Ulleyle 0 Posted January 30, 2002 Share Posted January 30, 2002 Can anyone shed any light on this for me? Getting confused with all the talk on the board recently... Thanks Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted January 30, 2002 Share Posted January 30, 2002 my understanding is like this... off-piste means not a marked trail... but in the context of most of the threads here, it also means accessible by lifts, therefore within the bounds of the resort... backcountry is where you head out on your on...bc gear and knowledge should be a prerequisite... danz Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted January 30, 2002 Share Posted January 30, 2002 So according to danz's definition, which sounds good to me, were the 3 or 4 NZ boys who died at Hakuba last year riding 'backcountry'? And does anybody know of anybody killed 'off-piste' by avalanches or by running into trees, or by falls? (I did my best to get killed by all three on my last trip...) Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted January 31, 2002 Share Posted January 31, 2002 Real backcountry involves no use of resort resources, whereas off piste would be rope ducking, unmarked trails, etc, as Danz so rightly said. Grey area, however, if you take a lift up, drop off the back or side of a mountain away from the resort, and arrive away from any lift facilities, like dropping off the sides of Happo. Tainted BC maybe? My understanding is that the NZ boys were full on backcountry, but thats third hand information. Avalanche wise, however, the drop offs from Happo are as dangerous as BC, and should be treated as the real thing. As for deaths, Japan boasts in bound deaths in all three categories you mentioned, Ocean11, you aint never completely safe! Link to post Share on other sites
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