Skiing back to base, ALWAYS

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

davkt, ....gosh that takes me back...last time I did the Valentin it was Christmas 2001, and L2A was green grass all the way to the town. Only the Valentin was open, and it was glass and boilerplate from top to bottom. They had a lot of packing around the pylons....trouble was, it was the only way back and virtually the only run open on that side of the hill on some days - the glacier was open some days but high winds closed it on occasion. The Valentin was carnage. Beginners falling at the top and sliding down on top of other stationary or slowly moving skiers. Ski brakes didn't work, and random skis were travelling, clatter clatter over the surface and covering a huge distance. Since the top entry to it is quite flat, beginners were accessing without realising that it got very steep very quickly, after the 'step' at the top of the hill.

Now, in CH, I head back with the kids either very early or very late, even with excellent conditions, I get very nervous for my kids when the Big Rush starts. They ski fast and tidily, which helps, since they are predictable in direction and move at the speed of the majority of traffic - bit like being easier to join a motorway doing 70 mph and being at the same speed as traffic on it, rather than moving at 40 and having a 30 mph differential. But it still feels crazy, due to the volumes on narrow, tree-lined pistes. So it's back to the bar for a hot chocolate at 3.30 or last run down in the twighlight at 5 or later.

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It depends, frequently I'll avoid the blues as they tend to be full of bambi on ice or semi-drunks, if theres a red i'll take that if not too beaten up or download rather than risk injury.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

valais2, Well given the conditions on the bottom end of the green track I day I did my calf (though did it near the top where it was OK) Valentin should have been the only run open back down to town! It was the second week of the Easter hols last year so only a couple of weeks before the end of the season but the skiing was great once you got up to Cretes, had a a big powder dump midweek that put a good couple of foot of snow down even in the town. Yep, it is still very easy for people to end up on it without realising and I did spot a few on there apparently frozen by fear. Still don't think Chloe has forgiven me for spoiling her first black!

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I've downridden a few bubbles in my time no doubt, but there's nothing quite like clipping out of the skis at the end of a great home run and taking two steps into Apres.

Ischgl, Klosters and Verbier all have top class home runs in that respect

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holidayloverxx, I'm astonished that you have never skied back home in Flachau. I skied it every day we skied the home turf - it's well worth doing. It did get a bit churned up in the evening and even tended to mini soft moguls, but I thought it was good practice - it's a lovely wide run with plenty of space as you know. There was even a day when my skiing partner downloaded and just to prove a point I didn't and even went up and did it again with the kids LOL

After all it is free

I love the download, I find it provides a time for gentle meditation on the day past. I positively look forward to it. Am I weak?

I downloaded as a 1-week skier in Brevent-Flegere where the only option down was an icy black. Don't think I have done since? But I don't have anything against it if the conditions are gash, if it was stony and rubbish I would do it, just to save my skis...

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I just love skiing. Even poor skiing is more fun than not skiing. I even ski in domes. But yes, to save my skis I'd go down in the lift..... Except it has never happened, that I can recall. Perhaps I'm too optimistic. Instead I damage my skis skiing off-piste, and hitting hidden rocks.

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I go skiing to enjoy myself. If the last run down is horrible and I think I'll enjoy myself more on a lift then I'll take it (I know a lift may not be very enjoyable but its better than a broken leg!). In my youth, long ago, I could always be tempted into "one last run", but I am a bit wiser now.

You know it makes sense.

Ha, brilliantly condescending, as ever.

FYI, the opening post was actually slightly tongue in cheek, but obviously you missed that.

Following your charming insult, I clarified my thoughts.

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

snowball, There are two types of skis - rock skis and skis that haven't been mounted yet:) I can't remember who said it but it's very true...

A snowHead

'Ride of shame' indeed, hilarious. FFS boys, put your willies away. For the umpteenth time, NO-ONE'S INTERESTED. Laughing

A snowHead

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

In reality I've never heard taking a lift down referred to as a "walk of shame" but I haven't seen many people downloading either if there is enough snow and not just mud on a home run. Majority will be skiing down, but whether it's down to peer pressure, some sort of pride or just attempt to maximize time on two planks I don't know. We usually just meet at the bar on the home run especially on a sunny bluebird day to lounge on a terrace with a beer for an hour, so downloading is not an option from there. Definitely everyone would have enough skiing by then for a day but the run is relatively easy so it seems a natural route to take.

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holidayloverxx, I know the one.............say no more!! wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I don't think it is (just) a macho thing. The "rules" for selecting our ski chalet/hotel that I'm given by my wife and daughter is that they can "ski home". I think it is something to do with not wanting to carry the skis/poles and walk in boots if they can avoid it.

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jamescollings, I am very keen on ski back to base locations for that reason too.

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There are two different arguments here. In some places you have no choice but to take a bus or a gondola or even both, to get to and from the skiing. But the discussion here is about the choice of whether to get down on skis or by lift (where both are options) which may well make no difference to the amount of walking in ski boots you have to do.

Sitting after the lifts close in a mountain bar and enjoying a drink (or 16) wouldn't be allowed in the area where I ski, where local bye-laws ensure that piste patrollers chase stragglers down the mountain to ensure they're safe before the piste bashers get to work, and restaurants have to close accordingly.

By definition, of course, serious accidents always happen on the "last run of the day" even if that's at 0945 but those who choose to take the risk of a last inebriated blast down the mountain as dusk falls are not necessarily foolhardy idiots any more than those who decide not to are hopeless wimps.

The judgmental labels are unhelpful and adults should be mature enough to stand their ground and neither ski down, nor download, just because of concerns about what other people might think. If I was skiing with someone who tried to persuade me, despite my better judgement, to take a tricky home run when I was tired, and looking forward to a shower and a vin chaud, I'd tell them to get stuffed. And if a companion was tired, and a bit scared, I'd probably download with them and enjoy the views.

After all it is free

pam w, I think this is how it works in real life.

I certainly wouldn't feel it was wrong or wimpy to take the lift down. You should do what you'll enjoy most and if you feel you are tired and might injure yourself it sounds sensible to me to take the lift.
I've decided myself, when I've skied hard all day and am weary, not to catch the lift up, that last time just to do one more load of heavy off piste that is freezing up again. However, if I'm up there I can never resist skiing down. The lift down is such an anti-climax.

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I don't think anybody in the thread has suggested they'd pressure other people into skiing down - only themselves. There's nothing wrong with the latter if that's how you enjoy yourself.

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I'm often more scared/not fond of the lift download than the skiing options. Irrational but true. If I had to download on a chair, there is no chance on earth you would get me to do it - particularly not alone. Always fighting a slight fear of chairlifts at the best of times! Also not crazy on the perch/stand gondolas (boots far more comfortable to ski in than stand in!), but I'd happily download on a nice seated gondola and have done so (down to Courchevel le Praz when it was slushy higher up so I couldn't be bothered with more porridge). If the lift options had been less appealing or the lifts were really crowded I'd be far more tempted to ski.

I don't know about riding a lift down, but on the other hand I happily upload in the Cairn gondola to get back to the Oxalys if I don't end up above it (to be able to ski down to it) on the right side of valley at the end of the day LOL

You know it makes sense.

Randomsabreur, Quite right. Down-riding chairs over an open run is beyond the pale

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

Can you actually ride the chair down? I think I saw it saying something like that it's obligatory to get off and there is not place provided from where you can load on a chair.

A snowHead

Yep. Done it in summer, Deux Alpes when the Jandri Express was not well! Some of the detachables seem to have foot passenger loading options at the top as well.

A snowHead

I've taken a chair down at Valloire when all the runs down were shut.

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

never summer, some chairs you can ride down, some you can't. The bottom chair lift in Areches-Beaufort is often ridden down because the run down is difficult, and sometimes has poor snow. Anybody not entirely confident with a tricky red run would be well advised to ride down. There's also that chair down the Swiss Wall...... I've ridden that down, and been very glad I did.

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Never mind taking the lift down I have arrived on more than one occasion at the Pre st Espirit lift in Les Arcs at the end of the day to see a huge queue (15 minutes) and decided to simply walk over the road and get the bus back to 1600. I am on holiday I will do whatever I fancy.

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Skiing back to base, ALWAYS

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