Why do people ski slopes/terrain way over their limit?

[Tony S]

NO! because I am well versed in survival skiing and I know that I can side step, side slip, or traverse out of most anywhere.

Yes. Thus my earlier post.

 

[KingGrump]

Swerving topic-wise a bit...
During a ski week at Taos, coming up on a year ago. Our super-duper expertish group had stopped with our instructor, maybe 2/5 of the way down Pollux. Beginning of the ski week.There's a (well known!) little cliffy rock above. The last gentleman in our group, 6' tall, maybe 200 lbs, fell about 30 feet above the group and was tumbling like a rag doll really fast, like lightening. He took out the instructor and a student in the group. It seems like they fell for hours. The screaming would start then stop over and over into the distance. We're all thinking they must be down by now, but the screams kept recurring.

The instructor - excellent BTW, had made a mistake. The fallen student came down toward us, the instructor yelled "Grab him!" As he dove onto the falling student. Bad advice, because another student did just that and got caught in the three way ball of chaos tumbling down a very dangerous path, with skis and poles still attached. It turned out that the instructor was probably yelling to himself. He did save the guy from going into most trees and rocks, but involved our other student unfortunately. The guy who fell never knew what happened, knocked unconscious immediately. Broken femur, concussion, dislocated shoulder. Instructor okay. Other student okay, but really shaken up.

He wasn't skiing above his level, and still shit does happen.

Unlike many places, Taos blacks are the real deal.

My standard spiel to all at the Taos gathering is "Do not go exploring unless you exactly where you are going. Do not go exploring with people you do not know well. There are many dark places on this mountain."
Yes, that applies to you too, @Tony S .

 

[Tony S]

Do not go exploring with people you do not know well.

Or certain ones you do.

 

[KingGrump]

Or certain ones you do.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

 

[David Chaus]

How'd your Friday sessions go?

Loved them. I’m doing the 3 week extension starting this Friday.
How’d your group go?

 

[markojp]

Loved them. I’m doing the 3 week extension starting this Friday.
How’d your group go?

Excellent! Tuesdays have also extended, so more good, fun work to do! Tomorrow is canceled though.... was going to sub for the other Tues group. I-90 closed, Alpy road closed... you know the rest. Will run up to CM tomorrow.

 

[François Pugh]

Nice.

Let me explain. Red run. Not extremely steep, quite nice. The two of them are skiing 15 meters apart from each other. And when I say "skiing" I mean pizza. Slow, painful struggle. 15 meters apart. Super crowded slope. I decide I can pass carefully between the two. Not more than 30 km/h, quite brisk but nothing too crazy.
As I approach the daughter completely loses control and turns sharp right, then again even more right and crashes. It is already 10-12 meters in front of me. No problems, I turn. In this same moment, her mother without looking up decides to turn sharp left to see what's going on. Sharp left, quick, without looking. They slam the door shut for me, I am 4 meters from them, nothing I can do, except for turn even more right with all the lean I can muster and then jump over the mother's tails. On landing the snow catches my tips and I fall head first on my left side.

Both of them-safe and sound. Me-not so much.

Did I say newbs on red and black slopes piss me off big time? Because they do.

Never under-estimate the ability of those in front of you to ruin your plan to get by them. Unless it is physically impossible for them to collectively get in your way, cut you off, funnel you into a trap, or otherwise ruin your day, stay behind them. And watch your back!

 

[DanoT]

I was skiing a run today and there where 6 of us on the run which is a lot for Sun Peaks, although it is B.C. Family Day holiday. I was skiing a little faster than the couple ahead of me but rather than try and pass them I stopped 200ft behind them and waited. I looked up the hill and a guy 100ft above had also stopped, as had a couple behind him. So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

 

[François Pugh]

NO! because I am well versed in survival skiing and I know that I can side step, side slip, or traverse out of most anywhere.

One time at Vancouver Island's Mount Washington (known to get more rain than Whistler) I got on a 2 ski wide run that was sheer ice. I side slipped the entire run.

Chimney?

 

[Ogg]

I was skiing a run today and there where 6 of us on the run which is a lot for Sun Peaks, although it is B.C. Family Day holiday. I was skiing a little faster than the couple ahead of me but rather than try and pass them I stopped 200ft behind them and waited. I looked up the hill and a guy 100ft above had also stopped, as had a couple behind him. So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

You really like to rub it in don't you.

 

[Andy Mink]

I was skiing a run today and there where 6 of us on the run which is a lot for Sun Peaks, although it is B.C. Family Day holiday. I was skiing a little faster than the couple ahead of me but rather than try and pass them I stopped 200ft behind them and waited. I looked up the hill and a guy 100ft above had also stopped, as had a couple behind him. So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

I like that.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Never under-estimate the ability of those in front of you to ruin your plan to get by them. Unless it is physically impossible for them to collectively get in your way, cut you off, funnel you into a trap, or otherwise ruin your day, stay behind them. And watch your back!

Well said!

 

[slowrider]

Never under-estimate the ability of those in front of you to ruin your plan to get by them. Unless it is physically impossible for them to collectively get in your way, cut you off, funnel you into a trap, or otherwise ruin your day, stay behind them. And watch your back!

Murphy's Law

 

[DanoT]

Chimney?

It wasn't Chimney. I couldn't tell you the name of the run but it was accessed via a short hike in the Outback. OTOH my memory could be faulty.

 

[Tony Storaro]

So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

That is what skiing in more civilized places looks like, yes. That's why I would normally spend February in Italy.
This year however is different and skiing around here is much more like the Wild West, or rather...Pamplona bull run. You take your chances. Go with the flow. It is like the peloton in road cycling. Dense. Tips touching tails.

If you stop suddenly, there is about 70% chance you will be rammed from behind by a snowboarder. Happened to me twice before this accident. More than in the last 5 years combined.
Full survival mode 24/7.

And it keeps snowing so I expect next 4 days will be glorious...

 

[David Chaus]

I was skiing a run today and there where 6 of us on the run which is a lot for Sun Peaks, although it is B.C. Family Day holiday. I was skiing a little faster than the couple ahead of me but rather than try and pass them I stopped 200ft behind them and waited. I looked up the hill and a guy 100ft above had also stopped, as had a couple behind him. So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

Only in BC: wait your turn, make sure other people are happy, be polite and trust you will have a good time, all in good time, eh?

 

[fatbob]

I was skiing a run today and there where 6 of us on the run which is a lot for Sun Peaks, although it is B.C. Family Day holiday. I was skiing a little faster than the couple ahead of me but rather than try and pass them I stopped 200ft behind them and waited. I looked up the hill and a guy 100ft above had also stopped, as had a couple behind him. So we all took our turn and got to ski the run as if there was no one else on it. Now that is more normal.

My usual version of that is waiting for those some way above me to pass before I set off (I'd rather have a clear run and it always feels a bit rude if they were to be faster than me). They often get about 10 yds past and then stop to which I internally sigh "grr if I known that...". I'm sure there's some stats in there about dependent variables and my "signal" that it is an appropriate place to stop.

 

[SkiVt]

That is what skiing in more civilized places looks like, yes. That's why I would normally spend February in Italy.
This year however is different and skiing around here is much more like the Wild West, or rather...Pamplona bull run. You take your chances. Go with the flow. It is like the peloton in road cycling. Dense. Tips touching tails.

If you stop suddenly, there is about 70% chance you will be rammed from behind by a snowboarder. Happened to me twice before this accident. More than in the last 5 years combined.
Full survival mode 24/7.

And it keeps snowing so I expect next 4 days will be glorious...

Whoa where are you skiing, China?

 

[GregK]

Thought of this thread today as I saw this group of 5 teenage boys walking back to the chalet to return their rental skis and they could barely walk without falling with their ski boots and skis were clutched cross crossed in their 2 hands.

All had smiles ear to ear and one exclaimed “That sick double black we went down was steep as fuck!”. That would have been a sight to see!

 

[Bill Miles]

Thought of this thread today as I saw this group of 5 teenage boys walking back to the chalet to return their rental skis and they could barely walk without falling with their ski boots and skis were clutched cross crossed in their 2 hands.

All had smiles ear to ear and one exclaimed “That sick double black we went down was steep as fuck!”. That would have been a sight to see!

Sounds like Gaperboy!