The Skiing Department Blog

How to Ski All Year

Robert Stewart — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:13:18 +0000

The ski season runs from Christmas to Easter right? Well, the traditional northern hemisphere season in most resorts starts in December and ends in April, but there are many places that have snow at other times of the year.

It’s easily achievable to ski all year round and if you have the budget and the inclination then why not take a year off and follow The Skiing Departments suggested destinations for a world wide ski adventure:

January: Kitzbühel, Austria
The famous alpine resort of Kitzbühel in the Austrian Tirol is a winter sports haven for skiers of all abilities. In January the biggest race on the men’s world cup ski race calendar takes place on the Hannenkamm slope. The town goes party mad as the worlds best skiers hurtle down the steep and icy mountain.

February: Troodos, Cyprus
The month of February often means more crowds as holiday makers flood to the Alps for their annual ski trip. So head south to the Island of Cyprus for a more unusual ski experience on Mt Olympus. There are 4 ski lifts and several hotel options within a short distance of the ski area. Don’t expect the type of infrastructure found in the major European resorts but for an alternative ski holiday and a bit of fun in the depths of winter it could prove to be a winner.

March: Verbier, Switzerland
In complete contrast to the simple slopes of Cyprus, Verbier is a world class ski destination that can cater for all levels of skier but is particularly good for experts. The off piste options are endless and in march the snow base has had a chance to build and the possibility of sunny skies and powder snow draws some of the world’s top freeride (off piste skiing on extreme slopes) skiers to the town. The Nissan Xtreme Verbier is the final competition for the world’s best off piste skiers as they display their skills on the seriously scary Bec de Rosses peak.

April: Lillehammer, Norway
As the days grow longer and the temperature starts to rise, Scandinavia provides one of the longest ski seasons in the northern hemisphere. The town of Lillehammer was the location of the 1994 winter Olympic games and has several ski areas with extensive options for all levels of skier. Head up to the ski area of Kvitfjell, site of the Olympic men’s downhill run, for some seriously fun piste action.

May: Valdez, Alaska
Get out of Europe and head to Alaska where the helicopter rules the mountains. By this time of the year snow has accumulated to huge levels and the light is much improved compared with mid-winter. Heli-skiing by nature is generally for very good to expert skiers the slopes you ski on are always un-groomed. Qualified and highly experienced guides will always be required and a basic knowledge of mountain safety and avalanche rescue is advisable.

June: Colorado Rockies, USA
The 2010/2011 season saw absolutely massive amounts of snow falling throughout the winter in the Rocky Mountains. Although this is not guaranteed to be the case every year, there will be places that always hold enough snow to allow for some great ski touring. The resort of Arapahoe Basin along with a few others even opened their lifts for the 4th July Independence Day celebrations….they still had enough snow to ski on. Snowbird in Utah was open for 202 days during the 2010/2011 season, wow.

July: Queenstown, New Zealand
Turn up at the start of July to the southern hemispheres outdoor activities capital and catch the end of the winter festival where you can ski in the day and party at night. Queenstown has 2 ski areas within a short drive of the town that cater for all abilities. The stunning scenery never becomes tiresome and the choice of accommodation, eating and drinking venues would keep you happy for a whole winter season.

August: Thredbo, Australia
The ski season in the southern hemisphere is now at its peak and Thredbo is one of the countries top ski areas. Situated between Sydney and Melbourne in the Snowy Mountains, the resort provides a number of ski runs with the longest being nearly 6 kilometres long with a total of 14 ski lifts. Accommodation and restaurants are all situated in the Thredbo village which is right at the bottom of the ski lifts.

September: Portillo, Chile
The Andean ski area of Portillo is about a 2 drive from Santiago, the capital city of Chile. A large hotel dominates the accommodation scene and generally attracts good skiers from around the world looking for something a bit different. The month of September is heading towards to the end of the season but the snow base has built up and the chance to ski powder is still quite high.

October: Hintertux, Austria
When the southern hemisphere ski season is coming to end then it must be time to head back up north. Hintertux in Austria has one of the largest and most extensive ski areas situated on a high altitude glacier. By October, it often starts to snow at this altitude so the snow conditions can be very good. Plenty of accommodation options are available.

November: Tignes, France
Like Hintertux, Tignes has a glacier that is open much of the year. By November there is normally a good cover of fresh snow which can extend further down the mountain. There are plenty of skiers using the slopes at this time of year, all preparing for the new winter season. Tignes itself has a huge amount of accommodation spread over several satellite villages.

December: Zermatt, Switzerland
A town steeped in mountaineering history and dominated by the famous Matterhorn peak, Zermatt is a true jewel of The Alps with amazing scenery, fantastic restaurants both on and off the mountain, a bustling and international atmosphere and great skiing too. Rounding the year off in this truly special place would be the icing on the cake. Christmas time is a real snowy wonderland and the backdrop of the Matterhorn with a fireworks spectacular will put you in the mood to start all over again the very next day.

How to Ski Moguls – Part 2

Robert Stewart — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:01:23 +0000

When we start skiing moguls we can traverse across them and use the bump to make a turn. Look ahead and pick your mogul (it’s now your friend), allow your skis to roll up the back side and absorb this impact by letting your knees come up towards your body. As the skis near the apex or top of the mogul, firstly, plant your pole near the top of the bump then steer your skis in a turn and extend your legs as you travel down the front of the bump.

The fact that your skis travel up the back of the mogul will slow your speed down a little, you might speed up again as you roll down the front, but if you let the skis slide slightly sideways as you go down this will help. Then use another bump as soon as possible to again control your speed even more. Practice on a relatively shallow slope. Build up your rhythm and start to make your turns on the earliest mogul possible.

If you have grasped the concept of rotation the steering the skis in the way will be easier. Try to avoid applying pressure to the inside edge of one ski like you might on a flat slope.

As you build up confidence you can start thinking about skiing down the mogul field rather than across it. Because you can rotate your skis well by this stage, controlling your speed should be easy! When you make a long carving turn on the piste, your whole body changes direction and travels across the slope. When you ski down a mogul field, your body travels in a straight line and it’s only your skis that turn.

It’s OK to keep your skis quite close together at this point. This also helps to spread the pressure over both skis more equally, which is helpful for skiing bumps. Getting into a rhythm is important and this is somewhat dictated by the moguls themselves. Take a look at the ‘line’ before starting and find one that looks the most uniform and predictable.

Like before, the back of the mogul will slow your skis down and slide down the front for even more control. Keep the rhythm going by planting your ski poles on every mogul. Always look ahead, you should be ready for the next before you make the last!
If you struggle to stay under control then go back and practice some more side slipping and remember it’s all about the rotation.

Here’s a short summary listing a few crucial points for getting the most out of the moguls:

Don’t try and make long carve turns in a bump field
Make sure you are comfortable with pole planting technique
Have the ability to make short radius turns on a ‘flat’ piste
Understand side slipping and be able to rotate your skis underneath your body
Allow your body to travel directly down the hill whilst steering your feet and legs only
If you do lean back, use the next mogul to correct your position as it will act as a break for your skis
Have fun!

How to Ski Moguls

Robert Stewart — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:13:05 +0000

These days with the advances in piste making technology, skiing moguls (or bumps) is pretty much a choice rather than a necessity. There was a time when resorts simply did not flatten the pistes for weeks and huge moguls would form on every grade of slope. Know how to ski through this minefield of overturned Volkswagen Beatles or perish!

I can’t remember the last time I was actually forced to ski down a bump field, there always seems to be an easy escape route available. Still, probably a good thing. Of course there are the black runs left alone high up on those steep facing slopes. Classic descents like Mt Fort & Tortin in Verbier, the Swiss Wall in Avoriaz or the infamous Triftij in Zermatt will always form moguls and often the gradient is just too steep for a grooming machine to flatten them.

The truth is that skiing moguls can actually be good fun and you don’t have to be an expert skier to enjoy them. The key to skiing them is to understand that you need to adapt your technique and forget about some of the ways you’ve been taught to turn on flat terrain (by flat I mean without moguls).

Most skiers today use ‘carving skis’ that are shaped to encourage the ski to turn on its edge. They are much easier to turn than the straight skis many people learned to ski on pre around the year 1998. If you want to make a smooth ‘carve’ turn on flat terrain you apply pressure to the edge of the ski and the ski does much of the work (it’s a little more complex than that but you get the idea). If we did this on a relatively steep mogul slope we’d pick up speed very quickly and lose control, often getting thrown over the tails of the ski and ultimately falling over.

So we need to control our speed and here’s the secret (well not really, it’s just not many people realise this)…..rotation. Yes, one word but it’s crucial if we want to control our speed in the bumps.

Here are a couple of exercises to improve your rotational skills:

Side slipping – It’s not glamorous, exciting or much fun either, but it works. Practice side slipping down slopes of all grades (blue, red and black). Feel the difference between the edges gripping in the snow and the skis bases sliding. The key is to be able to remain traveling directly down the hill. Keep your feet apart.
Side slipping and changing direction – Yes more side slipping. Once you have mastered going down the hill sideways then start to rotate the direction of your skis 180 degrees. Note, you should not change direction, you are always travelling directly down the hill in a sideways position and simply rotating the skis underneath you. It’s not easy but if you can do this without turning then you’ve mastered rotation. If you can do this at quite high speeds and link your directional changes together, whilst never actually ‘turning’ then you are definitely ready (this is sometimes known as Brackage).

Another crucial aspect of skiing moguls is the ability to use your ski poles correctly. Planting your ski poles in the right place, at the right time is essential. If this is something you are not comfortable with then practice this until you are. Practice making short turns on a flat piste and initiate each turn with your ski pole.

To be continued,next week……

Essential Ski Accessories for 2012

Robert Stewart — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:05:52 +0000

There are a few items which you just can’t do without on the slopes. I’ve found some great accessories that I’ve been using recently, and these are some of my favourites:

Hestra Army Leather Wool Gloves

The range of Hestra gloves are un-beatable in terms of quality and the Army Leather Wool is no exception. The removable wool liner is extremely warm and yet still provides excellent pole grip. A mixture of ‘Army’ goat leather and cowhide provides the exterior, giving a classic and smart appearance in all 5 colours that are available. Little extras like the handcuffs, so you don’t lose your gloves when taking them off, are really cool.

Hestra gloves website

Scott Unlimited OTG Goggles

Like many people, I require spectacles in everyday life and therefore also when skiing. I’m not a fan of contact lenses, so I require a ski goggle to fit well over my prescription glasses. The Scott OTG has a colour changing lens depending on the light available so you only need one pair. When you have them on you would not even know you’re wearing glasses, and neither does anyone else. An award winning product that is certainly essential for the hard of sight.

Scott Sports website

Icebreaker Ski Socks

The range of Icebreaker products from the South Island of New Zealand uses the finest Merino wool in all its garments. Their ski socks are comfortable and warm and can be worn for several days without smelling (well it works on me so it should on everyone else). Certainly one of my favourite ski socks in the drawer.

Icebreaker ski socks website

Toots McSkibum Beanie and Ski Bandana

This British company manufactures its products in the UK and the USA. Apart from being very warm, the hats are all designed with a bit of fun and love of the mountains. Big bobbles on the top add an extra layer of hedonistic lifestyle attitude, perfect for showing your friends how cool you really are (unfortunately, it still didn’t work for me). The bandanas are very special indeed, just breath on them and they change colour instantly, even my friends thought I was cool after that.

Toots McSkibum website

eGlove (e-ski)

If you’re like me, you’ll always be checking your emails or answering the phone when on the ski lift. These gloves are a perfect combination of good quality materials and an innovative idea that allows you to use a smart phone without removing your gloves at all. The inner liner of the glove is designed to slot through the outer thumb and forefinger layer, giving you the ability to use the phone as you would normally. I’ve skied with these in heavy snow conditions for several days without getting wet or cold fingers, great idea.

eGlove website