I learned two things today:
- You’re supposed to put the bar down in France
- Considerable in France means something very different then considerable in Colorado
So let me get this straight, at the top of this chairlift, if you turn right and traverse for 30 seconds on a seemingly benign traverse, you come around a corner to a dynamic ice move where if you fall, well, you don’t want to fall. The ski area doesn’t care about this. The ski area also doesn’t care if you turn left at the top of the lift and duck under a rope to make turns along the edge of a 500 foot cliff. But the ski area does care if you don’t put the bar down on the chairlift. I got the lift stopped twice today because I didn’t have the bar down, I don’t get it, of all the things you could be worried about… I guess today might be the first time that I have ridden a real chair lift in France.
Also, La Clusaz is highly recommended for in bounds skiing. I have to remember how to ski exposed and steep lines again, it’s been awhile. 45 degree breakable windslab immediately above a cat walk filled with people, we’re not in Colorado anymore!
If a snowpack this developed and consolidated is risk level 3 (considerable), then they should start the CAIC risk scale at 3. I can only think of one season in all of my time in CO that the snowpack was remotely close to this consolidated at any point in time prior to Memorial Day.