 Poster: A snowHead
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Hmm... I've found another way to screw up; judging the technique to use on steepish crust.
There's two options - you can try to push through it and get to the softer stuff underneath, or if it's hard ( or the stuff underneath is ice ) try and stay on top.
Any ideas on how to judge when to use which technique?
After a few years of gorilla skiing, I wonder whether I'm getting woossy and trying to use the "float on top" option too often.
At least, that's why I think the guide sailed down the stuff while we all fell A-over-T on the steep crust on top of an otherwise perfect hidden valley last week.
He muscled, we tried to float.
Funnilly enough, just before Xmas we had the other problem. There was almost no snow depth to speak off, so you had to float or risk trashing your skis.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TJon, You've got to change your technique to suit the conditions and slope you are skiing. This can often mean using diiferent techniques within the same slope. Your observations that the guide muscled and you tried to float, supports the fact that he used the correct technique and you didn't. The trick is to know what technique and how to judge what is correct for the given circumstances.
I was pretty much in your situation a few years ago and resolved to get some further tuition, to enable me to do what I've descibed above. I've had the training and put it into practice, and with repetition you do begin to recognise what to do and how to react to what is happening under your skis. I'm not saying I've got it completely sorted, but not much phases me now, and I do still fall when i've misjudged, but that is becomming less often now. This years conditions (last week of Jan for me) offerred all sorts of variety and I had a great week, and improved my technique no end. BTW even the experts fall, as both my Guide and Instructor fell on diffrent days trying to cope with the conditions. Cost both of them some rounds in the pub after!.
Bod.
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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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TJon,
What BOD says is right. I'd just add that this more of a tactics issue than a technique one - the issue is choosing which technique to use given the conditions and this is a classic area where experience rather than lessons counts.
What I do as I start a pitch on uncertain snow is bounce a little in a straight line to get a feel for the resistance/consistency this gives me an idea of the sort of force I can apply (easier to avoid a face plant!). It's more elegant to ski on the surface if you can but I think that being thuggy is lower risk so I err on the side of smashing through (i.e. big unweighting moves) unless I feel reasonable confident that the crust will support me.
All this is valid for a different set of conditions - where you have light powder on top of heavy wet snow. Can I be delicate enough not to sink in the sludge at an inopportune moment?
J
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Good points, well made.
I think my fitness was not as good as usual last week, so I was skiing tired by the end of the week when we did the run.
Tired legs and tired brain make for sub-standard decisions.
Then again, I could just be really c**p. 
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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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I often don't have any choice... skiing along quite happily on top then suddenly break through a soft section prior to falling over 
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Surely it depends in part on the gap between the crust and the snow underneath? If in doubt I tend to give a good stab with a pole, to check. Generally speaking, I prefer to float - which the Mission skis help me to do. But if there is just a small gap between crust and snow, I am not too bothered. I think that's what easiski taught me - and it seems to work.
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