 Poster: A snowHead
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Good thread on Epic at the moment re self arrest techniques, with some great photos from Bob Peters (a Jackson Hole instructor/guide) showing a pole arrest.
Interestingly the 'push up' technique has not been mentioned, the general concensus being that it's too easy to flip when engaging either the boots or ski edges.
Also of interest is that Bob & a Snowbird based instructor imply in their posts that they regularly teach self-arrest techniques to their ski school classes. Sounds like it was also taught at this year's Epicski Academy so WTFH & lbt might have done it. I've never known self arrest techniques to be taught by the 'regular' european ski schools.
http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=57090
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sometimes, if or when I'm leading my group into a particular area that is "no fall", I will spend time before that practising some potentially life saving tactics *should* something happen to them, at least they are prepared.
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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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| veeeight wrote: |
| I will spend time before that practising some potentially life saving tactics *should* something happen to them, at least they are prepared. |
What type of things do you cover - the pole arrest technique ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I do talk about the pole arrest, but we practise a few other moves too. 
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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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veeeight, I promise I won't tell
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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veeeight, are "the other moves" the legendary worm turn?
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skimottaret, possibly
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veeeight, go on do tell, I for one will definately be practicing some self arrest drills and learning the worm turn to "demonstration" standard just for fun this year.
seriously though, I had an epic tumble of around 300metres many years ago ending up on a rock outcroping over a cliff band and am still very, very scared of traverses and rocky gullies. Need to get over the fear and having some techniques up my sleeve may help...
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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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A variation of the worm turn is just one of the moves I teach and get students to practice, just for that eventuality of heading towards a cliff. With this variation, it assumes you've lost all grip on your skis and are sliding towards danger, and how to recover so that you end up pointing in the other direction.
But I'm quite reluctant to post this on here, it's best demonstrated, practiced and done on a steep part of the mountain, I'm afraid.
Besides which I'd be giving all the secrets away
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I recently came across this helpful BMC vid on ice axe self arrest techniques. Wondering how relevant these techniques are when you are attached to skis?
http://vimeo.com/26621170
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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 just noticed this thread and the reference to my story. Yes I stopped myself on a slope that was about 45º - 50º. It really does work but you probably need to have practiced it. At that degree of steepness it only required actually lightly pushing the chest what seemed like 3 or 4 inches off the snow and my momentum as I slowed immediately tipped me up to arms length. Afterwards, traversing out to get to ordinary slopes, our guide had to keep reminding me to lean out, as I was reverting to pre-skiing instinct.
When I did the Jackson Hole Steep and Deep Camp we were made to practice it on a section of slope that was about 35º (perhaps more at the top) with a run out. A bit of a double black diamond.
The old story is here: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=1440#30542
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 17-08-11 11:14; edited 1 time in total
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snowball, I've read your account before and it's what made me seek out more information. Was just wondering how effective the techniques are when you have skis on? I can imagine how easy it would be to get skis tangled with each other (when sliding at speed) or even caught in the snow, causing you to tomahawk down the mountain.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have had an occasion to use the self-arrest. It wasn't that steep, but it was off-piste, it did work, and my instructor was impressed. 
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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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Maybe not relevant, but a few years ago, with only a few weeks skiing experience, I had a tumble on a red piste. It was end the of the season and there were rocks just under the snow. I managed to catch a ski on a loose rock hidden in the icy slush and ended up travelling down hill on my side, bum first, with my head and feet nearly touching ( a sort of vee sit!!). Not really sure how I managed to fall in that position, but luckily I had a read a few posts on here out of interest. All I could remember was to get feet first.
Only one ski came off so I kind of teddy rolled to try and get my ski off the snow by my face and to bite into the snow below me. Just this rolling momentum and ski endge intp the snow was enough to stop me (with some skidding in the slush), although I did almost tumble over again. I dont think this would work on ice or steeper slopes but it saved me from a nasty drop off. I managed to halt my slide within about 30m. Since then, Ive definitely been more interested in self arrest techniques.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I am not sure about this thing. It’s seems to be very risky and if it worked for him doesn’t mean that it would definitely work for me too. I am a bit skeptic about this.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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turnergeorge7, it may be risky, but what is the alternative? Is not stopping a good thing? Self arrest is a technique to learn, it is a kind of last chance to save yourself. If you fall in a place where you will not stop unaided, a place where you will just accelerate or will fall into rocks etc, then having a way of stopping is very useful. Self arrest techniques need to be applied quickly before you are sliding too fast. So they should be tried immediately after falling. Faffing around between falling and trying the self arrest is not a good method.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Scarpa wrote: |
Megamum, It's like having sex with Death  |
Boned?
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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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Masque, Like porking the bone 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| AndAnotherThing.. wrote: |
| Skip to 50 seconds in and the guide explains an excellent self arrest technique.... |
Around 2 mins 30 sec is when it gets really interesting.
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AndAnotherThing.., he doesn't really describe a technique
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That's very scary. 
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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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If you know how to brake with an ice axe you can adapt it for a ski pole. The tricky bit is getting your hand out of the strap and not shoving the tip in too hard and breaking the pole. It may not work well if it is too steep, you are going too fast or its icy, but it should still turn you round feet first which could be very handy.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 20-09-11 11:49; edited 1 time in total
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snowball, It does make me smile though, he was quite a funny guy 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| jbob wrote: |
| If you know how to brake with an ice axe you can adapt it for a ski pole. The tricky bit is getting your hand out of the strap and not shoving the tip in too hard and breaking the pole. It may not work well if it is too steep, you are going too fast or its icy, but it should still turn you round feet first which could be very handy. |
Don't ski with your hands in the straps. 
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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 am afraid that nothing involving the use of ski poles when actually skiing downhill, as opposed to climbing uphill or traversing on skis, on a steep slope will work.
If you ski with your hands inside your straps, then you will be in too much of a tangle in a head over heels fall to be able to get hold of them in any useful manner.
If you ski with hands outside of your straps then you will most likely lose the poles anyway which is what happened when I fell on steep slope.
When my brown trousers moment occurred, the press up worked for me.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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AndAnotherThing.., the Warren Miller guy was going too fast already to use self-arrest.
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FAQ
