There is plenty written on SH's about skiing moguls, whether you go around them, over them, turn on top of them etc. I have probably never skied 'real' hard moguls, but I skied the central red down to the halfway point in Orelle once and on that last respectable bit of the slope when I turned around the big slushy mounds down its whole length were large enough to see from the bottom of the slope + about 200 yards in the same way that true mogul fields are. The run back to the base of the Achterjet in Flachau also gets similarly mounded at the end of the day if the snow has been soft. I'm not fit enough to ski too many of them without a breather, but I always find stopping at even the edge of the piste in the regularly mounded areas is, shall we say, fraught with difficulties. Normally I have to try to do it on speed control alone, maybe running up the moguls in order to slow down, but that is a bit hit and miss in its results. I can hockey stop, but sometimes there doesn't seem to be the space to do it. You couldn't even snow plough a stop as there isn't the space for the V of the skis.
It might sound an odd question, but is there a recommended method for stopping in the middle of moguls/big regularly mounded areas of snow?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum, Try a more aggressive hockey stop as you go down the back of a mogul (so skidding down it, skis parralel to the fall line) - you can then also use the upslope on the next mogul as a kind of 'buffer.' If need be, form that position you could always continue the traverse a little across the fall line to further slow down.
Not sure if that's a 'recommended way' to do it, tbh not really sure what I do, I've never thought about it before, I just... 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?
For me there is a big difference between a mogul field and a 'mashed potato' field. I much prefer the hard icy ones, I'm rubbish at slush. As clarky999 says, if I have to stop I'd pick the upslope and a hockey stop. But in fairness I'd probably pick somewhere flatter to stop. The edges of a mogulled piste are usually flatter. If it's the slushy kind, I'll probably stop against my will as I really can't get going in that heavy stuff anyway.
Don't stop unless you are right at the edge of the field (and absolutely have to). There's nothing more annoying than getting into the rhythm of moguls and finding somebody has stopped in front of you!
If you get into trouble, ski out the side. If you're going slow enough to stop then you aren't in trouble
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Skiing bumps is a series of pivots so just over pivot to stop on the upslope. But as musher says don't wreck someone's line.
Ski to the edge of the field, use the shape of the mogul to turn behind one and point up hill instant stop
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Megamum, Just look at the bottom of the slope where the moguls finish
Then just go straight
Suck em up and have fun
I must stop posting on SH after a bottle or two of red wine
After all it is free
After all it is free
livetoski,
Way to go!
If your teeth aren't chattering you aren't skiing them properly
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.
musher, absolutely
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
livetoski,
If only I was 20(ish) years younger
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
musher, me too make that 30 ish younger, come on winter hurry up I need to go skiing!!!
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.
livetoski,
Careful, I think you are younger that I am!
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
if you run up the moguls to slow down , i would suggest you should drop your weight through centre more, giving you more flex at the knee so you can get more pressure on the ski edges as you go to the trough. skiing in a tunnel phrase comes to mind. make sure your upper body remains still(ish) and the legs work like pistons to keep control of speed . Stop by using someone who has stopped in the middle of your line , or use a faceplant into the back of a mogul. preferably a slushy one. not recommended for big icy ones.
Last edited by 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 on Sat 13-10-12 10:15; edited 1 time in total
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
the tunnel should have a low headroom height !!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Megamum, I am rather surprised that no-one has suggested that the major problem in skiing bumps is absorption.
If you can ski across a bump field absorbing each one, upper body entirely still, then you'll find that stoppong ceases to be an issue. You just hockey stop as usuaul, ignoring the bumps...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
limegreen1 wrote:
Stop by using someone who has stopped in the middle of your line
Warning - other skiers are closer than they appear.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum, best way to learn bumps is to get a bumps lesson. This is apt for any level of skiing. Learn compression turn technique and you'll find a whole new level of confidence.
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?
I'd hazard a guess that the fundamental problem is getting in the back seat on difficult terrain. In the first place, that saps energy, necessitating breathers. In the second place, the skis run away from you leading to a build up of speed. In the third place, you're not developing enough pressure over your skis to turn or stop efficiently.
PS, I think most of the detailed technical advice here relates to icy moguls at the top of the mountains, and not the spring afternoon slushy mounds on lower slopes that I think MM is describing.
Absorbing is a good idea...extension after is even more important otherwise you'll end up in a heap!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm at the stage where I've had an introduction to them (small bumps) in lessons, I find I can flex my legs to have one bent whilst the other isn't, and even if I've got a lot to deal with I can run around and get down even fairly large slushy mounds. True hard big moguls I stay well away from, but stopping is def. a bit hit and miss in any type
Megamum, Something that I like to have in mind -- which applies to any surface (bumps, piste, off-piste).. is to do stuff with your skis on the best looking snow to do it on. So on pistes you'll often find scraped patches which aren't good, and softer patches (where the snow has been scraped too) which are better to turn/stop on. The same applies to bumps... look where the softer snow is, and do whatever you want to do there.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
dont ski bumps with straight legs. it means you cannot extend the leg any more therefore pressure cannot be applied to the ski as it goes down the back of a mogul. You then get the jumping up and down thing going and total lack of control and you cant slow down.
the other thing to work on is in your head. its natural to move away from what you fear and in skiing this makes you lean back and so no control over your ski . you can hockey stop,... and you know you cant hockey stop with straight legs. Get aggressive with proper technique and refine it.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Megamum, one point and one exercise:
Unless you are skiing bumps competitively, you should be able to stop on the top of any bump - part of the turn involves a little edge-check on each apex - which helps control speed. more of a check and you stop.
Try traversing gentle bump fields keeping your shoulders at the same level and sbsorbing each bump with your legs - and not trying to do anything else other than stay upright. do it enough and the absorption will become automatic...
- and then you'll forget there were any bumps in the first place
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.
Megamum wrote:
I'm at the stage where I've had an introduction to them (small bumps) in lessons, I find I can flex my legs to have one bent whilst the other isn't, and even if I've got a lot to deal with I can run around and get down even fairly large slushy mounds. True hard big moguls I stay well away from, but stopping is def. a bit hit and miss in any type
Stopping ought to be pretty easy in soft moguls: the up slope gives some gravity assist and the soft snow a bit of grip. If you can't do it easily, I'd suggest there are some basic flaws in your technique that are exacerbated when you're a little out of your comfort zone. I dare say you're in the back seat and perhaps lacking in edge control. I'd have thought an instructor would work on these in good conditions on a moderate slope before taking you into gentle bumps.
I'd ignore all the mogul-specific advice on here and think about the basics.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Mind and keep your legs narrower in bumps as well... This is key.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
laundryman, It would be good to always find them the first times with an instructor, but sometimes, particularly at the end of the day, you start running out of options on the well used runways back home even before you've had the instruction. The run down from the top of the Achterjet in Austria, The run in VT down to the cairn gondola can also start getting similar qualities (though not to the same degree), there was a section between pistes in Les Arc a well worn shortcut to a bar that would would develop small 'proper' ones. Yes, I could pick my way down all these, but it wasn't pretty, and as I said stopping where I wanted to was a bit hit and miss. As a rule I don't think I tend to be in the back seat. However, yes, the moguls might sometimes put me there.
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.
Megamum, I know conditions like that are sometimes unavoidable. We all find ourselves having to cope outside our comfort zone from time to time. My point is that instruction will get you beyond this most quickly and not to be surprised if an instructor reinforces some basics on smoother terrain first. And in the meantime, a lot of people on here describing how they zip through moguls is not really going to help you stop.
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
shoogly wrote:
Mind and keep your legs narrower in bumps as well... This is key.
Yup. Legs forther together, hands always out in front and ready for the next pole plant, i.e don't plant the pole and then keep it planted until the hand is behind you, just do short stabs and keep the hands ahead. Always look down the hill... anticipation is everything. For the evening valley run always run down the side of the piste... The moguls are smaller and the snow has been brushed out of the center to the sides so it's almost always better snow/ less icy than in the middle.
Anyway there are tons of videos on mogul skiing out there which explain all this better than I can!
Without watching you ski, I guess you have two problems. You're probably being knocked back on your skis by a mixture of fear and the bumpy terrain, so you don't have as much control over your skis as you ought. And you're probably out 'shopping' - looking for a nice bump to turn instead of taking the next bump the mountain gives you. Turn more often and get your weight forward and stopping won't be an issue. You'll also have much more fun.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Jonny Jones, 'shopping' LOL, but yes, you are bang on, if that's what it's called then I def. 'shop' I try to find the best route across to the next bump with the best snow option for the turn. That was a good video and when I had a few bumps in a lesson the instructor did all that. We started skiing over some humps and troughs - they weren't really bumps, but were splendid ridges and troughs - I expect that was to guage whether I could dothe absorbtion bit. Then he took me through a small field - about 50m or so of smallish ones. He encouraged me to stop at the top and plan where was going to go prior to starting, but we didn't really discuss too many techniques - though it seemed he was fine for me to try and ski around them, I recall managing that set OK. The second set I c0cked it up and I ended up in the deep stuff at the side of the piste on a really steep bit and it took me ages to get back onto something I could ski again What I liked in that video was that there was not one fixed way of doing things. I also think that I could try coming to a halt by using the back of a hump to sort of hockey stop down (as has been suggested above) I can see in that video how that might be possible. In fact I got on really well with that instructor, I can't remember his name, but he was from Arc Adventures and the skiing I did with him felt really good.
I think what is in my favour is, providing they are not too formidable, I don't think I'm too scared of them - I have been having a crack at those we have encountered as mentioned above. I'm going to watch that video a few more times the guy makes it look easy (OK, I know its his job to do so), but I'm encouraged to actively seek out the sort of small field he starts on and try dealing with it in different ways as he showed. It is probably best to do that at opportune times during the day rather than leave it until the end of the day run home and end up dealing with the ones on the home run, with no prior practice and tired legs. Mind you 4 years ago, I never thought I'd get down a blue let alone start thinking about techniques to deal with moguls
I envy my kids (10 and 13 this year). For several years now their instructors have taken them down the black run moguls up above Plein Sud in VT, and when we encountered a set below a lift above Meribel this year which to my mind were moderately steep and reasonably solid I took the option of the thin path that had been made off piste across to something that easily linked to the base of the moguled slope, but the kids bounced down them like it was a walk in the park. Yes, I know I'll never keep up with the kids, but I do envy them.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Megamum, also consider pistes with a strip of bumps and a smooth strip. Traverse into the bumps a few yards, one turn and out again. Or one turn, stop and out.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The video is great with all the right advice. I always ski slowly in bumps so I feel in control and can stop by sliding down the back of the bump to a hockey stop. Very poor technique for competition bumps but fine for holiday skiers. Its a case of 'do what I say, not do what I do'.
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?
mogulski wrote:
The video is great with all the right advice. I always ski slowly in bumps so I feel in control and can stop by sliding down the back of the bump to a hockey stop. Very poor technique for competition bumps but fine for holiday skiers. Its a case of 'do what I say, not do what I do'.
I think the demonstrators feet are too far apart...
I find I can flex my legs to have one bent whilst the other isn't,
If I read this correctly it could indicate that your legs are too far apart, you almost want to go back to 'old skool' with your legs alot closer together when skiing moguls vs piste skiing...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
under a new name wrote:
mogulski wrote:
The video is great with all the right advice. I always ski slowly in bumps so I feel in control and can stop by sliding down the back of the bump to a hockey stop. Very poor technique for competition bumps but fine for holiday skiers. Its a case of 'do what I say, not do what I do'.
I think the demonstrators feet are too far apart...
I was thinking that.. I have quite a narrow stance in general, but I do find it makes it much easier in the bumps otherwise you can find your balance being upset as feet and legs are at different heights or angles on some bumps.
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.
kitenski, You could certainly see their knees working in that video. I just asked my kids if they were any good at moguls 'yeah', they said converstationally 'pretty good' so I asked them where they had skied them. 'Oh, yes, with our instructor the black mogul field up above Plein Sud in VT' like it was a walk in the park , I might just as well give up any notion of keeping up (in fact I think I did so years ago).
What sort of standard do you need to be at to start contemplating having a bash at them? In Les Arcs a few years back the instructor took me through some mini-fields and we discussed them as mogul fields to ski so that is why I think I might be ready.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
kitenski, that's awesome bump skiing, and nothing retro about their technique or ability. A real joy to watch - thanks for posting
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
What I liked in that video was that there was not one fixed way of doing things. I also think that I could try coming to a halt by using the back of a hump to sort of hockey stop down (as has been suggested above) I can see in that video how that might be possible. In fact I got on really well with that instructor, I can't remember his name, but he was from Arc Adventures and the skiing I did with him felt really good.
