Skiing Steeps with a Cool Head and a Sharp Edge

Steep slopes can cause instant brain freeze, a loud pounding heartbeat and an instant rush of adrenaline to the head. Marked with black diamonds and warning signs, steep terrain is the ultimate sensation on skis to some. But to the less experienced, steeps can cause an abrupt loss of fundamental skills and a scary free fall down the pitch. It doesn't have to be that way. Conquering steeps is like any other terrain on the mountain with the right attitude and proper technique. With an aggressive mindset, a solid stance and good speed control in and out of turns, skiing expert steeps can be sensational and not terrifying.

Fear is enemy number one on the steeps, and needs to become a non-factor before dropping into the fall line. Approaching a steep pitch with fear puts your stance into the backseat and stiffens your legs, sabotaging the run before it begins. Stay loose and confident, and think about skiing the slope and not letting it ski you. Evaluate the terrain and decide where to make your turns and follow through with your decisions. Don't be afraid to go for it, you'll often times be surprised by the results. Keep your line of sight directed toward the next turn you plan to make, envisioning the exact motions you'll go through to make the transition from one turn to the next.

If your mindset is good to go, think about your stance. As a slope's gradient changes, so should your stance. Position the angle of your thighs relative to the degree of the slope to ski
"thigh high". In other words, stay forward in the core of your stance in order to keep your balance point in the ideal range to easily execute turns. It's OK if staying "thigh high" slightly raises your body into a taller stance going into a turn as long as your balance point remains forward on your boot's tongues. Closely monitoring the position of your thighs keeps your stance aggressive, allowing you to execute short radius turns and control your line down the slope. When it comes time to unweight your edge, keep your hips under you and stay forward down the slope until you're able to engage your edges again. As you transition into the next turn, it's time to think about your speed.

Exiting turns with too much speed in probably the biggest error made by skiers new to steeps. Generating too much speed — which of course depends on your ability level — increases the likelihood of a bailout or unnecessary stop before the next turn. The goal on steeps is to minimize the vertical drop between edge-sets, limiting acceleration from one turn to the next. Especially focus on the bottom or finishing motions of a turn, where a good quick edge set will set you up for a positive energy transition from your inside ski into the next turn. Practice short radius turns and good edge control on more moderate pitches before taking on a steeper slope.

Also, although some instructors use stem technique on the steeps in which the inside or downhill ski is slightly lifted to complete a turn, it's better to practice keeping edges on the snow as much as possible. An edge in contact with the snow provides more control to the skier than if it's in the air. It's good to have a stem or hop turn in your arsenal to use when necessary, but learning to carve on steeper slopes is more beneficial.