Those 3 things
The three things I won't do
In a previous blog post I had said there were
three things I won’t do that are skiing related; off-piste, bumps and ski
touring.
'Why ski off-piste when there is a perfectly
groomed run you can use which will take you to the same place ? I just don’t
understand what the point of it is. Bumps are much easier and safer to
negotiate if you take your skis off and walk down the side. All that bumping,
jolting, having your body shaken every which way only to end up in a painful
crashed heap very quickly. No thanks. Ski touring is another thing I just don’t
understand. Basically, ski touring is where you ski up the mountain so that you
can ski down it. What !! Just buy a lift pass ! It’s so much easier !!'
Shortly after writing the blog post, four weeks later in fact, I found myself eating my own words and doing all three in the space of twenty minutes. Ah.
Whilst visiting the Swiss ski resort of Crans
Montana I decided to find the artwork on the mountain that is by Vision Art
Festival and photograph it. My friend, Vincent, is deputy boss for Vision Art Festival
so thought I would take the opportunity to find some of the urban street art
pieces whilst I was there. They are all on walls located across the mountain
and villages of Crans and Montana. Some are easier to get to than others. One,
which I had spotted from a ski run, was off-piste which would require not only
getting up to it on skis but skiing off-piste back to a black run which was a
pitch of bumps further down. In fact, it wasn't any old black run, it was a FIS
World Cup run. Hmmm... Did I really need the photos ? I decided that I did.
In getting up to it on skis and returning off-piste I had essentially ski toured but in alpine skis. The reward and
satisfaction I got from achieving my goal was huge. I can quite see now why
people ski tour. I'm going to have to learn.
 |
| My goal |
 |
| Reached it |
 |
| Side one |
 |
| Side two |
 |
| Side three |
 |
| Off-piste back to the ski run |
A friend had actually suggested I tried ski
touring and I did understand his thinking. I do a lot of mountain walking, have
nordic skied in the past, love mountains and snow. Ski touring would enable me
to get to places I otherwise wouldn't be able to reach. If I am going to learn
to ski tour it has to be with that friend since I trust him implicitly not to
get me trying anything that he knows I am not capable of.
First, in order to ski tour I'm going to have
to learn to like off-piste.
Off piste is something I really don't like and
am quite (actually very) nervous about. Areas of off-piste make me a bit
anxious. The depth and what's underneath is hidden from sight by the snow.
There might be hidden boulders or ditches ready to knock me off course, or I
might be 'drowned' in deep snow unable to move. Anybody who has ever ridden a
motorbike across a cold, murky Icelandic river will know exactly what I mean.
The best approach for me would be to walk across first and find out giving me
the opportunity to find a good route by feeling around with my feet, checking
for boulders or ditches that might knock me off balance, then ski it. But
that's just the nonsense part of my brain that tries to distract me ... and
distract me it does ! Shut up brain !!
Prior to my improvised ski tour whilst in Crans
Montana the last time I had skied off-piste was in January. I had gone to Saint
Gervais for some extra coaching from a BASI examiner, coach and trainer. It had
dumped down with snow all night and all that day. I knew the person coaching me
loved off piste skiing and I felt really guilty that in spending all day with
me I was depriving him of some fresh powder skiing. Ultimately, the chances
were high that he would try and take me off-piste at some point in the day.
When he took me off-piste towards the end of my
lesson there was nearly a rebellion. I am that nervous about off-piste. Had I
known where I was I would have simply left him to it but the problem was I had
never skied in Saint Gervais before and had absolutely no idea where I was.
As we stood together at the side of the pisted
ski run my brain was busy doing its own thing and started suggesting stupid things
to make me worry, and at the least useful of times. Which was totally
unhelpful. Shut up brain!
My coach was really good and had almost
certainly sensed my anxiety. As we stood there at the side of the run at the
edge of the off-piste he went through it all with me; where we were going,
which direction, which route and line, where it led to. He set off first, did a
couple of turns, stopped and had me join him. Upon reaching him he set off
again, did a couple of turns before stopping and waiting for me to join him
again. As I did so he gave me gentle encouragement.
Once the feeling of anxiety had been silenced
by a bit of logic I was alright. The fact that I was with someone who I knew
had the resourcefulness to solve anything that could happen was an enormous
help. Whether it be a problem up a mountain whilst skiing, or a flat tyre on a
motorbike whilst riding back down a trail one October day there is comfort in the fact that you are with someone who has all the knowledge tools to sort out any problem that may arise. So I tried not to let the crazy part of my brain get its own way and distract me. My brain started to quieten down. I knew I was totally safe with him.
 |
| WHAT !!! |
It was whilst skiing in Saint Gervais the
following month that I came across where we had skied off-piste. For a brief
moment, the total trust that I had in my coach vanished. What, at the time, had
seemed a gentle enough, short stretch of off-piste wasn't that all. It was
horrible, far from gentle and not that short either. He'd been a right sod
taking me down it. I kept going back to it throughout the day not quite
believing that was where we had skied but it definitely was the right place.
I could't quite believe what I had skied down.
Not only that, but I'd not been knocked off course by hidden boulders or
'drowned' in deep snow unable to move. None of the things that my brain had
suggested to make me worried had happened. I'd actually got a lot of confidence
from it and it was that confidence that meant I was willing to give my improvised
ski tour a go whilst in Crans Montana.
My definition of off-piste is very different to
that of my coach. He would say that what we skied down was a bimble. To him,
off-piste involves adventure and usually something steep, very steep.
See what I mean ? I can't quite decide whether
in that third picture he is advertising Milk Tray or auditioning as a Bond
villain. I'm going with Bond villain. I don't like chocolate. Yes ladies,
that's my coach in the picture, that's who I get to ski with. Aren't I a lucky
girl !
If you fancy learning to ski off-piste, want to
learn to ski tour, or simply want to improve your skills in these areas then
Freedom Snowsports runs sessions throughout the winter.
Dates can be found on
their website when released
Alternatively you can contact Freedom
Snowsports by email
or phone
Next:
Summer Training
Previously:
Skiing With My Own Health Needs
DSUK
Disability Skiing - Jubilee Sailing Trust
Technical Resit
Saint Gervais - More Freedom Snowsports
Freedom Snowsports - Back to Will
Return to New Generation
December 2018
September 2018
March 2018
The Beginnings
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