Welcome to Field Guides! Each month, I’ll share insights, tips and tricks, and inspirations from cool people who do cool things in nature.
We are in the middle of winter, and for a lot of us, that means spending our few hours of winter sunlight in the snow. So this month, I asked Hadley Hammer for tips on big mountain skiing.
Hadley is a storyteller, writer, and professional skier from Jackson, Wyoming. Hadley is known for her style on and off the slopes. She has spent the last 13 years skiing professionally, competing in the Freeride World Tour and skiing in front of a camera for Teton Gravity Research and Sherpas Cinema. Hadley co-authors, TOGS, a weekly personal-style newsletter looking to expand the accepted mountain town uniform. She also writes for her publication The Discourse and traditional media outlets.
Hadley currently lives in Chamonix, France, and sustains herself on croissants and cheese. A storyteller by nature, Hadley has retired from performance-based skiing and now sees outdoor activities as a way to discover new stories and build communities.
Hadley’s Guide to Big Mountain Skiing:
G- 2/3rds Vision Looking ahead in skiing is so important: it allows you to plan and anticipate your next moves and helps you stack your body in a proper athletic stance. Eliminate the urge to look down by taping the bottom third of your goggles with painter’s tape (not to damage the lenses). This helps you look ahead, instead of at your ski tips.
U- Poco a Poco Skiing is progressive. Practice certain skills on easy terrain. If you want to ski chutes or couloirs, practice tight turns by creating narrow boundaries with branches on a groomer. Then progress to steeper and steeper terrain, by the time you’re in the chute, you can trust the skills you’ve built up over the season. Same with cliffs, start with a little one and progress to bigger and bigger. With consistent, small progress, you will be surprised how quickly you’ll improve. Never try to progress too quickly, ever.
I- Smooth Systems Especially in backcountry skiing, there are so many transitions– getting out of the car and putting gear on, mid-hike up snack and de-layering, switching to ski mode at the top. Thoughtfully pack your bag the night before and practice taking on and off your skins or transitioning into ski mode in your living room. Having these systems down will make the day easier and smoother, keeping your nervous system chill and skiing more fun.
D- Anti-Cold Skiing comes hand-in-hand with being cold. Once you’re cold, it’s hard to get warm, always think about how to prevent the chill. For example, when backcountry skiing, bring a down jacket a few sizes bigger than your usual size. As soon as you stop, throw the jacket on over the layers you have on, even your shell. More tips for staying warm from Hadley here.
E- Find Your Partners It’s easy to find someone who skis at the level you want, what's hard is finding a partner who’s truly supportive and brings out your best skiing. People ski for many different reasons, it's important to find someone who’s in the mountains for the same reasons as you. Local avalanche courses are a great way to meet fellow skiers and since you’re in the same course, you’ll be on the same page with communication and safety in the backcountry.
Photo Credit: Fred Marmsater