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Bad year for deaths.. Mt Hutt (surrounds) have had 4 die this season!! 1 was on the access road though. The snow has been pretty fast and hard this season and from what I can tell in the news reports they tend to fall/slide 100-300 metres over/through rocks. I have never made it to Mt Hutt but they must have a bit of exposure.

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Originally Posted By: Mamabear
sadface Fellow died at Perisher (Guthega) today.
Skiing an intermediate run with his family - hit a tree.
Very sad indeed... I always hate to hear these things.


Sad news. I wonder if alcohol was involved.
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Didn't know about Mt. Hutt accidents.

Rocks are scary when you are on icy surface above them.

Looking at the news. Wish they report detailed condition how it happened.

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Originally Posted By: Mamabear
sadface Fellow died at Perisher (Guthega) today.
Skiing an intermediate run with his family - hit a tree.
Very sad indeed... I always hate to hear these things.


I don't get too upset about it. Means one less fool who can't ski in control is off the slopes forever. That's a good thing isn't?
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A bit harsh GN.

He was a 55yr old family man, there with his family, a long time skier, riding low intermediates at Perisher. Not like he was some first timer snow ploughing off The Peak and dropping in above YOU.

 

It was an accident.

Accidents happen. And yes it means he was out of control at that point in time - I am sure he wouldn't have chosen to slam into a tree, but we all stack it from time to time.

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Christ thats a bit harsh. I don't think anyone can claim they have never lost control, caught an edge, hit an enexpected bit of ice etc..

 

Gives me the willies hearing about death or serious injury because it could so easily be me or someone I know. I usually hope that the story about what happened includes them doing something stupid so that I can put it in the "it wont happen to me" catogory. The reality is though that it would not take that much bad luck for it to be me. (or you.)

 

Still, going skiing and taking a little risk beats sitting safely in a chair waiting for cancer or something else to get you.

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Yeah... not nice at all. Brings back bad memories for me. I had a nasty tree collision a couple of seasons ago. Very Very lucky to only come away with one hell of a bruise. These things easily happen. Usually post-lunch, tired legs, busy end of day runs.

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A relative of mine hit a tree a few years back (umm..jeez..about 15 yrs back now!!) in Switzerland. She was cut off, swerved to avoid collision and hit a bump. Next thing she knew she was being choppered off with the ball of her femur clean snapped off. She is of the 'no helmet' brigade - so I am glad the impact was not on her head.

 

Can happen to anyone.

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had a nasty fall in Niseko last feb, didn't hit a tree though. Hit a bump in the snow and went flying through the air, landing on my neck and a bit of mega whiplash. Goggles and hat came flying off, no helmet for me but thankfully my cranium was left intact

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That's pretty sad, and as Stag said, there have also been four deaths at Mt Hutt this year. (two have been in the out of bounds area as far as I know, but app Mt Hutt doesn't really mark out of bounds very well)

 

IMO Loss of control isn't always the skiers/boarders fault - It doesn't really help intermediates and beginners to stay in control when someone comes flying from behind them and spooks them - think of it as being like a fast car zooming past a jittery horse.

 

I've had a few spooks so far, and it takes a few minutes to regain your composure sometimes. Not everyone has been learning since they were knee high.

 

I was really really offended when a guy came flying out of nowhere on my first run down a beginner slope at Cardrona last year. He was all over the run and if his line intersected with a slower beginner he had no qualms about cutting them off, and if they fell over he didn't care. Mr Minty was of the opinion that if Cardie staff saw him skiing the way he was where he was he would be kicked off the field, but it doesn't seem that b&w to me.

 

Will definitely be trying out helmets this season - Mr Minty isn't keen to as he's never needed one in his 25+ years, but I want us to leave Japan intact. Neither of have skied near trees before.

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Last minute decision just got made, going to Mt Dobson tomorow, 80cm new snow and it was closed today while they dug out the road etc..

 

sunshine tomorrow, just hope the snow wasn't blown to bits by the wind that some of the other places got.

 

I'v gotta get packin, leaving in an hour.

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Originally Posted By: Go Native
Originally Posted By: Mamabear
sadface Fellow died at Perisher (Guthega) today.
Skiing an intermediate run with his family - hit a tree.
Very sad indeed... I always hate to hear these things.


I don't get too upset about it. Means one less fool who can't ski in control is off the slopes forever. That's a good thing isn't?


Wonder if you'd say the same thing if it happened to someone you knew?

Strange to hear that there is snow in Summer. wink What is the average depth level down "South" in the season?
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Have agreat ski in those new boots capt. I have thought a bout comming over and doing a road trip flying in to Christchurch hire a car Day 1 Porters.Day 2 Mt Hutt.Day 3 Stay at Tekapo.One day at MtDobson 1 at Round hill. 1 at Ohau.I think that would be agood way to spend a week.Any feed back welcome.

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Its pretty freaky to think how many people have died here in NZ this season and just bad luck that it has been mostly till the weekend all in one place.

On Saturday a climber died at Whakapapa.

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10664664

 

It can all happened so quickly and my thoughts are definitely with the family's...

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Accident-riddled Mount Hutt skifield has reopened after an avalanche which left some skiers partially buried but uninjured this morning.

 

The avalanche occurred on the south face of the Canterbury skifield this morning, Mount Hutt manager Dave Wilson said.

Avalanche closes Mt Hutt skifield

 

The double black South Face used to scare me. if it was icy and you crashed, it was a very long slide coming up at high speed.

Lots of fatalities at Hutt over the year have been on the South face.

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Originally Posted By: roscoe
Have agreat ski in those new boots capt. I have thought a bout comming over and doing a road trip flying in to Christchurch hire a car Day 1 Porters.Day 2 Mt Hutt.Day 3 Stay at Tekapo.One day at MtDobson 1 at Round hill. 1 at Ohau.I think that would be agood way to spend a week.Any feed back welcome.


I can recommend a nice tidy warm place to stay about 20m from the Tekapo lakefront if you're ever keen
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Tekapo is great. We stayed 2 nights. Very quite and very beautiful.

 

Just a note. If you are thinking of doing Ohau on a day trip from Tekapo, it's a bit of a hike. Seems like it's in the middle of nowhere.

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Some pics from Mt Dobson. The wind got into the snow the day before and made these wierd wave sort of shapes. When I seen it I thought it would be awful paste but I was super pleased to find it was still soft. Also only some aspects were like this, the others were smooth.

 

 

crinkles1.jpg

 

 

 

crinkles2.jpg

 

crinkles4.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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Wow that looks cool Stag!

 

That Hutt avalanche was 8% of the south face I hear, but more snow on the way tomorrow it seems! Please clear up for saturday, pleaseee

 

Shamone - about an hour and a half wink Twizel is way closer, but who wants to stay at Twizel? Twizel the town of trees. That place is creepy. Twizel

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updates in the news for NZ ski fields today

 

Mt Hutt closed too late today and a front swept in meaning about 1000 people are trapped on the ski field until the wind and visibility improve as the road is too dangerous at present.

 

An elderly (80yo) Japanese man has died on Coronet peak today from a head injury. He was wearing a helmet, so unsure how that happened. :(

 

edit: it seems Mt Hutt has 800+ unexpected guests staying the night.

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Originally Posted By: MintyNZ

Mt Hutt closed too late today and a front swept in meaning about 1000 people are trapped on the ski field until the wind and visibility improve as the road is too dangerous at present.


That would suck. Those roads are diabolical. Is the one to Hutt sealed yet?
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