Piste Bashing

I noticed they weren't piste-bashing nearly as much when we were in Meribel over the New Year as compared with my previous trips to the 3 V's, and I wondered if they're doing this deliberately to keep skiers speed down. I didn't see anyone ski-ing at a 'million' miles an hour like I usually do, because it would have been impossible over all the lumps and bumps - even on the blue runs.

So, although the pistes were much more difficult and lots of people fell over, they were also safer because everyone had to go more slowly than usual. And there was hardly anyone on the one black run I did.

Ally

Dont they also bash to compact the snow and dis courage avalanches too?

AllyG wrote:I noticed they weren't piste-bashing nearly as much when we were in Meribel over the New Year as compared with my previous trips to the 3 V's, and I wondered if they're doing this deliberately to keep skiers speed down. I didn't see anyone ski-ing at a 'million' miles an hour like I usually do, because it would have been impossible over all the lumps and bumps - even on the blue runs.

So, although the pistes were much more difficult and lots of people fell over, they were also safer because everyone had to go more slowly than usual. And there was hardly anyone on the one black run I did.

Ally

Skiing is meant to be fun. It's not like driving on the roads, where one expects traffic calming measures. The resort that doesn't meet peoples expectations for grooming will lose business. I would guess there were other reasons for not grooming.

:lol: just pictured 'sleeping policemen' and chicanes on runs to slow peeps down :lol:

Trencher,
Theory number 2 was that it was because the piste-bashers were all out trying to keep the roads clear because there was so much snow.

But it was most unusual. The first day we were ski-ing, the 1st January, I don't think we went on a single piste that had been bashed and I don't think they started grooming them until our 3rd day. I imagine the nursery slopes must have been done - but I wasn't on those!

Oh - and theory number 3 was that the drivers were all out partying for New Years Eve and it took them about 3 days to get over it :lol:

Ally

They certainly don't seem to groom as much in the Portes Du Soleil than the 3Vs, although the Swiss side of the Portes Du Soleil seemed to be more groomed than the French side on the two trips I've had there.

As to whether Blacks should be groomed or not is open to debate. I guess it's nice to have steep, smooth blacks as well as mogul fields to give some variety.

Un-pisted blues - I would argue against. Ploughed up blues are a nightmare for inexperienced skiers that are no fun to ski on for anyone. The bumps stop new skiers from getting any flow and aren't steep enough to keep you going downhill.

The blue to the Ardent bubble near Morzine being an example of a run is awful at the end of a day - soft & mogulled even if bashed the night before and even worse if they don't bash it for a couple of days.

My impression is that the Austrians are perhaps more diligent groomers than the French. The Italians & the Andorrans also seem to bash more.

Nowt like a good bash at night ;)

No ones considered the financial side of things. We are in a recession. People are not spending as much on holidays or not taking them. I am sure the ski resorts are suffering, and therefore not bashing pistes as much as we may be used to previously.

The ADH comment - you can't blame the weather and the number of skiers on the slopes, but I do think that you'd expect the bashers to come out during the day if it gets choppy, I've seen that a lot in Austria but not in France. So maybe the French are in fact a little more lax.