J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ir12daveor

HDR

Huard wrote:Stunning photos....DSLR I'm guessing?

If you are talking about mine the top one was taken with my phone, the rest were taken with a low end dSLR. (Canon EOS 350d).

A few of my favourites from this season.

I read an article yesterday in a local paper about the avalanche deaths this year. Partially due to a very big accident where 7 people died there has been a very large increase in the number of people killed. Initial reaction is "freeriders" young people going out and getting themselves killed off piste. But the newspaper actually researched deeper. A lot of the deaths occurred in the back country a long way from controlled areas, a lot of these deaths were people who did not carry Avalanche transcievers, a lot of these people were older more experienced ski tourers... NOT Freeriders!!! The article actually went on to say that many freeriders are very well prepared, trained and carry as much safety equipment as they can get their hands on!!!

What has this to do with helmets?

Well the argument these people use for not having transcievers in the back country. I never used one before so why should I start now. They look down on the young whipper snappers who buy the equipment and get themselves trained up, and think because they never had an accident before they won't now!!!

Does that attitude seem familiar?


P.S. Saying somebody looks like a numpty for wearing a helmet is highly irresponsible in my book. Firstly its your opinion, secondly it has the potential to put someone off buying a helmet who would otherwise get one because of "not looking cool". I personally happen to think that these days its the people without the helmets that look like "Numpties". I put them in the same basket as the people I see going down 40+deg uncontrolled runs with no backpack and no clue!

I just heard they got a bit of snow yesterday. But if their weather is anything like here in Zurich then its gonna be very warm over the next few days.

Hey Bandit,
I had poles with me but didn't need them. The very bottom was spring snow and there was enough of a fall to be able to ride right to the steps up to the train station. The snow as far as the refuge was really good, after that it was quite wet and heavy, and the last flat bit was pretty much like a piste when we did it.

Dave.

I've done Valee Blanche in 2008 on a snowboard. If you can link parallel turns properly in powder and follow in a track without hesitation then it is no problem. Technically it is not difficult at all, its just that in places you have to cross snow bridges over the crevices and trying to put in a speed check or going off the line in those places is not a good idea. You will be required to ski with a climbing harness on, and some guides might actually request you wear a helmet! (no kidding!)

In general the gradient on the VB is not too steep. At the bottom its really flat and if the snow is deep you'll have to pole your way out. The normal VB route gets tracked out in no time, and in some cases can be just like riding down a piste. When we did it we had a guide that managed to navigate us through a series of crevices over some snow bridges and then onto an open powder field that did not have a single track on it. I believe this route was a little steeper then the normal route too.

The steepest and possible most difficult part was after the refuge where we had to drop quite a wide and relativly steep gully with really bad snow conditions. This area would be easier in the high season then it was when we did it near the end of the season.

I'm very suprised that you were told you weren't good enough Bandit, it is easier then a lot of inbounds beside the piste stuff I know of in many resorts.

I think pistes like that are to a large extent a head game. If the piste is the whole width of that gulley then it is actually quite wide. If you can ski stuff as steep as that but shorter then it is only the duration of the descent that you have to worry about.

I'd say practice on shorter stuff that are as steep until you are super confident. When you go up there don't think you have to ski it all in one go. Ski down have a break, enjoy the scenery chat with your girlfriend... But make sure you stay on top of your feelings and be positive that you can ski it. If you start to have doubts and fall back on your skis that's when you'll fall.

Maybe go to do it early in the day when its been freshly pisted too. It would make it a lot easier.

I had a similar experience this year except I only got to get an idea of what I was letting myself in for from a map.


From the angle it probably doesn't look as steep as your piste, but this was un-pisted and well away from civilisation. I really had to convince myself that I was capable of it at the top. Once I got down the feeling of elation was amazing.

I wrote a blog entry about that tour here.