Avalanche Awareness and Kits

by White Blancmange - Alpine Experiences

A properly prepared avalanche kit could be the difference between life and death (and the life you save may well be your own). If you are thinking of heading off-piste, you need to know that you and everyone in your party are as safe as you can possibly be. This means hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. When taking the road less travelled you are inevitably at greater risk than you would be when staying on the beaten path, primarily because you are further away from other skiers and the established infrastructure for dealing with mountain emergencies. Off-piste adventures can be extremely rewarding, but being ready for the challenge is of the utmost importance. When you are on the other side of the mountain, far away from your VIP ski chalet, you have to know how to react if things go wrong.

Advances in modern technology have led to the development of all sorts of innovative safety gadgets, but topping the (low-tech) list of must-have off-piste accessories are the humble snow shovel and avalanche probe. Fortunately, advances have also been made in the field of ultra-portable manual snow moving tools. This means that your collapsible (or foldable) snow shovel will take up less space and add less weight to your gear than ever before. For gadgetry, the number one high-tech device you will want to take with you off-piste is a working set of avalanche transceivers.

Avalanche transceivers are your best hope of being found/finding someone after an avalanche occurs. You should make certain that every member of your group is wearing one before heading out onto the slopes. You should also check that the batteries are charged and that all devices are connected and functioning correctly with a standard dry-run test. When setting out, all transceivers should be set to “transmit” and left that way for the duration of an uneventful trip. If the trip becomes eventful (in the negative sense of the word) you will be glad you’re wearing your transceiver.

All transceivers need to be worn as close to the body as possible to avoid them being torn off should you find yourself taking a tumble. If an avalanche occurs, those not caught in the deluge are able to switch their transceivers to “receive”, giving the best possible chance of finding those trapped in time to save their lives. Because approximately 90% of people found within 15 minutes of being buried will be found alive, quick action is vital. To impress this upon you even further, only 25% of buried people are found alive after 45 minutes. (These figures apply to those trapped in snow only).

Snow shovels and avalanche probes are both incredibly important pieces of equipment, but it is even more important that you know how to use them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you don’t need them, because you may live to regret it. Modelled on turn of the century entrenching tools, modern collapsible snow shovels are light-weight and compact. Your probe is a long collapsible pole, not unlike the white sticks used by the visually impaired but extending to a length of around 2 ½ metres. Probes make it easier to determine a person’s exact location beneath the snow to better inform rescue efforts, and are also useful for creating air-holes to help them breathe.

Simply having this equipment is not enough, you must make sure you know how to use it and have a pre-planned response in mind should an emergency occur. There are a number of other items at varying levels of technological ingenuity (and financial expense) that are certainly worth considering, but the top three must have items are those listed on this page. Another necessary tool (which can’t be kept in your back pack) is training. Taking VIP ski lessons will help you prepare for the challenges you might have to face off-piste. Where ever your ski holiday is in the Alps, from Avoriaz to Zermatt, expert ski instructors will be on hand to help you advance to the off-piste level.


Based in the Alps at Chatel Portes Du Soleil, White Blancmange specialises in creating the ultimate Alpine experiences for corporate customers, private groups, couples and individuals during the ski season and throughout the rest of the year. Find out more at http://www.whiteblancmange.com.

Equipment Review - Columbia's Omni-Heat Powder Bowl Parka

Columbia Sportswear recently asked me to field test its newest line of technology - the Omni-Heat "silver dot" jacket. At first, I was critical. This highly advertised line of skiwear had interrupted my viewings of House time after time during my Hulu commercial breaks. While popular among the masses, Columbia products have never been seen flying in the high circles of skiwear that include The North Face, Patagonia, and Arc'teryx. But after this heavy advertising, I was eager to get to the bottom of the rabbit hole and see if the new Omni-Heat would hold up to the hype. So I buttoned up in a new two-shell Powder Bowl Parka, decided on one of those spontaneous last minute holidays, and made my way to the peak at Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia ...

Visual Appeal

As a fashion-savvy ski professional, I was pleasantly surprised at the new school look to this old school brand. As you can see here, my jacket is best described as one that makes you hear whispers from the ski lift riders above (some sick skiing helps too). The in-your-face color and hip design tell others that you are seriously good-looking. At the same time, this jacket has a conservative enough look to not be seen as a young hipster and still be able to be worn among family and business ski trips. Better yet, the inside shell to the jacket is also a great fashion, consisting of a grey nearly-solid color that is great to wear in the warmer temperatures and out casually.

Performance

After I modeled at the fashion show in front of my mirror, it was time to hit the slopes and give the jacket its true test of character. The jacket provided a great deal of warmth in 20 degree Farenheit weather, and I was actually able to cut down one inner layer with this jacket. A well-designed hood helped keep my face out of the wind, and an adjustable waistline helped keep my warmth in my core. Unfortunately, it did provide some bulk, although it certainly was not movement restricting whatsoever. If you are looking for a shapely and cut jacket, this probably would not be your top choice, especially if you like to keep some extra materials in your jacket pockets. This jacket lived to the standard of all inner shell jackets - extra warmth with extra bulk. However, I was most impressed with its breathability. No matter where I was, it was almost impossible for me to get too hot with this jacket while skiing. As far as water-resistance, you cannot pick better. The rain drops from one day of skiing formed little sphere droplets on the sleeve and did not soak in at all (although this is to be expected of any modern ski jacket). I also do not know how it fares over time with regard to its water-resistance, as most jackets lose much water-resistance over time.

Construction

The high quality of materials is something that I was not expecting at all when I first put on the jacket. The outer zippers are all forged metal, meaning that there are no fabric straps attaching the zipper that easily come off, and all form waterproof seams. The outer fabric is a top-notch waterproof and tough layer that keeps rain at bay and does not tear easily. The usual 007 hidden James Bond pockets were all present, and a key clip was in the right hand outer pocket. The inner zippers that keep the two layers connected are easy to put together and take apart, and they are well-protected with softness on your chin during fully-zipped-to-the-top mode in cold temperatures. When I wore the jacket, I knew that real skiers designed this instead of foreign businessmen who have never even seen a mountain. It's the little things in this respect that make this jacket a keeper.

Versatility

All things considered, the thing I love most about this jacket is its versatility due to the inner shell. I have always hated two-shell jackets because of the bulk and clumsiness that come along with them, but this jacket turned me 180 degrees the other way. The inner shell by itself might be my favorite part. It is a conservative color to wear out to hit the nightlife scene after a long day on the mountain, or just something to wear out around the city. This inner layer also contains the Omni-Heat technology (the Omni-Heat silver dots are present on the inside of both layers). While it mimics the puffy look of a Patagonia Down Sweater, it is remarkably lighter than it looks and is extremely warm. Further, the outer shell can be worn by itself as a rain jacket or as a more waterproof layer on a warmer day of skiing. Overall, the most versatile jacket I have ever had.

Overall Rating

Four and a half stars

• Pros: versatile use, warmth, looks, materials, breathability



• Cons: bulky
  

3 Top Tips to Improve Your Off Piste Skiing

by Heli Ski Guide Roko

Note: This article was originally published by Pure Powder - the off piste and heli skiing specialists - on www.PurePowder.com in June 2010. Permission to reprint this article was obtained from Pure Powder.

You wake up, look out of the window, and there's a pristine blanket of fresh white snow covering everything in sight. To make the most of those unforgettable powder days, here are some top tips to help improve your off piste skiing techniques - pulled together with the help of one of CMH Heli-skiing most experienced guides, Roko Koell.


1. Rhythm is the heartbeat of powder skiing
Rhythmic up-and-down motions are the key to skiing powder. Begin with the ankles, knees and hips comfortably compact. Then extend upward, gradually flexing and extending the ankles, knees and hips, but stopping before the body is fully erect. Create a consistent up-and-down rhythm while moving only within this range, always keeping your hands forward. If you stand up too tall your body will hang back whilst your skis accelerate forward - causing the infamous backward lean and resultant burning thigh muscles.


Top tip: the more equal both skis are weighted, the easier it is to maintain balance and to link turns together harmoniously; the first turn is the most important turn, as it helps set your rhythm right; concentrating on proper pole plants will help you to maintain you rhythm and link your turns together.



2. Timing is everything: patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet
When skiing in the powder you need to exaggerate your movements, ski with longer turning movements and feel the sensation of skiing in slow motion. Patience and persistence are crucial factors when turning in deep snow. You need to push your feet gradually and continually against the snow in order to complete each turn. If you give up on your turning movement too soon, your skis will accelerate and run away from underneath you, resulting in an incomplete turn, the dreaded backward lean, and loss of control.


Top tip: to make nice round turns in the powder, count slowly to yourself "One, two, turn."; be patient when beginning the turn and assertive when completing it. Resist the urge to force your turns to happen too soon, as this causes you to over-rotate.


3. Remember - speed is your friend
Just as an airplane is able to lift off at a certain speed and a speedboat rides on top of the water, skis float up and out of the soft mass of snow when propelled by proper speed. Powder snow produces resistance against our skis, boots and lower legs, making balancing and turning a great challenge for the novice powder skier. The solution is reaching a proper skiing speed, which reduces resistance between skis and the soft mass of the snow.
This "up-floating" speed promotes turning and balance (equal weighting over both skis) and allows you to get a rhythm going.


Top tip: until the appropriate speed is established with confidence, all effort and exercise is hard work and physically exhausting - don't despair, have the confidence to get your speed up; think about skiing with a guide or instructor for a couple of hours to help build your confidence up and pull you out of your comfort zone.


Roko Koell is a CMH guide and founded CMH's Powder Introduction programme. Roko is a fully qualified U.I.A.G.M Mountain and Ski Guide, Level 4 Ski Instructor and Ski Racing Coach.

Check out Roko's CMH Heli-Skiing Powder Introduction film...

How to Adapt to Skiing Moguls

by Robert Stewart

Moguls are one of those challenges in skiing that can strike fear into all but the most expert of skiers. The thing is, moguls can be our friends. Yes really, they can!

If you are comfortable skiing down groomed slopes at varying gradients then you will have the ability to ski a mogul field. I’m not necessarily talking about high speed ‘ripping’ directly down the fall-line or performing aerial manoeuvres like the pros. But it is achievable to ski smoothly and graciously down through a mogul field performing short radius turns like you might on your favourite groomed run.

Skiing is all about adapting to the terrain that we are on at the time. When we drive a car we adapt to the type of road we are using. For example, on a small winding road you would drive more slowly, probably in a lower gear, than on a straight major highway. Many skiers become locked into a certain way of skiing which works fine on certain terrain, usually groomed runs, because that’s what we mostly do. But transfer that technique to other terrain, like moguls or powder, and it might not work as well.

I’m not saying you have to change the way you have learnt to ski, just make some tweaks which help the skis deal with what’s in front of them.

Modern ski technology has enabled skiers to ‘carve’ out smooth turns on groomed runs with relative ease. This is great news because carving out high speed turns can be great fun. But, without going to much into technical detail here, what we are doing in these turns is basically pressurising the inside edge of the turning ski and letting the ski do the work.

I have seen many good skiers head into the moguls and continue to apply the same technique. What tends to happen is that very quickly they gain speed and cannot handle the impact of the moguls. They quickly get thrown backwards even though they understand the principles of flexion and extension crucial to skiing moguls.

For me, the simple solution to skiing moguls at any level is ‘rotation’. This means that we separate the lower part of the body from the upper part. Our legs work independently from out torso. We are steering the skis with our legs and feet. We still use our edges and we still pressure the skis, but in a different cycle.

For example:

Pattern of turning on groomed run > Pressure ski – Edge ski – Skis turns

Pattern of turning on moguls > Turn ski – Pressure ski – Edge ski

One of the best ways to improve our rotational skills is to practice side slipping. It’s not an exiting prospect I know, but a little bit of training here and there will pay off in the long run.

Side slipping involves keeping the skis perpendicular to the slope and sliding down at a controlled speed. It is often something taught to beginners as a safety mechanism to get down steeper slopes. In reality, it is a tricky skill to master but teaches us a lot about edge control and rotation.

The key to this is to pick a fairly steep slope on a groomed run. First, practice your side slip facing one way, then stop and turn around 180 degrees and practice facing in the opposite direction.

Start in a stationary position with the skis at right angles to the slope and about hip width apart. Ensure that your skis are angles so that the inside edge of the lower ski and the uphill edge of the upper ski are holding you in position. Then slowly release both edges simultaneously until the ski flattens against the snow completely and then control your speed by applying more edge as required. More edge means less speed.

The key here, and this is really important, is to make sure you don’t ‘drift’ from the fall-line. In other words you must side slip in a perfectly straight line down the slope. Build up your side slipping practice and then start to change your direction from facing one way to the other as you are moving. This involves releasing the edges and fully rotating the skis 180 degrees underneath your upper body. Again the key here is to keep side slipping in a straight line down the hill, even when changing direction.

Do ten to fifteen minutes of this a day and within a week you will see a big improvement.

Hey, get a bunch of people together and go to a slope with a short tow lift. Take your ski poles and mark out a straight line course down the hill by laying 2 sets of poles about 4 meters apart. Practice your side slipping and stay within the channel of poles. Make the channel narrower as you improve!

What’s this got to do with skiing moguls!! Well, become a master of rotation and all those tips about skiing on top of the bumps and flexing and extending will all become much much easier to perform.

Robert Stewart is an ISIA certified ski instructor who has over 20 years of teaching experience with all levels of skiers. He was formerly a professional freestyle skier and competed in freestyle competitions across the globe. You can find out more about Rob on his own skiing blog at http://blog.themountaindepartment.com.

Skiing the Glades - Trees

So here you are, trying to feel like a young maverick skier going off the trails and into the trees - just hoping that someone passing overhead on the charlift will spot you and give out a loud "WHOOT" of approval and impressiveness (is that a word?).

And then, just before you are about to follow your all too expert friend off the side of a cliff with thick forests of trees that look like they could swallow you whole, you realize, "Wait, how the (insert favorite four-letter word here) am I supposed to do this?"

Fear not. I have your advice right here.

Call ski patrol.

And then before next time, read some of my advice here:

The Glades (The Ones Not in Florida)

The most basic and primary thing you want to do when skiing the trees is simple - look for the empty spaces.

As you have indubitably heard (nice vocabulary, right?) if you have taken a lesson with me is the idea of steering with your eyes. That is, your body will naturally follow and move in the direction you are looking. Have you ever been on the sidewalk, walking along and staring at the beautiful models...uhm...necklaces in the store windows? Next thing you know, you started walking off your line and drifting towards that direction. The same thing occurs in skiing. Whenever you look to the right, your body starts to turn to the right subconciously.

Now let's apply this to skiing in the trees. Let's say you are coming down to a large and intimidating 100 year old tree. You obviously want to ski around the tree - it is rather difficult to ski through it at this point in time - maybe in another 200 years. So, to ski around the tree, we are going to look around the tree. That's right - do not stare directly at it. Remember what we just said. You go where you look. So look for the spaces.

Once you get this idea down, tree skiing becomes almost like mogul skiing. You have to pick your line, look ahead, and plan out your turns.

A few things to look out for on tree skiing:

• Loose brush or inadequate snow cover
- The one thing about tree runs is that snow groomers cannot fit in the runs to groom the slopes. There also is rarely man-made snow here. Therefore, due to relying on natural snow and uncertain conditions, you never really know how deep the glade snow is or what is underneath. Look out for rocks, tree branches, large tree branches, and any exposed ground surface. Your skis are made to go on snow, not dirt.

• Start out on trails with thinner pockets of trees
- When first starting to ski glades, start out on ones that are not as thickly forested or not as extreme terrain. It is better to get comfortable on the easier glades before you move onto the ones with very narrow, untracked, powdery trails with 6 foot (2 meter) jumps. Otherwise, you will hate glade skiing forever.

• Wear a helmet
- Since you never know what you may get into, always wear a helmet. This is pretty self-explanatory, but some people will still resist. If you bite an edge on the groomers, you fall and hit the snow. If you bite an edge in the glades, you fall and hit a tree. Be smart, stay smart, wear a helmet.

• Know where you're going
- A lot of times tree runs will not be marked well on a map, or you may get off track due to the lack of a clear cut trail. Always know where you are going and have a general sense of where you are in relation to the major trails around you on the mountain.

• Use the buddy system
- Always ski with a partner in the glades. Stick together. It is a scary feeling to know that your friend is stuck in the woods and you have no idea where they are. Be smart, don't ski apart.

When you get comfortable, glade skiing can be the most fun type of skiing you will ever do. I did my fair share at Vail and Beaver Creek this past January. They have some awesome, awesome runs that I would recommend if you are seeking out the trees. Now get out there and do it (with my picture as inspiration, of course).

Winter Olympics 2010 - Team USA

As a brief interjection into the magical ski world, let me recommend a site to keep updated on the conquering of the Winter Olympics 2010 by the US Ski Team (I apologize to my French readers. But if it's any consolation, I am rooting for you to come in second place).



http://teamUSAnews.org

There are some great causes that you can support on this site as well. Don't be afraid to give! (On that note, feel free to also give to me. I accept cash, check, and money order. Contact me or leave a comment for where to send it to).

Stay Perpendicular to the Fall Line to Maintain Balance on the Steeps

Have I told you, lately, that I love you...uhh...err...excuse my inner Rod Stewart lyrical self.

What I really meant to say is: Have I told you... why is it harder to ski down steeper slopes, and why our own time-tested movements seem to do even worse on the more challenging terrain we tackle? Yes, that was the question.

Anyways, just as there is a difference in the slope itself, there is a resulting difference in the way we want to ski these slopes to maintain control while we ski, and look good doing it while skiing past the luxury catered ski chalets.

Making sure that your body remains over your base of support (a.k.a. your feet) is essential to maintaining an effective, balanced stance that will allow you to make efficient and controlled movements in your skiing.

I am going to let you in on my little trade secret - the perpendicular skier. Now I don't mean to bash your lack of geometry knowledge (I would much rather brag about mine), but the perpendicular skier is a great way to think of one's body position when skiing.

What is this "perpendicular skier?"

Basically, what you want to do is try and keep your torso perpendicular to the slope. (For those of you still struggling with the geometry concept, perpendicular means at 90 degree angles to one another).

And why do I bring up geometry at a time like this when we were trying to learn how to ski the steeps? Let me explain.

Whenever you start down the double black diamond cliff, your body position changes relative to the pitch of the slope. If you maintain the same body position on this pitch as the position you skied down the bunny slope, I can say with a percentage of accuracy that is higher than the 99.9% of germs that antibacterial hand sanitizer, that you will fall straight back on your behind. Let's look at the following figure for an example:

In this image (praise my revolutionary artistic abilities later), I took the skier in the first image and pasted his exact body and skis to the steeper slope in the second image. The key here lies in the angles between the skier's body (represented by the purple line) and the pitch of the slope (represented by the blue line).

You can see that as the pitch of the slope increases, the angle that the black arrow points to decreases markedly. You should also take note of the fact that the angle is now less than 90 degrees, meaning that the skier is now leaning backwards relative to the slope. Three guesses what happens next to this poor little skier man...

Therefore, the lesson here is, as you attack the steeps, make sure you lean more forward to maintain a perpendicular or slightly forward of perpendicular body position (See July 2009 article: "A Balance Tip That Is Slightly More Than 'Lean Forward'"). This gives you more balance and therefore control when skiing these steeps.

Now go out there and shred up those steeps, and a shout out to those of you on the US east coast - Washington D.C. received more than a foot and a half of snow last week I hear. I wonder which reader received the most...let us know via the comments. And for those metric-system-lovers out there, that is about 46 cm.