The skiing terrain

Our skills are obviously what sets the skiing terrain we can face or avoid. But there are other simple ideas to keep in mind. The vast majority of you are more or less familiar to what’s going on in the skiing universe. So there’s no need to explain every detail about snow qualities, grains, different skiing areas around the world or the fame achieved by some specific locations whose conditions are unique.

Every skier knows about his favourite ski resorts, their weather conditions and snowfall figures. We must be aware that differences between two locations in the same country can be quite large. The snow you may find in the US East Coast is not similar whatsoever to that in the West Coast. The same applies between the Alberg and the Göstling Alps, both in Austria.

Hardpacked or even icy snow conditions will drive us to choose more on piste focused skis. Even if we belong to the “out of bounds” skiers breed, we will choose less wider fat skis. On the other hand, if the snow we often find in our area is fresh, light and deep there is no doubt we have to choose wider and longer models.

There is also another idea to remind when selecting the skiing terrain, and that’s cultural differences. A red sign identifying a slope’s difficulty in the USA may mean something quite different in France. And what is allowed in France may be considered as delinquency in some areas of the USA. Just make sure you know the differences before you are on your skis in a foreign country. It looks silly at first sight, but almost everybody has found himself in a trail they did not expect to be and more often than desired in a higher level piste than their abilities can afford.

Weather is also a circumstance to pay attention to. A foggy morning not only can ruin the magnificent views of a beautiful valley in the Alps. It can also be a problem for some less experienced skiers. It is one more point to consider when deciding which path to follow next. Don’t always avoid skiing on bad weather conditions for the sake of them. Just pay some attention and ask for help to more experienced skiers or locals if you feel confused.

Next, you’ll find a few pictures identifying different skiing terrain in relation to their difficulty.

Easy Slope