Why do you like/seek steep skiing?

[WC68]

One thing I’ve not gotten comfortable with is steep skiing.

What is it that draws you to it? Most YouTube videos I find of people skiing steep double black runs, look like survival runs, just to say they’ve done it. I’ve not found very many videos of people skiing steeps in an adequate manner, that look like it would be fun.

I get that you have to crawl before you walk/run, and I’ve flailed my way down slopes before, but I don’t seek it out much.

What is it besides the accomplishment of living/getting down a steep run that is “fun”?

Signed,

Jong

Btw....good to be back. Financially couldn’t justify a ski trip last year, but we are back in the saddle this year and I’m stoked despite the sad state of affairs of snow in CO.

 

[Sibhusky]

I'm not drawn to it. Not even drawn to watching it. But there is one run here that I will ski just because it was years before I stopped being terrified of it and now I'm not. The joy is knowing I skied it, and did pretty good. But it's no double black.

Your "poll" is invisible.

 

[Rod9301]

My favorite skiing is when it's steep enough and narrow enough that you have to finish every turn completely, skis across the fall line.

That's typically 45 degrees and steeper.

It's the challenge of skiing a steep esthetic couloir, and the feeling of high g forces when you shut off the turn.

 

[Mike Thomas]

Skiing steep terrain involves a certain amount of mind control. Performing when fear is fighting for control is fun and rewarding.

When asked "what is 'extreme' skiing" Glen Plake answered "if I take a 2x4 and put it in the middle of a gymnasium, you could walk on it no problem. You could do hand stands, walk backward... no problem. Put that same 2x4 100 feet in the air and mentally everything is different, but physically it's the exact same 2x4. Nothing about it or moving on it changed, except the consequence of falling." I like that. I like that a lot.

 

[luliski]

Good question. I like skiing that flows. I will ski steeps as long as I don't have to do hop turns the whole time. Reminds me of a friend I asked how he chose his skis and he said he told the shop how he likes to ski. He said he likes to do hop turns. To me that's not really fun. But to each their own. One advantage of skiing steeps is getting away from crowds.

 

[SBrown]

The funny feeling in my tummy at that weightless portion of the turn.

 

[crgildart]

Can't explain it, but may have something to do with the internal vibe knowing I can point, push off, and my brain takes over and my legs follow orders well enough to get me down safely... down something I couldn't imagine attempting to navigate on a bike or even try to walk or crawl down without skis. Having a couple razor sharp 190 cm meat cleavers is the only "safe?" way to descend this stuff..

 

[karlo]

There are two ways I like skiing steeps, both with control of speed.

Short turns without hopping, with the transition a floating freefall, yet skis still in contact. Skis are almost sideslipping, but so momentary, hard to really use that term.

Medium turns, projecting down, engaging skis really early. I'm not sure exactly what the term mean, but maybe it's a hip dump? Anyway, If you are uphill of me, you'll see lots of base.

Either way, the transition is super fun. Kinda like swinging from branch to branch, freefall to freefall.

The thing about straightlining down, that's not for me. And, those who do it, to me, neither skilled nor courageous. They're just standing on a pair of skis. Can they stomach freefall to freefall in the steeps? Are they willing to put themselves in a position in which every turn counts, or else?

 

[Tony S]

The cushion is a deeper when it's steeper. Where's my cocktail napkin?

 

[crgildart]

The cushion is a deeper when it's steeper. Where's my cocktail napkin?

Signature material

 

[Josh Matta]

because its easier to ski when gravity pull you down more. and when flexing means less pressure your on quads. I am lazy I like gravity to the do the work for me.

BTW not the steepest thing I have ever skied but by far the most dangerous....

The "Special" Chute in the Stowe Backcountry


This the steepest run that I actually enjoy at stowe. I make this looks far to easy. This pitch frightens most everyone the first time they see it and honestly I am scared of every time I ski it. I also do not mind telling people the name, because you will not find it, even if you had a GPS track to get there, If you do find it, you should realize there is literally no turning back once your , your in, it can and will slide, you almost always ski it your sluff, the wrong fall on the top couple hundred feet can lead to terminal velocity, and lastly sometimes it slides down to the creek bed. its over 45 degrees on top and flattens out to 40 degrees.


Here is a POV video of what most people look like and sounds like when they do find it.


Here is my POV.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

when its steep enough my lazy random turns vanish.

 

[François Pugh]

The thing about straightlining down, that's not for me. And, those who do it, to me, neither skilled nor courageous. They're just standing on a pair of skis. Can they stomach freefall to freefall in the steeps? Are they willing to put themselves in a position in which every turn counts, or else?

Now, not so much, but many years ago I used to seek out steeps, not just any steeps, but steeps with a good run out. My only reason for skiing steeps then was I felt a need, the need for speed.

The less you know about something the easier it seems. There IS skill and strength and (usually) courage involved in straight-lining down.

After a couple of hundred feet of 60+ degrees, you are at a very high terminal velocity. If there is an obstacle right in the middle of a narrow gully, you have to avoid it at that speed, or die. It takes skill not to over-do it and crash into the wall. It takes more skill to turn back from the wall and not rebound off the first turn and crash into the wall on the other side. It takes skill to start turning at the bottom of the chute, when your skis are vibrating like a jack hammer because you're skiing three or four times faster than they were ever meant to go, and over rough terrain to boot. You have to judge where to start your turn BEFORE the kink in the slope that if you went straight over would have you crumpled up like a pretzle. It takes skill to judge on the fly when to start turning back down to even out the pressure from the virtual jump or change of slope you introduced from the the first turn, so it doesn't combine with the compression from the change in slope. YOU have to turn or you will surely end up hitting one of the many big trees in the dense bush that lies right under the chute.

Does it take courage? Only if you are afraid of dying.

OK. It takes all that or a case of insanity.

 

[mdf]

I like steeps because they take what is good about skiing and give you more of that.

 

[CalG]

ahh

Steeps are fun

 

[Fishbowl]

Because skiing without the need for focus is just a walk in the park.

 

[Chris Walker]

Challenge I guess. I like terrain that gets your attention. You have to focus, and concentrate on what you're doing or things could go wrong. It forces you to live in the moment.

 

[Alexzn]

It's the closest thing you get to a controlled fall, also, there is a special feeling of resisting gravity just enough...

It's addictive too, and it's about challenge. Unless you race, mellow groomers at some point start feeling mundane. I once saw a couple of really good freeriders free-skiing squaw on an average snow day. They were hitting insane line after insane line, not just steep, double drops with mandatory direction change in between, this kind of stuff. . I guess everything else just was too boring for them.

 

[SSSdave]

Many thrill oriented skiers are drawn to challenge not fun. One's reputation among an audience of others and even bragging later is however bro fun.

First one must consider what is steep for average advanced skiers and what is steep for extreme all mountain skiers?

Second is how steep is whatever slope described. Most skiers have always over estimated how steep slopes are and then will typically describe whatever as 45 degrees when a slope is just 30 degrees. Note that is better described as 58 percent grade. When I hear someone claim how steep a slope was they thought they skied, I'll probably not believe it because I doubt they actually measured whatever or believe that whomever told them claimed it was whatever steep and if necessary pull up a topographic map then easily measure it.

Third, the nature of the snow quality makes a huge difference with firmer icier way more difficult and scary than softer snow.

Fourth how long was whatever slope steep? Long and steep is scary because if one falls it could be... Short and steep, have a go without worrying.

Fifth is steeps can be dangerous to one's healthy body because forces due to gravity can be strong.
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My main resort Kirkwood has lots of ridge line steep cornice and rock gardens that are very steep, that many all mountain skiers are attracted to. The most popular are drops off The Wall that skiers either straightline out into a de-accelerating arc or mountain goat bound down rapidly or totally huck down to where it eases off, in all cases absorbing large potential bone breaking forces.

Dave's run at Mammoth is as steep as I enjoy confidently skiing and will only touch that with windblown powder conditions. Any steeper for this person is just a dangerous challenge and danger beyond a confident threshold does not interest this old body. Steeper slopes in this era can be winch cat groomed. I'd bet few advanced skiers are able short swing down a longer 70% grade slope of winch cat groomed mid winter packed powder as they will most likely quickly be accelerating making medium radius turns.

 

[Monique]

Surely what is meant by "steep" depends on the person, right? As you get more accustomed to steep runs, what was steep becomes normal, and what was impossible becomes simply steep.

I was going to answer, but Chris nailed it:

Challenge I guess. I like terrain that gets your attention. You have to focus, and concentrate on what you're doing or things could go wrong. It forces you to live in the moment.

ALSO sometimes - not always - sometimes there is some amazing snow on those steeps that is not available on other, less aggro parts of the mountain.