angus, Other than your phone did you have anything else in your other hand?  I know you TDC fellas can multi task!!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| chocksaway wrote: |
| @Steve Angus, Other than your phone did you have anything else in your other hand? I know you TDC fellas can multi task!!!! |
Cryptic and correct answer!
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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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@Steve Angus, does the black & yellow pole mark the best place to stand to turn your takeaway hot chocolate into an ice cream?
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@Steve Angus,
The black & yellow posts generally speaking mark hazzards on the piste eg. rocks, holes etc. In this particular case it is warning you that your ears are about to be assaulted by the dreadful noise coming from the Folie Douce and to look out for drunks on the slope ahead of you.
I agree with you that a lot of people on the slopes have less skill. One of the reasons for this is that ski and snowboard design has made it easier to get on the slopes and a lot of people would rather ski or board out of control at high speed simply to show how fast they have gone on their phone app and/or Go Pro.
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You know it makes sense.
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| welshflyer wrote: |
@Steve Angus,
I agree with you that a lot of people on the slopes have less skill. One of the reasons for this is that ski and snowboard design has made it easier to get on the slopes. |
I have been gobsmacked in the last year or so by 2 different sets of friends who have been skiing a few times and have never had one lesson - between about 8 or 9 of them including grown up kids and son / daughter in laws !!
Its not like these people are skint either, its a weird mindset thing where they seem to think that strapping on the skis and heading downhill means they have cracked it.
I asked the father of one of the groups how his new son in law had got on (had never skiied in his life) and the answer was "aye, he took to it really well, managed to get down some fairly steep reds with us on the first day and was really fast".
I can only imagine how "in control" he was flying down that red..........
One of the guys from the other family was on a stag do with me in Tignes a few years ago and he was utterly rubbish, I remember asking him why he didnt get lessons and he just shrugged.
I have been asked to join one or two of their trips over the years and always made excuses even though they are nice people - frankly, the thought of skiing with out of control eejits brings me out in hives. Plus, I would rather not end up in a blood wagon because some erse didnt know how to brake and totalled me.
Contrast with our usual group who go away at least once every year, have been skiing or boarding since the year dot.......and some still do private lessons on the odd lunchtime to top up.
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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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I think there is an expectancy these days that progress will be very quick ie. days rather than weeks. Also a big change from 30 years ago are the quality of the pistes. Moguls are unheard of in many areas, pistes are perfectly prepared and frequently widened and graded in the summer. With modern equipment skiers are essentially being encouraged to ski flat out. I’m just as guilty 
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Poster: A snowHead
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The problem I believe is that we live in an instant world, same day deliveries, instant music, videos, movies etc.
People don’t appreciate the art of skiing, mountain skills, development any more.
Phil from snoworks was suggesting resorts should do less pisting and allow moguls to develop which will slow people down and mean they need to develop some skills. Personally I think it’s a great idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| One thing that struck me this afternoon was (and I have had this thought a fair few times in this and many other holiday periods recently) that there are getting lesser and lesser decent skiers and boarders on the mountains... all the older conventions of skill are totally lost... I know I have said this before but really for every 100 people on the hill I barely see anyone who really has much skill - call me old fashioned or whatever but it is bonkers! The other thing, and again today was another example, was that to get better you have to put more and more effort in... some times you are asked a question such as 'how do I sort that out' and then you give an answer and you have to preach to actually change your skiing for the better you gotta put a lot of effort in and you also have to justify why what you are saying will help said persons skiing - there IS A REASON why such and such a thing is taught e.g. posture today... the young chap had awful posture and looking more like a ski instructor in a 'ready position' WILL benefit his skiing further down the line - you can't just force the turns around for ever and a day. However the problems faced stem from everyone copying everyone elses bad habits they see on the mountain! Arghhhh! |
Bring back 'skinny skis'? When the saying was that it took seven years (ie 7 x six day holidays with lessons) to learn how to parallel ski blacks AND that was every pupil's expectation.
Though I personally blame people copying ski instructors by going around the mountains with a camera-phone in one hand - no names - no packdrill. (see chocksaway above). But seriously people concentrating on their selfie stick & not what is around them are a true danger on the slopes.
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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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I think possibly something to do with the expectations of lessons and people wanting to get progression quickly. You pay £200+ for a week of group lessons for a few years there is an expectation that after a point in time that 'doing a black run' is progression rather than actually focusing on fundamentals and being able to ski a blue well. I'm guilty of above and just want to get out on the slopes and do as much as possible.
I also noticed with my kids the levels are set up accordingly to the run level and kids getting passed at various levels having skied for x weeks regardless of ability but actually were not any better than the children with less experience. Not that I'm qualified to judge just an observation.
Also equipment is much more forgiving. So you can do more for less effort. Plus social media shows you what is possible so probably raises expectations.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Also the really good skiers usually aren't on the piste anyway.
I would like to have more lessons but a ski holiday is expensive enough already. I had many years of 6-day lessons when I was learning (thank you parents!) and have continued to have private lessons here and there but I'd love to improve.
I do see a lot of people skiing very fast on busy pistes and it scares me - St Anton was particularly bad for this.
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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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@Steve Angus, Well it would re rude to spoil it for everyone else, bit too much of an advantage!
PS Agree on the level of muppetry on the slopes and basic ignorance of the rules of the piste - certain ski schools should do more.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| chocksaway wrote: |
@Steve Angus, Well it would re rude to spoil it for everyone else, bit too much of an advantage!
PS Agree on the level of muppetry on the slopes and basic ignorance of the rules of the piste - certain ski schools should do more. |
Is he holding a rope? 
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@GreenDay, There are so many tempting replies to that one......
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Is @Grinning basically correct, except for the direction? You're on the rope tow heading back towards the Solaise lift from the Datcha lift.
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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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...
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 8-10-20 7:20; edited 1 time in total
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I think there's a key difference between 'poor technique' and 'inconsiderate/dangerous behaviour'. The two aren't mutually exclusive of course.
Personally I don't have much problem with people who could clearly improve their technique with tuition, but nevertheless ski in a controlled, considerate and relatively safe way.
I have major problems with those who endanger others with their style. This can be because their confidence and risk taking outweighs their technical ability. But I also see what I think are technically very capable skiers, who endanger others by skiing too fast, too close, without due care and attention when entering or setting off on a piste, etc. They often disregard the prevailing conditions and fail to show much empathy with those who are less competent than them, eg beginners.
Much the same on the roads I think and probably quite a few people behaving badly there are the same when they ski.
Anyway, for ski instructors, it must be good to see such a huge potential market for their services
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FAQ
