Skiing Little Chute and Other Steep Terrain

Tony Crocker":235kpwpb said:
Can some direct me to the thread where Rob skied Little Chute?

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6645

Thanks Tony. That's a killer TR. Especially when you remember that the camera makes everything less steep. Not sure I'd have the stones for that. How steep?

Would love to hear what Tele Jon has to say about all that. Does he use a releasable binding?
 
It's more about cajones than technique imho. You just commit and go, and enjoy the rush. If I remember properly, the hardest part was the hike up.
 
Harvey44":13jk03tk said:
How steep?

Would love to hear what Tele Jon has to say about all that. Does he use a releasable binding?
It's about the same as Main Chute - around 50 degrees, at the steep parts, and a very consistent 45+ for the remainder. One difference is that Little has two steeper sections - entry, then right around the choke crux. The issue with Little isn't so much the steepness, but there isn't much room for error. Even when filled in, it's still pretty narrow at the crux - early and late season it's mandatory air right there as well. A pretty committing line, no matter when. Definitely DFU territory. An Alta patroller rag-dolled in there for the full 900 vertical feet last season. It's fortunate she wasn't more busted up than she was (one tib/fib and a bunch of bruises and contusions, iirc).

TJ does not use releasable tele bindings, but I forget what he does use.
 
Marc_C":1f1oyjx8 said:
It's about the same as Main Chute - around 50 degrees, at the steep parts, and a very consistent 45+ for the remainder.
Not saying you aren't correct, but unless you measured it, people generally exaggerate the steepness of slopes.

Main Chute and Little Chute have a 42 degree pitchs (not a very consistent 45+) according to one of Admin's sponsors.
 
Patrick":59psr2we said:
Not saying you aren't correct, but unless you measured it, people generally exaggerate the steepness of slopes.

Main Chute and Little Chute have a 42 degree pitchs (not a very consistent 45+) according to one of Admin's sponsors.
It can vary quite a bit depending on time of year, amount of fill, etc. Also, a lot of Asmus' pitch readings are a bit on the low side as corroborated with an slope meter on a ski pole resting on the snow surface. It wouldn't be the only significant error in his books. (EG: there's a huge disparity between what he calls Supreme Bowl and what the patrol and all the sings call Supreme Bowl. We'll not even discuss his placing Eye of the Duck at Snowbird in two different spots on the mountain).

I'll be the first to admit that without measurement, it's damned hard to get a resolution of finer than 5 degrees with human estimation, and in actual practice, it's probably closer to 10 degrees. So 42 deg vs 45? I'm sure I can't feel it.For sake of comparison, Asmus also puts High Rustler at 45 degrees. Maybe a tiny part of the first turn way up high, but certainly not the entire pitch. For that matter, if you enter Main straight in from the top, you'll be dropping an 85 degree pitch.

If I do Main next weekend, I'll try to remember to bring along an inclinometer, but it's getting pretty rocky in there. In the spring, the side walls shed considerable mineral content. One of my skis is sporting a new epoxied core shot courtesy of Main Chute last Monday (Memorial Day).
 
The 42 degrees sounds right to me. But that's the average pitch for the entire run(s). There aren't that many in-bounds places in North America like that. Big Couloir at Big Sky is another. High Rustler is an example of one that starts out over 40 but moderates some as you get lower. I've read that its average pitch is 38 degrees.

It can vary quite a bit depending on time of year, amount of fill, etc....I'll be the first to admit that without measurement, it's damned hard to get a resolution of finer than 5 degrees with human estimation, and in actual practice, it's probably closer to 10 degrees.
Yes, and measuring a specific spot is too subject to that season's snow deposition pattern. IMHO any discussion of "steep runs" should be based upon average pitch over a minimum of 500 vertical.
 
If it's steep enough that when someone falls they can't stop.... it's pretty darn steep. That being said, what made Little Chute tricky was that if you fell you were going to hit some rocks for sure, plus the choke point makes you think a bit about where you are going to turn before you hit it. I'm not sure that 3 degrees makes that much of a difference. I think when you are talking about 45 degrees, 3 degrees of difference, i.e. 42-48* doesn't make it any less or more intimidating.
 
interesting change of focus here.

steep. i always find that the steeper things get, the easier the skiing as gravity takes so much of the effort out of the equation. "falling" is an interesting subject in and of itself. the "falling", word is certainly not part of my skiing vocab as there's really no reason to fall if yer skiing in a controlled manner in reasonable terrain for ones ability level.

i was out on a tour this winter on mt washington with a bit of a bc newbie. good skier, good guy, and kind of a good luck charm as anytime since that i've toured with him, we've had near perfect weather/snow. anyway, this one time we were touring and on top of a ridge with some purdy steep terrain below where we would take a run. "mojoman" as i call him, was chatting and mentioned, "well, i'd hate to fall here, but if i did, at least there isn't much to run into". i look back and another touring partner of mine, austin, looks at the look on my face as i say, "mojoman, we don't fall, there is no reason to fall. thinking about it is ok as long as you keep it to yerself. funny, austin knew i was gonna say that. so, we get ready to ski, one at a time of course from t2b as to me it's the only way to ski bc lines in a PC manner, and as i get to the bottom, i look up to see mojo sliding head first and luckily caught hold of a little tree. slidding 900+ vert at mach speed isn't my idea of how to ski in the bc or anywhere else for that matter. he got down to me and says, "now i get it, no mentioning the "f" word. not that i haven't flailed a little in the bc, well i've dragged a hand once or twice and maybe a lil hip check or two.

it's always good to evaluate terrain features and potential "challenges", but the "f" word is just not good skiing imho.

cold tonight. freeze warnings in the valleys around mt washington, frozen precip possible. should be some darn good corn skiing tues and or wed.

anyone wanna ski this week?

rog
 
The Andrew McLean ratings are once again online. http://www.pawprince.com/pawprince/writ ... atings.htm
I'll defer to his expertise. Big Couloir and Little Chute appear to be 4+ on his scale. Though Main has similar pitch, it's clearly not quite as difficult, due to being wider and probably having less severe fall consequences.

icelantic's post is illuminating for skiing this type of terrain. If you think you might fall, you have no business being on that kind of exposed terrain in the first place. That doesn't mean you're being reckless. You may need to ski very conservatively. But you should know you are capable of "getting down" before you commit.
 
Tony Crocker":29iyx8ow said:
The Andrew McLean ratings are once again online. Little Chute appear to be 4+ on his scale. Though Main has similar pitch, it's clearly not quite as difficult, due to being wider and probably having less severe fall consequences.

Quote from Andrew McLean. He categorises Little Chute as being a S4.

S4- .... Slopes 35–45° with safe run-outs and little to no dangerous terrain features.

Here is the info he provides with the Little Chute link:

Baldy Chutes - Alta
RATING: S4 ***
PITCH: 38–40°
EXPOSURE: North– NE
ELEVATIONS: 8,500’ – 11,068’
VERTICAL: 750’

Andrew McLean, The Chuting Gallery:

http://www.pawprince.com/pawprince/writ ... _home.html


Tony Crocker":29iyx8ow said:
icelantic's post is illuminating for skiing this type of terrain. If you think you might fall, you have no business being on that kind of exposed terrain in the first place. That doesn't mean you're being reckless. You may need to ski very conservatively. But you should know you are capable of "getting down" before you commit.

At a certain level, skiing (and many other things) become psychological. If you have negative thoughts, "I might screw up, don't get hurt, etc". is something you don't want to hear or think about. Be aware, but remain positive.

That is why I'm always pissed at work when someone mentions, don't break a leg or something when I head out racing out Wednesday night. I was really pissed when a friend ex-collegue of mine started talking about ...you're racing tonight??? Just a couple days prior to your trip (the 2006 Montana-to-Utah trip). You're not scared that you might hurt yourself? :brick:
 
Patrick":svgqha5e said:
Tony Crocker":svgqha5e said:
The Andrew McLean ratings are once again online. Little Chute appear to be 4+(Plus) on his scale. Though Main has similar pitch, it's clearly not quite as difficult, due to being wider and probably having less severe fall consequences.

Quote from Andrew McLean. He categorises Little Chute as being a S4.

S4-(minus) .... Slopes 35–45° with safe run-outs and little to no dangerous terrain features.
Just to confirm, 'cause there are some typos above...McLean puts Little Chute at S4 (no + or -). S4 is categorized as "Slopes 35-45 degrees with dangerous fall potential and terrain obstacles". But he also puts both at 40 deg. To me, both feel steeper than the upper half* of High Rustler - not significantly, but noticeably, and as mentioned before, it really does depend on coverage. We all know someone on this forum who has done Little in early season when it has 15' of mandatory air. That's a bit more than one would typically expect on an S4. One other point: imho, McLean tends to under report steepness on the easier (for him) lines, but again, comparing 40 deg to 42 deg is more of a bar stool debate than something you feel on the hill.

[*: High Rustler noticeably loses a bit of steepness half way down]
 
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