 Poster: A snowHead
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I have had 4 weeks skiing, can carve pretty well, comfortable on reds and would go down blacks but not often, I am going to La Rosiere 3rd Feb and want some advice on whether I should get some off piste skiing lessons.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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have you tried skiing 5 feet off piste on the edge of a nice blue gradient yet? if you can feel comfortable doing that in fresh snow you should be ok but at 4 weeks you may want to improve your on piste technique and balance to help you tackel a course or off piste lessons.
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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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madmickie, welcome!. There's an area beneath the main chair in La Rosiere that you can practice on. When you get to the top of the chair you can go left or right back to the start - there's a "V" shaped section that doesn't get groomed that you could try on.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you are at all confident then give it a go. Be prepared to fall over a lot and also to suffer a great deal of fun  I've done 6 weeks and am really enjoying every minute I spend off piste.
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madmickie, I would think that off-piste lessons would be excellent for you. IMO many people (myself included) leave it too late to start skiing off-piste. Be prepared that at your level it will be hard work, so maybe a mixture of off and on-piste during your lessons would be beneficial.
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Kramer, What do you mean by leaving it too late to start skiing off piste? I presume you mean age wise. At what age do you think it's too late? I am no spring chicken myself but am reasonably fit and would love to start venturing off piste if only to get a taste. I am just planning my fourth skiing holiday (of one week duration). Do you think I should stick to piste?
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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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Swansea Jack, welcome to snow heads, skiing off piste when done correctly is very easy on the body and great fun. I would advocate venturing a few feet off the pistes to start to get a feel for the conditions as opposed to jumping into a bowl of powder and spending a morning eating snow.
if you are right footed try going to the right hand side of a nice easy gradient piste, and make slow speed turns so that when turning left you are off piste and when turning right you are on piste and aiming back for the powder. after a while you will get comfortable with the different snow conditions and will always be able to "bail out" back onto the piste.
Lessons are always a good idea.... 
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Swansea Jack, it's not an age thing, in fact I would suggest that off piste skiing is better if you're older as the falls hurt much less. What I mean is that many people wait until they have lots of skiing experience under their belt before venturing off piste, when I think that they would be better served by trying it earlier on, with the help of some expert tuition. People tend to assume (wrongly) that you have to do perfect carved turns to ski off piste, as that is what they see on all the ski porn videos, whereas a good stem christie will work just as well, if not better, and can be performed by a skier of relatively limited experience. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks both. That's great advice. And a relief it's not an age thing Hope I get the opportunity this year.
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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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Thanks folks, I think i'll try skiing just off the groomed piste as suggested by some. I'm not looking to go thru 4ft of powder in a forest but just skiing on ungroomed snow. I'm an expert at falling so no worries about that aspect! Which is the 'main chair lift in Rosiere'? its off thread but we are staying in Chalets Kandahar - any comments on its location regarding access to lifts, ski bus, centre, skiing back, shops?
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madmickie, If the coinditions are suitable I take my beginners off piste in their first week. Not far off piste, and if the snow is very deep, then only going straight, but it's far from the domain of the experts - it all depends on the slope. However, be warned: if you have any bad technical faults you will fall over. Good technique = not so often!! I would recommend a lesson or two, but try by yourself first.
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You know it makes sense.
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madmickie, I think Kandahar is in Les Eucherts. May be possible to ski back, but a bit away from la Ros Centre and the shops. Loads of easy off edgs off piste in La Rosiere, Especially good for starters are the runs down to the piccollo San Bernado lift, and the long blues coming back to France. From the top of the first Bellcombe drag head left and keep heading left, you will then see huge and gentle area off to the left that leads down to a cafe and the PSB lift. Go play there its great.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty, good to hear there are plenty of easy off piste areas to cut my teeth on.
Kramer - I had read that thread - it's what prompted my question as it made me realise that I may be capable of going off piste at my current level.
Cant wait now - esp that there's a bit of snow falling at last - going by forecast temps i will need to bring my extra thick long johns!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My second ever week of skiing was in St Gervais (and I have had no downhill lessons). On the wednesday it started snowing and we spent the afternoon skiing runs witha couple of inches of fresh powder on them. Great fun. It continued snowing all night and we woke to powder between knee and thigh deep. It wasn't off piste skiing, but none of the runs had been pisted. We had great fun and AFAIR I had no real problems except getting back up on the few occasions when I fell over. We did have to ski mainly reds and steeper blues as on shallow gradients you didn't go anywhere. Not skied snow like it since. Thought I was going to last year at half term at Les Arc, but the temperature warmed up overnight and the couple of inches of soft powder we left at the end of one day was a foot of soft wet snow in the morning - much harder to ski than powder!
I say if you want to go for some offpiste lessons then go for it - and if you are planning on doing a fair bit of offpiste then going on an avalanche awareness course is well worth while.
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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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Go for it if the conditions are suitable. My wife has skied 4 weeks too and I took her off-piste for the first time on our last holiday. There was about a foot of fresh light powder and she really enjoyed it. She actually found it much easier than hardpack piste. But I wouldn't bother going off-piste if there isn't enough snow or its heavily crusted over. That's the time to practice your on-piste technique.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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madmickie, off-piste is not just about powder. If you do enjoy it , it can open up a new world to you. I love the peacefullness, scenery and the 'at one with nature' you feel when away from the masses. Oh, and the powder! The powder is great! In fact, forget the previous crap I wrote and enjoy the powder!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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stewart woodward, m y si m pli sti c vie w s.
Was that what you were looking forward to? 
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chris,
Is there a spill check on this site 
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stewart woodward, 'my simplistic views' taken apart. OK a crap joke, sorry. 
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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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stewart woodward, On the basis that most ski insurance policies do not cover off piste, and an instructor takes his class off piste are they insured? Similarly I have seen instructors on closed pistes what's the insurance situation in that case?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Get back to work you lazy b*stard!
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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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off piste skiing is better if you're older as the falls hurt much less.
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Kramer, I'm struggling with this one Or is it that being full of Genepi one doesn't notice the pain?
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Yoda, where were you when you suffered your injuries last season?
I rest my case.
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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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Kramer, Unless some idiot planted an obstacle in the middle of the piste then he was off piste, but only just 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think I'm quite a bit more cautious than most expressing an opinion here. I'm a confident on-piste skier (competence is for someone else to judge) but I'd really rather be with an instructor or guide - or skiing somewhere they've shown me previously - in all but the most trivial off-piste situations. Part of the problem is that I don't rate my ability at judging the difficulty of off-piste routes, e.g. terrain and snow conditions. I can stand on the threshold of something with an instructor and think "for Christ's sake, he expects me to get down that?" but then do it anyway because he's come to no harm, has probably assessed my ability accurately, and can probably coax me through any unexpected difficulty. On my own (or with mere friends) in the same situation, I'd imagine an uncontrolled tumble into something I couldn't climb out of, even assuming I were still alive with functioning limbs.
Skiing on unprepared but marked pistes is quite a different thing though. I've no hesitation there.
Possibly, as some have said earlier, I never got off piste early enough in my skiing career. Anyway, I'm gradually getting a bit more confident and competent as time goes on - and I certainly enjoy off-piste skiing in the "right" circumstances. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Insurance is a relevant issue. If I am skiing just off the piste ( like within 50m of the piste) am I not insured? What about that carte blanche (or something)
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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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madmickie, it does very much depend on your insurance. Technically, if you're not between the markers, then you're not on the piste, and this has been enforced in the past IIRC.
Some insurance doesn't cover you off piste at all, some only with a qualified guide in a group, and some covers everything that you can think of. In my experience, the more expensive policies tend to give the most coverage.
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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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laundryman, I agree. Certainly makes sense to have a guide who can judge your ability to handle conditions and terrain and take you to the appropriate places. I would have no hesitation in skiing (or trying to) down unprepared but marked pistes but i would certainly be hesitant going into the unknown. I do a bit of mountain biking and i know that exceeding your abilities is asking for trouble and a whole world of pain. On the other hand I want to test myself to some extent. Given what's been said I think I will play just off the piste a little and then maybe get an off piste lesson or two and some off piste guiding.
Thanks all.
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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 think that playing just off the side of the piste has parallels with "just putting it in a little bit."
I don't think that it gives you the full flavour, and carries with it a significant element of risk IMO. Better to go the whole hog and book some formal instruction.
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I've been reading this thread with interest, as I too have been itching to give off-piste skiing a proper bash for a while now, but have been a bit intimidated by the whole thing.
My only experience has been playing around off the side of the piste (as others have suggested) - but to be honest, these areas tend to be so churned-up by other skiers/boarders doing the same, I wonder how much this helps. Personally I usually end up tripping myself up within 10-15 metres
Reading the previous posts, I'm now wondering whether to give myself a fair chance of cracking it I should be hiring some powder skis, or whether to stick with my own ones (Volkl Supersport 4*)? Any thoughts?
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jonflat2, it depends on conditions, but I do think that fatter skis make it easier. I would definitely get some tuition though if I were you. The first time that you get to make first tracks down a pristine powder field makes you realise what it's all about.
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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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Going slightly back on topic, I hate to say but with modern skis you can, should you wish, get a wide/easy enough ski that (?almost) anyone can ski off piste easily although you might not notice that you are off piste as your skis haven't sunk in. (N.B. Curmudgeonly, I think this is a Bad Thing).
I've seen it happen with a very charming but not very sporting German chap who happened to share our group on a week's powder skiing in Canada. On day 1 we were all quite happy for the rest that waiting for him gave us but he was clearly struggling - both with the snow and his fitness.
Day 2 he was presented with a fairly wide pair of skis which helped, day 3 he was almost on a pair of snowboards and happy as Larry (obviously he'd got a bit more experience under his belt by then too).
I understand that the fattest ones had been expressly designed by Volkl for a certain heli ski operation who had had trouble with the numbers of unfit, not very talented rich folk that they'd had as guests. I mean, if you're a billionaire, why would you want a little challenging snow? Should be easy, right? "Throw money at the problem!"
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David Murdoch,
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not very talented rich folk
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Doesnt that account for a whole lot of skiers out there...
Why not make equipment that allows people to enjoy a sport. Big headed titanium drivers for golf, oversize tennis rackets, etc. the use of which could be accused of "throwing money at the problem" but if big fat skis allows you to enjoy riding snow why not. Or, should we all be on wooden planks with leather boots with only the fittest athletes able to enjoy the mountains.
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FAQ
but having that smallish guy in the middle with us was reassuring. Would have been crazy for folk of our (in)experience to have done it without him.
