Fresh tracks

Making fresh tracks in powder snow is the ultimate reward for years of ski experience. When you watch someone who rides well in powder, it looks effortless, athletic, graceful and 'at one' with the mountain!

But how do we turn these words into reality?

In truth, lots of practise and lots of falling over! But here's a few hints to help you on your way...

~ Maintain a strong core otherwise you'll end up 'nose diving' and doing a few forward rolls.
~ Keep a narrow stance and weight on both skis as you turn, to help spread the load.
~ Allow the legs to stretch and bend freely and 'softly'.
~ Keep a calm upper body and look ahead (not at your skis).
~ Remember that a bit of speed allows the skis to bend and turn more easily.

Start to train on a fairly gentle gradient but bear in mind that deep snow will hold your speed back. Take a direct line and enjoy the sensation of floating through the powder, then start to bend and stretch your legs to get a feel for the texture of the snow under your feet (remember to keep those core muscles strong).

When turning in deep snow if you use too much active 'pivot' movement (rotational turning of the feet and legs) your skis will get tripped up in the soft snow and you will probably end up on your head! Instead, feel the pressure build up under your skis as you smoothly extend the legs into the turn. Imagine your skis and feet moving away and to the outside of your centre of mass, creating a 'shelf' of more compacted snow under the ski bases. This shelf is what causes the skis to react and bend making you flow around the curve.

To move smoothly from one turn to the next, retract the legs by pulling the feet back in towards your centre of mass as you complete the curve. This movement should help to release the pressure from the skis and allow you to 'dive' down the hill towards the centre of the next turn. Precise timing is required so that you don't either slow down too much, or, pick up more and more speed.

With plenty of practise and lots of leg burn, you will start to float from turn to turn with the best of them!

Coaching session 2: Mastering parallels

I've been asked to submit a post related to bridging the gap between 'plough parallel' and 'parallel' turns. I will start by clarifying the terminology - the first term (plough parallel) describes a turn which starts by rotating the legs and feet to create a wedge between the skis, but finishes with both skis pointing in the same direction. The second term (parallel) refers to a turn where both skis point the same way and turn at the same rate throughout the entire manoeuvre.

For most people the plough parallel turn is the best stepping stone between snowplough and parallel turns.... hence it's name! But, "how do I make the transformation into true parallel skiing" I hear you ask!

Firstly, think about the physics of say a bike, going round a corner reasonably quickly - the rider has learned to lean the bike over in order to stay in balance. This probably happens naturally for most of you. Now cast your mind back to riding a bike with stabilisers, to help with those first shaky slow speed attempts at balancing. In skiing, this compares to snowplough or early plough parallel turns, where you are relying on the foot/leg on the inside of the curve, to stabilise you.

In order to remove the stabilisers we need to first become confident at allowing the the skis to slide quicker, whilst also relaxing into the turns . This extra bit of speed will help generate more force against your 'outside' ski as it changes direction and you will soon be able to balance against it without relying on the inside 'stabiliser'......... as Yoda would say "feel the force"!

The more you balance and settle over the outer ski in a turn the more you can start to 'soften' the opposite leg and slide the ski in parallel to match the outer one. Initially this may only happen at the very end of each turn, but as you build your confidence, the skis will remain parallel for a longer section of the curve. Don't worry if it feels easier turning in one direction - most people have a less dominant side which usually requires more balance training!

Be more active earlier in the turn by pressing the outer ski into the snow, but don't be tempted to 'twist' at the start - simply squeeze the big toe edge into the snow and feel how the ski reacts and turns!

First ski tour of the winter

I've just had my first 'ski tour' of the winter - nothing too adventurous, but a really enjoyable wee hike up to the top of Ranfoilly in Les Gets. The recent snowfalls have formed a deeper base than I envisaged and, in fact, the piste bashers have been out in force preparing many of the slopes.

With a friend from Avoriaz, we put our touring kit (lightweight skis with skins stuck to the soles and bindings which allow 'freeheel' movement) on at Les Chavannes and made our way up the piste, past L'Hottys restaurant and up the path to the top of Ranfoilly. After a few pics and some re-hydration we then took the skins off, clicked our heels down and put some fresh tracks in about 30-40cm of powder.....yeee haaa!

Lower down we had to re-join the Tulipes red run which had been beautifully pisted and was in fantastic condition..... sure there were a few brown patches, but generally it was in great condition and well prepared ready for the next snowfall, which is forecast for tomorrow and Friday.

Ski touring is a fantastic way of escaping the pistes to experience 'backcountry' conditions. It's obviously not everyone's cup of tea, but it doesn't have to be about gnarly, steep, scary mountains......let me know if you'd like to know more!