using a drag lift

ise wrote:

Interesting incident, more so because it was inbounds as I read the report. Was it you who commented a while back inbounds incidents were on the increase? 

It was one of several inbounds fatalities that year.
In that incident I read a few comments that the wind caused by the avalanche might have dislodged the kid from the chair.

Trencher

Trencher wrote:

ise wrote:

Interesting incident, more so because it was inbounds as I read the report. Was it you who commented a while back inbounds incidents were on the increase? 

It was one of several inbounds fatalities that year.
In that incident I read a few comments that the wind caused by the avalanche might have dislodged the kid from the chair.

Trencher 

IIRC, that was the official verdict from the report, i.e. the air-blast dislodged him. What I don't recall though is was the chair-lift equipped with safety bars and were they in use? It all sounded rather avoidable sadly.

Perhaps just to lighten the mood I would like to make a small comment in support of the humble drag lift.

How often do we hear "experts" extolling us to warm-up before setting off at the beginning of the day? But how many repeat the warning about dismounting from Cablecars, Gondolas, or chairs? I find that using a "surface lift" keeps me just warm enough that additional warmups are not required whilst a long journey up in/on a non-surface lift often leaves me cold and stiff. From the point of view of continued warmth I would like to vote for surface lifts. Additionally the use of a drag gives many people the chance to "stretch-out" tight legs and re-establish blood flow to cold feet.

Perhaps for those who only get a few days skiing per year the chance to get some "free" fitness training may be more valuable than the comfort of a chair ...

I'd also mention that a resort with a high level of surface lifts is unlikely to attract a high percentage of snow-boarders ... Don't know what that matters but I thought I'd mention it

Jan

Jan I Stenmark wrote:

Perhaps for those who only get a few days skiing per year the chance to get some "free" fitness training may be more valuable than the comfort of a chair ...

I'd also mention that a resort with a high level of surface lifts is unlikely to attract a high percentage of snow-boarders ... Don't know what that matters but I thought I'd mention it

Jan  

I'm reasonably fit, but I still hate to expend energy going up the hill.

I've mentioned in the past that my local little ski hill has put more people on the US ski team than any other place. Locals attribute this to the high speed rope tow that is on the slalom run. It goes three times as fast as the chair lift. and kids training will go up it 30/40 times a session. It is said to give them thighs like tree trunks. When that run is open and my short memory forgets, I've gone up that rope tow. You get to the top and and your thighs are burning, abs aching, and arms feel stretched. I normally have to catch my breath befor starting down.
Try it on a snowboard and your eyes are watering halfway up from the discomfort.

Trencher

Jan I Stenmark wrote:

Perhaps for those who only get a few days skiing per year the chance to get some "free" fitness training may be more valuable than the comfort of a chair ...



Jan  

When I read this comment, I thought you were extolling the virtues of skinning up the slopes
Now that is a really good way to get fit, probably slightly higher calorie burn than a drag lift

Generally, I try to avoid drags. Like some of the other posters, I prefer to use my energy skiing. My aversion to them also has to do with a bad experience the first time I went skiing. Half way up a rarely used drag with a poor surface, I fell off and was left in the middle of nowhere with no way down. Luckily a kind stranger jumped off and gave me directions to a blue slope nearby.

On the other hand....... a few years ago on a bad weather day with high winds in Meribel, virtually all the chairs and gondolas were closed and most people were just giving up. A couple of us went ski guiding with the Crystal rep - he knew all the drags and we were able to ski virtually the entire area in fresh snow with almost nobody on the mountain. It was a fantastic ski day against the odds and all due to the availability of drags.

On balance, I still don't particularly like them but they can have their uses!