snowball, my take would be as centred as possible and don't try to rush the turn until you feel your weight in the right place. I have a bad habit of trying to force my way round on the tails in panic mode with somewhat mixed results. The good thing about Chancer is you've got plenty of run out to get it right. The bad thing is you might encounter the odd huge lump of ex-cornice while you're doing so ...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Speaking of steep entries, and YouTube, I caught this....
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?
snowball, I would use *more* uphill ski lead, and try to keep the tips slightly downslope from the tails (by opening the ankles if the boot allowed for it, for example).
There is a little bit of hip action I'm thinking of here, but I'd have to visualise your exact situation better in order to see if it fits. . It's similar to the snap-the-hips-round-the-turns-ahead-of-the-COM forcing I mentioned in one of the first threads we ever corresponded in.
I just love this thread which is making me long for the snow - and a week in La Grave in February
My personal (less expert than many on this thread) approach to steeps - enter straight if you can so you are already half way into a turn, but the first turn after that will usually be a deliberate jump. Weight forward enough to give that lovely sensation that your nose is almost below your tips, and your skis following your body down the fall line (whilst still upright...)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm not sure if I adequately explained the situation. I'm only talking about getting onto the slope and turning across the slope to check my initial speed. Once I'm on the slope, however steep, I'm OK. The slopoe to the left of entry was steeper so I was turning right. However I didn't want to get up speed because a bit further right was a cliff. Consequently, rather than a proper jump, I tried to sort of tip over onto the slope, hardly getting into the air at all and then getting in a turn. Perhaps I would have been better allowing more time for the turn and accepting a bit more speed, or, as has been said already, jumping off and turning in the air.
Oh well, I don't know, but it is fun thinking about it until such time as I can ski again. I hope I'll manage a weekend at Nevis late in the season.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 10-11-09 22:50; edited 2 times in total
On the mini-jump landing, were the ski tips significantly downslope of the tails or were the skis mostly level across the slope?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I'll readily defer to others but in my limited experience of jump turns it's best to land with the skis pointing in the direction of travel - ie. downhill. Land flat and very, very softly and then rotate quickly, slide and apply pressure as required. That way you have more scope for making corrections.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 10-11-09 23:09; edited 2 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
snowball wrote:
I hope I'll manage a weekend at Nevis late in the season.
if you do I'd be up for a trip up .....
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.
The way I did it I landed pointing almost straight down the slope- with the slope to my left steeper than to my right - and tried to turn across the slope immediately.
What perhaps I could have done is pushed off straight out, pivoting in the air around one ski-pole and landed on the slope sideways, thus stopping almost dead with no forward motion across the slope. It is a very useful technique for getting into a narrow couloir where the very top is a slight cornice. I've only done it in softer snow than that (powder, or the firm but grippy snow you often get on steeps which the French call souflé dure). I imagine most of the people on here who ski steeper things have done it - it's not difficult.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
david@mediacopy, we'll start a thread in March.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowball, I think I understand now, thanks.
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.
david@mediacopy, where do you live?
I usually drive up (about 9 hours London to Glencoe or 9 1/2 hours to Nevis) but from London you can take a plane to Edinburgh on the Friday (about £50 or £60 return on Easyjet plus £37 if you take your skis) and hire a car for the last bit. You can ski the whole day on Saturday and Sunday and catch an evening flight back.
Or is there a chance of taking a few weekdays off?
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
snowball, Shropshire, about 15mins from the M6. Week days would be fine, and probably better for me. Driving would probably be my choice given the airport choice etc.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I'm wondering if you are dropping in, getting slightly back onto the tails of the skis and putting more pressure on the rear than it can withstand causing the ski edge at the rear to give out and skid.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
arv, nicely done.
snowball, here's me demonstrating how not to do it quite nearby, captured on one of my only outings with a helmet camera. Skip forward to 3 minutes for the 8 seconds of rag-dolling that results
DB, no, I don't think so, but I am still not sure if I should put my weight well forward to negate the circumstance I have been describing. Last time was the season before last so it is rare to find a moment to test it - perhaps I should have repeated the entry later
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DB, no, I don't think so, but I am still not sure if I should put my weight well forward to negate the circumstance I have been describing. Last time was the season before last so it is rare to find a moment to test it - perhaps I should have repeated the entry later moffatross, a very frustrating video since the helmet-cam is pointing up too much.
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?
moffatross, nice!! Were you going in above yellowbelly????
I've only gone in there once via backtrack, but the top pitch is lovely...
kitenski, I'm not sure 'nice' is the right word ... when I was at St Anton a week later I was still wincing from the bruises !! That one was also my first back corries experience with the chair breaking down as I was queueing at the bottom and I'm told they were abseiling people off that afternoon after the rest of us hiked out. I think it was yellow belly though, the top of chair was about 100 metres to my right. I returned three weeks later and all the conventional entrances had been cut out to make them easy peasy.
snowball, as I said, don't bother with the helmet camera anymore because most of the time I've no idea which way it's pointing. I've now got quite adept at skiing with poles in one hand and conventional digi camera with viewfinder in the other.
FAQ
brian
... when I was at St Anton a week later I was still wincing from the bruises !! 
