Latest posts for the topic "How to get down steep narrow paths"

How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 13:25:18 GMT

Hello
My problem is how to get downhill through narrow steep paths where traversing or stem is difficult & prohibitive. Thank you

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 13:27:19 GMT

Pick another route or go off piste???

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 13:32:09 GMT

Sometimes its impossible. I think that the old fashion parallel short turns are the only way

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 14:12:20 GMT

I tend to do lots of short pole turns if the terrain permits in a tight situation.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 16:48:27 GMT

Tony_H wrote:I tend to do lots of short pole turns if the terrain permits in a tight situation.

What is a pole turn?

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 18:23:20 GMT

Turns using your poles to get round quicker. Pole planting, if you are being pedantic. No good in deep snow though!

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 18:54:58 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Turns using your poles to get round quicker. Pole planting, if you are being pedantic. No good in deep snow though!

Ah, thanks, with you now. I expect that Warren Smith would have a posh name for those turns

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 18:55:32 GMT

It wasnt difficult to explain. Why did you ask?

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 19:23:56 GMT

Tony_H wrote:It wasnt difficult to explain. Why did you ask?

I could have made an assumption, which could have been wrong. I think you've been doing....

braquage turns, which are incredibly short-radius, and designed for use in colouirs where carving is simply not an option.

Though I could be wrong
http://www.welove2ski.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=b01&featureid=715

Sorry Admin, it's the only online article I could find

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 19:26:26 GMT

I thought you would have known exactly what I meant from the description and were just being pedantic. My mistake. I try not to get hung up on tech terms of jargon personally.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 20:19:22 GMT

I use a similar method Tony. Being a relative newbie I've no idea of the technical term. But, what I was shown to do this year was to lightly plant the pole towards the tip of my outside / downhill ski and then do a sharp turn around that point. Worked for me, just had to follow a mental mantra of plant, turn, plant, turn.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 23:59:58 GMT

Thats kind of the jist of it Jim.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 08:24:36 GMT

bandit wrote:I think you've been doing....

braquage turns, which are incredibly short-radius, and designed for use in colouirs where carving is simply not an option.

Isn't a braquage turn specifically one where the edges don't engage (at all)? Somewhat related to a jump turn but with a more stylish name...

Tony_H wrote:Turns using your poles to get round quicker. Pole planting, if you are being pedantic. No good in deep snow though!

Hmm. When it's steep'n'deep a solid pole plant can be pretty darned handy!

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 09:34:35 GMT

Until the pole sinks right in to the soft powder!!!

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:33:34 GMT

Forcing very short diameter turns works - using your poles more makes it easier to force those little turns.

Another way to handle narrow paths is to simply straightline until speed picks up a bit then snap both skis 180 to the path while keeping your shoulders facing straight down the path, roll onto your uphill edges so as not to catch an edge - skid with your skis at right angles to the path with shoulders facing directly down the path then snap the skis back to normal when you have washed off enough speed - repeat as required. A bit like a rolling hockey stop I guess.

If you don't have the ability to do either of these techniques swallow your pride and bust out the trusty old snowplough? Wanna mix it up? Switch snowplough?

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:46:01 GMT

Reminds me of a colouir I skiied after new year. The top was lovely, wide enough to turn in and with plenty of powder. The bottom, however, had formed into a chute of hard pack so narrow that you couldn't turn in it, with rocks either side. The person I was following demonstrated the best technique - straight down until it widens up again, at which point you - but my nerves got the best of me and I ended in a big pile of snow at the bottom.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:14:25 GMT

Thanks guys.I will try these teqniques. Can yoy explain me more simple the pole turns?

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:12:38 GMT

Ski slowly, put out hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn, put out other hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn the other way.
Continue until the bottom of the path.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:44:58 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Ski slowly, put out hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn, put out other hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn the other way.
Continue until the bottom of the path.

Just take them off and walk.......

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:45:42 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Ski slowly, put out hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn, put out other hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn the other way.
Continue until the bottom of the path.

Just take them off and walk.......

If it's steep and slippy, it's safer to keep your skis on....really

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:54:55 GMT

bandit wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Ski slowly, put out hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn, put out other hand, put down pole, perform particularly sharp turn the other way.
Continue until the bottom of the path.

Just take them off and walk.......

If it's steep and slippy, it's safer to keep your skis on....really

Well that depends in LGb in Jan my sister in law froze on a red in the fog, and the only way to get her down was to take um off and walk down, I agree not the easyest thing in the world to do but mission was ocumplished and the silly cow got down chilled out.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:59:44 GMT

Does your s-i-l read the interweb Ian?

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:11:54 GMT

bandit wrote:Does your s-i-l read the interweb Ian?

I did have a little chat with her and outlined my feelings so she should not be too surprised, what really pissed me off was not the walk down but some bloke stopping to see if " I" was alright.

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:14:28 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

bandit wrote:Does your s-i-l read the interweb Ian?

I did have a little chat with her and outlined my feelings so she should not be too surprised, what really pissed me off was not the walk down but some bloke stopping to see if " I" was alright.

Ooops

Just think of your blood pressure, and maybe have a little lie down and refocus

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:19:16 GMT

bandit wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

bandit wrote:Does your s-i-l read the interweb Ian?

I did have a little chat with her and outlined my feelings so she should not be too surprised, what really pissed me off was not the walk down but some bloke stopping to see if " I" was alright.

Ooops

Just think of your blood pressure, and maybe have a little lie down and refocus

Well so far so good No email or phone call.......

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:24:38 GMT

Hows the snow fall in Grimentz, Lgb have had some pretty big dumps over the last couple of days

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:29:00 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:Hows the snow fall in Grimentz, Lgb have had some pretty big dumps over the last couple of days

A nice top up on the levels, been a bit windy and due to stay rather chilly for the whole week. Unfortunately I'm not there

How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:19:45 GMT

Tony H regarding your 'pole turns', they called them 'short swings' when I was learning to ski in the 1970s (See the Sunday Times' classic book - We Learned To Ski)!

How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:54:19 GMT

LOTA wrote:Tony H regarding your 'pole turns', they called them 'short swings' when I was learning to ski in the 1970s (See the Sunday Times' classic book - We Learned To Ski)!

A blast from the past, I've not heard that term used for a long time

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:27:23 GMT

Here's some more classics for you Ian (straight out of We Learned To Ski - 1974!):

Uphill christies; stem christies; parallel christies;

The jet turn (very stylish); the wedel trun (same as short swings) and the avalement technique for mastering the moguls

All very dated but still a magnificent book!

Re:How to get down steep narrow paths

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:32:43 GMT

bandit wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:Hows the snow fall in Grimentz, Lgb have had some pretty big dumps over the last couple of days

A nice top up on the levels, been a bit windy and due to stay rather chilly for the whole week. Unfortunately I'm not there

It's been quite agreeable.