|
Post by johnny2r on Jan 21, 2014 11:38:23 GMT -7
I'm something of a PMTS devotee, although very far from being an expert skier, but this is a technique question which doesn't really relate to PMTS so I thought I'd ask it over here instead.
I've been learning how to ski powder, crud, etc., to cope with the conditions I come across going off-piste. But one thing I don't recall seeing any tips about is how to deal with the long, fast traverses you often end up doing when you're skiing away from the pistes over to the softer snow playgrounds. You end up flying along a narrow rutted track which has been gouged out by other skiers, which is often bumpy and icy and which rattles your bones! I've never been wholly confident about my speed control under such circumstances, my ability to stop quickly if there's suddenly a hazard like a fallen skier in the way. There is absolutely no room to put in any turns, and there's not often not even enough width to utilize a slight drifting side slip, or a snowplough. And given that these traverses often go across seriously steep pitches, falling is seldom a good idea.
So how do other people deal with this kind of thing? Prayer?
|
|
|
Post by meput on Jan 21, 2014 17:05:58 GMT -7
Ah, the joys of a long traverse in questionable conditions. Speed control is always a hoot! Why is it I always seem to be on the traverse behind someone who should be back on the bunny slope? And how is it they always manage to come to a stop/slow when I have a head of speed and bearing down on them (they are downslope and have "right of way" by the way ). How do I manage it, I step out of the tracks, and go uphill. That causes you to lose all speed and come to a stop. It always happens at the moment that you need speed to carry a slight upslope in the traverse. It is a law, right up there with death and taxes. Cut a new traverse track. Safety is the better part of valor, the difficulty that you are experiencing is a heck of a lot easier than a patroller doing the traverse with a toboggan. Traverses are part of the journey. Enjoy them, they get you to the bigger part of the adventure .
|
|
|
Post by superbman on Jan 21, 2014 17:52:12 GMT -7
Deslaurier had a few good bits about this in their 'Ski The Whole Mountain Book.' It's a good read with fun tidbits and useful pieces of big mountain advice like how to handle rutted long traverses. Also, I think a PMTS devotee will jive with most of their technical advice. Good pictures, too!
|
|
|
Post by JimRatliff on Jan 21, 2014 18:12:33 GMT -7
I concur with Meput's advice. Usually, in fact, there are sidetracks where others have already "detoured" off the main track for the same reason; and you can reuse. If you're already familiar with the traverse, then try to maintain only enough speed to keep going in slow spots. Sometimes I can weight one ski and drag or wedge the other ski a bit to stay slower before I really need it. If all else fails, running into your girlfriend who is skiing in front of you will slow both of you, but that is likely just trading one problem for a worse one.
|
|
|
Post by johnny2r on Jan 22, 2014 2:26:57 GMT -7
Deslaurier had a few good bits about this in their 'Ski The Whole Mountain Book.' It's a good read with fun tidbits and useful pieces of big mountain advice like how to handle rutted long traverses. Also, I think a PMTS devotee will jive with most of their technical advice. Good pictures, too! I have the book, it's one of my skiing bibles. I don't recall reading about this - I'll have a look again. Yes, the techniques suggested by meput and Jim Ratcliff are what I've gone for myself in the past. Sometimes the rutting is so deep, though, that it's very difficult to step out and make one's own track. Under such circumstances I favour weighting one ski and trying to rub the edge of the other along the wall of the rut, as a brake. Can be pretty scary, though, particularly when a glance to the side reveals a steep drop to the rock-lined valley floor, a long, long way below.
|
|
|
Post by smackboy1 on Jan 22, 2014 6:16:20 GMT -7
Under such circumstances I favour weighting one ski and trying to rub the edge of the other along the wall of the rut, as a brake. The only problem with that is sometimes the person directly behind will yell at you for knocking debris onto the track
|
|
|
Post by johnny2r on Jan 22, 2014 6:28:31 GMT -7
Ah, but if I have nice sharp edges, what they should end up with is soft powdery shaved snow, helping them slow down. Think of it as a form of piste preparation.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2014 7:24:42 GMT -7
Johnny, in those circumstances when nothing else will work, I sometimes just try to use my poles to slow me down, by jamming them into the snow ahead of me as a brake. This only works at slower speeds and on flatter pitch, though, for obvious reasons -- shoulder dislocation, sprained wrist...that sort of thing. A rather inelegant technique, I admit, but effective at times.
Meput's advice is really the best, if you can manage to get out of the ruts...and there are no tight trees around. To get out of the ruts, try stepping out one ski at a time. A bit of a balancing act for a second or two, and a side stretch, but usually gets you out. A brisk hop to the side might do it too, in a panic.
Darn good question, though. I really hate those kind of traverses. There isn't much on a mountain that gives me the willy's anymore, but that is one of them. Helpless feeling...I know it well.
|
|
|
Post by perry on Jan 22, 2014 9:20:10 GMT -7
This is where Clendenin is very helpful. Drifting/scraping the uphill edge of the uphill ski works great. Apply as much pressure as needed - give a great graded response.
|
|
|
Post by superbman on Jan 22, 2014 12:23:49 GMT -7
Johnny, I might add is that Cat Track Traverses are not a pure skiing situation and is possibly a place to draw upon movements not based on modern efficient turning, but rather old school Navigating the mountain (the original intent of skiing). One tactic to consider is learning an old school short swing turn. Still the benchmark of running empty toboggans, quickly, through challenging narrow corridors (it allows turns, braking and speed but keeps the feet under the torso and prevents the toboggan from swinging around behind you). Not that you'd do these the whole way, but they might be a decent soil in the situations you describe. Check out this video of PJ Jones (look up his bio if you've never heard of him), he's doing demos of all the various turning styles of different schools from Skiing pre-History. His demo of the classic short swing comes at around 2:20 minutes, something to take a look at (though, I love his dead on Stein ericson turns!). Here he is with a co teacher discussing how to ski a short swing (and how it differs from modern turns) on Page 2 of this 12 page online document: members.surfbest.net/madducks@surfbest.net/The%20Classic%20to%20Modern%20Symphony%20of%20Short%20Turns%20-%20A%20Lost%20Art.pdfFinally, Here's a demo video from the 80's of PJ skiing bumps…'cause I just love this video and his multi versatile ways to tackle moguls, even in the straight ski era: Oh, you might want to learn how to hold a wedge (the gliding variety) while absorbing funky terrain. Again, they're not part of skiing any more, but these specific areas they still have their uses (speed control while facing and moving forward and still able to absorb ad extend in the narrowest of tracks, etc). They go with the old short swing,.
|
|