Tips & Technique
Speedy Bowline Tie-in Trick
I took a skiing time-out yesterday to go crack climbing at Indian Creek, Utah with Brad Barlage. While we were roping up, Brad showed me this cool little trick for tying a Bowline knot around your harness. Bowlines are the King-of-Knots as they strong, simple and easy to untie after they have been loaded. Because […]
Selective Stopping Spots
One of the basics of avalanche avoidance and good backcountry travel protocol is to always stop below your partner(s), not above them. The reason for this is two-fold; one is that you might blow your last turn and take out your partners from above, and the other is that the weight of a stopping person may cause the slope to […]
Leapfrogging to Safety
Whenever possible, I prefer to ski a couloir or avalanche exposed shot in leapfrogging segments. The idea is that one person skis, then tucks out in a safe spot and watches the other person, then they do the same. Ideally, the stopping points will be staggered so that you can see your partner at all […]
Steep Skiing 101 – Part IV
One reason there isn’t more super steep skiing footage in ski films isn’t that it is so hard to shoot, but more that it is kind of boring to watch. Slip, slip… slip. Pause. Turn! Slip, slip, slip. Pause. It is way more fun to do than to watch. Steep skiing is like this because when the stakes are high, […]
Steep Skiing 101 – Part III
Ninety-percent of steep skiing is in your head. I’ve witnessed some absolutely crappy skiers make it down steep slopes and conversely, seen experienced skiers (including myself) totally freeze up. It’s one of those things you just have to be psyched for and sometimes you are, and sometimes you aren’t. A bitter divorce or break-up seems to […]
Steep Skiing 101 – Part II
Regardless of technique, one of the hardest things about steep skiing is committing to the first turn. Unlike climbing where you start at the bottom and slowly gain more exposure as you go up, with steep skiing, you are looking at the taking the maximum whipper if you blow the first move. I personally love […]
Steep Skiing 101
Wasatch Weekend Update: Way better than expected! After two weeks of warm temps, howling wind and no snow, the backcountry still had some soft and fun skiing. I had a good time at The Big LePowSki event this weekend, where one of the clinics I taught was “How to Assess and Ski the Steeps.” As much as I love steep […]
Gear – A Question of Balance, Part II
In regards to balanced gear diets, here are my current favorites: Superlight (15% of the time) Skis – 160cm K2 Sahale (68mm waist) Bindings – Dynafit TLT’s without brakes Boots – Scarpa F1 Comments: In the right conditions, I love this set-up as it tours effortlessly. Because it is so light, you […]
Gear – A Question of Balance
Individually, skis, boots and bindings are important, but a far more significant concept is how they all work together. I was reminded of this the other day when a friend mentioned that he didn’t think his new boots were stiff enough, which may have been the case, but then again, the 125mm waisted skis he […]
The Unwritten Rules of Dawn Patrolling…
… must now be written. Waking up at 4:30am to go skiing on a work day never gets any easier, but is always rewarding. One of the first times I ever did it I remember being terrified that I’d get to work late and be fired on the spot, but 200+ Dawn Patrols (DP’s) later […]
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