J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

Yep blue with a few red sections, great for gliders. Looks like a low intermediate could gun it top to bottom which is definitely not case for any other course.

Snowing now in N Alps, seemed to start above 1500m but now is down below 1000m. Not the biggest flakes and pretty strong wind, but there should be some fun low skiing in morning :-). Looks like a huge week ahead.

Thanks for the color (big!) same story though. Effectively everything triggered off single aspect which had been wind loaded. Warming weather, natural Avalanche activity in area, terrain trap.

My point about insurance was that a guide is not a miracle maker. They can only take you to best place conditions and group ability allow. Which places a lot of pressure in their decision making depending on group dynamics. I have spent days skiing powder on piste in St Gervais with guide, Val Ferret ski de fond track, which you could argue is a waste of money. Definitely the best options for the days but people don't always have same logic. Given people seem to have felt strong enough to challenge both groups you just wonder. Will be interesting if local guides to area.

2km wide (which seems almost definitely a reporting mistake perhaps 200m) and 5m deep tells you everything you need to know, wind slab and terrain trap. Would be interesting to understand the psychology of the group given they were seemingly on a freeride course. Certainly does not make the job of a guide any easier when most likely a very competent ski group arrives for weekend with almost certainly expectations of being taken on terrain that they would not tackle alone. Whilst you pay a guide in part for his/her decision making ability, you as individuals certainly have a role to play in dynamics of decision making. I know I am somewhat guilty of only wanting to use guides for steep terrain, although this is perhaps mitigated by the fact that am just as happy to mix climb.

Clearly as a group or 2 groups complete decision making failure which hopefully everyone can learn from. Am sure one learning is that guides are not insurance for weather or snow conditions. You pay your money and take your chance when you book potentially weeks or months in advance. This unfortunately means a days piste skiing or messing about practicing avalanche or crevasse rescue might be the best option vs. hunting powder as you initially envisaged.

At risk of judging before any real information is out, 12-17 people caught in avalanche is just ridiculous. Seems people are just completely oblivious to avalanche danger. Anyone can get caught / make a wrong judgment but normal protocol should mean a decent gap between people so this can never happen. Seems two guides in group which really makes you question how many people should be allowed with a guide, I would suggest 7 is really stretch on what is a manageable group size, can you manage someone 350m away?

Only way this makes sense are if 17 people in several non related groups were skinning up a slope and whole thing went. Have been skinning up with a guide before where he triggered a small slide that tickled one of the group. We had 50m+ vertical + horizontal separation between us so was non event and we abandoned the plan. We knew we were a little late and slope was wet spring snow. This seems to have been such a big group that they had to abandon normal protocol.

Have had a few 1/2 days ski lessons over last few weeks and have found them super useful. Separation and angulation are still work in progress but there has been some improvement. Still struggling to bring feet back under quick enough at times, which results in tips losing contact with snow and annoying habit of letting tail of one ski drift in at times.

Other area of focus has been on tactics. Mainly trying to ski a bit faster, if anyone wants a leisurely ski partner then I am probably you perfect companion. Still is definitely not good to be skiing within yourself all the time. Here are a few clips.

Lesson one, first day of the season soft small moguls. Terrible ski contact and some collapsing.


Nice grippy snow in Le Tour. My default setting for same slope was 14 turns, so just trying to open the arc and focus on keeping hands level. Some improvement.
https://youtu.be/ofxX8zwdZuk

Today, day 6 of season, lesson 3. Brilliant morning of skiing powder, I guess you can't really complain when you create your own chopped up mess. Not a very tidy run, as a bit too aggressive on what was a pretty steep start to the run.

https://youtu.be/7-v2Yd8O0O0

Plenty of drills to work at over next few weeks.

Pretty spectacular this morning in Chamonix. 20cm of fresh snow at 2000m, cold and light so easy skiing even with piste skis on. Below 1500m, you can still feel some of the buried crust from Monday so not quite as relaxing. Whole of resort is set for the season now from mid stations upwards. Snowing steadily again now, so great news for anyone coming out over next few weeks.

Meteo France is reporting 20cm with another 10cm tomorrow, I am pretty sure we got quite a bit more than that as solid snow all day up high. Interesting avalanche risk has dropped from 4 to 3 (all altitudes) with the drop in temperature. Will be interesting to see how the snow skis when top lifts open, 100 km/h wind at 4000m tomorrow :-(. Still a bit of wind crust has to be easier than Mondays rain crust.