| Author | Message | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 151 Registered: 7-2006 |
A few years have passed since I used to hang out here, and most of the clientele has changed, so I'll risk a rerun of one of my oldies A man lies dead on the ground. A kilometre away is a single ski | ||
| Absinthe (Absinthe)
New member Username: Absinthe Post Number: 82 Registered: 3-2009 |
He was on a ski lift; one ski fell off, and in trying to see where it had landed, he managed to fall out himself? | ||
| D_gordon (D_gordon)
New member Username: D_gordon Post Number: 407 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is the man H? A? M? Is the exact distance "a kilometer" relevant? Could it work with the ski at a distance of 800 meters? 1500 meters? 200 meters? 5000 meters? Is the cause of the man's death relevant? Is it hypothermia? Suffocation? Bludgeoning? Did this take place on the surface of the earth? Could it have? Could it take place on the ocean floor? On the moon? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 152 Registered: 7-2006 |
He was on a ski lift; one ski fell off, and in trying to see where it had landed, he managed to fall out himself? No Is the man H? Yes A? Yes M? No, he is actually a woman, I just called him a man to cause some confusion. (Just kidding, of course he is a man) Is the exact distance "a kilometer" relevant? Could it work with the ski at a distance of 800 meters? 1500 meters? 200 meters? 5000 meters? Other distances could work as well. It is difficult to set a limit for when it would not work, but I think more than 3-4 km begins to become unrealistic Is the cause of the man's death relevant? Yes Is it hypothermia? Suffocation? Bludgeoning? All no Did this take place on the surface of the earth? Yes Could it have? So yes Could it take place on the ocean floor? On the moon? Neither | ||
| Finno (Finno)
New member Username: Finno Post Number: 93 Registered: 2-2009 |
Is the dead body bleeding? Was he murdered? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1827 Registered: 1-2007 |
Had the man been skiing directly before his death? Did the ski belong to him? Is the other ski ever found? Is it a snow ski or a water ski? Does skiing actually play any role in his death? And i have to ask ... has he fallen from a plane? | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 926 Registered: 8-2006 |
Does he have any visible injuries? Are there more people involved: 0? 1? ...? Is his occupation relevant? Is there snow near him? water? mountains? If it is a snow ski is it one for downhill skiing? ski touring? cross-country skiing? ski jumping? Would this puzzle work with a snow board? a surf board? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 155 Registered: 7-2006 |
Is the dead body bleeding? No. As is the case with the huge majority of dead bodies regardless of the cause of death Was he murdered? No(ish) Had the man been skiing directly before his death? Yes, with a small ish Did the ski belong to him? Yes Is the other ski ever found? Yes Is it a snow ski or a water ski? Yes Does skiing actually play any role in his death? Yes And i have to ask ... has he fallen from a plane? Of course you have to ask. (: And the answer is "no". And by the way, it is a snow ski Does he have any visible injuries? Yes Are there more people involved: 0? 1? ...? 1 other person. Is his occupation relevant? No Is there snow near him? Yes water? No mountains? Yes If it is a snow ski is it one for downhill skiing? ski touring? cross-country skiing? This ski jumping? Would this puzzle work with a snow board? a surf board? A snow board would be very contrived. A surf board wouldn't work at all. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 171 Registered: 10-2008 |
Did he bleed before he died? Is there another ski anywhere on the scene? If so, still attached to his foot? Was he cross-country skiing? Was someone else skiing with him? "Skiing" is an odd word. Other person=A? M? Did the other person accidentally cause his death? Intentionally cause his death? If yes to either, directly? Indirectly? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1829 Registered: 1-2007 |
had he been injured by a ski? had he impaled himself on one? or had the other person impaled him with a ski? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 156 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did he bleed before he died? Possibly, but I doubt it. Is there another ski anywhere on the scene? Yes If so, still attached to his foot? Yes Was he cross-country skiing? Yes Was someone else skiing with him? No "Skiing" is an odd word. Not half as odd as "cauliflower" Other person=A? M? Both yes Did the other person accidentally cause his death? Yesish Intentionally cause his death? No If yes to either, directly? Indirectly? I'd say directly had he been injured by a ski? had he impaled himself on one? or had the other person impaled him with a ski? No to these | ||
| Twilightseeker (Twilightseeker)
New member Username: Twilightseeker Post Number: 10 Registered: 2-2009 |
Is the shape of the skis relevant? Did he freeze to death? Fall to his death? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 158 Registered: 7-2006 |
Is the shape of the skis relevant? Not in particular. They are ordinary cross-country skis Did he freeze to death? Fall to his death? Neither | ||
| Finno (Finno)
New member Username: Finno Post Number: 100 Registered: 2-2009 |
Was he misguided during the course of skiing? As in some signboards regarding the path were misplaced and he took a dangerous path? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 160 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was he misguided during the course of skiing? Maybe - not important As in some signboards regarding the path were misplaced and he took a dangerous path? As above | ||
| Twilightseeker (Twilightseeker)
New member Username: Twilightseeker Post Number: 18 Registered: 2-2009 |
Was there a misconception on someone's part involved here? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 163 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was there a misconception on someone's part involved here? Noish | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
New member Username: Gourami Post Number: 424 Registered: 2-2008 |
Did he know the other person? Did he ever see the other person? Was the other person present at the time of death? Did the second ski fall off his foot? Was it pulled off? Did he take it off? Did the other person? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 164 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did he know the other person? No Did he ever see the other person? Maybe Was the other person present at the time of death? Yes Did the second ski fall off his foot? No Was it pulled off? No Did he take it off? Yes Did the other person? No | ||
| Estilt9 (Estilt9)
New member Username: Estilt9 Post Number: 10 Registered: 3-2009 |
ANYTHING TO DO WITH AN AVALANCHE? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 170 Registered: 7-2006 |
ANYTHING TO DO WITH AN AVALANCHE? No | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 176 Registered: 10-2008 |
DId the other person cause him to remove the ski? Did taking off the ski cause his death? In removing it, did he also remove his shoe? Relevant? | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 938 Registered: 8-2006 |
Has it anything to do with biathlon? are any weapons involved? Has more to be found out about the place? were there: trees? houses? people? animals? roads? rocks? a ski-lift or similar? rails? Has more to be found out about the weather? did it happen during the day? Did he take off the ski because: he wanted to stop to ski? it was damaged in any way? While doing this was he standing on the ground? After taking off the ski did he remove himself from the ski? was the ski removed from him? did the ski slide away? did he throw it away? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 175 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did the other person cause him to remove the ski? No Did taking off the ski cause his death? No In removing it, did he also remove his shoe? No Relevant? No Has it anything to do with biathlon? are any weapons involved? Both no Has more to be found out about the place? Yes were there: trees? houses? people? animals? roads? rocks? a ski-lift or similar? All no rails? Yes Has more to be found out about the weather? No did it happen during the day? No Did he take off the ski because: he wanted to stop to ski? it was damaged in any way? No to these While doing this was he standing on the ground? Yes After taking off the ski did he remove himself from the ski? Yes was the ski removed from him? No did the ski slide away? No did he throw it away? No | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 942 Registered: 8-2006 |
Was there a train on the rails? If yes was the other man on the train? Is there any other vehicle involved? Was the skier killed by a vehicle? Did the skier touch the rails? with his skies? was a ski trapped in the rails or anywhere else? So it was dark? dawning? Did the skier have an accident? Did he have a lamp? which was working? After removing one ski did he go on walking? was he moved in any other way? Where there any objects to be found out present? Is it relevant in which country this happened? And I found a cause of death list, was it: * impact * electric shock * the other kind of shock * something piercing him * suffocation * asphyxiation * burning * freezing * heart attack * allergies * drowning * explosion * radiation * poison * a psionic death ray * other | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 179 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was there a train on the rails? Yes If yes was the other man on the train? Yes Is there any other vehicle involved? No Was the skier killed by a vehicle? Yes Did the skier touch the rails? Probably with his skies? Maybe was a ski trapped in the rails or anywhere else? "Trapped" is not the word I'd used. So it was dark? Yes dawning? No Did the skier have an accident? Yes Did he have a lamp? No which was working? So no After removing one ski did he go on walking? Yes was he moved in any other way? No Where there any objects to be found out present? No Is it relevant in which country this happened? A bit And I found a cause of death list, was it: Impact | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 944 Registered: 8-2006 |
So the other man was the lokomotive driver? The skier was overrun by the train? and thus removed from the ski? Did the ski stick to the rails in any way? After taking off the ski did he walk on the rails? did he mistake the rails for something else? a cross-country ski run? Did this happen in Europe? in Norway? It was dark but it happend say between 6 am and 6 pm? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 181 Registered: 7-2006 |
So the other man was the lokomotive driver? Correct The skier was overrun by the train? Yes and thus removed from the ski? No Did the ski stick to the rails in any way? Provided you mean the 1-kilometre-away ski, yope or yesish After taking off the ski did he walk on the rails? Yes did he mistake the rails for something else? No a cross-country ski run? So no Did this happen in Europe? in Norway? This (except that it is a FOMY) It was dark but it happend say between 6 am and 6 pm? Yes | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 945 Registered: 8-2006 |
The skier had to leave one ski behind? he went on walking with one ski? he chose to walk on the rails? because he expected to arrive at a village? Did he want to commit suicide? Did he expect the train to come? did he see it? hear it? feel the wind? vibrations? When he noticed the train was it too late to get off the rails? was he stuck again? Is the type of train relevant? the type of rails? the timetable? Was the skier disabled? When the train arrived was he standing? walking? sitting? lying? sleeping? Did the lokomoive driver see the skier? relevant? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 186 Registered: 7-2006 |
The skier had to leave one ski behind? Define "had to" he went on walking with one ski? Yes he chose to walk on the rails? Noish because he expected to arrive at a village? No Did he want to commit suicide? No Did he expect the train to come? Yope did he see it? hear it? Probably both of these feel the wind? Probably not this vibrations? Maybe When he noticed the train was it too late to get off the rails? FA was he stuck again? FA Is the type of train relevant? No the type of rails? Yesish the timetable? Yes Was the skier disabled? Yes When the train arrived was he standing? Let's say standing walking? sitting? lying? sleeping? Definitely not sleeping Did the lokomoive driver see the skier? Probably relevant? No | ||
| Bolapara (Bolapara)
New member Username: Bolapara Post Number: 433 Registered: 12-2008 |
Did the man only have one leg? When he started skiing? After parting with the ski? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 188 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did the man only have one leg? When he started skiing? After parting with the ski? All no | ||
| Bolapara (Bolapara)
New member Username: Bolapara Post Number: 434 Registered: 12-2008 |
Did he attach a note to the ski saying he was in need of help and send the ski down a slope ahead of him, when he realized he could go no further on his own? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 189 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did he attach a note to the ski saying he was in need of help and send the ski down a slope ahead of him, when he realized he could go no further on his own? No | ||
| Bolapara (Bolapara)
New member Username: Bolapara Post Number: 443 Registered: 12-2008 |
Did the single ski belong to the man? Had the man been using it before he died? During the "trip" that was his last? Does the lonely ski belong to the other person? Was his death the result of getting separated from the other person? Is the kilometer away more or less horizontally away? or vertically? | ||
| Bolapara (Bolapara)
New member Username: Bolapara Post Number: 444 Registered: 12-2008 |
Ski jumping relevant? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 191 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did the single ski belong to the man? Yes Had the man been using it before he died? Yes During the "trip" that was his last? Yes Does the lonely ski belong to the other person? No, we have established that the other person was the engineer of the train Was his death the result of getting separated from the other person? No Is the kilometer away more or less horizontally away? or vertically? Horizontally - he has taken off and left behind the ski mentioned in the puzzle text, and skied on only one ski to a position 1 km away from it. Ski jumping relevant? No | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 948 Registered: 8-2006 |
When he started to ski was skiing the only thing he wanted to do? or was he say a railway freak? Before leaving one ski behind did the skier walk along the rails? Did he come across the rails? if yes did he expect rails? was he aware that these were rails? Did the skier decide to leave one ski behind? Did he expect to get the ski left behind later? Did he leave behind the right ski? left? relevant? did he choose which one to leave behind? Did he expect a train to come but not at this time? Did he expect a train from the other direction? Was it one rail track? two (one for each direction)? more? relevant? Is any particular part of the rail relevant? a part made of iron? wood? concrete? stone? earth? Speaking of materials is there more to be found out about ice? snow? The skier was disabled from the beginning of the puzzle? Was his disability: mental? physical? if so did it concern his legs? arms? inner organs? sense organs? vision? audition? speech? When the train arrived was the skier on its rails? 10 cm? 20 cm? 50 cm? 1 m? 2 m? 5 m? from the rails? Did he walk towards the train? away from it? relevant? Is there more to be found out about the driver? | ||
| Hietek (Hietek)
New member Username: Hietek Post Number: 46 Registered: 2-2009 |
Was the ski being used as a crossing signal? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 194 Registered: 7-2006 |
When he started to ski was skiing the only thing he wanted to do? Yes or was he say a railway freak? No Before leaving one ski behind did the skier walk along the rails? No Did he come across the rails? In a sense if yes did he expect rails? If I may reformulate your question to "did he expect the rails" then no was he aware that these were rails? Yes Did the skier decide to leave one ski behind? Yes Did he expect to get the ski left behind later? No Did he leave behind the right ski? left? Irrelevant relevant? So no did he choose which one to leave behind? Yes Did he expect a train to come but not at this time? Yes, probably Did he expect a train from the other direction? YES Was it one rail track? YES two (one for each direction)? No more? No relevant? Very Is any particular part of the rail relevant? No a part made of iron? wood? concrete? stone? earth? The rails were 100% ordinary, with no part being more relevant than any other Speaking of materials is there more to be found out about ice? Noish snow? Yes The skier was disabled from the beginning of the puzzle? No Was his disability: mental? physical? Physical if so did it concern his legs? arms? inner organs? sense organs? vision? audition? speech? Legs When the train arrived was the skier on its rails? 10 cm? 20 cm? 50 cm? 1 m? 2 m? 5 m? from the rails? Probably between 20 and 50 cm Did he walk towards the train? Yes away from it? No relevant? Yesish Is there more to be found out about the driver? No. Was the ski being used as a crossing signal? I'm not sure of the meaning of the term "crossing signal", but tentatively I'd say no | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 949 Registered: 8-2006 |
Did he have another accident a while before he was killed by the train? Did he fall down the batter of the rails? Did he break his leg? did his leg freeze? did he hurt it in any other way? Did he want to amputate his leg? by using the train? How much time passed between his arrival at the rails and his death: minutes? more than 10 minutes? more than an hour? 2? 4? 6? 8? 12? 16? 24? Is there another train involved? Is a railroad switch relevant? Did he leave behind more than the ski? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 195 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did he have another accident a while before he was killed by the train? Yes Did he fall down the batter of the rails? No Did he break his leg? Yes did his leg freeze? did he hurt it in any other way? Did he want to amputate his leg? by using the train? No to these How much time passed between his arrival at the rails and his death: minutes? more than 10 minutes? more than an hour? 2? 4? 6? 8? 12? 16? 24? Some 30 minutes Is there another train involved? No Is a railroad switch relevant? No Did he leave behind more than the ski? No | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 950 Registered: 8-2006 |
If the train had come from the other direction: would the skier still have died? would the train have slowed down? stopped to take him on board? Would the driver have been warned? by the ski? Is there more to be found out about the way he broke his leg? Was there snow on the rails? were there walls of snow on each side of the rails? was he walking in a sort of channel? Was the skier pulled towards the train due to the air flow of the train? When the train arrived did it take him more time than expected to move away from the rails? Is there more to be found out about the infrastructure? was there a tunnel? | ||
| Bolapara (Bolapara)
New member Username: Bolapara Post Number: 462 Registered: 12-2008 |
Was the ski there to tell the train to stop and pick up the man? And the man skiied ahead to wait to where the conductor would stop had the train come in from the opposite direction? | ||
| Abc (Abc)
Moderator Username: Abc Post Number: 197 Registered: 7-2006 |
If the train had come from the other direction: would the skier still have died? Hopefully not would the train have slowed down? Yesish stopped to take him on board? Maybe but irrelevant Would the driver have been warned? by the ski? YES Is there more to be found out about the way he broke his leg? Yes Was there snow on the rails? Not in relevant quantities were there walls of snow on each side of the rails? was he walking in a sort of channel? Exactly *************** SPOILER **************** A man is cross-country skiing across Hardangervidda, a mountaineous plateu in the southern part of Norway. There is a single-track railroad running across the plateau, and there has been heavy snowfall all winter. The track is kept open by snowplows throughout the winter, and snow depths in excess of 3 meters are not unheard of. Our unfortunate hero, making his way in the evening twilight, falls into the railroad chasm, and breaks a leg in the fall. Climbing either of the hard-packed, icy walls with a broken leg is definitely out of the question, and the trains, running at over 100 km/h in the dark will have no chance of stopping to avoid hitting him. In a desperate attempt to survive, he removes the ski from his broken leg, and manages to hack one end of it into the snow between the rail ties, so that it stands upright. He hopes that this will serve as a signal to the engineer, who will understand the situation and stop the train. If our hero can get far enough away from the ski before the first train comes along, the engineer will have sufficient distance to stop the train. But which way to run? From which direction will the first train come? Our hero has a timetable which tells him that the first train is westbound, so he goes westward as quickly as his one ski and his broken leg will allow. Unfortunately, his timetable is outdated (hence the title of the puzzle), the first train is eastbound, and our protagonist's fate is sealed. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 179 Registered: 10-2008 |
Very nice puzzle. | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 952 Registered: 8-2006 |
Thanks for the puzzle, I enjoyed it. |
