To feel in control of your skiing, you must be able to determine your position on the slope, the direction in which you are moving and your speed. To achieve this you must learn to turn, and it is the feeling of controlled speed and rhythm that results from linking turns that makes skiing so exhillarating.

If you master the skills described in this chapter, you will be able to descend a shallow slope in control and get yourself out of difficult situations.

Falling is an inevitable part of skiing. There is no dishonour involved, and even good skiers fall over. It is one area in which beginners excel, because they have more practice than advanced skiers. Hurling yourself to the ground because you couldn't stop even used to be a recognised technique, known as the 'arrêt Briançon'!

There are times when you really don't want to fall, such as when the slope is extremely icy or dangerous. In normal conditions, however, a fall is nothing to worry about, it can even loosen you up and show you that skiing needn't hurt! Learning when to take risks and when to play safe is an important part of mountain craft.

Tips To Avoid Injury

• If falling sideways, try to keep your knees from hitting the snow first as this will tend to twist them. Land instead on your seat.
• Don't fight the fall too hard. If you take a real high-speed crash, try to roll with it: swallow-diving into the snow can be harder than expected.
• Stop sliding as quickly as possible. Bring your legs below you so you can use your feet, with or without skis, to brake to a halt. Don't wear slippery clothes.
• Never jam in your poles to stop. One of our most convincing childhood cautionary tales was about our mother who used her pole as a brake and broke her jaw on the handle. They reset it nicely though.

Terminology

• Face plant (also head plant, shoulder plant, etc.): Driving of relevant piece of anatomy deep into the snow.
• Three point yard sale (or in extreme cases, five point, seven point, etc.): Generous distribution around the mountain of equipment - skis, poles, goggles, hat, scarf, gloves... with an end result resembling a back-yard jumble sale.
• Snow snakes. Malicious but rarely-seen reptiles living just below the surface of the snow. Responsible for many otherwise inexplicable falls.
• Wipe out. Adopted from surfing. What happens when you get thrown off the frozen wave.
• Pre-release. A binding set too loosely or obstructed with snow will occasionally eject you unexpectedly, particularly in bumps or powder. This is the best excuse for any fall in which you lose a ski - almost impossible to refute without video evidence.
• Catching an edge. Letting a downhill or outside edge catch in the snow usually results in instant catastrophe.

What A Release

Making your own adjustments is risky, and instructors are often reluctant to help, in case you get injured and sue them (especially in the United States). If you do decide to try, many lift operators will be able to lend you a screwdriver. Failing that, a Swiss army pen-knife or a coin can be used. Only tighten or loosen the release setting by half a turn at a time, as the adjustment is sensitive. If the problem persists, get the binding checked professionally.