Skitrip Evje
– What we learned

This article will be about preparing for a ski trip and some useful facts about going on a ski tour. All the information is about what we learned at our ski trip in Evje.

Preparing  skis for a tour:

Before you go skiing you wax your skis. If you don’t wax them properly you will have a hard day.

The ski is divided in three different zones. Call it the ‘glide zones’ and the ‘grip zone’. The ‘grip zone’ also can be called the ‘kick zone’

Grip zone 

The grip zone is the part you always wax before you go on a tour. This part of the ski hits the snow when you put pressure on it to go forward. You want to have grip on this section when you force it down. The temperature and snow conditions are defining for the grip.

Hard wax

After the base layer in the grip zone you put on 2 or 3 grip layers. For new snow and for old transformed snow you use hard grip wax this wax you apply by putting 2 or 3 thin grip layer on the ski and cork into the base. The choice of which wax you use is also depending of the temperature see the photo below.

 

 

What if the wax doesn’t work?

First try to put on new wax, if this doesn’t work try a warmer wax. The last option is to use klister or skins. Klister is a nasty sticky substance you rather don’t want to use. Another option is using skins.

When you slip a lot you have to wax farther forward, if this doesn’t work start waxing backward. You can put softer wax on harder, not the other way around.

Snow conditions

On the ski wax you see two types of snow: new fallen and old transformed snow. New fallen snow has nice crystals with ‘arms’. When the snow gets older the arms of the crystal disappear.

When it gets above the freezing level the snow will slowly turn into water. By night the water will turn back frozen. But not in nice crystals like the snow from heaven. They will freeze into small ice balls. They are more round shaped and have no ‘arms’.

Ski techniques

There are 3 kinds of terrains to move in; uphill, downhill and flat. For every terrain you have a different technique.

Flat terrain

Kick and glide technique is an easy and effective method to move fast and effective forward. You need some practice to get balance. What you do is you kick with one leg back. and glide one the other. When you nearly stop gliding you kick with the other leg back. On this video is shown how you do it. Skating is a technique that is faster than kick and glide but more exhausting. With a heavier backpack it is even harder. The technique is like skating on ice. In this video you can see the skating technique.

Uphill terrain

We have two techniques for going uphill, the haring bone and sidestep. With hairing bone you put your skies like a V while you put the edges of the ski in the snow.  We use sidestepping when the hill is too steep to do bone hairing or zigzagging through the area. It is important to put the edge in the hill in a right angle. Otherwise you will slide out.

Downhill terrain

On steep hills you try to make turns on your way down instead of going down straight. As a beginner or in a hard terrain you can make big zigzags, you turn with a technique called kickturn. Another beginner’s way is to put the skis in a V by edging and putting force on your right ski you’ll go to the left. To go to the right it is vice-versa.  More advanced techniques are the downhill step turn in which you step to one side to make a turn. And the telemark turn, which requires a lot of control. To break you can turn your skis in a V to slow down or turn uphill by moving weight or stepping.

 

Winter Backpack

What you pack depends on the weather, the area, the way you travel and how long you will be traveling.

Way of packing

Pack the heavy stuff the closest to your back. Have easy access to: food, drink, waterproofs, first aid, ski wax and goggles. Snow shovel and avalanche probe at the outside of the back pack in case of emergency.  Don’t hang items at the outside of your back back.

Special winter gear:

• Goggles
• Shovel
• Avalanche probe
• Ski wax (in case of skiing)
• Extra clothes

Winter Camping tips

• Put your gas in your sleeping bag when you go to bed to keep it warm, otherwise might not work in morning.
• Don’t sleep with your mouth and nose covered in your sleeping bag, the moisture of your breath will make your bag wet.
•  Try to make everything you pack have two functions.
• Put your thermos with water in your sleeping bag while sleeping so you don’t have to melt snow for breakfast and to use it as herb.
• Always eat a hot breakfast.

 

Sources:
Blog Erwan
Swix