At least there’s that.

The wind has picked up again, and I zip up my open pocket to keep the remainder of my igniters dry. I place the stick of bamboo with two shots taped to it in the snow below me and pull off the rubber nipple at the end of the fuse. Next I place the igniter over the open end. When using explosives to control avalanches, we must follow a precise protocol. These regulations have become routine to me, and my hands perform the duties without much mental input. I just traversed onto this slope and now I must light the fuse and ski to the far side of the path before it goes off. This is tricky business and I am completely focused on the task.

After several weeks of sun and high-pressure the snow has finally returned. Last night’s snowfall has tested the strength of the bonds underneath, and I worry that today might not be a good day to place a large shot by hand. After all, I’m here because I’m expecting to see avalanches. And now I’ve traversed out onto the biggest slidepath on this route. I consider this briefly as my hands pull the string on the igniter.

I pull it off to inspect the fuse. In windy conditions it can be hard to know if the fuse is lit. The igniter itself smokes, but I watch for a second longer, just to be sure. The fuse sputters loudly and more smoke pours out the end.

Ignition

Grabbing my ski poles in the self-arrest position I leave the shot and ski towards the other edge of the bowl, where a shallow cornice separates this slidepath from the next one. Getting caught in an avalanche would be bad enough, but sliding down with a light bomb nearby would be even worse. I’m careful not to disturb the snow too much, willing my body to float across the deep snow to safety.

When I reach the other side, I propel myself over the cornice and back onto the ridge; I look up to see my partner still watching me. We both nod and back ourselves further towards the trees, turning our faces away from the explosive and into the wind. I tuck my chin into the collar of my parka, plug my ears and open my mouth.

The explosive concussion can rupture your eardrums if you’re too close and your mouth is closed. I taped the shot to a stick of bamboo so the explosion happened in the air, not I’m up here today doing avalanche control in order to open this roped-off terrain. We bomb the snow before dropping the gates, hoping to mitigate the avalanche hazard by causing the slides to happen now before the first skier drops in.

My breath echoes in my ears and I wait for the shot to go off. I’m sure it was lit; but it seems longer than the 90-second length of the fuse. I glance at my watch, removing one finger and quickly replace it under my hood. A few more seconds.

A muffled call comes over the radio. Dispatch wants to know when Southback will open. The hard part of my route—the hike up the King—is over, but I’ve only just thrown my first shot. I have eleven more to go.

The shot goes off, pressing a little on my sternum like a thumping finger. I turn toward the slope and slide my skis towards the edge to watch the powder cloud hit the trees below. Impressive results. I shouldn’t let my mind go to there, but it isn’t easy. I had just traversed across that slope, my skis cutting into the snow and weakening the slab.

Today is going to be a busy day. Guests have already started lining up at the chairlift at the bottom of this run, ready to hike out as soon as we drop the ropes. Much of the West has suffered a poor start to the ski season, and guests are ready for fresh snow.

Tightening the straps on my backpack I head towards our next shot and watch my partner ski down to me. We will need to work efficiently along the ridge, dropping shots in all the suspect zones before traversing two more times across the slopes below. Soon, just before the crowds arrive, we will finish our route with a glorious run to the bottom. The snow is sparkling now and patches of blue have opened in the sky. It’s going to be a good day.

If you do sports you are going to have injuries

Every dedicate outdoor enthusiast (skier, surfer, snowboarder, mountainbiker, climber etc…) will face injuries at some point or many points in their active career. Some may even be very serious ones. You won’t be able to avoid it – it’s a fact. Dislocated shoulders, bent knees, “skier’s thumb”, concussions, muscle/ligament tears, frost bites…you name it, they’re out there just waiting for you. The legendary Laird Hamilton, quoted above, is as good an example as any – this guy has suffered dozens of seriously gnarly crashes and miraculously has recovered from all injuries sustained.

I’ve been lucky with sports accidents so far. One broken ankle, a semi-serious neck “whiplash” from an MTB accident, numerous muscle tears,  dodgy right patella (from my mogul skiing days), and many good bruises (again from bike stuff)…a pretty benign list if you were to be making comparisons with a pro athlete.

My injury list may also be somewhat less detailed than others due to my nature: I’ve always considered myself to be relatively risk averse when it comes to action sports, or at least to be calculated or analytical in my approach. All and all I’ve always tried to avoid the  most “extreme” stuff. Instead, I kind of like to focus more on the skill side of the sports. You know, pulling that technical move with your bike on the trails, nailing that grab on your 360, fine tuning your tele turn…For me it has never been about the stuff like “wow, did you hear we skied [insert gnarly route's name here]?” but more about the stoke how some turns feel and how somehow (or myself) stomped that floaty cliff jump with a nice move or something similar. No wonder I like things like Nimbus Independent – stuff that’s more about the flow and feel, not just the “difficult level” or pure craziness of the lines, jumps, moves and so on.

Oh the modern day rush to achieve things “right here, right now”

Having said all this, I still need to take care of my physical level to achieve all the things that I like to do, and those that I dream of. As life trundles on and annoyingly I seem to be getting older, I’m increasingly aware that I have to stay in the best possible shape that I can to enable me to continue to play in the outdoors. In the last few years I guess I have become kind of a training freak. I’ve been trying to pack it all in – a family with two young children (and lots of lost sleep), building a business, and trying to keep up with my younger/fitter/those with more free time friends. And I still want to do new stuff – this year I’ve really got into surfing and have managed to surf about 15 times this year – two trips abroad and even one trip here in Finland.  Let’s just say that one involved a furious onshore storm, a 6mm wet suit, gloves and boots, and absolutely zero clean rides……not the best!

The physical and mental demands of trying to juggle all of this has probably been a bit too much for my body and mind. Last week I realized that my right arm had become really sore and it seemed that I had some kind of RSI in my right bicep. Eventually the whole arm began to swell, and I started to get seriously concerned about it.

A doctor friend sent me for an ultra sound scan at a local hospital. It turns out I’ve got venous thrombosis near my left clavicle. Damn. I’ve always been terrified of one day really doing myself some damage – tearing a knee, shoulder, ankle, having a head trauma or even a broken back…but something to do with internal diseases? Hell no (not at this age, again….. hell no!)

As it turned out, operating on the thrombosis itself was actually not such a big deal. The whole operation took about an hour – modern medicine really can do wonders. However, I now have to eat so called “blood thinning” pills for about three months, just to make sure that the symptoms doesn’t recur. And most significantly, I can’t do any ‘dangerous’ sports for at least three months. This is because the medicine makes my system more vulnerable to bleeding, bruises, even internal bleeding or serious head trauma.  I think I can go skiing with my daughters, teach them at a slow pace but no jumps, serious off-piste skiing, climbing/bouldering, mountain biking or any other activity where there is a high risk of crashes/bruises.

Noone seems to have any idea why this has happened. The doctors were very tentative to make any speculations before the lab test results. It could be genes, body structure and/or maybe other external factors – well, paddling in very cold water with a thick wet suit probably didn’t really help…but it is not by any means the only explanatory factor. Stress, dehydration and (very) tight/stuck muscles in the shoulder area might also be contributory factors (so  to all of you skiers, climbers, bikers etc. out there – remember to stretch, seriously!) The irony of all of this is that despite possible genetic factors in my blood or structural problems, all other factors were more than fine (blood pressure, hemoglobin, pulse, cholesterol etc.)

The effect of all of this might somehow restrict my future activities (e.g. long flights might need special care) or might not do any harm at all. The biggest effect of all is that it has stopped me in my tracks and made me think. I’ve questioned just exactly what the hell I was rushing around all over the place for. A start-up business, one small kid that doesn’t sleep and this weird burn to e.g. learn how to surf as quickly as possible. Looking back it’s clear that I was all over the shop, putting far too much pressure on myself and I don’t really know why. So easy with the benefit of hindsight to see that I just needed to chill and give myself some time. Ah hindsight – useful but inherently useless as it doesn’t really change anything right now.

Stay positive dude!

I consider myself to be a relatively sensitive guy and I definitely tend to freak out when contemplating issues like “thinning blood” or “an increased risk of internal bleeding”. But I’m not really freaking out too much. And I’ve at least managed to pull out vaccinating myself everyday (with Klexane medine, first help for thrombosis). I also tend to have this (probably quite naive) theory of using the negative energy and turning it into something more positive. For example, you’re hungover and pissed off…clean the house or do something that you’ve been meaning to do for ages and somehow the negative energy goes away.

The same goes with this freak illness/injury – I’m trying to turn the whole situation into a possibility rather than a hindrance. I mean, now I will have more time to spend with the kids and teach them skiing (it’s fine for me to do easy blue run skiing) or go to do mellow cross country skiing for a change. I am also willing to try things I’ve never done: yoga, pilates or other kinds of core training activities. Long walks (on the beach, heh heh heh) might not be so bad either. I might even (gasp!!) try that “nordic walking” thing. It’s time to enjoy family and friends and take life at a calmer pace. By immersing myself in the small and simple things in life I hope to learn some big and significant lessons and am determined to move forward from this in a positive way. Still bloody annoying though……

If you are going to ski pillows make sure there is snow enough. Otherwise you’ll just break your skis and bones. Before skiing pick your line wisely. Pillows can be surprising, so choose a line with wide and clean run-out. Make sure there are places in the pillow line where you can check your speed because most probably you will go faster than you expected. Planning really helps to avoid crashing big time.

Despite of good planning long pillow lines can provide surprises, so you need to look ahead to avoid obstacles. Avoid skiing pillow lines that has trees and rocks in the run-out. Finland, where Homeboys come from, is NOT located in the list. That sucks.

Where are the best places for pillow skiing? Probably in British Colombia, Japan, Kashmir, Norway… All those countries and resorts that receive huge amounts of snow every year.

Watch below probably the best pillow skiing videos in the Internet.

Rock on!

Thanks guys over at UnOfficialSquaw for finding these two above!

You know more pillow skiing videos? Drop a comment below with a link to your video.

Nevado Sajama is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. The mountain is located in the Oruro Department, Sajama Province, Curahuara de Carangas Municipality, Sajama Canton.  It is situated in the Sajama National Park in the southwest area of the country some 16–24 km (10-15 miles) from the border with Chile. The date of the most recent eruption of Sajama is uncertain.

An interesting detail related to Sajama is the treeline of Polylepis tarapacana which is as high as 5200m above sea level, one of the highest altitudes trees can be found growing anywhere in the world.

Another interesting detail is that in August 2001, two teams of Sajama villagers and Bolivian mountain guides played a soccer match on top of Mount Sajama in an effort to show that altitude itself is not a limitation to physical strain. Not much frenzied activity, I assume…

The first attempt to climb the mountain was done by Joseph Prem in 1927. He attempted the northwest ridge but was stopped short at 6,200 m. After several more attempts, Prem along with Wilfrid Kuehm reached the top in August 1939 by a more difficult southeast ridge.

Check also the blogs of Andreas and Bjarne.

As a skier, my own personal goal over the past couple of years has been to make the transition from piste skier to ski mountaineer. Don’t get me wrong – a resort skiing holiday is still an enormously attractive option. Spending time with friends in the fresh air, relentless consumption of gluhwein and crepes and when time is against you, crepes full of gluhwein can make for a more than entertaining week away. But for me and an increasing number of my peers, a shift is occurring. We want more.

To move outside the boundaries of the artificial world of lift accessed and prescribed pistes is a serious commitment. If you choose to go this way, you are literally venturing under the ropes and into the unknown. Avalanche bulletins, seracs, transceivers, ABS bags, slope angles, and kick turns all constitute part of a new language and culture that will surround you. Suddenly you have a hell of a lot more to worry about than just remembering to put your resort pass in your pocket before turning up at the lifts at the start of the day.

It’s a brutal unforgiving environment with no margin for error as has been brought to our attention most recently with the tragic deaths of two British skiers caught in avalanches in Val d’Isere. It is not so much a case of making sure you don’t get it slightly wrong but rather more, utterly imperative that you get it absolutely right. First time. Every time.

The word of course is how. A whole heap of them in fact. How do you know what lies beneath the surface and how can you make sure you get it right? How do you know what to do if you’re standing at the top of a slope that has slid and you have just 15 minutes to locate your friends before their chances of survival plummet to practically zero. Essentially, how is it possible to explore beyond the boundaries and simultaneously minimize your personal exposure to natural risk?

It was precisely my inability to reconcile these two seemingly opposing goals that led me to sign up for a 3.5 day AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course in Chamonix last month. That and the crazy weather conditions in the Alps so far this winter – knee deep powder in November and skiing in t-shirts in January would imply to me that there may be a touch of the irregularity in this season’s snowpack.

I found IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide Jeff Banks’ course one evening, signed up straight away and the following evening I arrived in Chamonix equipped with my weapon of choice – curiosity. I came in search of some kind of rules, answers or guarantees that might help transform the seemingly unpredictable into something rather more understandable. Control issues? Most definitely. But if they mean that my time spent on this earth is lengthened, then I embrace them. As may the pub and vineyard owners of France I might imagine….

The next 3.5 days were full. Fantastically full. A combination of class based and field based learning. We analysed potential avalanche scenarios, learned to identify the different types of snow crystals and to understand their implication within the snow pack. We watched sobering video footage of actual events, went outside to learn and practically apply the all important emergency rescue techniques. We went to the top of the mountain and ventured under the ropes to dig and analyze the different layers in the snowpack. We even planned a tour and spent a day out of bounds putting our skills to the test without the input of our guides.

I’d like to think our survival was down to excellent decision making, authoritative leadership, optimum route selection and coherent group behaviour. Joking aside, I think we did pretty well for novices actually and it was the perfect learning and empowering environment to put into practice what we’d been discussing over the previous days. We really were out there ‘doing it’ safe in the knowledge that the calm and solid guides Jeff and Robbie were ever present should we have made any really ludicrous plans!

As the sun dipped behind Mont Blanc, I drove away from Chamonix with a huge grin on my face and a notepad jam packed with new info. And yes, I even left with several answers to the long list of ‘how’s that I’d rocked up with at the beginning of the weekend. I had learned how to perform a Rutschblock test, how to measure the incline of a slope, how best to shovel snow so as to reach a victim as fast as possible, and even how best to deal with a potentially tricky group member who might be putting the overall safety of the party in jeopardy.

While all of this is obviously incredibly important, by far and away the most valuable bit of information I learned over the course of the weekend was that there is actually not one skill, approach or piece of gear that is going to keep you alive in the mountains should you be dealt a sliding snow card. Contrary to popular belief an expensive Avalung, the fanciest of transceivers, or the latest carbon probe are not going to make the key difference out there. They have their uses of course but are nothing more than unnecessary weight if you do not have one fundamental bit of kit in your backpack.

What I’m talking about right now is knowledge. Nowhere is Sir Francis Bacon’s ‘knowledge is power’ observation more applicable than in the world of avalanche prediction and avoidance. To best ensure your safety out there you need to be constantly asking questions of yourself, your group, and the environment that you’re in. If you continue to inquire, challenge and ask it will follow that you will learn and in so doing amass knowledge that will hopefully prolong your life.

So if like me, you’re finding yourself increasingly drawn towards the pursuit of powder and on the cusp of spanking a grand on an ABS bag because you think it makes you safe beyond bounds, I urge you to think again. Why not equip yourself with something worthwhile and sign up for an Avalanche Course instead? By opting to invest in knowledge you’ll guarantee yourself a decent return and besides, no-one wants to have all the gear and no idea….

Jeff Banks is an American mountain guide who lives in Colorado and Chamonix and runs the course – www.jeffbanksmountainguide.com. Avalanche Courses run by Jeff are official AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) accredited courses. The AIARE website has further details: www.avtraining.org.

More Snowboarding Videos >>

Let’s start with the most important thing: Equipment.

• Avalanche Transceiver
• Shovel
• Collapsible Probe

These are the three main things you’ll need for avalanche safety. Of course you’ll need plenty of warm clothing but I’ve taken that as a given because if you choose to go up a mountain in a t-shirt and shorts then maybe you might need hypothermia to give you a kick up the backside!
You need to make sure you understand how the transceiver works. If you get caught in an avalanche this will be your main lifeline. If you think it’s a new form of Tetris you’re pretty screwed. It helps you to locate others also and you should be able to locate your victim within 3 minutes so make sure you practice.

Spend the money and get a metal shovel. Don’t fob your mates off with a plastic shovel as they’re easy to break and less reliable in moving snow. You don’t want to lose a life because of a shovel.

The collapsible pole enables you to locate a victim accurately and reduces the possibility of missing the victim when you dig them out.
It should not just but you that knows how all of this equipment works but your friends as well. It’s no good having one person out of four know how something works. Make sure you all know and you all practice.

You need to always have an escape route planned. It’s better to have one planned beforehand rather than get yourself into trouble and be left high and dry under a slab of snow. Always travel one at a time. It’s best to leave one person in a safe place and others watching the area that your run will go through as well as having some nearby. This will allow them to guide others to your location if you become buried.

If you’re unlucky enough to get caught in an avalanche there are a few things that you’ll need to do. In this intensely pressured situation you may wonder how you’ll remember it but you remember the important things when your life is on the line! First things first, get off the snow slab! This has to be done straight away. It’s hard to do but if you’ve kept to cutting across slopes on your mountain run, it will be a lot easier to do than you think. Get to where the most stable snow is by skiing to the side. If it doesn’t happen the first time, keep trying. Gain speed and keep pushing yourself. Don’t try to outrun the avalanche. This rarely ever works and by rarely I mean it’s closer to never. Some people say that it’s best to keep away from trees in an avalanche as they can break very easily. A third of avalanche victims die from trauma from hitting trees and rocks, so if you’re able to grab onto one before you pick up speed then there’s a good chance of survival. Lose the poles. They hinder your chance of ‘swimming’ out when the snow drags you down the slope.

If you do get buried, clear an air space in front of your mouth as the avalanche comes to rest. This will delay an ice mask forming and will aid your breathing. Try to push your hand up. This will act as a visual aid for your rescuers to find you much quicker (if you don’t know which way is up, take your best guess). The snow in an avalanche is akin to concrete as it sets as soon as it stops so make sure you make all important actions before it stops!

If you are going to be the rescuer in this tale there’s some important tips for you to know as well. Watch the skier. It might seem like a stupid comment but if you don’t watch them then you won’t know where they end up and getting to them will be nearly impossible. Do not go for help. Another comment that might seem stupid but is essential as the first few minutes are the most important. If you leave to get help, your friend will more than likely be dead when you return so spend a good half an hour looking for them first. Don’t stay in one place. Try to cover as much ground as quickly as possible. Turn your beacon to receive if the victim is wearing one. Get everyone else to do this and you should find them in no time.

Those are my safety tips. Some of them are more warnings than tips but they all work in the same way. Don’t let this put you off back-country or mountain skiing but let it remind you that the mountain is bigger than you and that nature does not have a problem in teaching you this lesson.

Here’s some tips from the Roxy Girls:

Hey Steve, what is Packlate.com?

Packlate.com is an online marketplace where you find and book great deals on last minute vacation rentals.  We opened the marketplace this winter with vacation rental properties throughout the US Rockies including top destinations like Aspen, Breckenridge, Dillon, Keystone, Telluride, and many others…

Nice. It sounds like many good North American ski resorts are included. Anyhow, Packlate seems not to be the only player on the market, so what sets Packlate.com apart from other travel booking sites?

Packlate.com offers members (it is free to join) big discounts on premium vacation rentals.  In fact, many discounts are 50% or more.  The way it works is that prices drop as you get closer to the check-in date – so when booking with PackLate, procrastinators win! PackLate customers can closely track moving vacation home rental prices all the way down to hugely discounted levels.  Packlate.com also has great customer service with a goal of answering all questions in less than 60 minutes.

How has the site been received by users?

As a result of our unique approach to pricing and rapidly changing discounts, we have recently been featured in a number of US publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Budget Travel, among others.  We are also quickly becoming a favorite destination for skiers who are looking for big discounts in North American vacation rentals.

Pretty cool. So Steve, what inspired you to start Packlate.com?

I got the idea after owning two properties in Park City, Utah, where vacancy rates have reached 50 percent during the economic downturn, and finding that I could cut my losses by steeply discounting rates at the last minute.  I couldn’t stand a night to go unused. So I set-up Packlate.com to offer steep discounts to customers on last minute vacation rentals.  This benefits both the customer (great deals) and the property managers (higher occupancy rates).

Interesting. Thanks Steve!

I tried Packlate by searching deals in Park City, Utah and Aspen, Colorado. I wanted to travel between March 18th and March 22nd. As a result I got 100+ properties with many offering a discount over 30%.  Seems like sweet deals to me.  I was also able to set “price drop alerts” so I could stay up to date as prices moved down as the check in date moved closer.  The one catch is that when you set a price drop alert, other consumers are alerted that “others are watching this property” so it’s a bit of a game that you carefully have to manage your watches and choose when to book so you don’t lose out on your great vacation rental deal.

Are you guys using the Internet to find vacation rentals? Any experiences you can share?

If you happen to spend your Christmas holidays in Switzerland, you really should check the Swiss Christmas Markets. I am not sure how long they keep markets open, but if you miss the Swiss Christmas Markets this year, remember to try next year. There are Christmas Markets at least in Basel, Luzern, Montreux and Zürich. If you are staying in one of Swiss ski resorts such as Zermatt or Andermatt, check if one of these markets are close to your resort. Take a break and head to Swiss Christmas Markets.

Basel Christmas Market

I lived two years in Basel, and if you ask me, one of the highlights of living in Basel is the yearly Christmas market. I’m not into shopping at all, but I really enjoy the Christmas feeling I get when visiting the market. There are lots of stuff for sale, mostly hand-crafted, but I prefer Mulled Wine and various food they offer. If you are interested in Mulled Wine (Glühwine), check www.gluhwein.net.

Basel is a thrilling city unlike any other in Switzerland, where Swiss quality meets a multicultural population in the border region close to France and Germany. About 33% of inhabitants are from other countries. Basel is the third biggest city of Switzerland.

Luzern Christmas Market

I haven’t visited the Christmas market of Luzern, but I have been riding my mountain bike in the surrounding mountains few times. Luzern is a really nice city located by the lake and surrounded by mountains. You could say that Luzern is the essence of Switzerland. Luzern is very close to the Mount Pilatus & Rigi along with the famous ski resort of Engelberg so if you are staying in Engelberg right now, check the Luzern Christmas market today.

Luzern offers a beautiful Christmas Markets set inside the impressive hall of the railway station with 50 wooden chalets and a large Christmas Tree. One of the city’s famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century.

Montreux Christmas Market

Montreux is a beautiful city on the shores on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). Famous for the annual Jazz festival, the Montreux Christmas Market also places this interesting city high on the list for anyone looking for a something different during a ski trip in Switzerland.

Montreux boasts one of the most beautiful walks along the lake, stretching from Villeneuve all the way towards Vevey. The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva. Some of the numerous small villages around Montreux include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva and can be easily accessed via bus, walk or boat.

Zürich Christmas Market

Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland’s main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. Zürich is also ranked the sixth most expensive city in the world.

Zurich offers a number of Christmas Markets. The largest being the indoor market inside the railway station with 160 wooden chalets and a 50ft high Christmas Tree.

So those people traveling in Switzerland right now, check out the Christmas Markets Swiss cities offer. It might be a good idea to spend one day in a small Swiss city instead of mountains. If you don’t like the idea, I guess it’s better to stick to your earlier plan of skiing all days of your vacation

Merry Christmas!

Buying ski boots – finding a good bootfitter

The first and most important step in buying ski boots is to find a good bootfitter. They’re professionals who have done a course or have a lot of experience in fitting ski boots. Good bootfitters can normally be found in smaller specialty ski shops, not in the big chain sports shops that sell several types of sports gear. They should patiently guide you through the process of buying ski boots, as it takes some time to find a pair that fit your feet well and are suitable for the style and level of skiing you do. If you run into a salesperson that immediately tries to convince you to buy the first or second pair of boots that you try on it would probably be better just to leave the shop. Not every town has got a good bootfitter; ask about your friends experiences or search the internet to find one.

Ensuring that you get the right kind of a ski boot

One of the most distinguishing factors between ski boots is their flex, or in other words how stiff they are. Each manufacturer has their own flex scale, ranging usually from about fifty to a hundred and fifty, with stiffness increasing towards the high end of the scale. Do note that these scales do not correspond with each other, which means that a Salomon ski boot with a flex rating of 90 might well be stiffer than a Lange ski boot with the same rating. Usually the lower end of the scale is used for kids ski boots, after that the ratings up to 90 or 100 are mostly preferred by recreational, “normal” skiers. Those that like high speeds or are into hard freeriding and demand a lot from their ski boots usually look at boots with a flex rating of  100 to 130.  Boots with a rating of 130 or higher are normally only used by ski racers. Softer boots usually offer more comfort than stiffer ones. When deciding what kind of ski boot to buy, ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly:

• What kind of a skier am I?
• Do I prefer to ski slow or fast?
• What kind of conditions do I normally encounter? (those
• What flex rating did my previous boots have and did I feel the need for a softer/stiffer boot?

Flex your feet forward while they’re in the ski boots and try to feel their stiffness. Are the boots too stiff or soft? Does the flex feel natural with no sudden stop and no hot spots along your shin when you flex the boot? Also ask your boot fitter about the plastic material used in the ski boots that you’re trying on – some boots have plastic that turns stiffer in colder temperatures.

How to get the best fit when buying ski boots

This is the hardest part. You should preferably go to the ski boot shop in the afternoon, since feet have a tendency to swell a bit during the day. Bring a pair of the ski socks that you’re planning to use, although the shop should have some to borrow also. I personally recommend thin sock liners, but some prefer thicker ski socks that have a bit of added padding along the shin area.  The bootfitter should guide you through this part, and an experienced boot fitter should be able to tell you what ski boot brand or model could fit you just by looking at and measuring your feet. Some brands only fit one kind of foot well while some brands offer several models with different fits.

• The first thing the boot fitter should do is to measure the shell fit of the potential boot candidate, that means inserting your foot into the shell of the ski boot without the liner in it.  Then, with your toes slightly touching the front of the boot the amount of space left behind your heel should be measured. If there is space for more than two fingers (more than 1 inch or 2,5 centimeters) then the size is probably too big for you. A two-finger fit is often called a “comfort fit” while a one-finger fit is called a “performance fit”. If you ski a lot and are willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort for performance then you should probably go with the performance fit.

• Next, put the liner back into the boot and insert your foot into the ski boot. Kick your heel to the ground a couple times. This will ensure that your foot is in the proper place in the boot.  Buckle up the boot, be careful not to crank the buckles down too tight. Cranking the buckles can result in deformation of the boot plastic and  the blood flow to your feet can be cut can be affected. If you need to crank down the buckles for the boot to feel snug then the boot is probably too high a volume for your foot. The liner of the ski boot will pack down after usage and thus your boots will only get bigger with time, never smaller.

• After buckling up the fit of the boot should feel snug but not uncomfortably tight. You should not feel any “hot spots”, spots where you feel pain or too much pressure. When leaning forward into a “skiing position” your heel should not rise up. If you can lift your heel easily it means that the boot has got too high a volume at some place. It is OK for your toes to slightly touch the end of the boot while standing upright as long as they are not cramped. When leaning forward your toes should not touch the end of the boot, except maybe slightly. Your toes should have enough room so that you can wiggle them a bit. That won’t compromise the performance of the boot but will help in keeping your toes warm during those cold days.

• Keep in mind that it is hard to modify a boot to become smaller, but heating and punching the shell at certain points to create more space can be done by an experienced bootfitter. Beginners often buy boots that are too big because they are afraid of getting painful boots and big ski boots feel comfortable in the shop. Do not make this mistake! Ski boots that are too big result in a lot of problems as your foot can move inside the boot while skiing, rubbing the skin and banging up especially your shins against the boot. If the fit is not snug enough and your feet have space to move around, they will get banged up against the sides of the boot. Most boot problems stem from skiers buying too big of boots to begin with.

• Try on several different ski boots. Be honest with yourself about what kind of boot you’re looking for. The general trend at least among my experienced skier friends has been to buy softer boots than what they used before. Since the ski boot technology is advancing you can get the same performance with a softer boot than what you might have been used to. You don’t need a race boot anymore to be the toughest kid on the block.

• Most of the liners in today’s ski boots are thermo-moldable. This means that the liner can and should be heated, which makes it softer until it cools down again. When the liner is warm a foot is inserted into the liner it’ll mold into the shape of the foot. Bear in mind though that this is not a magic trick that would make any ski boot fit your feet. A ski boot should already have a good snug fit “out of the box”. Ask your bootfitter about the model that you’re trying on and if it has a thermo-moldable liner.

• Do not buy your ski boots online unless you’re buying the same model that you’ve already used. It is also not nice to go to a ski boot shop to try a bunch of boots and use bootfitters’  expertise to help you and then buy the boots online for a bit cheaper. When buying ski boots at your local ski shop you might be paying a bit more but you also pay for their expertise and time and in the process you support a local business.

• Do not try to save money on ski boots. As mentioned above the boots are in my opinion the most important piece of ski gear you’ll ever buy. My ski boots cost me more than my skis and bindings combined and I don’t consider that strange.

If you have weird feet like I do it might take couple days and several hours of trying on ski boots to find a pair that fits your feet and your needs as a skier. Remember that you won’t be able to cast the “final verdict” on the ski boots before having skied them for a few days. And if you just spent a lot of time finding a pair of boots that you thought would fit you and then find your feet in a lot of pain on the first day, don’t despair! Try to ski for a few hours to get the boots “broken in”, and if you’re still having problems go back to your shop and the bootfitter. He/she should be able to modify the boot by punching out hot spots or grinding the shell to help you. Most bootfitters offer a “fit guarantee”, which means that if you have problems with your ski boots after buying them then they’ll modify the boots for free. Ask your bootfitter about this.

I hope this guide helped you through the process of buying ski boots!

As the season gets underway, I would like to remind all you fathers and mothers who are about to teach kids to ski about the importance and meaning of the emergency stop. Although it might seem natural for grownups to brake by falling or sitting down in case of emergency, for kids it might not be so. As part of teaching kids to ski you must make sure your child understands the meaning of the emergency stop and can actually perform one when necessary.

Teach kids to ski – and fall

Do you remember your first days skiing? I remember my first day crystal clear because I was so stoked with my new hobby. I was doing fine, but my cousin had some difficulties. She was not able to make any turns for some reason. She basically turned her skis downwards at the top of the hill and started coming down straight, damn fast. She was screaming “watch out” and people gave her way. It really looked funny and scary at the same time, because she did that more than ten times until a ski instructor stopped her and told her how to make turns.

What can we learn from that first day of skiing back in the late 1970′s? My cousin was actually in danger because she didn’t know how to make turns at high speed. There was a risk of hitting trees, structures or other skiers. What makes her first day of skiing even more dangerous is that she didn’t know how to STOP. She didn’t know the meaning of emergency stop.

When you teach kids to ski, make sure you teach them the meaning of the emergency stop. Tell your kids that gaining high speed can be really dangerous and can lead to injuries. Make sure they understand that whenever they feel their speed is too high, they must sit down. Yes, simply sitting down leads to a controlled crash and can avoid serious damages or injuries. All your child needs to do is to sit down when his/her speed get too high.

The importance of the emergeny stop might seem natural to us, but for some reason it is also easy to forget when we teach kids to ski. Maybe we just enjoy the wonderful day of skiing together and forget the basics. So next time you are out teaching your kids to ski, remember to teach them the meaning of the emergency stop and how to do it.

Back in the late 90s I was conquering the Chamonix backcountry with my friend. We had been skiing all day long and were damn tired and hungry. It was already late evening when we finally entered an empty hut to prepare a delicious mountain dinner when suddenly my friend asked, “Do you have the food bag?” I replied, “No, we agreed you would take it, right?” I knew he had forgotten our food. Oh boy, were we disappointed. So we spent the night drinking hot water with sugar we found in the hut.

Prepare by writing down your ski travel checklist

It really makes sense to prepare your ski vacation well. Therefore I recommend you write a ski travel checklist in which you simply list all the items you want to take with you. I have prepared a sample ski travel checklist you can use as a basis or reference. Just mark the items in my list you want to take with you and then add other items that are important for you.

My ski travel checklist includes “MUST-HAVE” items on a normal ski trip. Please note that it doesn’t include items needed for backcountry skiing or mountaineering. For that purpose I’ll write another ski travel checklist.

This list is based on my personal experience, so you might come up with a slightly different ski travel checklist. Anyhow, I hope my list gives you some useful tips and ideas.

Please also note that my ski travel checklist doesn’t contain personal and general traveling items, such as personal hygiene items, credit cards, etc. This checklist is only related to skiing.

Ski travel checklist – 20 MUST-HAVE items for a skiing trip

1. Skis – In case you are not going to rent ski gear remember to take your own skis.
2. Poles – Same goes for the poles.
3. Boots – If you travel with kids make sure the boots still fit.
4. Helmet – As most skiers already know a helmet really is a necessary item.
5. Hat – Sometimes you just want to take off your helmet, in which case you might want to wear a hat.
6. Goggles – Skiing without goggles is really painful, so don’t forget them!
7. Gloves – Make sure you have good gloves because nothing is more annoying than freezing fingertips.
8. Jacket – You might want to wear other clothes while traveling but on the slopes a jacket is a must.
9. Pants – Ditto.
10. Long underwear (non-cotton fabrics) – Long underwear rocks! Long underwear helps you to stay dry.
11. Sweater/Fleece – Long underwear is not aleays enough so you also need a sweater or a fleece.
12. Socks – Make sure you have good sport socks because wet socks can cause your feet damage.
13. Backpack – Every now and then there will be a situation in which you’ll need a backpack
14. Ski bag – Some day you might want to carry nice little stuff with you so remember to take your ski bag.
15. Sunscreen – I have burned my face so many times that all I can do is recommend you to take sunscreen with you.
16. Lip balm – The same with lips. They can get burned.
17. Avalanche beacon – An avalanche beacon is a safety device to avoid being killed in avalanche.
18. Insurance – You don’t want to pay the costs if you get injured.
19. Sunglasses – Skiing without sunglasses is really painful, so make sure you have good sunglasses
20. You – Make sure you remember to take yourself with you. Oh, that was sooooo funny…

Have a nice ski trip!

The ski season 08/09 is about to start in a few weeks. Have you already prepared your skis for the first snow? Have you waxed your skis already, or have you actually ever thought about ski waxing? Many skiers invest a good amount of money in new powder guns, but never actually take care of them. Many people don’t even bother to maintain their skis, and only a fraction of skiers regularly wax their skis. If you are interested in waxing skis, then read this post.

Ski waxing is an important part of ski maintenance. Wax protects the base of a ski and lessens friction. Ski wax is like the motor oil that keeps a motor running and in good operating condition. Ski wax is necessary to keep skis operating well. You can go skiing without ever waxing your skis, but the performance of your skis will not come even close to the level of properly waxed skis.

Waxing skis is important – Cold snow can damage skis

You might not have ever heard this before, but as snow gets colder (like -20 Centigrade) it can actually damage the base of your skis. In cold temperature snow crystals become sharper. In order to avoid skis from getting damaged, you must use cold temperature ski wax which protects the ski base from getting cut by sharp snow crystals.

How about warmer snow? In warmer temperature snow becomes wetter, which causes more friction between the ski and snow. Warm temperature ski wax removes some of the friction, which leads to easier and faster gliding.

What equipment is necessary for waxing skis?

Different weather conditions require different ski waxes. So the first thing you need to know before waxing skis is to know the weather conditions. Next you need some tools for waxing skis.

• Ski wax for the current temperature and snow conditions
• Iron for ironing the wax into the ski base
• Vise for stabilizing skis while waxing
• Scraper for removing extra wax
• Brush for removing extra wax

Note that the iron should be a special ski waxing iron, not the one you use to iron your shirts. If you use the same iron for waxing skis, you will destroy your shirts the next time you iron them. A ski waxing iron is also able to maintain a consistent temperature, which helps to avoid burning the ski wax. Therefore it is recommended to purchase an iron specifically made for waxing skis.

It is not always easy to find a place for vise at home, but I strongly recommend you try. The reason is that waxing skis without a vise can be really frustrating: if the skis are not locked down, they keep flopping around as you’re trying to work on them. Some skiers wax their skis without a vise, but I can tell you that a vise makes waxing skis a lot easier and less frustrating.

Ski waxing scraper can be a regular car window scraper, but the best performance is provided by scrapers designed for ski waxing. Ski waxing scrapers are pretty cheap, so I recommend buying a good one. One good scraper can easily serve more than 10 years. A lousy one can break after a few days.

There are different ski waxing brushes available, from steel to nylon. It makes sense to purchase both of them, but if you want to buy only one, then choose the nylon brush. We recommend you purchase a ski waxing brush that integrates both nylon and steel brushes, like the one in this picture. A brush is used to remove extra ski wax.

How to wax skis? – Homeboy’s tips for waxing skis

Now that you have all the necessary equipment, it’s time to start waxing skis. Here are our tips for waxing skis at home.

Start by selecting the right wax for the current temperature. Check the temperature outside or in the weather forecast and find the appropriate ski wax. Notice that ski waxes are designed for snow temperature and air temperature is usually couple of degrees lower than snow temperature, so you may need to do a little bit of math here.

Start waxing skis by dripping melted ski wax from the iron to the ski base. Hold your iron about 5-7 inches above the ski base, and drip melted ski wax constantly around the ski base. One 60-gram ski wax bar should be enough for waxing five skis and three snowboards. The actual number depends on the size of your skis. If you have so-called fat skis, then you naturally need a bit more wax than for regular skis.

Next, start ironing the ski wax by moving the iron constantly on ski base. Make sure not to stop moving the iron because keeping the iron in one spot can seriously damage the base of your skis. After ironing the ski wax into your ski, let it cool for an hour.

Next you need to scrape off the excess wax. Start scraping from the tail of your ski. Hold your scraper at a 45-degree angle to the ski, and scrape back and forth. Continue scraping until you cannot remove any more ski wax.

The last phase is brushing. Start with your stiffest brush and move to softer ones along the way. Start brushing from the tip of your ski, and head towards the tail of your ski. Continue brushing until you cannot remove any ski wax with your softest brush. Clean your skis with paper towel in between when you switch from stiffer to softer brush.

Finally clean your skis with paper towel. Congratulations, you’re done waxing your skis.

How often should my skis be waxed?

It would be optimal for you to wax your skis before each skiing outing, like ski racers. But for most of us this is not possible. I usually wax my skis a few times a year. A good rule of thumb is to wax your skis every tenth skiing day.

What kind of waxing tips and ideas do you have? Do you wax your skis using a different method? Please tell us how you wax your skis and what you would do differently. Just leave a comment below.

Also check out our last year’s ski waxing tips.