Ski Slope Security – A new method to help define the level of difficulty

[Monique]

I think it would meat great resistance anyway, Firstly people in general are afraid and often reluctant to change even if for the better. that's just human nature.
But from an economic point of view I don't feel resorts would cooperate. What resort is going to easily degrade blacks to blues or double blues to single or blues to greens, whatever without great fight. They all want their image/prestige to be of the highest it can be. I personally think ithat actually can fail to some degree but none the less they want the prestige.

I actually disagree to some extent, in that resorts want to be appealing to ALL levels. If there's fudging, I suspect the fudging is in the direction of having a balanced "portfolio" of runs. This is the only way that I can explain why Breck calls the upper parts of its new Peak 6 runs "blue." In comparison to blues on peaks 7-9, it is solidly black. IMO of course.

 

[ressano]

Isn't that the point? To warn beginners. You know, because they're always wandering into black trails and dying.

Essentially, you're proposing putting cyanide in chamomile tea.

Hi James
I didn´t choose the colors, these colors are the ones we use in Europe. I am sorry if you don´t like them, but there is nothing I can do about it.

 

[ressano]

I think it would meat great resistance anyway, Firstly people in general are afraid and often reluctant to change even if for the better. that's just human nature.
But from an economic point of view I don't feel resorts would cooperate. What resort is going to easily degrade blacks to blues or double blues to single or blues to greens, whatever without great fight. They all want their image/prestige to be of the highest it can be. I personally think ithat actually can fail to some degree but none the less they want the prestige. The highest, the snowiest, the most challenging, etc,etc. most want to be on top with all that imo.

Heck I can go to place in the east whos most difficult blacks would be barely blue at other places in the east. Never mind the west or Canada or elsewhere. Imo there is something not so right about that.

Yes I agree in this subject marketing and publicity are a big problem.

 

[ressano]

Hi Monique You can find the paper on any of this links

https://www.academia.edu/35572561/S...thod_to_help_defining_the_level_of_difficulty

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/20084

http://www.universitypublications.net/ajs/0703/pdf/DE7C126.pdf

https://comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/20084/1/2017.01.003.pdf

 

[Monique]

Hi James
I didn´t choose the colors, these colors are the ones we use in Europe. I am sorry if you don´t like them, but there is nothing I can do about it.

Wait wait wait. You want to fully define the meaning of the colors, meaning (presumably) a bunch of changes to existing sites, trail maps, on-snow signage - but new symbols are colors are just impossible?

 

[François Pugh]

A universal trail difficulty rating based on actual physical properties of the trail instead of the desires and imagination of the advertising department will never fly with the resorts.

 

[ressano]

I've seen a lot of people suggest ski slope rating standards.

I've never heard of a single person taking them to ski resorts, or conglomerates, and proposing them as a new standard.

It might be interesting to argue about it on the internet, but literally nobody posting on these boards can do a single thing about it, even if they like the idea.

To people who want to redo the whole system, I say: take it to the ski resorts, not to us. Make a business case. If it's such a good idea, it should be easy for you to make a business case. Competitive advantage for universally defined ratings, etc.

Monique Don´t underestimate the power of internet. It can make Presidents to win elections. But I like your idea, I am going to send the paper for some influent people in the snow business and wait for their reaction.

 

[ressano]

I've seen a lot of people suggest ski slope rating standards.

I've never heard of a single person taking them to ski resorts, or conglomerates, and proposing them as a new standard.

It might be interesting to argue about it on the internet, but literally nobody posting on these boards can do a single thing about it, even if they like the idea.

To people who want to redo the whole system, I say: take it to the ski resorts, not to us. Make a business case. If it's such a good idea, it should be easy for you to make a business case. Competitive advantage for universally defined ratings, etc.

Monique Don´t underestimate the power of internet. It can make Presidents to win elections. But I like your idea, I am going to send the paper for some influent people in the snow business and wait for their reaction.

 

[ressano]

Wait wait wait. You want to fully define the meaning of the colors, meaning (presumably) a bunch of changes to existing sites, trail maps, on-snow signage - but new symbols are colors are just impossible?

Hi Monique in Europe we use the colors: green, blue, red and black. Green is the most easy and black is the most dificult.

 

[Goose]

A universal trail difficulty rating based on actual physical properties of the trail instead of the desires and imagination of the advertising department will never fly with the resorts.

The only way it would (if it was possible one could even exist in the first place) is if they had to meet it as code. Then they would have no choice.
it could be viewed as the same way the USGA rates 16,000 golf courses (just in the us alone) and the 288,000 individual holes combined on each of them. So if there was a system for rating universally that would make some sense and work, it could then be done. But so many would argue with 100% certainty that it wouldn't be possible to come up with one anyway. Something Im not totally convinced of but I would be in a very small minority with that.

 

[Sibhusky]

Hi Monique in Europe we use the colors: green, blue, red and black. Green is the most easy and black is the most dificult.

The only real difference is European red is roughly our black and European black is our double black. Instead of doubing things, they have another color inserted.* But since these are all relative to their own resorts, there's no cross continent equivalences. Which to me is totally fine. New resort? Start out at the low end and work your way up. Easy peasy. It's people who want to jump in at the middle who get themselves in trouble.


*Of course, we've got some anomalies like double blue (extra medium, I presume?) and blue-black (which makes total sense for roughly the same meaning). And I don't see why that straddling isn't used more often.