Helping a beginner stucked before a steep one...

AllyG wrote:

terencewind wrote:Why didn't the skis go off???

I don't know why his skis didn't come off. One of my skis came off when I just skied into a pile of powder with my right ski.



Ally

If look at the video just before the somersault, you will see that the TAIL of the upside down ski digs in. The toe piece of the binding would have had to release to upward pressure, which it not designed to do. The toe of the binding releases to sideways pressure, and the heel to upwards pressure. Just one of those things, but the position of the leg in that instance, looks to be quite strong. If the ski had twisted (and had not been square to snow), then the toe piece would probably have released. At least that's what I see.

Trencher

I think most people get in over their heads now and again. I know with me, it normally involves a lot of hard work, and sweating when it happens, followed by a jeez, I won't make that mistake again :lol:

Trencher

I agree, even very good skiers get into situations they'd rather not be sometimes.

For the beginer, I'd suggest traversing the full width of the slope and stopping at the far side. Then turn the skis around (either doing so standing or sitting on your backside, then traverse across to the other side, losing a little height each time.

It might take a while to get to the bottom, but the steepness and worry of making the turn are removed.

I just have to post that she made it finally today... on her own, without any procrastination. :-)

That's great :D :D

Please give her my congratulations :thumbup:

Ally

AllyG wrote:

terencewind wrote:Why didn't the skis go off???

As far as piste maps go - I have long had a 'thing' about them. Every resort I go to seems to have at least one mistake on the piste map. And sometimes a blue seems more like a red, or vice versa.

Had this problem last week. I skied something that was black on the piste map and got down no worries. It was very, very steep but fairly short and also impeccably groomed with great snow and (importantly) very wide. As a bonus it wasn't tree-lined either. IMHO not Black for anybody even a nuffy intermediate like me.

This got my confidence up and I then tackled a 4km "Red". Red my arse. It was narrow, rock, cliff and tree lined, full of turns and had hard packed icy snow.

IMHO Part of the problem is that 3 colours are not enough to grade runs. Need a few more I reckon.

There is often the odd run in an area where you think to yourself – 'not sure I'd want to lead a beginner down there', usually after skiing it. Be it because of conditions or often the number of other skiers on a busy slope.
I organise big groups, we usually have a few beginners. I often ski with them at some point during the week, I find seeing things from their perspective helps to improve my skiing.
It's really easy to find yourself leading a beginner somewhere that is outside their comfort zone, at which point you have to be careful as you risk their confidence being shattered if you handle it badly.
It could just be a slope that they skied easily in the morning but by the afternoon it's become mogulled and suddenly it's a big challenge. The other big variable is weather, bad vis is a challenge to all, but beginners all the more so.
You need to do everything you can to build confidence, take it one turn at a time and slowly. Don't let them focus on the bottom, break it down into sections, manageable bites. Explain where you are going to take them and where you are going to stop. Keep technical tips to a minimum, over complicating things won't help. Lots of encouragement, ski at their pace, look out for hazards. If they look tired let them rest.

geno68 wrote:

IMHO Part of the problem is that 3 colours are not enough to grade runs. Need a few more I reckon.

In the US, there are only three colours, green (round), blue (square), and black (diamond). A greater degree of difficulty on the blue and black runs is denoted by doubling the sign, eg a double blue. It gives you a heads up, that there is something more to that run.

A nice thing that most large resorts do, is to station a resort guide (a real person)at the top of most lifts by the large trail map. They advise on where to go for the type of skiing you want to do, and the real degree of difficulty.

Trencher