 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Daishan, It may help with pole plants too 
I remember a bit of info on this floating round the climbing sites.
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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?
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More confidence/consistency off-piste - been putting it off for far too long and probably need more lessons plus push myself.
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A common trend appears to be wanting to MTFU, I'm in this boat too. I hate the way I try and turn my arms into wings and flap like a lunatic if I'm airborne for any length of time. I wanna look cool, not like some modern version of Icarus sans wings.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Agreed.
I often use Suisses (longish Black in Courchevel) as a fitness yardstick. After a couple of weeks on snow I can ski that non-stop in short turns with no problem. In the first week I'll need to break it into 3 sections. I don't believe my overall fitness level has changed dramatically in that period but what has changed is my body's ability to assimilate what oxygen is available and process lactic acid more quickly.[/quote]
I find this - first few days of a season to ski well will be ski pitch, rest, ski pitch. After 4-5 days I'll be doing top to bottom. I just call this getting ski fit but I'm not sure it automatically means multiple technical steps back. A lots of course depends on where you're at, how many days you get in, what you're actually doing. Mrs New Name is no doubt at a vastly different performance level to the 1 or 2 week a year intermediate, if you've crossed the line to a level of unconscious competence(no matter what flaws remain) I'd suggest you are more likely to be able to replicate it without extensive requisition.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I only really feel the effects of altitude when hiking above about 2500m. The effects are much more marked above 3000m. I don't really feel that much difference as regards skiing stamina as dropping from the top of the resort below the 3000m threshold only really takes a couple of minutes.
Overall ski fitness takes about a fortnight to develop from cold. That's about getting the weight right as much as it is about developing tone I suspect.
In terms of improvement, I don't think I'm going to get any better. I'd like to be faster and more fluid in broken snow and to be less intimidated by some aspects of couloir skiing. Probably not going to happen, though. Those things are just not realistic aspirations for someone skiing c. 10 days a year.
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For air time, rather than taking the MTFU approach, why not join a local trampoline club and get used to being in the air ?
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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.
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AndAnotherThing.., +10
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First time I skied for more than one consecutive week was when I did my L2 instructor exams. I don't think that an inability to get away for extended trips (more than one week at a time) is a major bar to improving your skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
why not join a local trampoline club and get used to being in the air ?
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indeed. all the guys and gals who are good in the air are gymnasts, aren't they? Most unlikely that a manoevre you can't manage in your bare feet is suddenly going to become possible with gurt heavy boot and skis on. No need to be anywhere near snow to practice your feel for rotation (I was no gymnast, but used to be able to do simple somersaults on a trampoline though the simplest head over heels now leaves my head spinning, much to the amusement of the grand-children).
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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.
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| AndAnotherThing.. wrote: |
| For air time, rather than taking the MTFU approach, why not join a local trampoline club and get used to being in the air ? |
Doubt it would work me at least; we had a trampoline in the garden when I was growing up, and I'm pretty composed in the air when kayaking (biggest waterfall I paddled is around 9 metres). For some reason I just get a bit freaked out at jumping off anything over a few feet high with skis on. Not fussed about kickers or freestyle, just want to hit some bigger drops. I know I've got the ability, it's just the mental/mtfu side of things I need to fix.
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clarky999, thing to keep reminding yourself is that the drop is actually about 6ft less than it looks. Also Japan should be excellent for helping with that as there's nothing better than a nice deep landing. I'm not one to talk though as my biggest drops on skis are only around 15-20ft and again it's balls getting in the way of going bigger.
Trampolines strike me as pretty useful for spins and flips in a progression with water/foam/airbag jumps but not so useful for straight airs off natural terrain.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Anything and everything for I am crap.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| For some reason I just get a bit freaked out at jumping off anything over a few feet high with skis on. Not fussed about kickers or freestyle, just want to hit some bigger drops. I know I've got the ability, it's just the mental/mtfu side of things I need to fix. |
That's me too. I love the steep snow on the scarps underneath them but it's the airborne drops off of the cornices above them that are my Bete Noir.
There is a solution for everything though ... http://www.wildsnow.com/2202/backcountry-skiing-cornice-cutting/ 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| meh wrote: |
| clarky999Also Japan should be excellent for helping with that as there's nothing better than a nice deep landing. |
+1
Even a man of mature years with a dodgy knee like myself can hit 10 footers in the Hokkaido pow.
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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?
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under a new name, I guess "as well" is an interesting concept... I would say that I am not skiing as I would like, and that I have lost some of my awareness that has resulted in what I consider to be "lazy" skiing. Why? Well, my son took video for Jeff Bergeron to review to get an idea of how the new boots were working, and when I watched it, I was pretty disappointed with what I saw! Now, I have all kinds of excuses (new boots, crowded run, second run of the season, etc.), but I'm still not happy with what I saw... And I think I was doing those things considerably better late last season...
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meh, Mike Pow, I hope so! Powder makes everything easier!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Even a man of mature years with a dodgy knee like myself can hit 10 footers in the Hokkaido pow.
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Providing there is not an errant bit of rock in the middle of what looks like flat snow surely? It always seems to me a bit of risk to rely on snow depth for a landing without knowing exactly what is under it 
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| Megamum wrote: |
| Quote: |
Even a man of mature years with a dodgy knee like myself can hit 10 footers in the Hokkaido pow.
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Providing there is not an errant bit of rock in the middle of what looks like flat snow surely? It always seems to me a bit of risk to rely on snow depth for a landing without knowing exactly what is under it |
which is why people scope landings of material drops and local knowledge of lines is important. If you're just jumping off something big without either of the above you're in the blind faith camp.
Heavy snowpack over the season can however render even fairly sizeable boulders "safe" and pillow lines you kinda expect that you'll be scraping something at some point.
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Avalanche Poodle, oops
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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.
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That was awesome, did you intend to hit the windlip?
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meh, It was totally accidental. I meant to turn before the edge, the drop was totally hidden from view from above and I thought that the rock band was out to the left. The snow hit me in the face and before I knew it I was airborne 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This was on one of Phillipe's off piste days on the EOSB. He picks a very safe line, but after 7 years I sometimes think that I know better  He did help me to find and dig out my other ski though. I have much respect for the guy. Sometimes enthusiasm gets the better lol
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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.
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I've spent 30 years working on my technique and I'm now not too bad. I think the key to further improvement for me would be to know what I know now but be 30 years younger and 2 stone lighter!! Diminishing returns. 
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stevieb, hmmm, i'm 47 and have skied since 4-ish. Last year I reckon I skied better than ever... Can always improve... 
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You know it makes sense.
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Avalanche Poodle, glad you had a nice soft landing! 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'd like to work out whatever it is that's causing me to wind up with my weight on my right ski when I'm just past the fall line when turning right thus losing edge grip on my left ski and so slipping it out into an ineffective plough configuration leaving me insufficiently turned on my next transition (which isn't really a proper transition as my weight is already transferred) gaining speed and generally mucking the whole thing up.
That.
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Poster: A snowHead
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thirty06, I had a similarish problem a few years ago - the reason for me was that I had started to drop my uphill arm back. Just a bad habit that crept in. Net effect being that just past the fall line, left ski was less stable. Ten minutes into a lesson (taken because I hadn't worked out the problem), the instructor explained what I needed to do to correct. End of problem.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hmmm... that might explain why it goes away when I am doing positive driving forward of the outside arms drills, Also possibly excessive inner tip lead.
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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?
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as for me - just generally MFP in off-piste. I have finally learnt that speed is your friend, and to just go with it. Still a bit of a mental block though...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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thirty06, yes - excessive inner tip lead also a bit of an issue here - as pointed out on last year's EoSB.
Driving arms forward and facing just outside the turn reinforces the message for me, usually.
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More confidence in the air might be a good thing. I'm fine on steeps if I don't have to jump much.
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Megamum, Funny enough, on hard snow and high speeds you just seem to spin and slide when you crash and only get the odd minor bruise. I just tuck my legs up so the skis don't catch and do a turtle impression. It used to be very common indeed 
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