Corona Virus

maddness

skallywag wrote: »

I think this raises a very good point.

Imagine the scenario where it was indeed possible to conveniently go skiing at the moment. Skiing itself is now (well, probably ..) relatively safe, in that there is no Apres Ski, they have put measures in place to have distanced queuing, etc. So I would not tend to worry so much about getting infected.

That said, the public perception at the moment re skiing is muck. I think if I was to head from Ireland on a ski trip at the moment, with the numbers etc. currently being as high as they are, etc., then my friends, family, co-workers etc. would go absolutely insane, to the point that one could be looking at major fallings out with long term consequences, etc.

Those of us who ski know what the real situation on the ground is, but the public perception is currently so damaged that I think I would really keep away from it right now, i.e. even imagining a situation that one could easily still go from Ireland, and did not have to quarantine, etc.

You make some great points. As much as it pains me to admit it I have resigned myself to the fact that I won’t ski this season. In the grand scheme of things I’d be happy just to get out to the pub for a pint or to a match or hug my elderly parents so the skiing can wait.

random_banter

skallywag wrote: »

I think this raises a very good point.

Imagine the scenario where it was indeed possible to conveniently go skiing at the moment. Skiing itself is now (well, probably ..) relatively safe, in that there is no Apres Ski, they have put measures in place to have distanced queuing, etc. So I would not tend to worry so much about getting infected.

That said, the public perception at the moment re skiing is muck. I think if I was to head from Ireland on a ski trip at the moment, with the numbers etc. currently being as high as they are, etc., then my friends, family, co-workers etc. would go absolutely insane, to the point that one could be looking at major fallings out with long term consequences, etc.

Those of us who ski know what the real situation on the ground is, but the public perception is currently so damaged that I think I would really keep away from it right now, i.e. even imagining a situation that one could easily still go from Ireland, and did not have to quarantine, etc.

You’re right about the perception of skiing being muck at the moment. That concern has been at the back of my mind too.

Really annoying considering the amount of people who took off and will go on other kinds of holidays in the next while (before the situation is under control) which won’t be seen as badly as skiing - even though they’ll still involve airports, supermarkets, and probably bars/restaurants too.

I still like to dream about late March/early April possibilities should levels be way down across the board, but I know that’s just a dream at this point. Our trip last year was March 14th so that didn’t happen either. It’s nice to dream about all the trips when this is over, just hope I’m not too old/unfit bu then

the beer revolu

I don't accept that skiing is relatively safe.
Chair lifts, gondolas, cable cars, queues. Even with restaurants open, supermarkets in ski resorts are usually very busy and often pretty cramped.
We've seen the photos of "socially distanced queuing '.

I don't think anyone should be going on unnecessary trips - I'd feel exactly the same about someone going on a sun holiday - there's just no justifying it.

blue note

the beer revolu wrote: »

I don't accept that skiing is relatively safe.
Chair lifts, gondolas, cable cars, queues. Even with restaurants open, supermarkets in ski resorts are usually very busy and often pretty cramped.
We've seen the photos of "socially distanced queuing '.

I don't think anyone should be going on unnecessary trips - I'd feel exactly the same about someone going on a sun holiday - there's just no justifying it.

It's safe if all the skiers and businesses do everything right. And not all of them will. So if skiing (or sun holidays) are opened up, you're accepting the likes of the big queues, or people sharing gondolas and cars, etc. It's unfortunate, but that's what will happen.

skallywag

the beer revolu wrote: »

I don't accept that skiing is relatively safe.
Chair lifts, gondolas, cable cars, queues. Even with restaurants open, supermarkets in ski resorts are usually very busy and often pretty cramped.
We've seen the photos of "socially distanced queuing '.

I don't think anyone should be going on unnecessary trips - I'd feel exactly the same about someone going on a sun holiday - there's just no justifying it.

The queuing situation improved pretty quickly after those images went around, but you make a valid point, particularly with respect to gondolas, it's really hard to see how these can be safe under any circumstances where they are shared with others. They have cut gondola capacity to 50% in Austrian resorts, but there is still of course risk in that.

Concerning the chair lifts there is a lot of discussion going on. Austria has cut the capacity to 50% on those with a 'confining bubble' which protects you from the weather, but is still operating at 100% for those with no cover. A lot are of the opinion that there is little or no risk sitting beside someone in the open air on a lift, but I do not fully buy into that.

It is interesting to see that the bigger resorts in Austria such as Ischgl have not opened at all yet. They clearly cannot afford to operate without having the tourists in town. I see no way that Austria is going to allow the hotels & restaurants etc. to open this season, so it could be a pretty quiet year for them this year.

All in all I have decided myself not to go out this season, though I know others who are out all the time. I guess it is something you need to decide on an individual basis, based on your own view of things etc.

a148pro

I'm not sure a gondola is any worse than any public transport, unless you're closer than you would be on any other public transport. Usually you are, you're packed like sardines, which would be an obvious risk but I assume they are limiting numbers. And on the other hand the average gondola is a shorter journey than public transport.

I think on a chair lift there's little to no risk unless you're sitting right beside them. There's really close to no evidence that outside spread is statistically significant. Now in reality in the average Ski holiday there will be pinch points despite everyone's best intentions, but I'd say in the right circumstances it could be done relatively safely.

blue note

The chair lifts are probably very low risk. I'd imagine the gondolas are high risk though. Public transport is very spaced out at the moment, hardly anyone taking it. I spoke to a couple of people who got trains at rush hour and they did you could have a train carriage to yourself.

Even if you're just with one other person in a gondola, you're in a very small enclosed space with them for 10 or 15 minutes. And the lifts from the town tend to be gondolas, first thing in the morning if the resorts are item they'll be busy. They might run them at 50% capacity or something, but I'd say the gondolas are a major problem with skiing at the moment. Far more risky than public transport.

a148pro

Anyway - I still believe, just, or hope at least. There's a reality here, this is cyclical, and not just the virus but also people's tolerances. My sense of it is that come mid to late March our numbers will be lower than most of Europe and we will repeat the bankrupt cycle of relaxing restrictions leading to another rise in numbers. Why? Not just because our politicians are idiots, but also because we will actually want it. Similarly, tolerances in europe for keeping places locked down will also expire. So my sincere, and rather cynical hope is that our low numbers may align with that and make a trip viable. But if it doesn't, there's obviously a feck lot more important stuff going on out there.

skallywag

Some conditions out there at the moment, have no seen so much snow come down at the flatland level ...

maddness

skallywag wrote: »

Some conditions out there at the moment, have no seen so much snow come down at the flatland level ...

It’s awful depressing looking at the resort webcams at them moment, all that powder and no way to ski it.

skallywag

Yeah, it's some fall the last few days, and more on the forecast. Heaviest fall in the valleys in over 70 years in some places.

Billy Mays

Haven't looked at one webcam this Winter

Ye're only torturing yourselves

a148pro

Is there much skiing being done? Am I right in thinking austria is open but only for locals?

a148pro

Unfortunately I don't have confidence we'll get our numbers down now. Didn't think our numbers would be the obstacle to me going but now looks that way.

skallywag

a148pro wrote: »

Is there much skiing being done? Am I right in thinking austria is open but only for locals?

Yip, the diehards are out.

Correct, resorts in Austria can open.

trashcan

Billy Mays wrote: »

Haven't looked at one webcam this Winter

Ye're only torturing yourselves

I know, but I can’t help myself. Had (very, as it turns out) optimistically booked a week starting last Saturday, should have been returning home today. Gutting. Have another week booked for end of Feb, but chances of it happening are roughly zero the way it’s looking.

Billy Mays

trashcan wrote: »

I know, but I can’t help myself. Had (very, as it turns out) optimistically booked a week starting last Saturday, should have been returning home today. Gutting. Have another week booked for end of Feb, but chances of it happening are roughly zero the way it’s looking.

I booked for the second week in Feb but realiatically it was never gonna happen. May look at going high towards the end of the season if it's viable but not holding out much hope.

I got back from St Anton last year the week before they shut it down so I'm looking at it that I'm lucky this isn't my second year running with no trip. For plenty of people it will be.

trashcan

Billy Mays wrote: »

I booked for the second week in Feb but realiatically it was never gonna happen. May look at going high towards the end of the season if it's viable but not holding out much hope.

I got back from St Anton last year the week before they shut it down so I'm looking at it that I'm lucky this isn't my second year running with no trip. For plenty of people it will be.

Same here, got back just before it all broke last year. Owner of the hotel we stayed in ended up in hospital a couple of weeks later, as did a guy who plays and sings in the hotel bar.

skallywag

Austria just announced an extension to the lockdown, so impacting hotels, etc. Seems the will not be doing much business in February anyway.

a148pro

skallywag wrote: »

Austria just announced an extension to the lockdown, so impacting hotels, etc. Seems the will not be doing much business in February anyway.

What are the rules around travelling within austria there?

random_banter

We were to go out on March 14th last year so we were scuppered just a few days before. Dying to get some use out of my unused, brand new skis. Keeping an eye on end March/start of April prices in high resorts. Perhaps if all the vulnerable are vaccinated by then it'll be safer to go, but hope is fading!

Numbers are so high now here and France seems to be in trouble again. Stay safe all and hopefully we can get to the powder soon when it's safer for all.

skallywag

a148pro wrote: »

What are the rules around travelling within austria there?

Well there is no equivalent to the 5km rule, and one is allowed out to do sport. So driving to a resort 20-30km away is not a problem. That said I am not quite sure about driving 200km, I think that it is theory allowed, but would certainly be frowned upon.

The ski resorts being open in Austria is very controversial locally. A lot of people are very annoyed about it, considering that there is a 'Hard Lockdown' in place, with curfews and kids not going to school, etc.

That said the larger resorts will not open anyway (e.g. Ischgl) until they can also open the hotels for tourists.

maddness

I’m booking for December. It’s just not gonna happen this season.

a148pro

So the schools are closed but the resorts are open? I can see how that might be controversial alright

skallywag

a148pro wrote: »

So the schools are closed but the resorts are open? I can see how that might be controversial alright

Yes, absolutely.

The skiing community were pretty much amazed when the resorts were allowed to open even though the rest of the country was put into hard lockdown, they assumed that it would also be gone. And as you mention it has generated quite a bit of friction when many people are put out with the schools being closed (thinking especially here about those who cannot easily do home office to supervise the kids).

a148pro

Swiss appear to have kept resorts open without numbers going out of control, i.e, they seem to have flattened off and even gone down a bit. So if done right presumably can be safe.

a148pro

Media reporting death of an Irish skier in Switzerland in avalanche, resident there. RIP. Seems to have been a very bad week for avalanches, a lot of snow fell. British skier died also in Verbier the day before.

Very sad, condolences to all affected

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0119/1190714-ireland-switzerland/

skallywag

Sad news ...

https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-man-dies-avalanche-switzerland-5329544-Jan2021/

blue note

a148pro wrote: »

Swiss appear to have kept resorts open without numbers going out of control, i.e, they seem to have flattened off and even gone down a bit. So if done right presumably can be safe.

That's very interesting. I was looking at their case numbers. They were being held up as an example of how not to handle the pandemic. This was around when the resorts would have been starting to open up. And their daily cases have decreased fairly steadily since roughly when the resorts would have been opening.

It's so hard to get your head around all of this.

A1Son

a148pro wrote: »

Media reporting death of an Irish skier in Switzerland in avalanche, resident there. RIP. Seems to have been a very bad week for avalanches, a lot of snow fell. British skier died also in Verbier the day before.

Very sad, condolences to all affected

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0119/1190714-ireland-switzerland/

RIP, always sad news to hear these reports.