J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Stewart, how old is old? And Happy Birthday for tomorrow in case I forget later :D :D

I'm sure there will be masses of snow in ADH by the time you get there.

Ally

Thanks Gooseh,
I still have a copy of my piste map, and I've had another look at it, and what you said fits in very well with what I remembered. The Sevoliere drag lift looks very long on the map, and there is a bend in it, and you can get to it by ski-ing down from the top of the chairlift Ecudets (the one you get back up after ski-ing down the red fontaine froide to the road). The short black run you are talking about must be the 'ecureuil' (? not 'Eterlou'), which is at the end of a blue piste running from the top of the draglift.

Sorry everyone else. But one does need to develop strong arm muscles if one is planning on using this drag lift (and even stronger ones if one is planning on carrying a 7 year old up it!).

Ally

Best of luck Snowbandit :D,

Ally

Trencher wrote:Alley, I think what you are referring to is called a handle tow. The modern ones have a steel rope, with plastic handles that stick out. What you describe, with rope and wood sounds ancient. On the modern ones,it's possible, if you are confident, to place the handle behind you. It then pushes you up.

I'll have to take a little video of the rope tow on our race hill. It moves at about the speed of a high speed lift, and will take your arms off if you grab too hard. It's the one that Lindsey Vonn grew up using, so it might have some benefits.

Trencher

Thanks Trencher,
I'm sure I've seen that old drag lift somewhere, but I'm not sure it was in Obergurgl, I may well be a bit confused, but I wouldn't think I could have totally imagined it.
The rope tow by you sounds pretty difficult, and as though you need to practise with it quite a bit before becoming proficient. I've been on some fast button lifts that lift you in the air really sharply when you start, and quite a lot of people fall off - even good skiers. I think one of the ones in La Rosiere was like that.

Ally

Gooseh wrote:

I think I may know of the one AllyG mentions. It's at the bottom of a short (and particularly easy) black run. I had to carry a seven year old up the lift, which made it rather challenging.

Thanks Gooseh,
You wouldn't happend to remember where it was would you? Was it somwhere near the red run that goes down to the road? It must have been almost impossible carrying a 7 year old up that lift - you must be incredibly fit and strong !

Ally

caron-a wrote:
There were no bits of wood on it in 2006 you just grabbed it. There are a few in Val D'Isere too.

We're in the chalet right next to the rope. We couldn't take advantage of the location last time because we had to walk/bus it to our beginner lessons. This time it's a different matter - ski in and out literally to the door :mrgreen:

I haven't done my hula hooping yet today, better get on... I've got a pair of jeans to squeeze into tonight :D

Thanks Caron-a,
I must have imagined the bits of wood - how did you stop your hand from slipping on the rope then?

If you go up the gondola and down the blue to your lessons, watch out for the corrugated concrete!

Have fun! We thought Obergurgl was a great place. And now you're pretty good at ski-ing, you could go over to Hochgurgl and go in that fancy round cafe at the top - I've forgotten what it's called, but the view is great from up there :D

Ally

Well done, Nelly - when did you turn into a sheep?

Ally

bandit wrote:AllyG I have skied La Rosiere a few times over the years, and have been all over the resort (it is quite a small place). I can think of no drag lift that is so bad there.Perhaps conditions were poor with insufficient snow depth?

Bandit,
I'm not sure exactly where that drag lift was, but it was after we'd skied down the red run that goes right down to the road, the fontaine froide - the lowest piste in the resort. I think this run is quite often shut. The instructors were on about how amazing it was that it was open at Easter (we'd had masses of snow during the holiday). And we had to walk the last bit of it because the snow had all melted off it.

We went back up that very slow chair lift, and then possibly a bit more ski-ing, and then up that very steep drag lift. I was in my afternoon French ski lessons, and I remember the French lady in my group going on about the pain in her arms after we got to the top, and rubbing her arms, and asking me why mine didn't hurt (in French), and I didn't know how to say that I'd been exercising, in French, so I started jumping up and down doing star jumps (on skis) to show her what I meant and she went '.... le gym' and I said 'oui, le gym'.

And then I was really hot and thirsty after that drag lift, because it was a hot and sunny day, and I remember being very proud of myself because I said 'J'ai chaude, et j'ai soif' because I remembered not to say 'Je suis chaude' which means 'I am a nymphomaniac' rather than 'I am hot' :lol:.

Ally