The steepness of this slope is not well displayed in this overhead view, but it’s easy to see the effort going into aggressive edging.

The final frame shows enough force in the pole plant to bend the shaft. A strong blocking pole plant, strong angulation and skis tipped enough on edge to reveal the bases are all tools in the expert’s bag of tricks to make short work of the steepest pitches.

When possible, find steep pitches to practice on that are short so they aren’t as intimidating and if speed gets out of hand there is an out.

Once you gain confidence, steep pitches are a lot of fun.

Skier: Paul Cunnius
Gear: K2/Tecnica, Peak Performance skiwear
Snow: Sunshine Village, Alberta