first black piste la clusaz or les gets - advice

hi all,

Keen to tackle my first black piste this weekend. Does anyone have any advice on where best to start in either La Clusaz or Les Gets? Not keen on massive moguls or anything super narrow, but steepness doesn't bother me.

Cheers all!

P.S. Apart from this amazing forum, where else can you find info about difficulty of black pistes other than doing them? I can probably guess my own answer to that

Les Gets "Yeti" piste is reckoned to be the easiest in the resort. However, you may want to wait for some fresh snow, which will cover up the bumps and ice, and slow your descent.

I've skied the Yeti, it's quite short, and wondered why it was graded Black. However, if it's bump filled and icy, it will not be fun. This will apply anywhere in the Northern Alps this coming weekend, unless you are a Mogul skier, wanting to pick a Zip Line.

Patience 8)

What bandit said... most Blacks in the area will be hard (as in hard snow) and mogulled to hell at the moment, so not ideal for your first one. Snow condition matters more than steepness right now.

Not sure about Les Gets, but I do know La Clusaz well and was there last weekend. The most straightforward (and shortest?) Black in La Clusaz is probably Choucas - just above the mid station at La Balme. The entry is deceptively shallow before it narrows slightly onto the main pitch; it is moderately steep although the moguls don't usually get too huge, and you can see the end of it which you might find reassuring once you're in... 8)

TBH, the other Blacks there are all big, *steep* and mogully and not places to discover that your edges and/or technique aren't as good as you thought they were. Save them for another day.

HTH.

Great advice, thanks both, will keep in mind snow conditions (which don't look like they're going to help my patience this weekend!). Been to Clusaz twice now and you're right, the blacks all seem very mogully,

bandit wrote:Les Gets "Yeti" piste is reckoned to be the easiest in the resort. However, you may want to wait for some fresh snow, which will cover up the bumps and ice, and slow your descent.

I've skied the Yeti, it's quite short, and wondered why it was graded Black. However, if it's bump filled and icy, it will not be fun. This will apply anywhere in the Northern Alps this coming weekend, unless you are a Mogul skier, wanting to pick a Zip Line.

Patience 8)

:D This was the first black I ever skied! I'd only just set off when OH skied over the back of my skis, resulting in me coming most of the way down on my back, head first! Yes.... I believe I did swear at him, but then went & did it again without him, which was much more successful!

I have come to the conclusion that colour matters much less than condition.
A couple of weeks ago in VDI, I skied the blue Diebold followed immediately by the black Face (World championship run). The blue was horrible, icy and very difficult. This Diebold run is always horrible and. Don't know how they can call it blue. Anyway, the face was in great condition, and was straightforward in comparison.