 Poster: A snowHead
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I am off skiing for my second ever week. Had lessons the first time and picked it up pretty quickly. Was happy getting down reds and even tackled a few blacks.
I have heard good snow reports for the week leading up to and during my stay.
I would really like to do some off piste skiing. What would people recommend it terms of giving it a go.
Should I just go for it ?
Let me know your thoughts
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You sound young and stupid, why ask, just do it 
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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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I've done 7 weeks skiing over 4 years, and I feel just about ready. I would say you have to be nailing reds and ok on the blacks to be good for off piste.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mattrix77, the first time I went skiing it was a two week trip. People thought I was mad to do a two weeker straight off. Even though I'd never skied before I was convinced I'd like it. I did lessons but in the afternoons I skied with my mate who had been 3/4 weeks before. We went off piste. For the record it was Tignes. Indeed we dabbled a little off piste in the lessons. As a result I've been skiing off piste in some shape or form almost since day 1. My kids have skied off piste quite a bit already and they are 5 and 7. IMHO off piste skiing is skiing. In these more modern times you will be told to get instruction in how to ski off piste, to take avalanche research/training, to always carry full avalanche safety equipment, preferably to hire a guide if you do not know the terrain or until you can access the risks. They are almost certainly correct in their advice. But I suspect in truth most of them started like me, by justing doing it. Do make sure you have insurance that covers off piste skiing without a guide, do read up at least a little and do look at the avalanche levels and warnings whereever you are skiing. And have fun, there is nothing like it IMO.
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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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Grab ESF L3 or equivalent lessons and they will probably take you offpiste, safer than starting out solo after so little mountain time and will let you consolidate your great start.
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Thanks for the advice people. think i will see how i get on piste at the start of the week. Probably just jump in and have a go drag my dad out with me who has got some off piste experience.
will let you know how i get on.
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Off piste technique is not basically different from piste technique but it does take a little getting used to, especially in difficult snow. .You can't get away with bad technique the way you can on piste. You learn that by doing it. However a bit of light powder on a firm base is easier than many piste conditions.
Don't go off piste alone: if you sprain a knee or something worse you will need help and people won't be passing close by. Even if you ski a gentle slope which is very unlikely to avalanche you need to think about the steep slopes (perhaps a long way) above: might someone set them off onto you? I'm not saying don't do it, just bear these things in mind and don't go off piste when the avalanche danger level is high (they put out flags or you can just ask a pisteur or a ski teacher).
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No need to go way off-piste just yet - best to go in between and side piste for now just to get a feel for it. If you go into the deep stuff without a guide you may find it tough there are plenty skills practice on the piste and in ungroomed stuff but always with an 'out' close at hand.
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There're 2 separate aspect of skiing off-piste: the skiing and the safety.
The skiing part isn't all that different. Especially when there's a fair bit of new snow. It probably be just as easy to ski off-piste as on. On the other hand, the new snow could be hiding all sort of irregularity underneath which you might hit (e.g. big bump field). Either way, you'll find out by simply skiing it. It's much like tackling a black piste for the first time, you might be ready and have a good time, or you might not and be pretty miserable. As long as you're not too far from piste that you'll be able to bail back into piste.
The safety issue is a bit different. There's avi danger. And there's also the danger of whatever is underneath the snow. Plus the insurance applicable to off-piste or not. Others had already touch on the avi danger issue. So I'll add a word about the "other" danger. When you go outside the piste marker, that little depression on the snow could be a big hole that you can fall in, or that small lump maybe covering hose for the snow canon. You might get a bit of nasty surprise skiing into either. So better take it a bit slower than you would on piste. Make sure you dad is with you and watch out for you just in case.
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In 40 years skiing off piste I've never gone into a big hole, though I have hit a couple of tree stumps skiing under lifts (though usually you can see a slight bump on the surface of the powder and avoid that bit).
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