... learning to ski powder in [.. from a heli..] is very expensive and inefficient IMHO.
...
The best way to learn to ski powder is with an instructor within a resort environment taking skills learned on piste, in crud, and in bumps to the powder.
I'd be shocked if you thought otherwise, but there are lots of ways to skin this one.
If you want more efficient, hire a private helicopter. That way you get personal tuition and caviar for lunch. I have seen this done and it works really well.
Other options include resort-based heli/ cat, some of which I have a financial interest in. Cat's will have a couple of guides who are also instructors, but I've also seen people take their own private instructors into a public cat so they can get personal tuition in the deep stuff.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Why does everyone seem to be equating "untracked" as the environment needed for learning to ski powder. I hate to break it to everyone but having to cross a few tracks isn't a barrier to learning to ski pow and in fact all you need is any sort of 3D snow. You could develop a lot of skills on a spring corn day anywhere in the skiing world for instance.
If you get untracked after all that it just makes things easier.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hi all,
My problem is i struggle to put my weight forward and 99% of the time lean back in my boots, now i guess this is the reason i can not ski in powder at all or even when the snow is good and the pistes have an inch or 2 on top i really struggle to turn.
is there any drills or other movement i can do that will naturally have me forward in my boots?
Thanks in advance
Leigh
If you watch the first clip I posted (the CMH one) you will see that a lot of the skiers have the front of their skis out of the snow. They are not used to skiing a soft surface. Their natural reaction is to hold back for fear of going over the handlebars and so putting their weight on their heels. It's a head game.
The clip has a series of drills starting at 00:50.
1. Fore - aft balance weighting the front and back of the ski in powder.
2. Weighting each foot one at a time as you traverse across the slope.
3. Turning across the slope with the skis equally weighted.
4. Starting the turn by putting the weight very slightly onto the front of the ski. The front of the skis dive under the powder snow and the pressure builds up. (don't sit back, keep the faith the ski will bend eventually if you keep the pressure on)
5. Finish the turn by dropping the heels/ski tails and the front of the skis will surface.
6. Get from one turn to the other by lifting/unweighting the heels again then go start the next turn with point 4 and repeat.
Its important to point out that the skier is not just leaning forward or back to shift the weight on the skis but tipping the skis very slightly forwards and backwards while trying to remain centered on the skis.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
How much real powder actually exists once it's been down a while? I have been lucky enough to ski a sizeable dump of pure unbashed champagne powder on piste within an hour of it falling and been the first down - a beautiful sensation. I don't know if I could ski it 5 foot deep, but a good 10-12" on piste was a great lark. However, I've skied other on piste unbashed dumps of a similar depth and these have been heavy thick wet snow that was certainly no fun to ski - it qualified as damn hard work and certainly I would have preferred to not ski them (that's the stuff I'd personally like to find a way of skiing easier). I have also skied a couple of off piste sections that I think qualified as this 'breakable crust' that some of you talk about - you're on top of it and suddenly the ski's go crunch and you find you've sunk a foot down. OK, I haven't skied for as many years as some of you, but I still think this pure champagne powder seems rare and even if you are properly off piste surely it soon settles down into some sort of crusted surface? Can you use the same techniques for all deep snow?
But think about it; on flat (piste) snow the ski can only really move around in a horizontal plane.
But; once the snow is deep enough to "float" the ski; it can then also move in a vertical plane.
Add in the fact that there's usually two skis in use, which move independantly of each other - and you have a many more control issues.
And you can't just push the skis around like you can on piste.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Megamum,
The basic fundamentals are the same but the skier adapts technique slightly to ski different terrain/conditions. Certain conditions can be skied differently (e.g. breakable crust that supports your weight = ski light with low edge angles and don't break through or punch through on purpose.)
.... an instructor along with time on the snow will give you chance to master them.
After all it is free
After all it is free
^ Damn' good book that.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Megamum, as an extreme, we were lucky enough to have a little CMH heli ski trip a couple of years ago. It had last snowed a few days before our arrival. We skied perfect powder all week and as we were leaving the guides were fully confident that they could get another at least two weeks out of it for guests arriving even if no more snow arrived. As long as it stayed cold and not too windy.
Powder can hang around. Snow that wasn't powder can dry out and make a pretty good impression of it.
Crust is a result of the top surface melting and re-freezing and is generally not very pleasant.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
under a new name, Sounds a great experience. I am surprised that it hangs around long, I did expect that it might compress under its own weight. Clearly though this is why so many get the chance to experience it and need to learn how to ski it. Interesting info. thank you
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Megamum, new snow does settle but it'll remain nice and consistent. Snow that isn't totally dry and light can be great fun as well as it provides a bit more support but is a bit more of a challenge to ski.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Megamum,
Quote:
Sounds a great experience
Ohhh, yesss....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
But just thinking about comments above, It would be a wildly expensive way to learn to ski fresh snow, not how I'd suggest one does it. Much better to be able to ski freshies before approaching a helicopter. Also, helisskiing on Italy is, "better" value for money. Although it's even better value to go out with a guide on lift accessed routes.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
DB, another helpful video, thanks. For me, I think it's the "no hesitation between turns" which is crucial. (I liked the garland exercise in the German video too) And also trusting the skis. Are wider "all mountain" skis also good for skiing in that kind of crud and other off piste conditions? I have some Dynastar Exclusive Eden skis, which are 85mm underfoot, which I bought for the "On2Off" course last year, then didn't use much, because of my injury. In the very slick, hard, piste conditions of the last few days I've been using an older pair of piste skis, but I'm hoping the Dynastars will help me in mixed conditions off piste. If I trust them and do my bit!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w,
Yes in general wider, more burly skis bust through crud better. My lightweight touring skis are great for floating in powder but get thrown about a bit in harder crud conditions making it difficult to remain composed. Which ski width and stiffness suits any particular skier is mainly down to the rider's weight, ability and skiing style.
The crud conditions in the above video are fairly timid. When the cruddy snow is crusty or sticky and deeper it can warrant having to get your skis out of the snow at the end of each turn.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 9-01-14 17:27; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DB, I love Darren Turner's videos. Super-clear and sensible, or so they seem to me.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:
in general wider, more burly skis bust through crud better.
pam w, This ^^^ is why I've liked skiing my big men's skis, in theory I am no doubt over-skied, but for crud busting and spring snow, slush and the wreck that is the last red run home at the end of the day they are 100 times more capable than my Wave Magic's were and give me huge confidence in those conditions.
Megamum, my Dynastars are hefty. But they'd have been unnecessarily hard work on the slick, very hard-packed pistes I was on today.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
pam w, if you want something that might help in more mixed conditions then, just based on my own limited experience (you understand that, I know ) I think you will find 'hefty' is a good thing. I found that my heavier, wider, stiffer skis just kind of knock poor snow to one side and 'smash' straight through it - I think it's the extra weight that brings most of the effect. To my mind this makes for easier skiing in that type of snow than my lighter skies which were continually deflected. Of course the slight down side is the inherent just dealing with the extra weight and lack of flex, but on balance I'd sooner be on my hefty skis in those conditions. I also find that I get more of those sort of conditions than I do 'hero snow' so they tend to work as an everyday ski for me.
I also find that I get more of those sort of conditions than I do 'hero snow'
I don't find that - I spend much more time on well groomed pistes with decent snow (maybe not "hero") than I do dealing with off piste crud or big mogully mounds on piste. I have two pairs of piste skis and the hefty Dynastars and am looking forward to trying out the last on my off piste week in Les Deux Alpes (which, by the look of the forecast, is not going to be featuring "hero snow" on or off piste. I did ski the Dynastars a bit last season, but having been laid up for much of it I was fairly cautious in the last few weeks of the season, when I was able to ski but not fit.
The Dynastars are 85mm underfoot - not by any means "fat".
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pam w, I'm using my Edens to ski everything. So far so good.
After all it is free
After all it is free
pam w, perhaps that's down to when we get to ski - you have a place out in the alps don't you? Maybe you get the chance to ski decent snow more often. In my limited experience a lot of my skiing has been in April when conditions are somewhat less guaranteed and at lower altitudes when, even earlier in the year, conditions have often been less than ideal - Even with my limited time on snow I think I am going to validly claim some degree of experience with 'big mogully mounds on piste'!! Esp. when they are comprised of grey, sugar sized (or larger) wet crystals of frozen material (snow is probably too good a description). I've actually skied them that often that I am no longer scared of doing so However, those are the conditions my 'hefty' skis seem to excel in.
Your Dynastars sound positively chunky compared with what I consider are my hefty skis, my magfires were 78mm, my amphibios are only 74mm, but if you are going off-piste I get the impression that wider gives you more float doesn't it? I expect they will be fine for the job.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I'd be shocked if you thought otherwise, but there are lots of ways to skin this one.
I did ski the Dynastars a bit last season, but having been laid up for much of it I was fairly cautious in the last few weeks of the season, when I was able to ski but not fit.
