horizon posted a vid showing tree skiing, and someone else commented "treat them as slalom poles". I've never skied trees, but I do wonder about how to do it safely. I would be wary of the slalom pole analogy as there would be a tendency to ski quite close - my worry is hitting a tree well.
Is there anything to look out for? any specific techniques that are important?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Look at the gaps, not the trees.
If you're verging on losing control better to take an earlier fall into snow than hold on to it and crash in to a tree.
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?
Follow someone who's good at it! The only time I've skied trees that's what I did and it worked a treat. Might just have been luck, though.
Indeed - aim for the gaps you wanrt to go though, not the trees you want to avoid
Don't worry too much about being "clean" and carving turns. Smeared turns and stem christies are an essential part of your armoury, especially when you are first starting
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
BTW, skiing trees in powder is one of the best things you can do. It rocks BIG time
I'm thinking of having a go at Panorama - I'll be very selective on which run to try and will be checking the size of the gaps!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Agree with look at the white bits and not at the trees. But it's over-rated. Basically the trees get in the way (no poo-poo sherlock) - it's like some people think golf is a good walk spoiled. Uncluttered powder field or one full of trees? I prefer it without.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Bode Swiller, I think I might come to the same conclusion, but if you don't try you'll never know I guess
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Bode Swiller, I like that philosophy and think everyone should stick to it - nothing more satisfying skiing the fun tree lines when the rest of the mountain fight over the cruddy open faces
Skiing trees is still skiing, just take it slowly until you get more confident. Oh, and don't put your pole straps on unless you hate your arms.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
cant give you any tips on skiing trees, but if your trying it at panorama, last season there was a run leading to the base of the summit quad, isnt on the piste map this year. you can either ski down the lift line(once at the top looking down the hill, as it starts to level out, you can go to the left and theres some fairly wide open trees there, but still tight enough that you cant just straightline through it,and a reasonably gentle pitch. you bust out the other side onto a wide open run(which this year isnt marked, but may not of been on there last year) and runs straight into the quad.
if your not confident skiing the lift line (as its semi steep at the top), take the blue run from the summit, till your like 4 lift posts up from the lift and you can take the lift line as its nice and easy then , and take it left.
Otherwise the sun bowl is a good area for doing tree stuff, as theres a few bits with clumps of 20-30 trees, which means you can get used to it, without having to do 500 metres of it, if it gets hairy. as you can turn to the side and come straight back out into the bowl.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:
Uncluttered powder field or one full of trees? I prefer it without.
Bode Swiller, As I was thinking, You are not a skier
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.
Its as rob@rar, say,,
Quote:
Look at the gaps, not the trees.
If you're verging on losing control better to take an earlier fall into snow than hold on to it and crash in to a tree.
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
DaveC wrote:
Oh, and don't put your pole straps on unless you hate your arms.
A very valid point - I was tree skiing a year ago when the end of one of my poles got caught in tree root, arm was pulled back as my body continued forward resulting in a torn head bicep Knackered me up for the year, it's literally only just got put right now. Needless to say I learnt my lesson!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Choose a powder day. Much easier in deep snow.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
holidayloverxx, Take a Chainsaw.
Skiing trees is like driving, look at the road ahead, not at the parked cars. Look at the gaps, not the trees. If you look at the trees you'll hit them.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Spyderman wrote:
If you look at the trees you'll hit them.
It's amazing how magnetic things become when you look at them. I had a off-piste lesson once where we stood at the top of a wide open slope with great snow and one lift pylon right in the middle. The instructor said pick your own line and joked about not skiing into the pylon. Half way down the slope I suddenly realised that I was being drawn to the pylon as that had become a point of focus for me.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
holidayloverxx, Look for the gaps. Before you start, decide on your line - you'll be too busy to do that whilst skiing ! If you can't see where you are going to stop - then it's time to stop !
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?
DaveC, I don't use pole straps anyway, thanks for the tip
kev182, thanks, that's good to know
Thanks also to everyone else; good advice (apart from the chainsaw )
holidayloverxx, glad the video was useful. Once I manage to post the whole edit with several skiers, I hope there will be other good stuff.
In fact, here's a very draft first edit of my skiing in the same week (the intro is the same as the other video but the ultimate intention is to merge everything in a short film). I think the first and last but one pitch are nice views of skiing trees.
What I found is that you need the confidence to do a few turns fluidly rather than try to slow your speed on every turn. Visualising your first two-three turns is useful for this (from experience, pick an open, easy place to turn - I've often visualised turning in a tight place just to find out that my body can't keep up with the skiing in my head). So start with a mellow pitch and widely spaced trees. And yeah, definitely aim for the spaces between the trees.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
holidayloverxx,
There are some good easier glades at panorama. Way out the the left on piste map are some easier glades. the trees are very little and well spaced. Not so scary as the trees must be bendy and you can see ahead of you better. Try sun bowl too and the edges of pistes whn you can do a bit of practice.
I only ever look awful in glades, but they are fun
horizon, thanks, I'll have a look at home (blocked at work)
gryphea, more good info - thanks
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
After last weeks experience my advice is "Don't do it!" especially on skis longer than you normally use and especially not as your first run of the season....don't ask!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
PsychoBabble, , advice duly noted but of course we are asking now......
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 chainsaw should be petrol and not electric otherwise the cable will get in the way.
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
holidayloverxx, "Lets make your 50th memorable..." so said Mrs Psycho! A week in La Grave... how aptly named! Didnt even get to do a warm up piste run, weather was bad so we were taken to Serre Chevalier, heavy snow, poor visibility, the guide felt the trees would be a good idea. Someone above said make sure you go down before you hit the tree...good advice, wish I had been told earlier! And that was the best of the week. One day I took myself off to Deux Alpes to try and restore a little confidence and self esteem... on the way there found myself sliding sideways in the hired corsa towards this chuffng great snowplough... still I made it home...
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
PsychoBabble,
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
DB, nice
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
rob@rar wrote:
Spyderman wrote:
If you look at the trees you'll hit them.
It's amazing how magnetic things become when you look at them. I had a off-piste lesson once where we stood at the top of a wide open slope with great snow and one lift pylon right in the middle. The instructor said pick your own line and joked about not skiing into the pylon. Half way down the slope I suddenly realised that I was being drawn to the pylon as that had become a point of focus for me.
I managed exactly the same thing with a single tree in the middle of wide open piste, no idea how but ended up wrapped around it tree hugger style. And to top it off then got stuck in the tree hole. We now call it Sharon's Tree and I go and give it an affectionate pat whenever we return
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
holidayloverxx wrote:
horizon, thanks, I'll have a look at home (blocked at work)
gryphea, more good info - thanks
well just use some proxy sites.. you can find some at http://proxy-zone.net I hope this helps man, good luck
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?
^^^ Plake really is an incredible skier, so fluid!!
shoogly, forgot to answer you, the video is shot all over Via Lattea, including Claviere trees and some run in Sestriere where you end up on a cross-country run and pole back for 10 minutes. I'll need to go back to each segment and remember where we skied in different days.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar wrote:
Spyderman wrote:
If you look at the trees you'll hit them.
It's amazing how magnetic things become when you look at them. I had a off-piste lesson once where we stood at the top of a wide open slope with great snow and one lift pylon right in the middle. The instructor said pick your own line and joked about not skiing into the pylon. Half way down the slope I suddenly realised that I was being drawn to the pylon as that had become a point of focus for me.
similair to looking at car headlights in the dark.
holidayloverxx, so all say "look for the spaces not the trees" - I have found that difficult in the past but watching the video made me see them as "slalom poles" will hopefully make me think about initiating my turns in the right place - which I can do ! Just a way of thinking which I think will help me
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
holidayloverxx, Remember the trees will jump out in front of you and if you get too close they suck you into their tree well from which its not simple to climb out of
After all it is free
After all it is free
Hurtle, That'll be those tree wells
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.
Boredsurfing, no, it was just another thread. (Lost the plot just there.......... Too much wine and too little sleep last night.) Obviously one needs to avoid glades of Ents, at all costs, when skiing trees.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
There's a fun piece from Skiing Interactive in the link below (Ski trees with Eric Pollard).
You need to watch it through several times to read the advice as it flashes up... Unless you can read a lot faster than I can...
Roughly advice seems to be:
1. Don't carve.
2. Don't stop.
3. Don't go too fast.
4. Use regular pole plants to set rhythm.
5. Plan ahead by looking for space.
I tend to find I get over excited after a (short) stretch of getting it all right, accelerate and then have to bring myself to a sudden stop, then find it tricky to get going again. Then do, then get excited, then... etc etc. Great fun though.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Knackered me up for the year, it's literally only just got put right now. Needless to say I learnt my lesson!
Too much wine and too little sleep last night.) Obviously one needs to avoid glades of Ents, at all costs, when skiing trees.