Can anyone recommend an off piste ski course.
I'm a good/expert piste skier but have no idea what to do off piste. Having tried and failed I decided some years ago this is all I was going to be.
On my latest ski hols (Obertauern) my children now aged 10 and 14 have begun to ski off piste.
I would dearly love to be able to follow them. Whilst on the family holiday there is never the time to break out and get lessons.
Iforgothowgoodiwas.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
How did the kids learn?
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?
iforgothowgoodiwas, welcome to Snowheads. I am doing an intro to off piste week shortly - see easiski.com - I think that one is full but there are lots of others. I'd say you can't be an expert skier if you can't ski off piste. But you don't need to be an expert skier, by any means, to give it a go - I'm certainly not. It doesn't require very different technique, but you can get away with all sorts of sloppy, poor, technique on piste which won't work off-piste when you can't skid the skis around.
Kids have no fear and also a very low center or gravity.
I always hesitate when saying expert and i did back it up by saying "piste" skier.
I of course have tried skiing off piste but the advise as always been mixed, lean back or stay up right or ski as you would normaly.
I'm not 10 or 14 but 50 and although very fit need confidence and theory. When i have tried it i've lost skis and spend ages looking.
Regards
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
There are a few around including snoworks, mountain tracks and ski club fresh tracks hols.
If you're indeed "expert" skier on piste, you should do just fine skiing normally off-piste and it should work fine.
Since it didn't work, it's an indication you aren't as expert as you thought. So forget what level you're on piste, just get on one of those off-piste courses and learn to ski properly.
Basically, you can get away with all sort of bad technique on piste which won't work off-piste. So you just need to be told what to focus on and what NOT to do. Your kids are able to ski off-piste alright because they simply adapt and made do with what works. It won't take that much to figure out what would work off-piste with a good instructor.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If you can get a week away, go on a Snoworks course. Highly recommended. If, by off piste you mean variable snow with powder, appropriate skis - 90+ underfoot - help a lot. Other than that, it's just practice, practice, practice.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks for all the reply's.
What i should have mentioned is that most of my attempts at off piste where on 2m10cm skis for those of you who remember them.
I've booked myself on a snoworks 1 week course.
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.
Bit late, but Pyrenean Odysseys Intro to Ski Touring course. Only two people needed to confirm the week.
For those who can ski off-piste the Ski Safari 1-8 Feb has space. Snowing all week around Luz St Sauveur this week so conditions will be great!
We offer a range of courses that will fit the bill for you in providing the technical skills you will need along with backcountry education to keep you safe - specifically check out the Off Piste Performance Intro and Plus Courses.
Our courses run throughout the season and in some of the best locations in the Alps!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
.iforgothowgoodiwas, Evolution 2, ESF and Oxygene all in France. Piste to Powder in St Anton would probably be very good for you. Or hire a private guide/instructor. VDI and Tignes have other setups that offer courses.
Of course you can ski off-piste with any manner of skis, but as has been said before fat skis make it much more enjoyable, and accesible. I would go for a 110mm+ rockered 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.
Good advice here guys. I've heard a lot of good things about the above courses, coaches etc.... I'm Martin Mckay at skimckay based in Val d'Isere. My advice is to not totally rely on FAT skis, you've gotta learn to ski so that you can ski anything. As a coach I encourage becoming 'handy' with your feet and 'feeling' whats going on underneath, not just relying on the big ski.... McConkey supposedly came up with this FAT ski idea from water skis, I skied with Shane, he ripped up the course on usual old skis. So go for it on all skis, become great. Best wishes, Martin
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
I've got to echo what ABC says and go a bit further. You may need to sort out your on piste technique first.... on piste, before trying to sort it out off piste, which will be harder. So something like Pam's on to off course or even, (grabs flameproof jacket) a higher level ESF course. You need to be with an instructor rather than a guide - although many guides are also good technique instructors. Important skills are edging, projection, fore-aft-balance, skiing moguls (which I'm relatively poor at) is a good skill to have, although maybe 50 is a bit late to get into that kind of terrain.
One bit of advice: don't lean back, ever! One thing that will really stop you skiing more challenging conditions is leaning back. If the surface is slightly difficult (humid, crust) or you are on steeper terrain having your tails stuck or catching in the snow like a pair of rudders is the worst thing you can have. You will lose control and crash and burn. Thing about it, if you are hitting manky, crusty snow which part of your ski had the biggest surface area? The shovels.
I agree with Martin, don't use fat rockered skis as a crutch for bad skillz.
Note:There is a turn called the windscreen wiper (essui glace) invented by Sylvain Saudan which can be effective in steep terrain with difficult snow, it basically involves skiing down on the tails with your skis moving like a pair of wiper blades.
Ski the Whole Mountain by the DesLauriers is a good book if you are interested. They have a lot of on-piste drilles.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
skimckay, great sentiment , after five years of my skis getting longer and wider , am now back on a regular ski and am working on feeling and it's working , just remembering my first forays off piste in Austria with an instructor on 66mm stockli , just flowing in the deep stuff ,with minimal effort and max control so my big skis are ready for those very occasional deep fresh days , and japan
Also working on the same thing on my Mtb ing , riding a hard tail instead of full suss to improve technique
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I agree with everything said above, but I have had more fun skiing powder, crud, and spring snow using fat rockered skis rather than my Atomic Race skis, old Zags, or Scott Punishers. The fat rockered skis are no replacement for technique but once you have the technique they really make it such fun!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The one thing no one has mentioned is the fear factor. Lots of people with good piste technique go to pieces when its deep snow because "It's always been difficult". Just watch and listen to beginners and even intermediates when there is a foot of fresh snow on piste. I found having the occasional one 2 one off piste with the right instructor really good for the confidence that your technique is good enough for the conditions.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
davidof wrote:
I....
You might have warned me. I'll have to change my pants.
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?
davidof wrote:
Would you mind telling me which intro to off piste course the still was taken on?
I'm looking to improve my off piste skills and currently facing a huge tax bill so feel a bit suicidal. This course might be ideal, killing two birds with one stone.
I've cut n'pasted this from a couple of my responses in the testerone thread.........
People have this thing about off piste, that you must do a course etc to ski powder/off piste - unfortunately unless you go to Japan or some other powder heaven you might never score that untracked on a course but you can prepare yourself for when that might happen.
To get a solid handle to ski off piste etc just ski as much as you can away from any groomed slope, ski the crud, ski the tracked out, ski the crust, ski what ever is by the side and take a straight line at it (where possible) and then when you come to that nice 25 degree slope with fresh powder it will be so easy to ski!
Most skiers I come across who can handle any off piste thrown at them, and females included have invariably done seasons in the past (ex reps / chalet girls / ski technicians), or for what ever reason are still able to get out as often as possible.
I'm chilling today after a good week of off piste which saw us encounter most conditions and a myriad of terrain. (pics and vid to follow)
On Monday we had a couple of skiers with us who had skied off piste before but only small pitches of a 100/200 or so ms, they were good proficient skiers, but on the long descents we were doing their legs started to burn very quickly, and you could tell that as they often had to stop even though they had lovely long stretches of untracked still in front of them.
So get fit as well, strong legs will stop you going into the back seat (something we do as we get tired and / or the viz goes), and remember to breathe when skiing!
This vid shows the two guys* having in their words the best ever run of all their weeks skiing
*last two coming down
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I am doing an intro to off piste week shortly - see easiski.com - I think that one is full but there are lots of others. I'd say you can't be an expert skier if you can't ski off piste. But you don't need to be an expert skier, by any means, to give it a go - I'm certainly not. It doesn't require very different technique, but you can get away with all sorts of sloppy, poor, technique on piste which won't work off-piste when you can't skid the skis around.
