Offpiste advice for noobies

I would hope so. I've had a few amazing days of powder on a piste and a few times i have thought "i wonder if an avalanche could happen here"

offshore wrote:What about skiing on a piste that has lots of fresh pow on it, surely this is just as dangerous as going off piste?

That's why they shut the pistes after a very heavy fall of snow sometimes. And then you can hear them blasting the snow, and sometimes the actual crash as the artificially created avalanche happens.

But very occasionally there is an avalanche on piste - presumably because someone made a mistake somewhere, or maybe because there is always an element of uncertainty about these things.

AllyG wrote:

offshore wrote:What about skiing on a piste that has lots of fresh pow on it, surely this is just as dangerous as going off piste?

That's why they shut the pistes after a very heavy fall of snow sometimes. And then you can hear them blasting the snow, and sometimes the actual crash as the artificially created avalanche happens.

But very occasionally there is an avalanche on piste - presumably because someone made a mistake somewhere, or maybe because there is always an element of uncertainty about these things.

I have heard blasting before, and hvae come across a few closed piste's in my time, Must be for this reason!

offshore wrote:

AllyG wrote:

offshore wrote:What about skiing on a piste that has lots of fresh pow on it, surely this is just as dangerous as going off piste?

That's why they shut the pistes after a very heavy fall of snow sometimes. And then you can hear them blasting the snow, and sometimes the actual crash as the artificially created avalanche happens.

But very occasionally there is an avalanche on piste - presumably because someone made a mistake somewhere, or maybe because there is always an element of uncertainty about these things.

I have heard blasting before, and hvae come across a few closed piste's in my time, Must be for this reason!

A piste closure is more likely because of unsecured snow above the piste than on the piste itself. If they are blasting, they won't take a risk having a piste open below. Though I have heard of the odd occasion when an intentionally triggered slide has gone much further that predicted and it's covered a piste.

I've just remembered theres a video on youtube of an avalanche in france, I'm sure its been put on here before but will put it up, Also i think this avalanche was to do with warm weather and takes out the Chair lift!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4xmerGwXmE

I've already been as close to an avalanche as I ever want to be again.

andyhull wrote:I've already been as close to an avalanche as I ever want to be again.

Me too, and that was a planned avalanche, when I was part of the avalanche patrol.