J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ise

freezywater wrote:ISE

Shouldn't you be out on the mountian before global warming does for the ski industry :?:

I agree that previous cooling down / warming up periods may not be down to the same cause, however, there is eveidence out there that would suggest that the politicians are getting it DRASTICALLY wrong, however as we all know politicians are never wrong but for those who prefer to get a balanced view read these
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1363818.ece and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/18/wsun18.xml

The Times piece is an op-ed piece by a guest writer who by an odd coincidence was publishing a book which I think disappeared without trace. The Telegraph piece is built around some research by Dr Sami Solanki and dates to 2004, and I think Sami should have the last word on that one :

Dr Sami Solanki wrote:A misleading account of my views was published in the Toronto National Post in March, 2007 (and is to be found at different places on the web). In contrast to what is written there I am not a denier of global warming produced by an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases. Already at present the overwhelming source of global warming is due to manmade greenhouse gases and their influence will continue to grow in the future as their concentration increases. The same newspaper already misquoted other scientists on this topic. See, for example, the home page of Nigel Weiss of Cambridge University http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/now/

As it happens I have been on a mountain for the last few days in temperatures of minus 20 analysing snow pack stability and doing some snow study.

bandit wrote:
Hmmm, 300bhp 4wd. That would be a Porsche 911/Celica GT4/Range Rover v8SE/Touareg4.2v8 et al :D
Mind you, it would be quite some achievement to put 300bhp through the wheels on snow :D

The linkages on chains for vehicles with lower profile tyres, and subsequently reduced wheel arch clearances, are flatter. If there is insufficient space Spikes-Spiders may be a workable alternative.

true, the problem is that spiders and similar get pretty poor reviews and score very badly in independent tests. That's probably irrelevant if it's the only choice you have.

freezywater wrote:Maikol

I think the general consensus appears to be that this forum has no place for rants without substantial facts to support them. As Dean quite rightly points out, this planet has had more than one ice age / warming up period.

Maybe it was all that driving around in so called "gas guzzling 4x4" that brought on an ice age and killed the dinosaurs then :?:

I'm genuinely baffled by this argument. That previous cooling and heating cycles have occurred is certainly true, but they've had different causes. In what way does that mean that a current warming cycle is not caused by or can be mitigated by human activity?

Neither might true, it might not be caused by nor can be mitigated by human activity, but the inference that since the last warming event wasn't caused by human activity then another one can't be is just broken logic.

msej449 wrote:There are two issues with chains. Firstly, in most places you simply don't get chains with hire 4x4s, even 'though, as you say, you will still need them in certain circumstances. I've had this in the USA as well as Europe - it can end up being better hiring a non 4x4 with chains than a 4x4 without. However much you hassle the desk clerk, they simply don't seem to stock the right size.
Second, if you are using your own car from the UK don't assume that chains will even fit. Especially if you're from England. Many English cars get fitted with low-profile wheels which simply won't take normal chains (this includes 4x4s). A lot of chain sales/rental outlets get vague about whether they'll fit OK if you try to pin them down. This is because lower-profile wheels tend to be wider, with the extra width on the inside of the wheel. Chains that fit around the inside of the tyre may foul the suspension/steering. Best thing is to check in your owner's manual.

That's partly true, there's a size problem with chains for some cars certainly but for a lot of cars it's incidental, the real problem is the power of the car and that the linkages on the chains for a Corsa won't do for a 300bhp 4wd :D

msej449 wrote:Look in your Owner's Manual - check that your wheels can actually take chains. A lot of English cars get fitted with lower-profile wheels than in mainland Europe, and the extra wheel width is often on the inside of the wheel - i.e. the tyre is closer to the inner wheelarch/mechanicals. Chains that nominally fit your wheel may foul the inner side suspension and/or steering. Press the supplier (like the above) and they'll eventually state that they don't guarantee they'll actually fit! So just check with the manual or your garage - three out of the last four cars (including a Jeep Cherokee 4x4) I've owned have had wheels which wouldn't take chains (with the garage saying that this was because the spec. for English versions had low-profile wheels).

basically yes, you're right.

But, I don't think we have any less low profile wheels in Europe than the UK, I'll bet if you can work out what the catch is though :D It's that we put winter tyres on and drop the sizes a bit so although I'd struggle to get chains for my summer tyres it's fine for my winter ones.

The Cherokee must have altered, my old English ones took chains as did my grand cherokee.

msej449 wrote:If you hire a 4x4 you probably won't get chains, as they may not fit anyway, so there's no point in nagging the rental clerk. Generally, winter tyres get you a pretty far, but you may chains to get across ice or up starts etc. They are truly a pain to put on, so remember to pack a good torch in your hand baggage in case you need to put them on outbound.

If a route requires chains then the police will stop you whether you have 4WD or not or winter tyres on. If you have a 4WD SUV type vehicle without chains and plan to buy them at a supermarket or garage that probably won't work either as they're slightly special and not commonly stocked. I'd also have to say it would be a mistake to assume an SUV is naturally good in the snow as they're not.

We've 4WD's with winter tyres on and I'd not dream of leaving without having chains, shovel etc in the car. That we don't usually need them isn't really the point.

On the Swiss side the car will tend to be equipped, it's not, as often wrongly stated, a legal requirement but it is a condition of insurance that a car is suitably equipped for conditions. That always means winter tyres and apparently sometimes snow chains.

Leroygh wrote:The piste of Le Pas de Chavanette - called "Le Mur Suisse" (The Swiss Wall) by French skiers. Definitely this run - so scary - 7 people die a year! Much more exciting if it was my last run!!! :lol:

After very heavy snow falls, you have to negotiate drifts up to two metres high at the top!! LOVE IT! )

I think someone's been pulling your leg there, 7 people a year don't die on that run.

autosocks, take them, those French police get really miserable stood around in the cold and will really appreciate a good laugh :D

They've been reviewed by European motor organisations and they really are a joke. At some point someone pops up and claims they're great and they've got some, the thing is that if you need a tiny bit more traction they might give that and in most situations that is all you need hence some people have some positive experiences with them.

At some point someone quotes some reports that suggest they're approved in some way, what's actually the case is that they're approved for use like a sunroof for example or a tow hook and pretty much the same use for driving on snow and ice.

My hot tip of the day is don't use a Renault Laguana, someone I was with today had one, it couldn't make it up the road and we gave up and used my car :D

Messages posted by : ise