Need help with technique on steeps

[Pajarito-bred]

For me it's not just steepness, but consequences of falling, that determine whether I'm comfortable enough to attempt, vs "live to ski another day". Taking a measurement is not gonna change my mind about whether I'm comfortable dropping in or skeeved out by ice, crust, rocks, or by watching/listening how well another skier navigates their turns.

Steep - general black runs, although there is a large variation between mountains
Very steep - some steeper blacks, double blacks, most chutes etc
Steep AF - where steep AF or very steep with stupid snow

Barry Barry Steep (trail name at Snowbird)
S.T.H. (Steeper Than Hell) also at Snowbird, but I don't know if there's a less-steep run named "Hell"
AMF Gully at Snowmass -- Probably not a reference to the bowling equipment manufacturer,
....Adios, My Friend, or MYOA (Make your own acronym)

 

[4ster]

Just seeing this thread, Luv the steeps & not hitting the camera man!

Treat the camera man like a hairpin or under gate. That way you might just brush against him but probably won’t hit him straight on…



For steeps it helps to redirect the skis as you release at the top of the turn and then have solid edge engagement as soon as it makes sense to control your descent. A solid blocking pole plant or sometimes a double to keep your CoM moving in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to hop, twist or jump, just don’t let your skis get out from underneath you!

I have skied Kicking Horse a few times and the top of some of those steeper chutes might approach 50° for a turn or two at the most.

This one is about as steep as anything I’ve skied at KH…

 

[James]

^ So, 60 or 80 degrees?

 

[razie]

This one is about as steep as anything I’ve skied at KH…
View attachment 158258

Yeah that looks about right. Still looks to me like a 60-70 to me, but i can see how looks can be deceiving... I'll have to actually measure it in place. More than enough reason to go back...

On my new scale, that's very steep...

 

[TheApprentice]

Back to OP...

Why not do what PP do and use a really long telephoto lens?

Portability mostly. It's cool and all to bring a big camera with a telescopic lens until no one wants to be the person to carry the backpack and film.

 

[razie]

^ So, 60 or 80 degrees?

I added a note that it was based on ski tracks and likely off... Haven't thought of actual slope angle numbers much before...

We each have our own personal thresholds where the skiing falls apart and another when we refuse to "ski it". There's fun below each of those thresholds

 

[4ster]

^ So, 60 or 80 degrees?

45ish maybe 50° in the choke.

 

[razie]

45ish maybe 50° in the choke.

Nah, He's laughing at me cause I thought they were 60-80 from ski tracks

 

[dbostedo]

We each have our own personal thresholds where the skiing falls apart and another when we refuse to "ski it". There's fun below each of those thresholds

Agreed... for me, based on what I've skied so far those numbers are pretty low. I start to fall apart around 30 degrees sometimes, and have never skied something much over 40.

But that's a big improvement from a few years ago when I'd never skied something over 30, and fell apart oh... pretty much no matter what slope I was on.

 

[razie]

I actually measured some, out of curiosity. 22 becomes interesting when buffed, 30 becomes challenging when hard, for sure.

It depends for instance where I stop clean carving, switching to "clean shorts" and when those fall apart, switching to whatever works to get me down.

The other issue is "sustained". A short 30 deg pitch followed by a 20 and a run off, we can still claim we carved that, because almost anyone can do two big SG turns and throw hockey stops after...

Since there are so many factors, including snow condition, etc, I'll stick to my scale, refering to sustained runs.

Steep, I can still carve SL turns, most of the time
Very steep, sometimes I look clean
Steep AF, I'll often ski around it...

 

[geepers]

Portability mostly. It's cool and all to bring a big camera with a telescopic lens until no one wants to be the person to carry the backpack and film.

Oh, it's just a night on the town. Either hire help or take turns being the nominated driver.

Better still take along a non-drinking friend who likes driving.... Surely some-one you know can ski ok but is more into video-ing?

In skiing the problem isn't too bad. Either phone vids on no vids but everyone who wants gets to ski. Try hang gliding. Once the stage of cross country flying is reached a non-flyer is essential to do the retrievals. Hitchhiking back to base with a 10m packed up hang glider and a large harness bag is very hit and miss.