Re: [Paddlewise] Who Picks Up the Rescue Tab?

Some of the best skiing in my life took place in out-of bounds areas. Near 
vertical faces; manageable, avalanching snow racing behind you; zig-zag runs 
between rocky outcrops with jumps off snow precipices - these were some of 
my favourite things. Yes, it was dangerous, but you didn't blindly  go about 
your business, rather scouting things out first and then taking another run 
for multiple downhill descents. Sure, your legs were jelly at the end of the 
run, but what fun. Now, you get these young jerks, disobedient and 
rebellious to the core, seeking out-of-bounds areas for bragging rights, 
getting hurt and lost - way over their heads. I mean heck, the terrain of 
most out-of-bounds areas in far less risky that some of the wilderness 
back-country slopes that the heli-ski crown pursue, but at a public 
mountain, it only makes sense to cordon off areas dangerous to average 
commodities and interests.

Likewise, those who pursue marginal-as-measured-by-the-average paddling 
conditions, normally do so with as much safety and preparation as the gusto 
they exhaust pursuing said activity, once commenced. Those who do not train, 
equip, and initial gradient exposure regimes simply do not understand 
"risky" paddling behaviour, nor the joy of such behaviour. The existential 
and spiritual aspects of reasonable-by-your-own-competency-standards while 
seeking out and enjoying challenging conditions should eclipse 
ego-satisfaction and the business of braggart.


Doug Lloyd (who comes by his "wild heart" genetically; his father fell of a 
mountain cliff while solo-ski mountaineering in the 50's. He lay there two 
days, before rescue. Tough bugger. A top Cambridge rower too. He wound up 
with a pin in his leg and took ballet lesson for physiotherapy, where he met 
a sexy ballet instructor - yeap, my eventual mother.

Victoria BC

John had replied:

> I had the fortune to be able to ski every day for four weeks along side a 
> ski patron at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado.  Not only are there are a number 
> of out of bounds areas that the patrols will look the other way if someone 
> is seen heading down them, but many them are named runs.  One of my most 
> memorable skiing experiences was skiing an out-of-bounds run called 
> "Dave's Wave" which ran from the top of the pass down to the resort under 
> a full moon.
>
> I also had the fortune of being able to ski in Chamonix a couple of years 
> ago. It's interesting that in Europe there really aren't any out of bounds 
> areas but, instead the terrain is called "off piste" (off trail).  Across 
> the valley from the resort I skied as an area call Aiguille Du Midi, which 
> essentially consisted of a tram (the highest in the world) then went up 
> near the top of the mountain.  All of the terrain was "off piste".  It was 
> strongly recommended that anyone skiing the area do so with a guide but it 
> wasn't mandatory.
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