This is a video of some extreme skiing. Extreme skiing, is skiing off piste jumping from rocks, cliffs etc. This video was taken at the top on Mont-Blanc, Chamonix, France at the 2010 freeride championships.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2010/feb/02/freeride-world-tour-2010-chamonix

Skiing

Skiing is generally a winter sport, although a number of people do it during summer on a glacier. Skiing on a glacier is very different to skiing on snow as a glacier is purly ice which means that the techniques needed are different to those needed on snow.

Skiing is a physical sport, but like all sports, the more accomplished you become, the less physical strain it has on your body.

The slopes are graded in colour codes Green, Blue, Red and Black. Green = easiest (complete beginner) and Black = hardest (advanced). Most intermediate skiiers could go down a black run, although they may have very little control.

Some more advanced skiiers enjoy skiing off piste. This means that there are no marked runs and the snow which they are skiing on is fresh and untouched. This is a very enjoyable way to ski but takes a certain amount of knowledge of the mountain as there may be rocks, trees or holes in these areas. Skiing of piste requires different techniques to on piste skiing. You must sit further back on your skis to stop them from sinking too much in the snow.

Moguls are another different way of skiing. Moguls are man-made boulders made of snow on a run. Skiing moguls is quite difficult and is usually done by advanced skiiers. To ski moguls you must keep your skis very close together so that one of your skis does not hit a mogul and your knees bend to absorb and shock while skiing the mogul. When skiing moguls you should try to pick your route before you begin.
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This is an example of what man-made moguls might look like. Although they look like small mound of snow in the picture, when skiing them you realise that they are actually very high and wide.

Different Types of Snowfall

There are a variety of different types of snowfall which occur on a mountain depending on altitude, temperature, and the amount of use on the snow. Knowing these different types of snow can help you to become a good skiier or snowboarder.

• POWDER - This is soft snow that has freshly fallen and has not yet been touched. it forms a soft, smooth surface, and feels weightless. This is a favourite for skiiers and snowboarders to ride on as its helpful for practicing tricks and carving and you can control your speed easier. When skiing on powder you must lean further back than you usually would and keep your skies very close together to maintain maximum balance.
• CRUD - This occurs after people have ridden through the powder. The snow begins to get packed at certain places and piled at others. This results in areas of lumpy and slippery patches. Skiing and snowboarding on crud is more challenging than riding on powder. You must keep your knees bent and skis close together to absorb the impact, ride more aggresively and try to pick out the route which you will take.
• CRUST - this occurs to the top layer of powder. When the sun shines and wind blows this layer of snow begins to melt. If the temperature then drops low, the layer of snow will freeze over the powder forming crust. When riding on crust you must pick out ur route carefully as if you are in someones elses tracks you may not be able to turn easily.
• SLUSH - The snow begins to melt as the temperature rises above freezing point. The snow crystals begin to melt, turning into large grains of ice forming slush.Slush is hader to turn on than soft snow. You must ski aggresivly and and carve to ski well on slush.
• ICE - Ice does not usually occur on a mountain, it is usually snow which has repeatdly melted and then frozen again forming a slippery, hard slope. To ski on ice you must carve hard into the ice keep to a controlled speed and ensure not to brake too hard or you will probably overturn and fall.

These different types of snow effect the way which you would ski or snowboard, The lower areas of the mountain would witness more slush than the higher areas, while the higher areas witness more icey conditions. Powder is the most idealistic snow to ski or snowboard on, and is the easiest way to learn the techniques needed to ride.

What is Snow?

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this is a picture of a snowflake.

Snow is a form of crystalised percipitation, these ice crystals are formed in a prism shape. As the crystals are formed, they fall from the sky as

• Snow crystals -Made from condensing water vapour in the air, usually very small in size largest is a few millimetres in diameter.




• Snow flakes - Collection of snow crystals all bound together loosely, can be as large as 10 cm across.




• Rime - Small water droplets that freeze on whatever they hit. ( usually during fog )




• Hail - solid chuncks of ice.

The temperature must drop to a cold state before any snowfall occurs. Snowfall is incredibly hard to predict. It is also very hard to measure as it melts very quickly.