What is "pitch"?

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:55:34 -0500, "Tom" wrote this
crap:

Geez, I was satified with the very first answer; didn't know I would get all
the rest.

How steep do trails get?


You've never that James Bond movie where he skiis off of a cliff?
I do that all the time. And I do a helicopter. Chicks dig it.

My name will live forever.




A mighty Hungarian warrior
The blood of Attila runs through me

Tom wrote:
Geez, I was satified with the very first answer; didn't know I would
get all the rest.

How steep do trails get?

Walt wrote:
Nearly vertical, for short distances. For sustained distances, about 50
degrees is about the most you're going to find in-bounds. Backcountry
steep-mavens are tackling 60 degree plus terrain - more than that and
the skis (and snow) won't stick.

See http://www.skinet.com/skiing/2001-12/how-steep-steep

Or see the movie for a vivid demo:
http://tinyurl.com/real-steep

-- Mike Treseler

Mike Treseler wrote:
Tom wrote:
Geez, I was satified with the very first answer; didn't know I would
get all the rest.

How steep do trails get?

Walt wrote:
Nearly vertical, for short distances. For sustained distances, about 50
degrees is about the most you're going to find in-bounds. Backcountry
steep-mavens are tackling 60 degree plus terrain - more than that and
the skis (and snow) won't stick.

See http://www.skinet.com/skiing/2001-12/how-steep-steep

Or see the movie for a vivid demo:
http://tinyurl.com/real-steep

Great movie. I especially liked the part where the Hungarian guy skis
the ice fall wearing cafeteria trays duct taped to his feet.

Here's the trailer - it should give you a pretty good idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr7_4LrF8As

//Walt

Tom wrote:

Geez, I was satified with the very first answer; didn't know I would get all
the rest.

How steep do trails get?

Get yourself an "Inclinometer" and measure some of the slopes you think
are "steep" - most slopes in resorts are not very steep at all. A really
difficult inbounds slope "might" approach 40-45 degrees (pitch of 100
percent) at a serious ski area, but unlikely, and certainly not for very
long.

If springing for a pricey inclinometer seems foolish, get a cheap 50
cent small plastic protractor, bend up a paper clip to hang from the
center hole and dangle down to the percent markings, and measure away.

There used to be a dozen or so mostly French guys who specialize in
climbing up steep mountains just to be the first to ski down. Patrick
Vallencant is famous for having skied and survived a sustained 60+
degree pitch on Yerupaja (21,400 ft) in Peru. Most of these guys are now
members of the Deceased Steep Skiing Team, for obvious reasons. Really.

"Walt" wrote in message
...
Mike Treseler wrote:
Tom wrote:
Geez, I was satified with the very first answer; didn't know I would
get all the rest.

How steep do trails get?

Walt wrote:
Nearly vertical, for short distances. For sustained distances, about 50
degrees is about the most you're going to find in-bounds. Backcountry
steep-mavens are tackling 60 degree plus terrain - more than that and
the skis (and snow) won't stick.

See http://www.skinet.com/skiing/2001-12/how-steep-steep

Or see the movie for a vivid demo:
http://tinyurl.com/real-steep

Great movie. I especially liked the part where the Hungarian guy skis the
ice fall wearing cafeteria trays duct taped to his feet.

Here's the trailer - it should give you a pretty good idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr7_4LrF8As

//Walt

Anyone should be able to do that stuff! Just try it on ice...

I was wondering how he was going to land that leap at the end though. The
parachute was a good idea.

lal_truckee wrote:

dangle down to the percent markings

degree. degree markings ...

There used to be a dozen or so mostly French guys who specialize in
climbing up steep mountains just to be the first to ski down. Patrick
Vallencant is famous for having skied and survived a sustained 60+
degree pitch on Yerupaja (21,400 ft) in Peru. Most of these guys are now
members of the Deceased Steep Skiing Team, for obvious reasons. Really.

Isn't Vallencant the one that tried the "reverse bungie jump" from a
crane and smashed himself to death when he hit the crane head on the
way up?

pigo wrote:
There used to be a dozen or so mostly French guys who specialize in
climbing up steep mountains just to be the first to ski down. Patrick
Vallencant is famous for having skied and survived a sustained 60+
degree pitch on Yerupaja (21,400 ft) in Peru. Most of these guys are now
members of the Deceased Steep Skiing Team, for obvious reasons. Really.

Isn't Vallencant the one that tried the "reverse bungie jump" from a
crane and smashed himself to death when he hit the crane head on the
way up?

Yep.

lal_truckee wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:

dangle down to the percent markings

degree. degree markings ...

You can probably get a protractor
with percent markings. I have one
with inches per foot markings. Actually
it's called a jiffy square and the
markings are to set up rafter cuts
when framing a roof. The common
carpenter way of expressing pitch
is rise of say 6" over a run of
12". He would say it as "6 - 12
pitch" or a "6 pitch".

a 6 pitch, btw, is 50% or 26.5 degrees.

I find it interesting that a
100% pitch is 45 degrees but a
50% pitch is NOT 22.5 degrees.

On Feb 12, 8:14*am, VtSkier wrote:
I find it interesting that a
100% pitch is 45 degrees but a
50% pitch is NOT 22.5 degrees.

Trig functions are not linear.