Skiing Steep Slopes like Schilthorn

Being able to control your speed is the most crucial secret. Ripping down the Schilthorn like James Bond is not going to impress anyone if you fall and take 3 people with you breaking bones and worse.

Position and balance are connected to controlling speed and choosing your path down the slope.

• Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.
• Stay balanced over the centre of the skis.
• Keep your body in a stable ‘ready position’ over the middle of the skis. This means all of your skiing joints (ankles, knees and hips) are ‘flexed’ (soft).
• Keep your hands in front of you and relaxed. When your hands are in the correct position, you will be able to pole plant using only your wrist. If you need to reach forwards with your arm or shoulder, your hands are too far back.
• Look where you want to go.

Staying flexed allows your joints to be shock absorbers without damaging your joints. Do not stiffen or Set your muscles.

Try and keep your body at a 90-degree angle to the slope and  stay over the centre of the skis. You will need to move forwards with the increasingly steep terrain, otherwise you will be leaning back.

Finish a turn with your weight balanced over the outside (or ‘working/downhill’) ski. The inside edge of the outside ski has the best grip to the snow.

A short turn will help control your speed. Make it a quick short turn. You can always skid at the start of your turn to help slow yourself down until you get more confident.

To make your ski grip early in the turn, think about putting more weight on the outside ski earlier in the turn to give it more pressure and then it should make a more rounded turn.

The longer your skis face down the slope, the faster you will go. So make many short quick turns and look where you are going.

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