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IMO, over 45 is damn steep...like mandatory self-arrest steep. If you're skiing 50 degree slopes in the US (and I'm not talking about 50-100 vertical feet from the cornice where it then mellows out significantly), but a sustained 50 pitch, you're probably in AK on a spinewall and having to hop a bergschrund at the bottom.
There have been countless studies showing that people overestimate the pitch of terrain constantly. Most people would shit themselves standing on top of a 6 ft cornice looking onto a 45 degree slope with natural terrain features, and they'd tell everyone it was 53 degrees and a 14 ft cornice.
And I'm not talking about a bump run in the trees or some shit, like Pali chair, I'm talking about an open face that steep where managing speed and slough and your balls in your stomach is a concern.
High 30's or low 40's can feel really steep too, depends on lots of other factors. Lots of soft snow makes steeper stuff seem much less steep and harder to go too fast, but then again, pitch and new snow present their own problems, don't they...
casualIMO, over 45 is damn steep...like mandatory self-arrest steep. If you're skiing 50 degree slopes in the US (and I'm not talking about 50-100 vertical feet from the cornice where it then mellows out significantly), but a sustained 50 pitch, you're probably in AK on a spinewall and having to hop a bergschrund at the bottom.
There have been countless studies showing that people overestimate the pitch of terrain constantly. Most people would shit themselves standing on top of a 6 ft cornice looking onto a 45 degree slope with natural terrain features, and they'd tell everyone it was 53 degrees and a 14 ft cornice.
And I'm not talking about a bump run in the trees or some shit, like Pali chair, I'm talking about an open face that steep where managing speed and slough and your balls in your stomach is a concern.
High 30's or low 40's can feel really steep too, depends on lots of other factors. Lots of soft snow makes steeper stuff seem much less steep and harder to go too fast, but then again, pitch and new snow present their own problems, don't they...
I skied a chute at Mammoth that I know was really steep. Every turn I made, I would drop eight feet.
casualThere have been countless studies showing that people overestimate the pitch of terrain constantly. Most people would shit themselves standing on top of a 6 ft cornice looking onto a 45 degree slope with natural terrain features, and they'd tell everyone it was 53 degrees and a 14 ft cornice.
I've always wondered about this. Standing on top of a line then skiing it and feeling like it was real steep then looking back up at it and thinking it's not steep at all. Perception I guess.
I'd say steep starts around 30 degrees, because that's where avalanches become likely to slide. Anything under 30 degrees you can pretty much be as irresponsible as you want and anything goes. Over 30 degrees means you need to use your head.
Furthermore, The angle of repose of sand and lots of dirt is around 30-35 degrees, so any dry slopes that are steeper than that are more likely to be rocky, and shallower slopes will be nice and soft.
Those are two relatively concrete factors in slope angle that directly affect the way a person will interact with them. While 45 and 55 degrees are also VERY steep, there's really nothing to differential a 50 degree slope from a 55 degree slope other than a gut feeling that "this is steeper than I'm used to," but between 30 and 35 degrees there is a legitimate change in the terrain and snow conditions to create a distinction.
Skied the chute at Tux my first time this year, don't know how steep it is (could anyone tell me?) but I wish I skied it harder. Sketched myself out on the way up and took it super easy down.
Without getting all tech my go to measurement, If I can touch the side of the hill without leaning over its steep. standing strait up hand at a 90 then, yep its steep.
Double black for ya: but the key is to be able to charge this on a non-pow day, and still enjoy yourself while going awfully fast. It really wasn't that hard to ski slowly, but it wasn't that enjoyable, that was the problem. In a sense, pow is for pussies. I want to be able to ski like I am driving a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and not have to worry about terrain, snow conditions or angle: just fang everything without blinking. It's that sort of skiing that will draw out the best skiers from their little cocoons for the average punter to gasp at.
For most people it really doesn't have to be that steep to be STEEP. There is a hill in my town called Danger Hill and there has always been a huge sign that says Danger Hill. DOT changed the rules and they had to add a sign showing the % grade. It is only a 12% grade. Sure it is a bitch of a hill but I can climb it on my bike. Most people won't ride a bike down it though and some people are scared to drive it. A big truck ends up getting stuck on Danger Hill every few months or so.
