Latest posts for the topic "Have you skied in the dark?"

Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:28:02 GMT

Inspired/reminded by another thread i was just wondering if any of you guys had done the old skiing in the dark trips that are always available in resort?

Whenever we go away there are always evenings advertised where you can get a late lift up to a mountain restaurant, take a meal and ski back down in the dark (possible headlamp) and i have been tempted.
It's never happened for me because my gang are less that able in full daylight but i would like to try. Although i imagine it to be slightly weird and very cold.

You tried it?

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:33:15 GMT

Ah ha! The other thread!

I have done it. Not very responsible I know and Ian/Tony will not approve

When I went to St Anton I used to regularly go to the Moose or Kangaru. These both close about 8pm. At 8pm it is always dark. The key is ski down in the dark and head for the red light at the bottom near the lift. Add to this being sligtly tipsy and it makes it very difficult :roll:

However, I imagine this type of dark skiing is not what you are referring to :roll:

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:33:32 GMT

I've night skied under floodlights in Norway but didn't enjoy it very much. Struggled a bit picking up the lumps and bumps on the pistes...and knackered anyway from skiing all day!

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:54:06 GMT

We have night skied it Italy under proper floodlights and it was brilliant. We have also skied in the gloom out of the Nederhutte in Obergurgl.
The only actual 'in the dark' skiing we came across was in Italy after a typical meal on the mountain. My sister-in-law and I rode home on a skidoo - holding on for dear life to a rather tubby driver dressed in what appeared to be a dead rabbit! Our other halves were rattling along behind in a sort of pram towed by the skidoo and two other men in our group - beginners - decided to ski back. They clearly didn't realise they were supposed to ski using the light from the skidoo headlights and disappeared into some trees at top speed, only to reappear in one piece - to our amazement - down at the bottom of the slope!

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:04:39 GMT

I have skied in the dark in Courchevel but as part of a proper event with mulled wine and floodlights etc. during the fireworks evening. I thought it was absolutely brilliant fun, as you could go much faster than normal down what I think was a green run.

Ally

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:04:40 GMT

I quite fancy it but i know how disorientating a white out can be, i am wondering if they compare.
I would like to be high up, in the dark and see the stars. The stars are stunning somewhere really dark.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:15:36 GMT

I've been really fortunate to spend time high up star gazing - it is amazing.

And I've done some skiing in the dark.
One of these which was memorable was from said star gazing trip on the Saulire (Courchevel/Meribel boundary) when 4 of us skied down to Mottaret by moonlight rather than taking the bubble back as we were supposed to - naughty but nice.

I've also done a good number of torchlight descents - don't really count these as skiing in the dark though. Done these as a punter and in charge. I used to enjoy them - even with the screaming of many tipsy guests in tow.

The only problems we ever had was when someone went straight into a bar in resort rather than checking in to have their name ticked off the list to check everyone was down safely - soon cottoned onto that and checked the bars before calling out a search party.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:17:01 GMT

Tis something I've always wanted to take a crack at. I wonder if the angle of the lighting could make lumps easier to see than daylight? Certainly cycling fast at night used to bring out a big grin!

Owen.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:23:32 GMT

We have done a fair bit of floodlit skiing. As we have been to Finland several times its the norm from about 3pm. So night skiing is always available. I enjoy it but is very cold. Also the slopes are so good in Finland no danger of lumps,bumps and rock. Not so sure I would be so keen on proper mountain slopes. In Seefeld the crystal rep told us when the night skiing takes place but also told us more accidents seem to happpen at night than in the daytime.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:28:38 GMT

OldAndy wrote:I've been really fortunate to spend time high up star gazing - it is amazing.

It is.

Its amazing the difference true darkness makes to the night sky, sadly there are few places in the uk that now enjoy the absence of street lighting. Sometimes when we go camping we catch a glimpse of stars and it is outstanding.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:03:32 GMT

You gotta do it it is great fun for an hour ...... and then get away from the lights for the roller coaster of your life :thumbup:

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:11:50 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:You gotta do it it is great fun for an hour ...... and then get away from the lights for the roller coaster of your life :thumbup:

Definitely will next year.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:30:12 GMT

Have skied from the top of Peclet in Val Thorens at 02.00hrs after 4inches of fresh snow had come down we were hoping for a full moon but it was completeley black took an hour, first fall after 100yds this could have had something to do with the wine !

I must stress we were having dinner with the pisteurs a wonderful experience but at the same time with people who knew the mountain better than anyone !

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:34:01 GMT

I've done a torch lit descent, no idea where or when it was, but I know I did one.

Not a very good advert really.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:44:57 GMT

Snapzzz wrote:Its amazing the difference true darkness makes to the night sky, sadly there are few places in the uk that now enjoy the absence of street lighting. Sometimes when we go camping we catch a glimpse of stars and it is outstanding.

No street lighting in our village. I think we get a GBP30 council tax discount! If you want to walk anywhere a torch is a must.

We do get some fantastic night skies, last night was pretty good. If I wasn't spending all of my money on skiing then I'd probably invest in a telescope.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:50:53 GMT

Snapzzz wrote:

OldAndy wrote:I've been really fortunate to spend time high up star gazing - it is amazing.

It is.

Its amazing the difference true darkness makes to the night sky, sadly there are few places in the uk that now enjoy the absence of street lighting. Sometimes when we go camping we catch a glimpse of stars and it is outstanding.

Snapzzz,

Ditch the cable TV and move to the sticks. You can star gaze every clear night.

Did night ski once, Italy.
Mental.
Were queue pushed by locals just out of the office who were intent on going as fast as poss racing against each other.

Quite good fun, long as you kept out of their way!

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:07:30 GMT

bedrock barney wrote:

Snapzzz wrote:Its amazing the difference true darkness makes to the night sky, sadly there are few places in the uk that now enjoy the absence of street lighting. Sometimes when we go camping we catch a glimpse of stars and it is outstanding.

No street lighting in our village. I think we get a GBP30 council tax discount! If you want to walk anywhere a torch is a must.

We do get some fantastic night skies, last night was pretty good. If I wasn't spending all of my money on skiing then I'd probably invest in a telescope.

I have a decent telescope but the light is often too polluted to use it.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:11:50 GMT

As to the night skiing under floodlights, I often postpone skiing on very flat light days; preferring to ski under flood lights in the evening. I find it not worth the chance of injury to ski fast in flat light.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:08:39 GMT

Never tried it as it's never appealed that much and I don't think my insurance covers night skiing.

Is it much icier out there than it is first thing in a morning?

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:20:21 GMT

There was moonlight skiing in La Clusaz last year, no flood lights everyone was issued with a little blue flashing light, so that you could see other skiers (batteries went flat after an hour though)
was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I have ever had, mad Frenchmen flying about as if it were daylight. It is nothing like skiing in a white out as you can define the piste unfortunately contours were somewhat more difficult leading to a few airborne moments.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:09:33 GMT

I have skied the run in obergurgl which has flood lights, if i recall correctly it is 7km( could be wrong) long and happens every tuesday night for a couple of hours. The middlestation has a display from the instructors and they did ski in the dark. The run under flood lights was bashed to death and was as flat as a carpet so not dangerous at all unless you had to much liquid before hand ;-)
speaking of which..i have been in the neiderhut and watched a few pepole ski down after a few hours in the bar..i was sensible and caught the gondola so was able to ski for the rest of the week unlike somewho did ski back from the neiderhut...

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:41:36 GMT

Have to say its never appealed to me. They do the Sarenne by torchlight some times, depending on conditions but I just don't see the attraction. Its a bit like night skiing - I've been out all day and had some food and a few beers....why on earth would I want to go out into the cold again and not be able to see as much?

I did however ski in the dark from the Hotel Beau Soleil (next to the DMC lift) in ADH at 6pm when it had gone dark down to the old village. A combination of darkness, a rush to get back, and the 4 large beers at the Beau Soleil resulted in me getting a corner into the underpass (christened The New Tunnel Run) by the Lobster Pots horribly wrong, hitting a massive bump on the snow and careering out of control through the underpass. I managed somehow to stay on 2 feet but felt my hand get bashed. On returning to the hotel I realised my thumb was bleeding under the nail and my gloves had been gashed open on the concrete wall.
So, skiing in the drak (after 4 large beers) is not for me thanks.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:29:05 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Have to say its never appealed to me. They do the Sarenne by torchlight some times, depending on conditions but I just don't see the attraction. Its a bit like night skiing - I've been out all day and had some food and a few beers....why on earth would I want to go out into the cold again and not be able to see as much?

I did however ski in the dark from the Hotel Beau Soleil (next to the DMC lift) in ADH at 6pm when it had gone dark down to the old village. A combination of darkness, a rush to get back, and the 4 large beers at the Beau Soleil resulted in me getting a corner into the underpass (christened The New Tunnel Run) by the Lobster Pots horribly wrong, hitting a massive bump on the snow and careering out of control through the underpass. I managed somehow to stay on 2 feet but felt my hand get bashed. On returning to the hotel I realised my thumb was bleeding under the nail and my gloves had been gashed open on the concrete wall.
So, skiing in the drak (after 4 large beers) is not for me thanks.

I would never suggest night skiing after four large beers ...... but you have gotta try it trust me it is good fun.

Re:Have you skied in the dark?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:05:55 GMT

Done the organised one once, I would much prefer to ski down and then have something to eat.

Some years ago in the good old days when I had friends we went to Slovakia and found a ski lift still working at 10 at night. So up we went.

Coming down in the dark with no lights one of our party damaged her ligaments and another her shoulder, spent most of the night in hospital.