hey, 2 friends and myself are going to ski south america for a little over a month, we wil mostly be in las lenas, we come from quebec so havent really skied huge mountains but would like to ski some challenging terrain, obviously avy gear is a good thing to have, but will we have enough with inbounds skiing? should we get avy gear?
Avy gear south america
- Thread starter d-rok
- Start date
woah, i dont know about that. las lenas has some really intence terrain. if you dont know where your going off the marte lift then you can get fucked really quick. my suggestion is to find people who know the terrain there to show you around a bit so you dont find your self cliffed out over a 600fter.
michael_bc
Active member
You should buy avalanche gear before you leave. You need it and you will have a very hard time finding it in Argentina.
michael_bc
Active member
NO.
cobra_commander
Active member
Having avy gear does not mean shit. any one can go out and buy avy gear. knowing how to use it, and having the skills (I am not talking about skiing ability) to travel through avalanch terrain does.
Ye man im in the same boat as you- heading to SA for a month, mainly in Las Lenas. Me and my mate have already got out avy stuff. Our thinking was better safe than sorry. I know its a gay cliche but it is true when ur dealing with fuck off huge mountains. I say buy the gear, learn how to use it, and hopefully never ever have to put it into action. Maybe ill see you down there!
thnaks for all the info, i know nothing about backcountry terrain or avy gear but i boght a combo, beacon ,shovel ,probe for 300$, which seemed like a good deal and i know i want to ski a lot of backcountry in the future so i thought i would be agood investment. and paul where are you staying at in las lenas cause it cost a lot of $, if your staying in an appartement and got cheap floor space to rent pm me
michael_bc
Active member
I think a common misconception is that resorts outside of North America have "in bounds" and "out of bounds".
Unlike North American resorts where different ungroomed areas are made safe and marked by gates and ropes........ resorts in Europe and South America only secure the groomers, and there are no bounds to where you are allowed to go, you can go anywhere, but at your own risk. I'm not sure about Las Leñas, but in Bariloche / Cerre Catedral there is zero avalanche control.
In any resort in Europe or South America, even if you're just ripping some pow between 2 groomers, you're at risk for avalanches.... and this is actually how most n00bs die in avalanches, because they think they are "in bounds" because they're only a couple of meters away from the groomer, and have no experience whatsoever.
And I'm kind of shocked by all the "avy gear means nothing without experience" remarks because this is no excuse to remain ignorant. Buying the gear is a first step, and Las Leñas is an excellent opportunity to gain that experience and I'm sure there are plenty people there who you could learn from.
Unlike North American resorts where different ungroomed areas are made safe and marked by gates and ropes........ resorts in Europe and South America only secure the groomers, and there are no bounds to where you are allowed to go, you can go anywhere, but at your own risk. I'm not sure about Las Leñas, but in Bariloche / Cerre Catedral there is zero avalanche control.
In any resort in Europe or South America, even if you're just ripping some pow between 2 groomers, you're at risk for avalanches.... and this is actually how most n00bs die in avalanches, because they think they are "in bounds" because they're only a couple of meters away from the groomer, and have no experience whatsoever.
And I'm kind of shocked by all the "avy gear means nothing without experience" remarks because this is no excuse to remain ignorant. Buying the gear is a first step, and Las Leñas is an excellent opportunity to gain that experience and I'm sure there are plenty people there who you could learn from.
People that die from avalanches shouldn't be called "noobs." Even if its between two groomers. Some of the most experienced have died in that scenario.
Anyways, the fact is Las Lenas has extremely dangerous terrain for in bounds and out of bounds avalanche potential. Very Exposed. The resort was built in the 80's with very little thought. Nothing compares to LL in South America. Not even close.
Argentines also aren't really known for getting after it off the groomers. Skiing is more of a status thing rather than an adventurous vacation for Argentines. Wake up at 11, go take a groomer, take a photo next to a LL sign so they can prove to their buddy back in Buenos Aires that they went there, then head to the bar.
So when they built the resort they were not thinking about all the terrain that they would have to deal with. They werent thinkin that a bunch of others from around the world would come just to ski the knarly shit. It has gotten better but back in the day in it was crazy. The patrol was very green. They would blast with guns and then open it up hoping it worked rather than skiing it themselves first. Things have changed with more years of incidences to gain knowledge from. Still to this day LL is a loose resort.
With that being said take all that avy gear you bought and learn how to use it. Great opportunity. Don’t be afraid to grab a few books and read them a few times with your buddies so you are all on the same page. It may seem uncool at times but if you’re going to ski this type of terrain it is crucial you know your shit. Speaking up and having a willingness to learn is important. Practice your beacon drills all the time, even when you think you have it mastered. Learn how to read terrain, take it slow, and never say fuck it and hope for the best. Use others around you that have more experience, but don’t just follow other tracks thinking that its all good because someone else went that way.
It can be an intimidating resort wants the Marte opens. There will be some big name big mountain skier from all over the world hanging out down there. Don’t get intimated by it, just learn from it and have fun. There is plenty to do. Bring your avy gear out every day even if your going to build a booter. The terrain above you that your not even skiing can take you out They have a ton of accidents with skiers skiing on top of one another. The terrain starts high and runs a long ways before it stops. Good Luck!
Anyways, the fact is Las Lenas has extremely dangerous terrain for in bounds and out of bounds avalanche potential. Very Exposed. The resort was built in the 80's with very little thought. Nothing compares to LL in South America. Not even close.
Argentines also aren't really known for getting after it off the groomers. Skiing is more of a status thing rather than an adventurous vacation for Argentines. Wake up at 11, go take a groomer, take a photo next to a LL sign so they can prove to their buddy back in Buenos Aires that they went there, then head to the bar.
So when they built the resort they were not thinking about all the terrain that they would have to deal with. They werent thinkin that a bunch of others from around the world would come just to ski the knarly shit. It has gotten better but back in the day in it was crazy. The patrol was very green. They would blast with guns and then open it up hoping it worked rather than skiing it themselves first. Things have changed with more years of incidences to gain knowledge from. Still to this day LL is a loose resort.
With that being said take all that avy gear you bought and learn how to use it. Great opportunity. Don’t be afraid to grab a few books and read them a few times with your buddies so you are all on the same page. It may seem uncool at times but if you’re going to ski this type of terrain it is crucial you know your shit. Speaking up and having a willingness to learn is important. Practice your beacon drills all the time, even when you think you have it mastered. Learn how to read terrain, take it slow, and never say fuck it and hope for the best. Use others around you that have more experience, but don’t just follow other tracks thinking that its all good because someone else went that way.
It can be an intimidating resort wants the Marte opens. There will be some big name big mountain skier from all over the world hanging out down there. Don’t get intimated by it, just learn from it and have fun. There is plenty to do. Bring your avy gear out every day even if your going to build a booter. The terrain above you that your not even skiing can take you out They have a ton of accidents with skiers skiing on top of one another. The terrain starts high and runs a long ways before it stops. Good Luck!
michael_bc
Active member
I didn't say that.
I was in fact referring to beginning skiers and snowboarders.
I was in fact referring to beginning skiers and snowboarders.
"and this is actually how most n00bs die in avalanches",
It doesn't really matter. I'm sure you meant to say something else. We all say crazy shit that we don't mean for others take a certain way.
The point I am actually trying make is that even if the person that dies in an avalanche is a total beginner and has zero expierence with avy's dosen't mean they are noobs. They just don't know anybetter. You could say the same about a kid who is learning a new trick in the park and breaks his back from coming up a little short. Nobody wants it to happen. Pros get hurt in the park and have more avy stories than the general public by far. A lot of folks that don't know see that and think the same about them.
It doesn't really matter. I'm sure you meant to say something else. We all say crazy shit that we don't mean for others take a certain way.
The point I am actually trying make is that even if the person that dies in an avalanche is a total beginner and has zero expierence with avy's dosen't mean they are noobs. They just don't know anybetter. You could say the same about a kid who is learning a new trick in the park and breaks his back from coming up a little short. Nobody wants it to happen. Pros get hurt in the park and have more avy stories than the general public by far. A lot of folks that don't know see that and think the same about them.
Of course having a friend thats an avy wiz would be nice. And taking a Avy 1 course would be great as well. But these guys are going down there now. I was trying to just give them a little heads up on what they could do before they get there in the next weeks. Your basically saying don't go unless you have all these skills.
You mention that nobody should go into the backcountry their first time alone. I don't think they were planning on that. But you have to understand that when you get to the top of the Marte lift weather its in bounds or out it dosen't matter. The inbounds terrain is actually just as if not more scary than the backcountry there. I think its a bad idea to tell someone that its all good if you stay in bounds when talking about LL. When the Marte opens its all serious shit. Every direction except the groomer.
I did also mention something about hooking up with others that know, to not follow tracks, and to not say fuck it and just go for it. Once you get into some of those zones there is no real way out other than up. Then you might even be at more risk by hiking back up a avy path.
One thing they could also do is hire a guide.
You mention that nobody should go into the backcountry their first time alone. I don't think they were planning on that. But you have to understand that when you get to the top of the Marte lift weather its in bounds or out it dosen't matter. The inbounds terrain is actually just as if not more scary than the backcountry there. I think its a bad idea to tell someone that its all good if you stay in bounds when talking about LL. When the Marte opens its all serious shit. Every direction except the groomer.
I did also mention something about hooking up with others that know, to not follow tracks, and to not say fuck it and just go for it. Once you get into some of those zones there is no real way out other than up. Then you might even be at more risk by hiking back up a avy path.
One thing they could also do is hire a guide.
michael_bc
Active member
What I was saying is that beginners in Europe like to mess around between groomers and have an illusion of safety. This is a common mistake in Europe and many people die like this. More experienced riders know they also have to watch out between groomers. With n00b I meant newbie, a beginner. You seem to have a different definition?
michael_bc
Active member
An illustration of my point would be people thinking they are safe and "in bounds" if they ride under the marthe lift in Las Lañas. This would be a typical beginner mistake.