J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ise

Wanderer wrote:One stat that I saw recently really gave me a bit of a wake up call - IIRC it said that more people were killed in avalanches when the risk was classed at 3 than when the risk was higher. It seems that a lot of people will be fairly careful when its up at 4 or even 5 but throw caution to the wind when the risk level drops to 3.

I'd be extremely careful of that figure, there's simply more days when it's risk 3 which skews the figures. People do seem to forget that 3 means "considerable" and assume it's medium but very few people actually understand what the levels mean anyway, they're used as some crude measure of chance of a avalanche which they aren't.

tino_11 wrote:I am not sure but I think the OP was driving at the point you just made, that being well equipped does not make you safe.

The point, frequently made, was that the increase in the number of fatter skis make skiing off-piste easier and therefore we see more accidents as a result. That's seems to be a reasonable point and anecdotally I see people who clearly lack experience in places they shouldn't be, but when I look at the figures I don't see that's happening which is surprising.

I would be, and in fact am, a lot more concerned about some ski forums (not this one) where people of clearly limited experience in slope assessment are comparing notes and sharing routes and egging each other on. It seems to be the case that people are turning up in locations far too committed to skiing a particular line based on some internet advice without sufficient regard to local conditions. I personally receive many, many emails from people trying to identify lines from my photographs and wanting information on how to access those lines. As a result, I don't even publish some of the steeper stuff anymore.

bald-eagleman wrote:Ian

Don't knock it till you,ve tried it.. anyway the more people who don't go means more space for us who like it....enjoy the crowded slopes in France. Austria, Switzerland, Italy and enjoy paying their exorbitant prices

fair point but equally you shouldn't dismiss all the slopes in France. Austria, Switzerland or Italy as busy or the prices as exorbitant when you've clearly not tried them enough either.

If I knew there was a question about what chains fitted on my car I'd be pretty unhappy about using a set of chains for 20 quid from Ebay. I'd contact someone like RUD UK and ask for their advice.

bald-eagleman wrote:Thanks all

the idea of getting info from you lot who often have been, done and got the medal is to sift the wheat from the chaff. Web sites just tell us their story and not the one their clients often encounter.

doesn't the local education authority have some advice and relationships with providers?

It does seem to be a couple of cities only. It's not something that's been in the press here but we have anti-pollution carnets as standard so it may not effect us.

karen72 wrote:
Next question is about the "vignette"

I honestly thought this was a fee that you paid that covered all the toll roads. On reading it, this is a certificate that states what emissions the cars give out. I was under the impression that we could just "pick one up at the petrol station" but this is obvsiouly not the case. It says that I need to send away my vehichle registration (is this the log book or the MOT) and also it will take 3-4 weeks which I dont really have.

Is there another way of getting this?

Karen

that doesn't sound right at all, living here we've got a system like this but it doesn't apply to visitors unless you're importing a car

Can you post the link where you found that?

Alpine Pursuits wrote:Ski and board technology has advanced to the stage where almost anyone can venture off piste with competence and enjoy the powder.

Unfortunately the down side is that a lot more inexperienced people are heading into danger.

Even worse I've seen lone surfers and skiers making for known avalanche areas, tempted by the fresh snowfall, when the risk warning is flagged high. If you get into trouble on your own, with no-one to track you or call for help, you're in real danger even if it's just 50 metres from the piste.

A mobile phone can help, but:
- can you pinpoint where you are?
- can you move to reach it? (avalanched snow turns into concrete)
- extreme cold reduces battery power
- mountains mess with phone reception

There is plenty of safety information around on the web (google: ski avalanche safety) - check it out, it can save a life.

The latest skis and boards can make you feel invincible off-piste, and it is a great feeling when it's going well. But it's not the whole story, and for some this comes out in the news reports every year.

A few precautions don't cost much and won't spoil the pleasure.

Good advice but the data tells a different story in terms of awareness. In fact, mostly we can measure that avalanche awareness is much higher now than it was even 10 years ago, we can measure this quite easily by looking at the statistics for number of fatalities and see that not only are absolute figures lower and decreasing by number of skier days but we can see that more of the victims, fatal and non-fatal, are equipped.

There's no cause for complacency or not following your good advice but there's no need to hide under the bed either :lol: And certainly awareness is still lower than I'd like to see but it's not a totally bleak picture.

snow chains.............None will work????!!!! Started by User in Ski Chatter, 43 Replies
If I knew there was a question about what chains fitted on my car I'd be pretty unhappy about using a set of chains for 20 quid from Ebay. I'd contact someone like RUD UK and ask for their advice.

School Trips in 2010 Started by User in Ski Chatter, 21 Replies
bald-eagleman wrote:Thanks all the idea of getting info from you lot who often have been, done and got the medal is to sift the wheat from the chaff. Web sites just tell us their story and not the one their clients often encounter. doesn't the local education authority have some advice and relationships with providers?

another "on the road" question Started by User in Ski Chatter, 7 Replies
It does seem to be a couple of cities only. It's not something that's been in the press here but we have anti-pollution carnets as standard so it may not effect us.

Messages posted by : ise