NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Steep thrills

By Michael Day
Independent·
28 Nov, 2013 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A spate of deaths in the Alps has led to more patrols. Photo / AP

A spate of deaths in the Alps has led to more patrols. Photo / AP

In the battle to attract skiers after the first big snowfalls of the season, the Alps' recession-hit resorts are counting on their scariest pistes to bring in the northern winter thrill-seekers.

And the appeal of the most hair-raising descents is such that Europe's ski resorts are now battling to produce steeper and steeper descents.

Switzerland's famous St Moritz has increased the maximum steepness of its already petrifying Lagalb piste to a scarcely believable 41 degrees to the horizontal slope on average, in order to claim the crown as Europe's steepest black run. The resort's PR people describe it as "a sheer delight for adrenalin junkies".

The Franco Berthod slope in Italy's La Thuile resort is now said to be one degree steeper than it was before at 37 degrees. Close behind in third spot, in the Italian Dolomites, is the Plan de Corones at 36 degrees.

Officials in Italy's top ski villages are in no doubt about the lure of wickedly difficult runs. An agent of the police unit patrolling the slopes at Moena in Italy's north-eastern Trentino region told La Repubblica: "All you need to do is put up a notice telling people that the piste is reserved for expert skiers and you'll instantly find a queue because there's a huge desire for people to test their limits - even among those who should realistically stick to the easier pistes."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some of the most challenging black pistes (colour-coded to denote difficulty, with black being the hardest to ski) are now so steep that snow-cat vehicles which crawl up the slopes every night to flatten and recondition the snow have to be fastened from a winch to ensure they don't slide down the mountain.

But the commercial incentives for maintaining - or introducing - pistes such as Madonna di Campiglio's famous Spinale Direttissima or Mayrhofen's appropriately named Harakiri slope in Austria are clear.

Renzo Minella, the president of Dolomite Tourism, said the hardest pistes were in huge demand. "It's clear that the ambition of every skier is to measure themselves against difficult slopes and therefore the very rapid pistes have an added value, especially for the ski resorts that want to host the competitions at the highest level," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Much of the Alps has been struggling to attract skiers in tough economic conditions. According to Ansa news agency, the average cost of a week in the Italian mountains in peak season will be 932 a person this year and 2240 for a family - without taking into account spending money.

But Minella added that guaranteeing safety and maintaining the super-steep black runs could be "very complicated and costly".

After a spate of deaths in the Alps in recent years, authorities have sought to introduce more police patrols and even punishments for skiers who behave dangerously or put themselves or others at risk.

In Switzerland, fines of SFr1000 ($1350) have been handed out to irresponsible skiers, and some have been asked to pay damages and to meet the cost of rescue operations - often tens of thousands of Swiss francs. Some offenders have also had their ski passes confiscated and been put on resort blacklists.

Discover more

Property

Lodge offers entry into tourism hot spot

16 Nov 01:36 AM
Travel

Switzerland: Grandeur on the slow trail

27 Nov 10:30 PM
Property

Free-range playground

29 Nov 04:30 PM
World

Thrill-seeking cyclist's life on edge

15 Mar 04:00 PM

But most of the dangerous incidents have occurred as a result of skiers ignoring warnings about off-piste activity. Statistics suggest that the rate of serious injuries on the exceptionally steep black runs is lower than average. Minella said their reputation meant that even the best skiers approached them with caution.

Tone Valeruz, one of Italy's best-known "extreme skiers", said that the piste he considered among the most challenging was the Piculin slope at San Vigilio di Marebbe in the Dolomites. "It can scare even a very good skier, not only because of the vertical decline but also because of the lateral slope. If you fall, you fly off the piste, especially when the bottom part is icy."

He noted that on the steepest of descents, staying upright was more about controlling your fears than your technique.

- Independent

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Fifty Palestinians shot as aid delivery chaos unfolds in Gaza

29 May 12:36 AM
World

Glacier collapse devastates Swiss village, one person missing

29 May 12:13 AM
Business|markets

Why Nvidia's dominance faces new challenges despite strong earnings

28 May 11:19 PM

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Fifty Palestinians shot as aid delivery chaos unfolds in Gaza

Fifty Palestinians shot as aid delivery chaos unfolds in Gaza

29 May 12:36 AM

UN officials said 50 people were shot near a distribution site in Rafah.

Glacier collapse devastates Swiss village, one person missing

Glacier collapse devastates Swiss village, one person missing

29 May 12:13 AM
Why Nvidia's dominance faces new challenges despite strong earnings

Why Nvidia's dominance faces new challenges despite strong earnings

28 May 11:19 PM
Emmanuel Macron mocks 'shove' incident with wife in staged gesture

Emmanuel Macron mocks 'shove' incident with wife in staged gesture

28 May 09:22 PM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP