happyhappy 0 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Anyone here done much riding on a glacier? I'd be interested to know what it was like.. Link to post Share on other sites
Kraut_in_HongKong 0 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I did that doing 'Summer Ski' in Passo Stelvio (Italy) and Hintertux (Austria). Nothing special about it since you don't know if not told that there's glacier underneath the snow. Summer ski as such can not be compared to winter ski. The later is always preferred. Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Quote: since you don't know if not told that there's glacier underneath the snow So what is the conditions of that snow on the top then? Link to post Share on other sites
Kraut_in_HongKong 0 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Well, I can only speak about summer ski. That was the REALLY hot Eurosummer. I think 2003 or 2004. And we skied in early August. Daytime temperature was above zero. So the snow was quite heavy. Since the glacier is basically ice we had also little watery lakes and lots of snow mesh. You can't really compare it to sub-zero winterski at all. But talking about winter (Passo Stelvio is only open May-Oktober), Hintertux will be no different feel from any other ski region. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 In the winter the snow might be a bit drier because of the ice below cooling the snow They arn't the best runs though because they are usually flat or low angle. You can't usually ski a steep glacier because of the crevesses Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 [i agree with everything the other guys have said, but this is yet another chance to compile a long post rather than be a diligent little office employee] Well, my limited experience... - Like the other guys said, sometimes the glacier is deep down under the snow and you wouldn't otherwise know it is there besides the fact you are riding in summer at 3000m and there isn't any other snow around. These glaciers often have surface/drag lifts and a half pipe on them. There are several in Europe. The one in Andermatt is covered in a big silver blanket in summer. The one at the top of Laax in Suisse is actually a pretty decent carving slope: long, wide and steepish. - Other glaciers are not so benign, they are nasty (and beautiful). You can ride along them as a means to an end. Or, you might end up on one at the finish of a BC line you took (this has been my usual experience). If touring, sometimes you have to cross a glacier first to reach an ascent on the other side of a valley. Many glaciers are associated with nasty bits like seracs and crevasses. Seracs fall and kill you. You fall in Crevasses and kill yourself. Glaciers can provide very long low angle powder runs. You can build up so much speed and do so many turns, but it gets a little boring (like Niseko). Negotiating a crevassed area is on the other hand, quite interesting. You have to pick lines along snow bridges and seriously avoid falling: take a guide! I once watched a cesna with skis land on a glacier, coast along for 100m, rev the engine and take off again. - Glaciers are stunning geographical features that play a big part in our physical environment and why it is as it is today. - One of the most famous and accessible glaciers to ride is the Valley Blanche in Chamonix. It is worth doing once to see the environment, but twice is torture (it is 95% way too flat, long, crowded and boring. It is also a total drag in a snowboard) - Australia doesn't have any glacier because NZ stole them all. - Plucky studied glacial morphology or the like, you should talk to him. About to ride down onto and cross a glacier (and walk up the other side... just to ride down again. Well worth it) There are at least 3 glaciers in this pic. One is obvious. The others are more perhaps 'glaciated areas' rather than glaciers. Tracks on a glacier A glacier that doesn't look like a glacier. We just walked across it. This is the start of the glacier. Further down hill this guy turned into a gnarly nasty glacier. Ridding through a glacier on snow bridges. Don't fall. Link to post Share on other sites
ianbc 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 as spud said...they can be boring to ride but some are also super fun to ride and a visualy stunning, inbounds they are usually a little tamer but in the backcountry, they get a little more interesting. there is somethin special about riding a nice line and haveing to rip threw snow bridges at the end of a run. playsafe www.pieandchips.com/roto2.jpg Link to post Share on other sites
ianbc 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 another reason they are cool www.pieandchips.com/redbull/life1.jpg hey spud where are your spics taken? Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 sweet shot ianbc, that second one Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 hi ianbc - they are all in or around the Chamonix area. That cave picture of yours is cool! Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Great pics again ian. That second one is insane! Link to post Share on other sites
advantyper 0 Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I rode at the Whistler BC glacier last summer. Well it was good and bad. Good because you can wear T-shirt or no shirt at all! Bad part is the glacier melts alot! so the snow is very slushy and many wet puddles! so if you land ride over one of those, you are soak!!! Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 To add to Advantyper the Horstman Glacier has receeded quite a bit since I was last up at Blackcomb in 2004. They have had to make a new T-bar loading station. Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by advantyper: I rode at the Whistler BC glacier last summer. Well it was good and bad. Good because you can wear T-shirt or no shirt at all! Bad part is the glacier melts alot! We rode it in Winter 2004/2005 - lots of powder but a shity circuit to get back to it. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 That's the blackcomb glacier Subzero It is time consuming but the runs on the side of it coming out of Spankies are incredible Advantyper would have been riding on the Horstman Glacier which has 2 T-bars Link to post Share on other sites
ianbc 0 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 i was out in the zone of all zones on friday and took this pic, again confirming glaciers are cool. http://www.pieandchips.com/doggy/riceburgs.jpg theres a bunch more special pics at www.doggy.com from that day Link to post Share on other sites
advantyper 0 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 not sure which I was riding last summer. But its the gondola that take you over Whistler mountain. Then you take a lift to go up on top, then near the end of the ride, there are the T-bars. But that day was so freaking hot & sunny. I guess it might be the Horstman Glacier like Toque say. It was still fun, but I like the powder during New Years at Whistler 100x better. Link to post Share on other sites
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