 Poster: A snowHead
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holidayloverxx,  And, indeed, perfectly expressed by ccl.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Trust.
If you can trust your friend to coach you down the piste, you just follow that friend.
If you can trust the piste map blue means easy, you should be able to ski down it in control.
Then, the last thing you need is trust yourself. You've got the skill to handle the piste. You just need to do it as you know.
But if you can't trust your friend, the map nor yourself, you've got a bigger problem than skiing the blue piste. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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the unknown in a white-out, good times
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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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| abc wrote: |
Trust.
If you can trust the piste map blue means easy, you should be able to ski down it in control.
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But an important point I was making is that you cannot always trust the piste map: blue runs sometimes have unexpectedly steep sections which can throw the confidence of a skier who is fine on normal blue gradient.[/b] In which case the skier needs a strategy for coping.
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One of the many good points made by ccl is not to stand at the top looking down at a steep pitch - I find this just makes me feel worse, even on runs I know perfectly well, and know I can ski perfectly well. And try not to stop in the middle of a steep bit either, once you've got going, try to keep going, turning steadily, or sideslipping/sidestepping tricky bits, rather than stop. One problem is that if it's a busy run, the difficult bits, often narrower as well as steep, are often strewn with people faffing around. This is often what makes it more difficult - you think "if only I had this bit of hill to myself, I'd have no problem". But if you wait "till it's clear" you'll wait forever, getting more and more uptight.
It might be worth making the point here that a blue run in nasty conditions, for example with scraped, hardpacked, snow might be far more difficult than a red run, newly groomed with fresh snow. And even easy bits can seem very scary in poor visibility. In spring conditions, slushy in the afternoon, runs can be very icy and bumpy first thing in the morning, even when freshly pisted. So always be prepared to find things a bit different from day to day. BUT, the nice thing is that that really tricky section which freaked you out the first time you encountered it will probably have disappeared completely by the time you've done it a few times. Just get back on your horse and have another go at it!
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| Quote: |
Just get back on your horse and have another go at it!
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The times I've done that 
Thanks for all the advice here folks - I'm going to try new runs first in Feb half term - If I don't do them with my instructor I'll ask my 2 Swiss friends to come with me the first times - I hope they'll be able to help me on the chair lift too. They've been skiing since virtually before they could walk and are now my age.
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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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Take it easy, no need to fly down everything. Stop every now and then (at the side of the piste) . Take a look around and get your bearings. Look up the slope before setting off again. Use the piste markers to gauge how far you've come/got to go. I often pause after 200-300m or sometimes after negotiating a bend in the piste.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| This year I will be going up on lifts to ski down slopes that I can't see and therefore won't really know what I'm letting myself in for (I'll make sure that they are marked 'blue' though). Does the thought of skiing an unknown slope bother anyone else? |
For me, its not so much an unknown slope as the perceived level of difficulty of a piste I haven't skiied before, whether through it's colour grading, the snow conditions or the fact I've stood at the bottom, looked up and thought: that's steep!  Personally I don't find viewing an unknown run before skiing helpful - I find runs look a lot steeper than when you're actually on them. Find someone to ski with that you trust - and trust their assessment of whether you will be able to ski it or not. There will be very few runs you will actually get stuck on, just take your time and trust in your abilities and your skis.
You should be able to ski some red runs in Val Thorens - we learnt to ski there for our first week and on the final day we skiied to St Martin de Belleville with our instructor, which involved a red or two.
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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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Megamum, I bought Warren Smith's "Go -Ski" book and DVD last week, £9.99, lots of good piccies and descriptions, the DVD lasts about 35 minutes.
The reason I mention it is because there is a clear demo of side slipping on it which is good if you want to master it. There is also a very useful (for me) part about skiing a steep bit, which involves planting your downhill pole a meter ahead of you in a stationary position, and putting one turn in and then stopping. Then repeating. I think this is gonna be useful for me this year as I am skiing with more advanced skiers than myself, and reckon I'm going to face new challenges!
I recommend the book and DVD. It starts at snow plough and goes right through parallel, carving, off piste etc. I've watched it three times already to try and reinforce the principles so hopefully they will be fixed in my head when I face the reality in a few weeks.
Available on Amazon for <£10. I got it from Borders.
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i really enjoy skiing new runs, especially ones i havent seen. It adds to the excitement.
I sympathise with you because my dad and sister are the same, they wont go down any slope that their instructor has taken them down. They fear the unknown conditions of the piste as well (even though they change all the time). If you suggest to take them down a new slope, they will refuse to.
I think it is to do with stepping out of your comfort zone. They underestimate their skill, therefore dont believe they cant get down the slope safely.
Remember you can alwats SIDESLIP!!! down any slope that you find too steep. So if you do encounter a new slope you havent seen before, sideslip down if your not confident to turn.
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You know it makes sense.
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First off let me see I only read the first response.
Megamum, I think you're worrying too much about your upcoming holiday! It's seen as an extreme sport for a reason, go out and enjoy it! Even if part of that is you getting scared 
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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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Megamum, you do ask the most interesting questions!
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Does the thought of skiing an unknown slope bother anyone else?
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Loads of good advice has already been given, none of which do I disagree with. My wife is distinctly more timid than I am and from her, my extra piece of advice would reflect what was written earlier about trust. She often does not trust me not to take her somewhere new in case it takes her out of her comfort zone. However we have a friend who is an ex-SCGB guide and she will follow him anywhere as she trusts that he has the experience to judge what is beyond her abilities (not much IMV, but not hers  ).
What I am trying to say by this ramble, is that you will be a lot less frightened of you ski with somebody that you trust (and therefore is presumably more experienced than you and has also possibly skied the slope before) when it is the first time that you are skiing a slope.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ccl wrote: |
| abc wrote: |
Trust.
If you can trust the piste map blue means easy, you should be able to ski down it in control.
) |
But an important point I was making is that you cannot always trust the piste map: blue runs sometimes have unexpectedly steep sections which can throw the confidence of a skier who is fine on normal blue gradient. In which case the skier needs a strategy for coping. |
Argh...even if the skill is there, the confidence just got scared out the window!
Just ignore the fact it's steep.
Bottomline, Magamum isn't asking HOW to cope but rather IF it worries anyone.
Yes, it used to worry me. But I've been stuck numerous times, only to ultimately decide I had no choice but to somehow ski down. And inevitably, it's easier to actually DO it than to worry about them!
It's about psychology, not skill. Your advice of NOT standing at the edge for too long is right on in that regard. The less one thinks about it, the better.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Find a good looking young instructor and have a private lesson on an easy slope and you will crack side slipping very fast.
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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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Believe it or not I've already tried that - I ended up sitting on the piste like a boarder in fits of giggles in front of my bemused and rather dishy instructor.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| NewSkier wrote: |
I have not cracked side-slipping yet either, when I have tried I seem to just start sliding diagonally forwards, or worse still backwards & feel less than in control |
Keep practising! If your weight is too far back you will drift diagonally forwards; too far forwards and you'll go back. So experiment as you practise - moving your weight forwards and back to get the "feel" of what happens and of course to find the point where you are centred over your skis and are slipping ever so elegantly straight down the slope.
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How steep a slope do you need in order to side slip? Can you do it on a fairly shallow one? Would you say the top or lower section of Castleford/MK? I have only tried it a 3-4 times, firstly abroad when a friend suggested it as a technique for dealing with my fear on the steep bit I mentioned above - perhaps NOT the time to try it really. Then I tentatively tried it again on a shallower slope but found it hard to get moving, and found I had not got the control on a steeper one. I think it is maybe something to look at on my 1st day in Feb, when I have all of the Sunday to occupy before lessons on the mon. I need things to do that are within my capabilities in order to start getting my confidence up out there!
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I'd say find a tiny steep bit and just practice your side slipping on that. It's amazing how easy it seems when there's a large expanse of flat snow five feet below you 
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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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| NewSkier wrote: |
| I think it is maybe something to look at on my 1st day in Feb, when I have all of the Sunday to occupy before lessons on the mon. I need things to do that are within my capabilities in order to start getting my confidence up out there! |
Plenty of wide open terrain with gentle and slightly steeper terrain at the top of the Vallandry and Grizzly lifts. Perfect for practising side-slips
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From reading between the lines here - although most are OK with it I am glad that I'm not the only one who looks at something and thinks I can't do that, or who has a problem with an unknown slope. I'm not used to not being in control and certainly not used to not being able to do something esp. if its in front of someone else  However, usually its just a case of learning the new skills - such as learning to ice skate or ride a bicycle. I've never been in a situation where its a case of cracking my mind set at the same time - however, not only do I NEED these skiing skills, but now I also WANT them so I'll have to try 'going for it' this year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum,
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I'm not the only one who looks at something and thinks I can't do that,
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There cannot be a skier, at whatever level, who doesn't occasionally have that thought!
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| I am glad that I'm not the only one who looks at something and thinks I can't do that... |
When you lose that thought isn't it time to take up another hobby? On just about every trip I face something which I'm not 100% confident I can do. That's what keeps me coming back.
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rob@rar, Agreed... it's where the fun and challenge is.
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You know it makes sense.
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rob@rar, Scarpa, Exactamundo! Trust me, it's particularly rewarding, Megamum, for a control freak to overcome that hurdle!
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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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| NewSkier wrote: |
| ... though I have high hopes of finding Le(La?) Foret comfortable, |
Just "forêt" according to the piste map. I'm sure you will soon find it very boring. For much of the run it's a very flat track (a road in the summer) which in any other resort would be classed as a Green (Les Arcs, for reasons I still don't understand, doesn't use that classification). The broad plateau above Vallandry is ideal terrain to develop your technique - the 2300 lift serves a lovely wide open blue run which is great for novice skiers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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NewSkier, I've just followed the link to the picture - its another of those absolutely huge multi football pitch sized pistes.
That's what I want to ski on - in Switzerland the resort doesn't have areas like that to ski on. I think I could learn to ski to my own satisfaction if I had somewhere like that to practice on - I could practice turns - make them as large or as small as I liked even try going in a straight line down the fall line for a little while - I want a bit like that about 1/4 mile or more long and I think you'd find it hard to prise me off of it for hours at a time - can VT provide similar next April?
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| can VT provide similar next April? |
Yes.
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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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I've found steep stuff that looks scarier when you've got down it and you look back up. I took a wrong turn off the Crot (by the Prodain lift in Avoriaz) and got down an icy mogul field that I can only describe as a wall that lead straight down to the car park.
From what I saw looking back after surviving it I got a big buzz and then felt a bit faint for a second. On perusal of the piste map I believe I strayed onto the bottom sector of the women's Coupe du Monde black piste
I also remember from last Jan there's a real staircase narrow bit at the top of the red Combe de Saulire in Courcheval, just below the peak restaurant. I decided not to look down, just look at your next turn across the piste. Got down in five!
I'm more scared of narrow steeps than general steeps. The red off the back and around the front of Mont Vallon above Mottaret was ice from halfway all the way to the bottom. A narrow red, it was a nightmare. But getting down it improved my skills at finding the lumps of fluff to turn on, like stepping stones. I wouldn't have changed my decision to ski it with hindsight, because I beat it.
Only in your mind can you allow steep stuff to take your confidence away. Remember the mantra, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!'
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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What doesn't stretch you makes you longer
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Oops, sorry JohnQ, I was logged on as you 
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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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Megamum I have the solution ..... take some strange hippy drugs, go and sit outside with your goats and ask them to let you speak through the ether to their mountain goat cousins.
When you become spiritually connected with their relations you need to ask them to pass on their knowledge of hill grapling!
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FAQ
