Oooft! That’s not good.
I suspect some poor pisteur will be getting their derriere felt then!

Thankfully inbound/on-piste slides when runs are open are pretty rare (I remember one in Fernie years ago that came quite a long was down Lizzard Bowl).
I think pisteurs/patrollers do a pretty amazing job – it’s a tough job to balance safety and keeping runs open for the enjoyment of clients – it will be interesting to know whether this recent Tignes slide was a ‘natural’ release or triggered by a skier/rider. Thankfully no one was injured.

Looks like there has been some epic snowfalls over many Italian & French resorts. Have fun folks and stay safe!

on video of course could be steeper than it appered

Yeah – it never ceases to amaze me how 40+ degree slopes look like 30+ degree slopes on a PoV camera … there were some pretty big blocks of snow there as well – some that had continued to slide on the surface after the much of it had stopped.

I’m guessing it was the shock loading of him hucking the cliff that triggered what looked like quite a deep but ‘dry’ slab – it certainly didn’t appear to have ‘set’ like concrete as I’ve seen happen:- The snow they were digging Denis out of still had a slight powdery consistency.

Also incredibly lucky his mate had visual on him

100% agreed jambalya – although I would like to think they were skiing one at a time as a precaution rather than luck …

Interestingly (for some perhaps), the avalanche in Courmayeur last week that killed 3 and injured 5, took place in an area where multiple groups totaling about 18 people ended up aggregating – highlighting the difficulties in ‘group management’ in the Backcountry. It was described as being like a ‘battle zone’ … :cry:

I also note that the fatalities in Italy last week seemingly received much less press coverage and media attention that the recent Tignes avalanche victims.

I wonder if the mainstream media are becoming ‘hardened’ to the increasing numbers of fatalities in the mountains?

The day after the incident loads of people (myself included) were taking the same traverse off piste to access the ‘slack-country’ as if nothing had happened – rather like when people slow down for a brief time after passing an RTA … and then carry on speeding

Very interesting avalanche video! Thanks for posting jambalaya – I hadn’t seen that before.

My initial thoughts were:
It very much showed how ‘panic’ can occur in such intense situations.

But his practice/training with his beacon paid off as without it he would have most likely struggled to locate Denis within 15 minutes.

The transition from ‘coarse search’ to ‘fine search’ and pin-pointing Denis and getting the shovel & probe out and used was excruciating to watch but I guess quite understandable given the panic/relief of the situation – just goes to reinforce the ‘mantra’ … practice, practice, practice …

Denis was very fortunate to have an air pocket.

@ whatnobeer – that looks fantastic … gotta love tree riding in BC! 8)

But whats the best advice* for those upcoming conditions in terms of avalanche risk

Strictly sticking to the piste, you should have no cause for concern.

Before leaving the patrolled/controlled areas either hire a suitably qualified person or:

– Do an Avalance Awareness Course
– Read the local avalanche reports and be able to interpret the detail
– Carry beacon, shovel and probe and know how to use them.

Initial reports are that other parties in the Val Veny area started searching for victims. You are not just carrying backcountry gear for yourself but for the people you are with etc …

Initial risk flags are:

– Recent snowfall
– Rising Temps
– Wind

All three were prevalent today here in Courmayeur.

Early reports are mixed but looks like at least two people, possibly three, have died after avalanches in the Val Veny here in Courmayeur following recent heavy snowfall and rising temps …

Be safe out there folks …

Over 2000m yes, lower down expect rain, sleet and snow.

Snowing heavily here on the Italian/French border … down to 1200m :lol:

#WhichWasNice :D

Couple of snowboarding buddies of mine riding the ENSA couloir with McNab.
It’s been on my ‘todo’ list for a few years now, but has never been in condition whenever I’ve been out in Chamonix sadly. These boys got lucky though and managed to tick off quite a few of the big ones a couple of weeks ago.

the whole family has a taste for Bean pod chocolates

It is good chocolate isn’t?

And in other news …

nice couloir line from Seb Montaz in Chamonix:

http://www.tetongravity.com/video/ski/seb-montaz-skis-another-insane-couloir

[can’t link the video as it’s a Facebook video rather than YouTube]

snowshoes and snowboard boots….

Not familiar with that exact model, but they do look like updated version of the MSR Denali … which was a very good snowshoe – no problem with snowboard boot fit at all as the fastening is pretty adjustable.

Since buying a splitboard I have a pair of Denalis gathering dust in my shed, but I’m loath to part with them, as I’m convinced I will find a use for them again at some point …

nice sweaman2 … looks like ‘Rush Hour’ in Kimberley! ;-)

Gotta love the Kootenays in the spring!

Are you hiding out in Kimberley to avoid ‘Family Week’ in Fernie?

cheers nedrapier.

yeah – I’ve used the BD sheets before. My Dakine wax iron wasn’t anywhere near hot enough to make it ‘dark & shiny’ so I had to requisition the ‘household’ iron on a temporary basis … ;-)

Was quite surprised just how hot I had to get it …

Thanks nedrapier! I was thinking about a heatgun when I spotted the COLL TEX Heated Scraper for Skins @ Decathlon pop up in a google search at the same time dashed mentioned it.

I too was a little worried about the heat gun damaging the skins – I have memories of ‘scorching’ wood years ago when strpping layers of paint of wooden doors …

Did you use glue from a pot/tube or the glue sheets?

decathlon do the proper heated scrapers – worth £18!

Spooky… I’ve just ordered one of those heated scrapers from Decathlon.

Don’t need it yet, but nice to have just in case!

Cheers Dashed! ;-)

Edit why he assumes they were walking in I have no idea – there’ no need.

“Cyril Anceau of the Mountain Rescue Services has said that the group were on foot and possibly triggered the avalanche themselves by punching down to a weak layer.”

I spent Tuesday night in the garage, degluing and regluing skins

What removal method did you go for nedrapier?

I did the repeated sheets of brown paper to remove (took forever) and a glue sheet and hot iron to replace.

Would be interested in your experience … once you’ve recovered from ‘sniffin’ glue’ that is! 8O

I didn’t know the “release at skier causes further release above” situation

Aye … ‘Remote Trigger’ as it’s known can occur when a person (or persons) cause a fracture that propagates in unstable snowpack.

Interesting article from HAT regarding last weeks tragic event in Tignes:

http://www.henrysavalanchetalk.com/lessons-from-tignes-avalanche-accident/%5B/url%5D

Interesting to note that the earlier reports that the slide was triggered by another group on the slope above the victims is no longer considered.

A good article I think, that raises some important but also reassuring points about ‘off piste’ terrain.

I believe rent and insurance put them out of business

Yes, from memory it was the Liability Insurance costs that became prohibitive.

wasn’t there something in the North East following a similar idea that fell on its arse

There was also one in Chapeltown near Sheffield. Sadly it closed quite a few years ago. Was a pretty good venue and quite a few races were held there including some of the Dialled Bikes Series.

I’ll be supporting the new venture as I think it’s a good thing for Sheffield and cycling, even though I’m now an old man who can no longer clear the any of the doubles at Bolehills …

that wasn’t really fitting for the tone of the thread at that point.

au contraire … it was indeed light relief – the STWS&ST equivalent of a seal ‘photobomb’ :lol: :lol:

Surely the difference between guide and instructor is mainly about the punter and what you do.

To a certain extent, yes …

However, all to often I hear it said “you should have a Guide to go off-piste” , which is incorrect and some people will see the cost of hiring a Guide for a day and they think ‘sod that’ and either miss out or take a risk, when in both cases an appropriately qualified and experienced Instructor may well be sufficient

And on the flip side some people think that an Instructor with a Carte Pro (or similar) is a cheap way to be ‘guided’ off piste …

igm – I agree with you that an Instructor is probably the first port of call when taking your very first steps away from groomed runs, however a good Guide will also be able to give you hints, tips and guidance regarding technique (as well as other aspects of backcountry travel) as long as you’ve already got the fundamentals covered.

For example, you don’t need to be anything more than a solid intermediate piste skier (i.e. European Red runs) to ski the likes of the Vallee Blanche, but you should probably do it with a Guide unless you’re confident at traveling over glaciated terrain/crevasse rescue.

they were just unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time

Completely agree.

My distinction regarding instructor/guide is more around perception and understanding rather than the specifics of this unfortunate incident. You may well be right and a UIAGM/IFMGA/IVBV guide etc could well have been caught in similar tragic circumstances.

However, increasingly often I hear people use the term ‘guided off-piste’ when in fact they mean ‘instructed’. There is a difference in my opinion – similar to the following distinctions

engineer/technician
consultant/registrar

etc

For sure there are overlaps but the two terms are not interchangeable.

Is it relevant in this sad incident? Maybe not, but I believe it’s important to try and stick to the established facts.

Sorry Edukator … HAT = “Henry’s Avalanche Talk”

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Instructors go through training programmes that include snow pack risk assessment just like guides. They all go through ENSA these days

Indeed – I wasn’t disputing that – [as I also mentioned on another thread], in France, the ‘Carte Pro’ allows you to instruct ‘off piste’. I was just pointing out that HAT was reporting that the group were being ‘instructed’ off pistes rather than ‘guided’ … which is an important distinction I think.

Three = significant risk

semantics perhaps, but a 3 = Considerable. i.e. the snowpack is unstable on *many* slopes over 30 degrees and should therefore influence your go/no go decision making process.

Worrying that it seemed to be a guided group

Indeed – although HAT have posted that the group was with an instructor rather than a guide.

Very sad indeed. :-(

Top of the Polar Peak Chair, Fernie looking somewhat ghostly in 2012:

#GhostRider

Fernie also apparently closed this morning as freezing rain had made roads ultra slick.

yeah … I hear Highway 3 was actually closed with drivers having to stay overnight in the community center.

Speaking of Fernie:

Either that was a hell of a lot steeper than it looked or the rider messed that up royally

I’m sure the camera flattened it slightly, but even so it doesn’t look like a hugely technical descent. – Polar Peak in Fernie is pretty straightforward … Classic case of a rider out of their depth by the look of things … he was lucky he didn’t take anyone else out.

Very nice indeed HYD1 … time to ‘get-ur-carve-on’ I reckon! :-)

I have the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak and use it with the HRM (chest strap).

I find the data quite useful when uploaded to Movescount as it allows me to see at a glance a number of useful graphs (i.e. no number crunching required) e.g. ‘Peak Training Efforts’, ‘Heart Rate Zones’ and in particular ‘Training Load Trend’.

OP – any particularly reason why you wish to avoid the chest strap?
I tend to forget about mine once it’s on, but I know a few folks who have problems with skin irritation.

great pics indeed sweaman2 ! Very nice!

White tie and tails, all present and correct. And steeze for days

I stand corrected … you are right CFH … he is indeed rockin’ the coat tails – I bet they are quite handy for keeping your bum dry/warm when sitting on a damp chairlift! 8)

Does he also take a selection of smoking jackets and a writing bureau?

these days it’s all about one’s ‘escritoire’ … :lol:

At least do it properly!

with a white bow tie and a white shirt when it’s neither a day at the races nor a wedding?? … tut tut!

Clearly that gentlemen’s personal gentlemen had been somewhat remiss or had had a momentary lapse of good taste …

offpiste lessons will always be with a mountain guide
a “normal” esf instructor is legally not allowed to teach offpiste in France

I’m pretty certain the French qualification ‘Carte Pro’ allows you to instruct ‘off piste’, but not on glaciated terrain – this requires an IFMGA/UIGMA qualified High Mountain Guide.

Sorry for bringing down the standard of writing on theis theea

Thanks for clearing that up nedrapier! ;-)

Never forget Vent No.1 – front middle, can be delicious. Occasionally nothing underneath if it’s very warm.

Gosh … I keep getting a hot flush every time I read this … maybe it’s the word ‘delicious’ … :oops: :oops:

And clothing is as dependent on your partners as the weather

and that’s a very good point. Keep it flexible and keep it simple but a extra thin layer ‘just in case’ at the bottom of your backback isn’t a bad idea if you are uncertain.

I normally run quite hot tbh

Same here – the key for me is the ability to be flexible with layers.

To be honest, I find hiking/skinning in 2xMerinos plenty warm as long as you are moving even down to minus temps at altitude. Obviously if there is a strong wind then this changes the situation.

I personallly avoid padded/quilted/insulated Ski/snowboard outer jackets for touring as they tend to be bulky and take up a lot of space in your backpack.

Likewise, I steer clear of down jackets for touring, as even if I don’t overheat on the way up, my back will be sweaty which will impact the effectness of a down jacket when I put it on. So whilst a down jacket can pack pretty small I tend to favour a synthetic one such as my Rab Generator Alpine or Arc’Teryx* Atom AR. As I mentioned earlier these will probably be only worn during ‘change-over’.

Instead of a fleece mid-layer I prefer a 2nd long sleeve Merino. but if the forecast is for super cold at altitude then I might take a fleece as well. But fleece layers don’t pack down very well either so a light packable windproof layer (Arc’Teryx* Squamish jacket or similar) can be a good alternative.

when skinning in minus 20 last year I wore 2 x Merinos and an Arc’teryx Fortrez Hoody*

*Other outdoor clothing manufacturers are available :-)

anyone got any clothing/layering tips for a week of splitboarding

Obviously everyone is different and has different ‘temperature gradients’ when exercising.

From my own personal experience of splitboarding I would say the key points are:

1) layering
2) trying to avoid letting yourself become too hot or too cold … see point 1)

In order to achieve this I try and skin at a pace that allows me to have a conversation in order to try and avoid ending up as a ‘puddle’ at the summit/change-over point.

Take a layer off before you get too hot and put a layer on before you get too cold. This can mean frequently ‘micro-managing’ your layers as you ascend etc.

In terms of actual clothing I favour merino base layers and GoreTex shells with ample venting. When skinning I will normally just wear 2 x LS merino tops (or 1xLS & 1 SS merino if it’s mild) on my top-half and vent my trousers as required. (I normally wear merino 3/4 long-johns in all but mild spring temps). As temps drop at altitude, I will add a thin breathable layer on top of the merino and then put my shell jacket on as soon as I stop/changeover. If it’s really cold I will also put a synthetic insulated mid-layer on to prevent cooling down too much during changeover. I will normally remove this before the descent.

Let me know if you need any more info etc. Like I say it can be very personal, but I’m happy to share my thoughts.

@wallop … ouch!!!

On a plus side it looks like you can still wear goggles over it? :-)

I’ve never had an issue with anyone the many times I’ve been down there but shall keep it in mind

One of the footpaths down to the footbridge over the River Rivelin from Hagg Lane has become increasingly popular.

Someone apparently complained to the council so last year a wooden barrier was placed at the top entrance. Cyclists then started using a gap to the left of the barrier so some disgruntled person has continually been dragging branches etc to try and close the gap.

It’s something of a futile exercise and their efforts should probably be directed at the increasing amount of fly-tipping in the area.

I also frequently run along Rivelin Valley footpath and see many more cyclists these days with many walkers becoming increasingly annoyed/exasperated.

Some dog walker tried to challenge me a while ago on the stretch of path up to the old packhorse bridge near Rails.

I politely and calmly explained to him that the path in question was originally the old road to the pack horse bridge before The Rivelin ‘New’ Road was built in 1907.
Which reminds me … I must write to the council and try and get them to remove the ‘No cycling’ sign … ;-)

Or Ranmore singletrack off Manchester road

I’ve noticed some of the routes around the old roman road listed on Strava as ‘Ranmoor’ but couldn’t work out why as Ranmore actually slopes down the southern ridge of the Fulwood ward towards Endcliffe. The Northern slope of the roman road (known today as Redmires Road) is part of the Lodge Moor Area

Students eh? ;-)

Please avoid riding the footpath actually alongside the river Rivelin during busy times i.e. Sunday mornings etc as this has become more contentious of late – the relative increase in popularity has led to some walklers placing branches across some of the footpaths and a decreasing tolerance of cyclists …

There are plenty of other tracks, both approved and un-approved, marked and unmarked routes up Rivelin Valley and surraounding area without increasing traffic on what is a fairly narrow but popular footpath for families and dogs on extendable leads …

Ride Sheffield are apparently organising a dig day along Rivelin/Fox Hagg next month if you want to get involved with some local riders.

Can I have another go as I think my first ‘profile description’ was too brief and missing some salient points! ;-)

Age 48

Cruising:
Jacket: Blue Arc’Teryx Alpha SV
Trousers: Black Sweet Protection Supernauts (Stitched & Glued) or Arc’Teryx Stinger also black
Helmet: Sweet protection Igniter
Goggles: Oakley A Frame. Blue Iridium, VR28, High Vis yellow
Facial: grey stubble
Gloves: Hestra Army Leather GoreTex
Boards:
Jones Flagship 163XL with extra holes drilled at the rear
Jones Mountain Twin 164W
Boots Salomon Malamute
Bindings: Back on the Burton Cartels for this season

Touring:
Jones Solution Splitboard (battered 1st Gen)
Bindings – Spark R&D 1st Gen – modified & adapted
Boots Salomon Malamute with 2x Liners (alternate days)
Backpack: Arc’Teryx Khamski 38 with shovel, probe, skins, ice axe, crampons, harness etc, snacks and Nalgene bottle/flask etc

Style/Technique: Middle-Aged Free-Ride. (will hike for lines and freshies in the backcountry powder, but still enjoy carving the corduroy. Rotations limited to mainly FS 180 these days with the occasional BS or half-cab. Grab-wise it’s pretty much only the odd ‘indy’, but if I’m honest, now more of a ‘slap’ than a ‘grab’. Haven’t done a rail or a box for about 6 years … but I can still see my willy when I have a wee so it’s not all bad!)