What's the strangest thing you've seen on a slope?

cormee · 12-02-2015 10:39am #1

Fattes' video of the mountain lion on a ski slope gave me the idea for this thread.

Most of us have seen unusual things on a slope - what was the most unusual, unexpected thing you've seen?

Mine wasn't strange, but it was unusual. I was sitting on the edge of a slope in Morzine, next minute some guy came flying silently over the tops of the trees, paragliding, and disappeared over the trees on the other side of the slopes. About 5 seconds later a magnificent German Sheppard dog went bounding down the slope chasing after him, he too disappeared into the trees, and everything went quiet again.

It was pretty cool.

fannymagee · 12-02-2015 11:36am

Good question! You may remember this guy, he makes an occasional piste appearance in Soll, makes me laugh every time ;-)

cormee · 12-02-2015 11:43am

fannymagee wrote: »

Good question! You may remember this guy, he makes an occasional piste appearance in Soll, makes me laugh every time ;-)

Remember him well! He's not even wearing a helmet.

Rew · 12-02-2015 11:55am

I saw a Wookie is Les Arcs recently...

fannymagee · 12-02-2015 11:59am

cormee wrote: »

Remember him well! He's not even wearing a helmet.

In fairness it was very early morning, he was prob just on his way to the jacks ;-)

fannymagee · 12-02-2015 12:32pm

I must admit, I'm always fascinated by the way helicopter pilots can land on even the trickiest slopes. I watched a rescue last weekend, and it was was so beautifully done and at an incredible angle, I was hypnotised! I went to take a photo but feckin phone froze at just the wrong moment, otherwise it would've been posted here ;-)

Fattes · 12-02-2015 4:42pm

A cougar in the trees in Banff! A Fox type thing in the trees in Banff, a heard of zebra on the slopes today (Its Carnival in Swiss land this week)

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/246892/338692.jpg

And these bogey characters on the morning of my wedding lapping the park and slopes of a glacier

olaola · 12-02-2015 7:32pm

There's some lad in Saalbach, who goes up on the first chair (I think it's the Panorama 6er) with his dog, and he skis down, dog runs beside him, hugging the treeline. What a way to walk the dog before you go to work, wha!

Also saw a girl on the beginner slopes with a pair of jeans and a regular wool knee length overcoat. Looked like she was going to work one day & said 'feck it, I'll take a spin on this slope'. Looked so odd.

fannymagee · 12-02-2015 7:40pm

olaola wrote: »

Also saw a girl on the beginner slopes with a pair of jeans and a regular wool knee length overcoat. Looked like she was going to work one day & said 'feck it, I'll take a spin on this slope'. Looked so odd.

Yeah the thoughts of skiing in jeans, ugghh!! Gives me the willies

a148pro · 12-02-2015 7:42pm

Ronan Mullen in cervinia last week

Just after a near death experience! (Clearly was seeing God)

olaola · 12-02-2015 8:49pm

a148pro wrote: »

Ronan Mullen in cervinia last week

Just after a near death experience! (Clearly was seeing God)

WAH!!!! *shudder*

Rew · 12-02-2015 9:33pm

Sun dog in Les Arcs was pretty strange but cool:

a148pro · 12-02-2015 9:52pm

Actually now that I think of it a mouse ran out on the piste on me in January, I stopped incredulous and he ran and hid under my skis!

Have a picture of him legging it away

I must be a **** skier if I notice and am caught by a mouse

a148pro · 12-02-2015 9:54pm

:pac:

fannymagee · 12-02-2015 9:57pm

a148pro wrote: »

Actually now that I think of it a mouse ran out on the piste on me in January, I stopped incredulous and he ran and hid under my skis!

Have a picture of him legging it away

I must be a **** skier if I notice and am caught by a mouse

Haha!! Quick off the mark with the camera though!! GoPro?!

cormee · 12-02-2015 11:57pm

a148pro wrote: »

:pac:

That's not a mouse, it's a REALLY SMALL moose.

(but I think it's fair to say you're the current leader in this competition)

fannymagee · 13-02-2015 12:06am

cormee wrote: »

That's not a mouse, it's a REALLY SMALL moose.

(but I think it's fair to say you're the current leader in this competition)

The mouse beats my donkey?!! You know size matters, right?! Ok that's it. I'm off to find a lesser spotted Soll mountain lion tomorrow. Watch this space

cormee · 13-02-2015 12:08am

fannymagee wrote: »

The mouse beats my donkey?!! You know size matters, right?! Ok that's it. I'm off to find a lesser spotted Soll mountain lion tomorrow. Watch this space

Judge's rule is FINAL, Fanny!

But he does beat you from a "bizarre" pov, you have to admit.

a148pro · 13-02-2015 12:30am

fannymagee wrote: »

Haha!! Quick off the mark with the camera though!! GoPro?!

No! The cheeky fecker hid under my stationary skis long enough for me to get my phone out, unlock it and get the shot!

Was the last run of the day and I was having serious double takes looking around to see if I was imagining the entire thing

fannymagee · 13-02-2015 1:00am

a148pro wrote: »

No! The cheeky fecker hid under my stationary skis long enough for me to get my phone out, unlock it and get the shot!

Was the last run of the day and I was having serious double takes looking around to see if I was imagining the entire thing

Haha, that's brilliant!!!

How about a full on Paddy's Day parade on the slopes?! Check this out for a motley crew ;-)

cormee · 13-02-2015 6:03pm

fannymagee wrote: »

Haha, that's brilliant!!!

How about a full on Paddy's Day parade on the slopes?! Check this out for a motley crew ;-)

Makes me proud to be Irish *quiver*

cormee · 13-02-2015 6:04pm

Rew wrote: »

Sun dog in Les Arcs was pretty strange but cool:

That's very cool. Never seen one of those.

fannymagee · 13-02-2015 6:05pm

Meant to say that sun dog is AMAZING!! And as for the ski parade, it was so ridiculous I just couldn't stop laughing. Brilliant day :-)

cormee · 15-02-2015 10:18pm

a148pro wrote: »

Actually now that I think of it a mouse ran out on the piste on me in January, I stopped incredulous and he ran and hid under my skis!

Have a picture of him legging it away

I must be a **** skier if I notice and am caught by a mouse

I have some bad news for you a148pro

a148pro · 16-02-2015 4:24pm

It's those fat skis, they're lethal, poor fellas don't stand a chance!

Wobbly_Legs · 17-02-2015 12:32pm

olaola wrote: »

There's some lad in Saalbach, who goes up on the first chair (I think it's the Panorama 6er) with his dog, and he skis down, dog runs beside him, hugging the treeline. What a way to walk the dog before you go to work, wha!

Also saw a girl on the beginner slopes with a pair of jeans and a regular wool knee length overcoat. Looked like she was going to work one day & said 'feck it, I'll take a spin on this slope'. Looked so odd.

I noticed this was a bit of a trend for the more mature male locals in Czech! Jeans with a rip in the bottom to fit over their boots and a woolly jumper..

Never seen anything particularly strange on the slopes, some comical falls, but noting which has stuck with me.

granty1987 · 17-02-2015 12:49pm

Up at Freestyle Friday in Kiltiernan last week and noticed a frog who jumped onto the magic carpet to get to the top of the snowflex slope. Good queue etiquette, definitely wasn't French that's for sure

StaticAge11 · 17-02-2015 1:30pm

granty1987 wrote: »

Up at Freestyle Friday in Kiltiernan last week and noticed a frog who jumped onto the magic carpet to get to the top of the snowflex slope. Good queue etiquette, definitely wasn't French that's for sure

Was up at that session myself, must have missed that!

Other than people wiping out hilariously I have seen nothing of value!

zagmund · 17-02-2015 6:28pm

I saw the guy and dog thing too last year. It was on a run at the back end of nowhere so he definitely got there the hard way, however he did it. I have a photo at home somewhere of himself and the dog on the lift. I'll see if I can dig it out.

Meantime it's Fasching over here in Austria today so there were all sorts of costumes on the slopes. I saw a flock of chickens snowboarding this afternoon, plus a bearded nun and a motley assortment of other outfits.

z

Northern Monkey · 18-02-2015 9:09am

Not my photo (stolen from snowheads), but yes that is batman

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10959557_10155157143540416_958830990988092076_n.jpg?oh=e1752e749ec5142c55f00f43a413285f&oe=55491383&__gda__=1431281875_7ffdde3fc53340ef730d73dc6b2d78db

Vegeta · 18-02-2015 10:42am

That is class

granty1987 · 18-02-2015 11:46am

StaticAge11 wrote: »

Was up at that session myself, must have missed that!

Other than people wiping out hilariously I have seen nothing of value!

Oh, maybe I know you in that case! Ollie - one of the boarders over on the snowflex - was wearing a bluey stripey jacket n turquoise pants last Friday

fannymagee · 18-02-2015 12:02pm

granty1987 wrote: »

Oh, maybe I know you in that case! Ollie - one of the boarders over on the snowflex - was wearing a bluey stripey jacket n turquoise pants last Friday

...and what colour were your trousers?! ;-)

granty1987 · 18-02-2015 12:28pm

less of that now!

man_no_plan · 13-03-2015 12:04am

I saw a fella heading straight down the fall line on a pushbike a few years ago in Italy

StaticAge11 · 13-03-2015 12:43am

granty1987 wrote: »

Oh, maybe I know you in that case! Ollie - one of the boarders over on the snowflex - was wearing a bluey stripey jacket n turquoise pants last Friday

I'm usually in the Feature hockey Jersey and luminous quicksilver pants. I've been bringing the speakers up lately if that helps :P

Pending · 15-03-2015 11:41pm

Northern Monkey wrote: »

Not my photo (stolen from snowheads), but yes that is batman

I was there! Flying down off piste doing the "Tour de Charvet" after Batman with Steve Angus from TDC has to be the highlight of my skiing career so far :-)

What's the strangest thing you've seen on a slope?

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