 Poster: A snowHead
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I would like to hear about your tactics for speed control on these.
Let's say I speak of tRaVersEs that are only half to three quarters as wide as your skis of the day are long.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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comprex, as they say here in Bavaria: Augen zu und durch 
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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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comprex,
Just go with it... it will be too tiring not too...
Keep a reasonable distance between peeps, slow when you can..and the terrain allows, like a slight incline., or a step up, and stop before blind bends. Always give before and aft skiers room and try not to knock the snowbaorders over because they will be doing a great job of that themselves.....
In the alpes, these are called rat runs and they are normally at the end of a hard day, a traverse through trees to keep your height. The snow is usually hardpacked as well so you just ride in the previous skiers tracks.....!!! The trail is pretty well worn, typically.
Monterosa routes are infamous for them...
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JT, That run down in to Zermatt is too much fun.
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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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The worst ones are the long sections that drop and then rise sharply on the other side. Too little speed and you end up sliding backwards having to climb out before the guy behind you makes contact, two much speed and it's Eddie the Eagle time.
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a useful tactic is to stick to the downhill side of the traverse if possible - often less bumpy there
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if you can get out of the ruts, then a good ol' power slide is cool..!!!
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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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Had a few of these in Verbier earlier this year across 35-40 degree exposed slopes. I can't remember having any specific instruction for this but here's what I was thinking.....
Very 'soft' legs required to absorb the undulations but to then drive down the backside with some edging - a la retraction in bumps etc. Definately not looking to take any air on an bumps. Slide slip/hockey stop move as often as possible with skis as diagonally across the path as possible with tips in to the hill. Leave plenty of space behind person in front as slowly/stopping takes some distance. Look well ahead for opportunities to safely gain/loose height for speed control or for bail out areas etc. Possibility of a slight plough if pitch allows but go parallel again over underlations to avoid knee strain. If the route is gets really narrow on a steep pitch avoid splitting the stance vertically. If steep angulate with shoulders slightly countered to put weight over the downhill ski.
On a couple of occasions I found I was travelling a tad too fast for comfort so I'd tried to relax as much as possible (easier said than done) & leave even more space in front. And of course tricky stuff done on the first day is a doddle at the end of the week.
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Use your tails.
Or stick to the downhill side of the traverse.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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comprex, as usual, without visuals not sure what you're talking about (doh! - me dumb) - you mean the tracks left by previous skiers across a traverse in soft snow?
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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 think I know the ones you mean. Often you'll get a few running parallel on a steep slope. Uphill, u have a steep wall of snow, the base of the traverse above and on the other side, a little bit of a ridge so the track itself is concave making snowplough unfeasible and getting an edge seemingly impossible.
The tendency is to want to steer inwards, towards the hill but this tends to result in the fronts of the skis embedding themselves in a wall of snow.
Although it's a little disconcerting at first, hang your ski-tails right over the edge. This allows you to get your feet directly over the ridge on the down hill side of the traverse and so pressure to the bit of the ski that gives u good edge control. Then u can control your speed as you would normally when sideslipping / skidding.
The hardest bit is getting used to the backs of your skis suspended over the abyss.
I hope that makes sense. It did to Gregory when we found ourselves on a rather steep entrance to a run the other day. We had to take one v.bumpy traverse right across the (unpisted) piste and then the traverses gave way to silly-size moguls. I was a tad concerned as it was in a far worse state than I had expected but with the above advice he did the whole traverse under full control.
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spyderjon, I've been working on something I call a 'retraction wedeln'
admin, yes, that's a good description, except for the lumpy part: that gets formed by previous side-slippers and can build up quite a washboard sometimes more than knee deep.
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You know it makes sense.
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| comprex wrote: |
| spyderjon, I've been working on something I call a 'retraction wedeln' |
How's that work then?
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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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Not yet ready for prime time, as it's hugely reliant on very fast extensions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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What about:
After some powder, several skiers following one another, but not on the exact track. So, it creates a deep, narrow "gulley". Then the snow re-freeze overnight and become quite fast with harden sidewalls...
You find yourself in this narrow track pointing downhill. It's not wide enough to side slip. You're picking up speed...
What to do?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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abc, "Don't panic Mr Mainwaring , don't panic!"
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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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abc, maybe don't try skiing it?
comprex, bit like retraction powder turns? Sriously, I can't think of any time when they've been a speed problem. I think because normally a traverse is taken to maximise height int othe powder stash at the end so at the minimum gradient to allow forward motion. Certainly can't recall any problem moments in that last xx years...
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To follow on from smolo, if you're traversing acros a steep slope, try taking a line just BELOW the beaten track. Then if you need to slow/stop, you've room to turn up onto the track, without the worry of embedding your tips into the side-wall.
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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 find I can usually do just a hint of sideslipping, even on the narrowest of traverse tracks, with the uphill ski, which controls speed somewhat. admin's post is interesting. I can see the logic in what he is saying, and will think about it next time I come on one of those traverses.
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achilles, I first realised it at the top of the Saulire in Courchevel where, between snowfalls, the ridge down towards the Grand Couloir gets more and more concave making snow-ploughing entirely ineffective and normal parallels inefficient. People find themselves hurtling down it, glad of the great kicker of a mogul at the end to stop them. Then I saw an instructor very casually gliding down the left ridge of the track, his ski tails hanging right over the edge and then turning so the tips were; suddenly it all seemed so simple.
I think people often feel that if the front of the ski isn't touching the snow, if it's hanging over the edge, they will necessarily follow it into the abyss but actually, in this situation, all u need is the most efficient part of the ski in contact with the snow.
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admin, lomg time since I was there - but I remember that ridge, and was deterred by it (mind you skiing on my own added to the decision). I get the bit about the most efficient bit of the ski being all that is needed for contact. I think I get the bit about the tails hanging out. But you seem to be saying that sometimes the tips swing out (in which case the tails swing in some). Not quite sure why you do that - it seems to be going form a (say) left side slip to a right one - any benefit, or is that just to give the legs a change?
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Blimey and there was me worried about a slightly inclined bit about 100m long x 2m wide on the side of a sheer (well I couldn't have skiied down it) drop on holiday!!
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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: |
But you seem to be saying that sometimes the tips swing out (in which case the tails swing in some). Not quite sure why you do that - it seems to be going form a (say) left side slip to a right one - any benefit, or is that just to give the legs a change?
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well yes, in that case they did as that ridge tends to develop some very interesting contours and I guess it was just more efficient to kriss-cross the edge of it now and then, sometimes pointing in toward the ridge and sometimes pointing out.
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admin, gotcha. Thanks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Acacia, that tactic can get one beaten up for ruining direct-line powder.
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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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Recently had the most horrendous hard-frozen snow on a high traverse. You really couldn't lose the line off the track as you would have to turn on frozen crud... which was nigh on impossible on such a steep side. You literally had to really commit with a stemmed jump and then catch the slide because your edges were bouncing all over here. We really shouldn't have been there but the backside gully was the best snow on the hill, comparatively speaking so worth doing a few times...JUST........!!!!!!!
But the traverse was pretty much the worse snow I can recall in recent times
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JT, pah, the traverse down to St Christophe was even more "interesting" - and about 10 times as long! 
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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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spyderjon, eek! That gave me vertigo and I don't even suffer from it!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| eng_ch wrote: |
| That gave me vertigo and I don't even suffer from it! |
I love this sentence. :lol:
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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spyderjon, no feeking way... at all ..ever............ on this earth............... would I do that...................
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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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I assume the via ferrata is complete....
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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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comprex,
If there's direct-line powder, then I don't need to traverse.
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Heh. I was discussing this with my guide at the weekend. I am convinced that these tracks are the guides' big joke on the punters. They shoot along them at impossible speeds and expect me to keep up. I find the best results are
1 - tails out as everybody else said
2 - watch the guide carefully and see where s/he wobbles/jumps/poles - be prepared
3 - flexible legs to abosrb bumps and core body tension to stop bein thrown out of position
4 - just go for it
5 - when the guide says "you fall, you die" try not to look down the hill.
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