Skiing Steep Slopes: Controlled Descents and Line Choice
On a steep slope, speed is controlled not by braking but by the shape of the turn. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, steep slopes call for more completed, rounder turns so you do not exceed your speed: after crossing the fall line, the skis keep turning back up towards the hill and the speed drops. PSIA recommends shorter turns on steep and icy slopes, because the skier spends less time in the fall line; a quick, decisive edge set at the end of the turn creates a solid platform. The skis turn with the legs while the upper body stays quiet; the pole plant gives you rhythm. When things get difficult, getting down safely by sideslipping and traversing is always an option.
When someone new arrives on a steep slope, their first reflex is to turn their skis sideways and brake by skidding. PSIA's approach is different: the shape of the turn controls your speed.
Complete the turn: According to PSIA, steep slopes call for a more completed turn shape; continuing to steer the skis after they have crossed the fall line controls your speed. The roundest, most completed turn shape is the best suited to steep terrain.
Short turns: PSIA recommends shorter turns for speed control on steep slopes, because in these turns you spend less time in the fall line.
Edge set: Especially on steep and icy slopes, a quick, decisive edge set at the end of the turn creates a solid platform for the next turn.
Upper body and legs
One of PSIA's fundamentals is to control the turning of the skis with leg rotation, separate from the upper body. On a steep slope, this means: while your legs turn left and right, your upper body and chest stay quiet, largely facing down the valley in your direction of travel. When your upper body turns along with your skis, every turn starts late and speed builds up.
The pole plant is the key to rhythm and balance on a steep slope: a pole planted lightly on the side of the next turn, together with the edge change, makes it easier to commit to the turn with confidence. For details, see our guide Using Ski Poles: The Right Grip, Length and Turn Rhythm.
Choosing your line
Look first: Stop at the top of the slope and read the line: where are the narrow passages, icy patches, bumps and the edges of the slope?
Look for soft snow: The snow may be softer at the edges of the slope or in areas where fewer skiers pass; avoid icy, shiny surfaces.
Plan your stopping points: You do not have to ski a long steep slope in one go; stop on short sections and catch your breath. Under the FIS rules, stop at the side of the slope, in a place visible from above.
When it gets difficult: getting down safely
According to PSIA, sideslipping, traversing and the hockey stop are skills that help you get through steep sections. If you find yourself on a slope above your level:
Keep your skis across the slope and come down under control by sideslipping.
Cross the slope diagonally (traverse) to reach an easier section.
If necessary, take off your skis and walk down the side of the slope; there is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Skiing with a group leader or instructor who knows a resort's steep slopes makes it easier to choose the right line and the right time. On an activity holiday, people who can ski head out as a group to slopes that suit their level; Doğadayız experience packages are designed for this stage. And telling everyone about the toughest run of the day in the evening is the fun of a social adventure holiday.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
Not by braking, but with the shape of the turn. According to PSIA, on a steep slope you make more completed and shorter turns; you keep steering the skis after they cross the fall line and make a decisive edge set at the end of the turn.
When should I move on to black runs?
When you can comfortably control your speed with parallel turns on easy and intermediate slopes. Avoid steep slopes when you are tired and in difficult conditions such as ice or fog.
What should I do if I get stuck on a steep slope?
Keep your skis across the slope and sideslip down, cross the slope diagonally to reach an easier section, or if necessary take off your skis and walk down the side of the slope. Stop not in the middle of the slope but at the side, in a place visible from above.
Carving is a turn in which the ski travels along its own edge without skidding sideways. According to the International Ski Federation's definition, in a pure carved turn the ski's tail follows exactly the track cut by its tip and there is no sideways skidding; two thin lines are left in the snow. The radius of the turn is determined by the ski's edge angle, its sidecut radius and the way the ski bends: the more the ski is tipped, the tighter the turn. In a skidded turn, by contrast, the ski pivots on the turning path and slides sideways. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, in a good turn the edges are changed before the skis turn into the fall line, and the edge angle increases and decreases gradually throughout the turn.
As the snow changes, so does the technique. According to PSIA, the American ski instructors' association, skis offer very little resistance to turning on icy pistes, so over-rotating makes them skid; the answer is to increase the edge angle progressively and pressure the new outside ski early and decisively. In powder, the skis are kept more in the fall line, turns are made with strong, continuous and patient steering, and the skis stay relatively flat. In wet, sticky snow, as the New Zealand instructors' alliance (NZSIA) points out, the same turn takes more power; flowing, wide turns make it easier. In every condition the basic rule is the same: a centred stance and controlled speed.
Ski poles are used for balance, rhythm and pushing on flat sections. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, your hands should be comfortably up and forward, with your elbows at least level with your breastbone and forward of it, “as if carrying a tray of glasses full of water”. The pole is planted together with the edge change, that is, at the least balanced moment of the turn, slightly in front of and to the side of your boots, with a small swing from the wrist. For pole length, the manufacturer LEKI recommends that your arm forms a 90° angle when the pole is held vertically on the ground, or about 70% of your body height. Letting go of your poles when you fall matters: falling with your pole in your hand can lead to “skier's thumb”, an injury to the ligament of the thumb.
