Mayrhofen Scavenger Hunt...

Some smart people here, yeah its like 38 deg. but please dont go ski it if ur a beginner but nuts. A young russian kid died on it last season trying to straight line it on beginner skis, My mate was first on site and it was not pretty. I dont want to meet any of ypu guys for he first time in the same way.

That said its great if you are experienced and like speed, in a tuck its a massive rush, but big warning here, the compression at the bottom of the steep section is massive. I did it 4 years ago when i was training a lot and my stomach almost fell out my bum, wouldnt do it now though as i have legs like spaghetti these days, Also i have a video of my mate doing it switch (which sounds better than it looks).

The biggest rush in Mhf however is the Ahorn Tal abfahrt, All austrian racers know it. the Kudos is how fast you can do it. Uli Speese holds the record and i can't see it being broken. Its the old austrian downhill run but was deemed too dangerous. Especially as at one point ur running down a tree lined face into a 90 degree bend and onto a road before dropping into the last straight.... Do some training and try it, thank me later xx

Encouraging folks to travel at race speeds on public pistes is a little irresponsible in view of the increasing incidence of slope collisions involving out of control skiers and boarders.

I am a little biased here, as my collarbone was broken by another skier. I didn't fall over and break it, it got broken whilst I was still upright (according to medical opinion), and I hit the ground later as the impact lifted me clean out of my bindings. I got hit by a speeding skier.

Sorry, your right, i'll rephrase my point,NEVER go outside your control speed and gradient.

beginner = dont do harakiri or abfahrt (it may be a red but its as hard as a black)

seasoned punter = have a go at both carefully,

Good skiier, (have had race training and can hold an edge on ice) = Use Harakiri when the rest of mayrhofen turns to slush, it holds up well. take a run of the Abfahrt, you will enjoy it. (also OK and Orange in Val d'Isere is great fun)

proper racer = take a cruisy run of the Abfahrt then get up first lift, a shot of schnapps, cat suit, SG skis and watch the corner on the first whip-around, it's generally covered in bumps.

Don't care who you are, never ski fast near other people or assume they will stick to the same turn rhythm.

feeling all adult now, safety lecture over

If that all sounded really stuck up and condiscending. Sorry

ise wrote: It's also why I personally carry an inclinometer.

Ise, how does an inclinometer work and where can you get one from?

freezywater wrote:
Ise, how does an inclinometer work and where can you get one from?

I have three, the one that I just dug out is a BCA one from a Snow Study skit I carry :




I also have a lifelink one and a one builtin to a Recta compass I carry. All available from Telemark Pyrennes or FaceWest I'd think.

You can see the red marked sections there and that's showing the critical angle for avalanches. The other stuff is a snow thermometer and measuring rule for measuring temperature profiles in the snow pack, magnifying viewer and crystal card for analysing snow composition and some assorted risk evaluation tables.

& I should also say, you can do this with your ski poles and, a bit of our old favourite, trigonometry )

Put one pole vertically in the snow, put the other pole touching and at a right angle to first pole pointing up hill. Now move the horizontal pole down until the uphill end touches the snow.

Now you've a right angled triangle (the 90' is where the poles touch) with the hypotenuse formed by the slope itself. Now just do the maths )

Seriously though.... you'll work out that if the horizontal pole is at the top of the vertical pole then you've formed a triangle with equal sides, and you'll remember from school that must mean the slope is 45'. Some other angles are :

1:1/2 ~27'
1:3/4 ~37'
1:1 = 45'

Over 45' and we move the horizontal pole horizontally, when half its length is moved you're looking at around 63'

You can put some tape on your ski poles and/or write on them to remember this as my handy hint of the day :D

who knew there was so much maths, engineering and fluid dynamics in skiing :?: :lol:

I knew about the ski poles and right angle method. Then I get stumped with the maths bit :oops: