 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I'm trying to figure out best way to improve next season.
Often ski with a BASI 3 (who's done BASI 2 technical) - and we're in the same ballpark - he's better at some things (powder) and I'm better at others (moguls).
Did a week with a guide in La Grave this year - but wondering if more structured instruction would give a better payoff.
Any recommendations?
Cheers
Mark
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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markymark, Just wish I were on an advanced plateau... 
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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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markymark,
I don't really know because I have never really hit any plateau...
but I'd guess do something different to what you currently do...
If you always do the same thing you are going to get the same result...no?
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markymark, you're not giving us much to go on. I reckon at your level, it's often the case that tactical/psychological stuff can render the biggest gains. That and practicing the stuff you're not good at loads 
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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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Arno, train your weakness and play your strengths?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| little tiger wrote: |
markymark,
I don't really know because I have never really hit any plateau...
but I'd guess do something different to what you currently do...
If you always do the same thing you are going to get the same result...no? |
I agree- since I started skiing again I think I’m getting better every day (slowly but no plateau).
I struggle rate myself but if I had to place myself on slush and rubble chart I guess I’m 7/10 (but I never lose my style  )
Lessons have really helped !!!
I think I've had about 50 days on the slopes since I started again 14 months ago
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little tiger, Keep trying, just after the intermediate part there is an advanced plateau, stick at it love, you'll get there. 
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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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Sounds like a little more info would be helpful
In terms of standard:
- In mid-40s, been skiing 30+ years, mostly self-taught
- I'm not a bad mogul skier on a good day (though not going to be winning any mogul comps) Zipper lined the whole mogul field under the Yret chair in Serre Ch without fluffing any turns earlier this year. I'd guess this was 200m at 35 degrees, but it took two attempts (blew the line after 6 turns on first attempt)
- Not phased by steeps - able to do tidy linked short turns even in fairly narrow couloirs (e.g. Patou in La Grave)
I'm looking for courses to help me step up a gear. Have considered BASI trainee course, though I'm not interested in instructing.
PS Thanks to everyone that's replied so far.
Cheers
Mark
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Lizzard, it's free!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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markymark,
What did you struggle on in LG? Patou is a nice tight and steep gully IIRC, the top is a handful but it widens out midway down.
I'd just do more guiding and get exposed on tighter and steeper things in whatever snow gets thrown at you. I think it very difficult to practic that, you just have to go there more often. I expect an instructor to have another view though.
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, is that what that fellow Herman something's Skiddharta was all about?
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| JT wrote: |
What did you struggle on in LG? Patou is a nice tight and steep gully IIRC, the top is a handful but it widens out midway down.
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In general I didn't find LG too taxing, although I did have a bad afternoon after pulling a hamstring in breakable crust. I do sometimes have a problem with consitency - some days I can really nail the turns, other days (and in similar conditions) things don't come as easily. Perhaps the issue is fitness?
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You know it makes sense.
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And some days I even have a problem spelling consistency 
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brian
brian
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markymark, fitness makes a big difference. My bump skiing in particular goes all over the place if I'm sluggish.
Can't hurt to get a top instructor to cast an eye over you though. Couple of private lessons maybe ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Arno, you have no future as a consultant. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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markymark,
LG will or can expose fitness levels. The skiing is the skiing but all that becomes marginal if you are tired...as I found out to my cost.
If you want to test your fitness, book Francois..!! 
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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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markymark, it all depends on what you're after. From your opening post it looks as if you're leaning more towards off-piste. For technical improvement, I've done a few Backcountry courses with Phil Smith's www.snoworks.co.uk which I think are great. These are run in St Anton (Jan) and Gressoney (March). One thing that marks them out is that they combine instruction and guiding in the same course, whereas others do tend to major on the guiding (as e.g. pretty much all the advanced level holidays run by the SCGB). They do tend to top out at the BASI3/2 level though, so you'd be dependent on who else is on the course to set a level of the top group that would stretch. I think Graham Austick's Piste to Powder runs similar courses in St Anton.
If you want more of the backcountry experience, how about trying ski-touring? This is generally more about experiencing getting away from it all in the mountains than pushing the ski envelope (apart from anything else the consequences of an injury are much more severe when you're two/three days from any access). There're all sorts of people running tours - SCGB, the Eagle Ski Club, Piste to Powder and hundreds of smaller independent guiding outfits.
Of course (and I'm not trying to be rude here), being largely self-taught, it's possible that you're not quite as good as you think you are - although from your second post it sound like you are. One guy on my last course was sort of in this position, loads of miles under his boots and basically pretty good, but had some horrible technical flaws that held him back when the terrain got challenging. But the end of the week those flaws were being addressed and he was skiing much better overall. I'd agree with brian and think it's be worth getting a BASI1 or thereabouts to give you an objective assessment of where you are - although I guess you've got some good ballpark feedback from your BASI3 mate.
If you are genuinely at that level, I'd suggest soliciting advice from Cedric, probably best by PM. I'm led to believe he's a s**t-hot skier and know he went on a performance course in Chamonix in Feb last year - run by Straightline Adventures or something like that IIRC. You may also be able to find a reference searching on here. I know nothing more about this, but know he found it great, so assume it's a pretty high level course.
If you want something a bit more piste oriented, how about Race Training. Again www.snoworks.co.uk run GS courses during the autumn and early summer. These range from "never been through gates before", through "done a bit, just want to be better" right up to Eurotest candidates. rob@rar, docsquid and I have all been on these and really got a lot out of them. It really sorts your carving technique and forces you to concentrate hugely on what you are actually doing when you ski. The group I was in included a couple of BASI2s and 3s and equivalent level instructors, checking out how far away the Eurotest standard was, and a British disabled team skier and we all got quite a bit out of it. They also do a more general Technical course, although I'm not sure how advanced that gets, or since it sounds like it may be another of your 'things', there's a full-on bumps course.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I know there has been a lot of debate on another thread about the merits of doing an instructor course if you don't want to teach, but I think you would gain a lot from doing your BASI trainee / instructor course. Although of course you are taught to teach, this involves a lot of analysis of your own / fellow coursemate's technique, and technical explanation of something you may have previously always done without thinking about. Learning to teach / demonstrate undoubtedly improves your own technical understanding / application.
I think the point that was being made on the other thread wasn't really having issue with those who maybe don't want to use the teaching qualification, but with those who are just there for a p*ss up, fun skiing and don't contribute fully to the course to the detriment of others on it.
I have done other high end ski courses but none of them came close to the level of training I got in my BASI 3. You will be taught by those who train instructors, and are superb skiiers, and superb instructors. Best instruction you can get, in my opinion.
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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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Telemark! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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markymark, if you decide on the instructor route but can't do a gap course then an ASSI qualification is a good start & can be done in the UK at min cost. I did the ASSI course at Xscape Castleford & found it very beneficial for the reasons that beanie1 states. It also has the benefit that a high level pass gives you exemption from the BASI Trainee Instructor week long course meaning you can go straight to the Instructor course. The Snowsport Scotland ASSI courses are run by BASI 1 instructors/examiners & they really do take your skiing apart & then rebuild it. If you did the course at Xscape Braehead you'd still be on real(ish) snow as well.
http://www.snsc.demon.co.uk/courses/assi.htm
I've spoken to Ali Rainback the Training Director at New Gen & he can offer a four week course in Courchevel in March for people taking this route. The first two weeks are spent with New Gen's instructors developing your personal skiing before taking the two week BASI Instructor Course. This is based upon you having already clocked up your 70 hours ski school shadowing in the UK after completing your ASSI. If you haven't done that then either part or all of the hours can be gained shadowing the New Gen classes in the mornings of your first two weeks but this does reduce the amount of personal development time you have so it's best to do as many of the hours in the UK as you can.
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markymark,
I'd personally recommend http://www.alpinecoaching.co.uk/ . Pete Silver-Gillespie is an amazing coach. Whether you want to go the instructor route or not. His courses are fantastic.
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| beanie1 wrote: |
I know there has been a lot of debate on another thread about the merits of doing an instructor course if you don't want to teach, but I think you would gain a lot from doing your BASI trainee / instructor course. Although of course you are taught to teach, this involves a lot of analysis of your own / fellow coursemate's technique, and technical explanation of something you may have previously always done without thinking about. Learning to teach / demonstrate undoubtedly improves your own technical understanding / application.
I think the point that was being made on the other thread wasn't really having issue with those who maybe don't want to use the teaching qualification, but with those who are just there for a p*ss up, fun skiing and don't contribute fully to the course to the detriment of others on it.
I have done other high end ski courses but none of them came close to the level of training I got in my BASI 3. You will be taught by those who train instructors, and are superb skiiers, and superb instructors. Best instruction you can get, in my opinion. |
It's been and remains the obvious answer, if the time and money.
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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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markymark, I concur with beanie1 but if you dont fancy the instructor course route how about a few sessions with a BASI trainer, have him/her video tape you and really rip apart your fundamental flaws, then get a set of drills that you can practice that addresses those issues.
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markymark, I hate weighing into these as it's tricky - for a host of reasons - you don't know how I ski, I don't know how you ski, etc., ad naus.
I'm around your age, around your ski-days-logged (maybe), I like to think myself "competent-recreational".
I find the occasional intense 2-hours with a really, really good trainer/coach/instructor helpful. Some basic questions answered (I.e. at one stage I questioned my transition to "carving" (far less of a change than many were suggesting... I've been carving since 1979...)), newly learned errors buffed off (I hope, at least in principle), news ideas given and thought about.
Other than that, hmmm, hours put in, thought devoted, theory read, all play a part.
Oh, and, unquestionably, terrain-envelope stretching. E.g. heliskiing, steep stuff, telemarking, touring on crap terrain, racing...et al...and of course that old favourite, skiing slowly with kids. Hard to beat that to get you focusing on turn evolution
And, for me, forward-pacing and envisioning. Which is great as, IMHO, it allows one to improve by watching better skiers while you're sitting on a chair.
I had a top day with Stefan Skrobar at www.id-freeride.com a couple of years ago. He might be worth investigating...
But just to edit for accuracy - the more you do it, the better you get...practice and diligence (plus, for me, coupled with a visceral understanding of the mechanics)...personally my rate of skiing improvement has been very proportional to the days I skied in the last few years...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| GrahamN wrote: |
If you want more of the backcountry experience, how about trying ski-touring? This is generally more about experiencing getting away from it all in the mountains than pushing the ski envelope.
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oh you can push the envelop pretty far ski (or snowboard) touring:-
http://nimp.crew.free.fr/NimpVideoscope/?vid=GrandesLanches 
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You guys don't have a clue what you're talking about.
There are three ways off the advanced plateau.
1. Traverse across it (using poles), then take the cat track down to the midstation, where you can ride the intermediate or advanced gondola.
2. Take the short hike up to the Expert chair, where you can ski the black glacier for a bit.
3. Hire a guide, and go off into the great unknown of back country.
...alternatively, some high end lessons, and a lot of mileage on your own.
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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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Frosty the Snowman, so very true
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brian
brian
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Frosty the Snowman, you don't get to 20k posts with an attitude like that you know !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
oh you can push the envelop pretty far ski (or snowboard) touring:-
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One word for those boys. Helicopter.
I'd agree with David Murdoch, really try and push the terrain you ski, and do so with someone who can ensure you don't push it too far and at the same time can critique your skiing.
You might want to consider this, http://www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com/heliski/heliski_winter_verbier.htm
Loads of feedback, video analysis and almost unlimited terrain choices
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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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markymark, stick to getting your instruction in France at least you know you will have an ISTD level instructor..... go to Switzerland and you might get an instructor no more qualified than your BASI mate that you can already ski with for free
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 10-05-07 8:50; edited 1 time in total
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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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| markymark wrote: |
In general I didn't find LG too taxing, although I did have a bad afternoon after pulling a hamstring in breakable crust. I do sometimes have a problem with consitency - some days I can really nail the turns, other days (and in similar conditions) things don't come as easily. Perhaps the issue is fitness? |
I wouldn't worry about the good days and bad days...everyone gets them..as long as you can still have some good days. Fitness will always be an issue and is relative. We don't ski as well as the guide....or rather, as econimcallly, we arrive and get stuck in straight away, so altitude and aclimitisation may be a factor.
We don't pace ourselves..and think we can just get through a week.
Most of us just aren't as prepared as we think we are.....or would love to be. As a part time skier..ie, not a local, this is a common theme IMV
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
stick to getting your instruction in France
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I also have to disagree with this! It doesn't matter where you go, just try to get a good recommendation (like the numerous ones already posted).
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I'll stir the pot a bit and suggest that (certainly in Europe) if you really want to take it up a level terrain-wise, there's only so far an instructor can take you. They aren't allowed in glaciated/high mountain areas away from the pistes. Maybe you need to find a mountain guide that you like who is a good skier and keep going back to him. That way he'll get to know your abilities and push the terrain further and further.
You get some guides who are also qualified as instructors so one of them may be your best bet
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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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| Quote: |
if you really want to take it up a level terrain-wise, there's only so far an instructor can take you. They aren't allowed in glaciated/high mountain areas away from the pistes
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Wow! You guys seriously need to get with an instructor in Canada. There are no restrictions within the ski area boundary, which include steeps, cliffs, gullys, couloirs, etc.etc.
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| veeeight wrote: |
Wow! You guys seriously need to get with an instructor in Canada. There are no restrictions within the ski area boundary, which include steeps, cliffs, gullys, couloirs, etc.etc. |
That could also be taken another way. it would appear that in France (and perhaps other Alpine countries) that a seperate qualification is required for off piste glacier guiding/instruction.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 9-05-07 11:53; edited 1 time in total
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