J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ise

Admin wrote:Quiet at the back please, who threw the paper-plane?

Plenty of people confuse grade with degrees, and almost all of us over-estimate the real steepness of the slopes we're on.

The official site, linked by Tony, states the Harakiri to have an average incline of 78 percent.

78 percent is the equivalent of a little under 40 degrees.

A 100 percent slope is 45 degrees - which, surprisingly, is well on the way to being un-skiable by any but the most expert skiers.

[edited - ise beat me to it]

That overestimate tends to be around 8 - 10 degrees, I don't know why and it's not scientific but I notice people typically get that same error. This matters as off-piste avalanches tend to occur around the 28 degree mark so knowing a slope angle is a big deal, that's a reflection of a two part fluid dynamics problem if we looked at a spontaneous failure of a slope but it's also worth considering the mechanics of a skier on the slope, a skier creates about twice as much traction on a 45' slope as opposed to a 20' slope. This is why skiers need to understand a little of slope angles and maths if they're venturing off piste and be able to read and understand information in guidebooks and on maps. It's also why I personally carry an inclinometer.

Steep off-piste is easier than steep on-piste in my book but that might be relative :D

Tony_H wrote:

skidaddle wrote:

Like i said, 55 degrees is my ESTIMATE of the STEEPEST part - average will of course be condiderably less than that.

Harakiri - 78 degrees.
Trig lesson (not needed, but thanks anyway) - no charge.
Banter on this forum - PRICELESS.

Pardon me, but the wording required is 78% not 78 degrees. I think maybe thats Ise's point, although maybe he could have pointed that out at the outset.

why? this was much funnier.

That trig lesson is as follows (apologies as I can't get the symbols on the keyboard)

percentage of slope approximates to tan ( slope in degrees) / 100
degrees (obviously) approximates to tan^-1 ((percentage/100))

That puts the run at 38 degrees which is monstrously steep for a piste. Skiing sustained slopes at 55 degrees is massively high standard of skiing.

All of which proves putting a sign at the top with 78% on it is a waste of time, they should just put a skull and crossbones with "it's steep" in 4 or 5 languages and be done with it )

skidaddle wrote:

Harakiri - 78 degrees.
Trig lesson (not needed, but thanks anyway) - no charge.
Banter on this forum - PRICELESS.

It's not 78 degrees. You really, really need that trig' lesson.

I agree, it's priceless though.

Do we have another contestant who can explain why not to Tony and skidaddle before they dig in any deeper?

Tony_H wrote:Calm down!

http://www.mayrhofner-bergbahnen.com/en/100383/100252/steilste_piste_oesterreichs_actionberg.html?S=

That states 78%, however:

http://www.mayrhofner-bergbahnen.com/en/100383/100252/view/594/harakiri_fis_rules_mayrhofen_steepest_slope.html

states 78 degrees. You cant go telling people they are wrong, Ise, when its on the official website!!!

ah, welcome to the next contestant... try again )

anyone that says it's 78 degrees is wrong so I think I can point that out if I wish. (btw, neither of those websites make that error)

skidaddle wrote:

I am getting it, Ise, loud and particularly clear.

55 dgrees is obviously my estimate - I haven't measured it for pity's sake.

Good grief.

You're still not getting it, it's not 55 degrees, it really, really, really isn't. You're not even close.

Do you know what a 55 degree slope looks like? Instead of just getting wound up and replying, think about it.

For the trigonometry lesson - no charge )

skidaddle wrote:I KNOW IT ISN'T 78 DEGREES.

But some people think it is and state it as such - they are obviously wrong.

I am actually agreeing with you.

And don't shout - there's no need. )

No you're not agreeing with me, you're making the exact same error and I tried to make that bit in bold to drop a hint, try again. It's not 55 degrees either (as you did say), you're still not getting it.

skidaddle wrote:

Theres some info on the Harakiri part of the web site stating 78 degrees.

I didn't make it up Ise, I just repeated what is reckoned to be the case.

You can see that I totally disagree with it though. It just aint THAT steep.

It's not 78 degrees, pause, take a second and think about it. No one (who can count) says it's 78 degrees either.

skidaddle wrote:

ise wrote:

freedapeople wrote:The HK is pretty hairy, 72 degrees or sommit. but if you are a fair skier, no prob. I learnt to ski at MH and done the HK in first week - albeit 1/3rd on my arse :)

It's fairly short tho. dont do it when sheet ice tho!!

Tony_H... you have been to MH something like 7 trillion times and not at least done the HK !! lol. Surely there wasn't an air ambulance there EVERY TIME... You have mentioned fresh snow at MH loads of times, so you should have done it by now.

Maybe this year you will pluck up th courage )

your other post mentions handling the terrain..... maye you cant!! :lol:

72 degrees ? that would be interesting, obviously it's not )

It's reckoned to be 78 degrees or something, which I find very difficult to believe.

In fact I just don't believe it. Maybe 55 degrees at the steepest parts, and the section you can join two thirds down is barely red-run steep. Its also pretty wide.

It's not reckoned to 78 degrees, that's just silly. It's not even 55 degrees which is also silly.