Backcountry Skiing or Ski Mountaineering?

I've tended to go with Mark's usage - SM when needed to distinguish from XC, but otherwise I tend to go with BC. <br><br>A potentially interesting note that might further help distract you from the distressing long range forecast - from working on a dictionary (of the english language), I've found that general usage is a bit more important in arriving at a definition than "expert" opinion. At least that's what the lexical experts go with.<br><br>Now what adjectives do you use to describe the forecast?

How about we now argue about what defines steep/extreme skiing? Is is when you fall, you die?  

<br><br>Here's a definition attributed to Sylvain Saudan: "The extreme begins on slopes above 45 degrees at heights where a fall may be fatal." I think that's a good definition of extreme steep skiing.<br><br>A few years ago there was a discussion in rec.skiing.backcountry about the "E word" and how it was distorted by the media. I suggested that we may be focusing too much on steep skiing, and neglecting other dimensions of the sport. In fact, a trip may not need to be steep to be extreme. I wrote a little essay called "Steep and Far" and posted it in 1999. I've reproduced it below.<br><br>Today, given trends in Cascade ski mountaineering, I would add that "far," in the sense I'm referring to, does not mean a long hike. It means a long distance traveled on skis. For what it's worth, here's the essay:<br><br>[hr]<br>Steep and Far<br><br>Ski mountaineering is an activity defined by two dimensions: steep and far. These days steep skiing gets most of the press because it is dramatic. But "far skiing," covering significant distance across the countryside, is an equally valid dimension of the sport that may in fact be more popular. Thinking about these two aspects separately and then putting them back together may help us think more clearly about the sport.<br><br>Tools<br><br>The optimal tools for a steep descent are obviously different from those for a cross country trip. For steep skiing, skis are primarily edging tools. For far skiing, they are primarily gliding tools. So a steep skier may choose short edged skis, stiff boots and locked heels while a far skier chooses long edgeless skis, soft boots and free heels.<br><br>For really extreme descents, the best tool may not be a pair of skis at all, but a snowboard. In a few years we may regard extremely steep skiing as a curiosity, after deciding that snowboarding works better for that purpose. Yet a snowboard suitable for the steeps is almost useless for cross country travel.<br><br>In the middle ground where most ski mountaineers play we choose tools that are a compromise. A single pair of skis can do most jobs fairly well. The tougher compromise is choosing the right boots. We each make a personal decision according to our taste in steep versus far and our ability to compensate for the shortcomings of our gear through skill.<br><br>Risks<br><br>Barring avalanches, the risk of steep skiing is simple: you may fall. The risks of far skiing take many forms but they all boil down to one thing: exhaustion. You may exhaust your energy, your supplies, your time or your good weather before reaching your goal. It's important to note that far skiing doesn't need to involve long distances or extended times. "Far" is relative to the resources you have available. An ambitious one-day trip with a light pack can be as adventurous as a one-month expedition.<br><br>The much-abused word "extreme" has traditionally been applied to steep skiing. But there's no reason it couldn't be applied to far skiing as well. Extreme means that you have minimal backup and the consequences of failure are severe.<br><br>Aids<br><br>In steep skiing, ropes and belays are aids. In far skiing, support and resupply are aids. That may include huts, caches or air drops. The users of aids argue that they reduce the risks and make the skiing more enjoyable. Critics argue that they diminish the commitment and the level of accomplishment. As long as using aids doesn't affect anyone else, average skiers will do whatever makes their trips more fun and elite skiers will argue about them in order to one-up each other.<br><br>Rewards<br><br>Steep skiers speak of the aesthetics of a dramatic line and the challenge of solving technical problems. Far skiers speak of a feeling of flow across the landscape and a heightened appreciation of the mountain environment. Skeptics complain that extremely steep skiing is applying skis where they don't make sense--like wearing roller skates on El Capitan. Critics of extremely far skiing view it as glorified slogging and dangerously like work.<br><br>An outing that achieves a balance between steep and far can provide both kinds of rewards. But striking such a balance requires compromises. One is unlikely to tackle the extremely steep or extremely far on a single trip, because the tools required for these two extremes are different. Yet for some skiers, trips that require such compromises, that are "kinda steep" and "pretty far," are the most rewarding of all.<br><br>Thinking steep and far may help us predict the sort of exploits that will amaze us in the future. Steep skiing enchainments, ski traverses over Himalayan summits, light and fast crossings of major ranges are all part of a logical progression.<br><br>For the average ski mountaineer, thinking steep and far may help clarify your taste in adventure or highlight a dimension that you've overlooked before. It may help you see old trips in a new light or consider new possibilities. If you're like me, you probably do just one or two trips a year that you consider adventurous. Thinking steep and far may kindle a whole new set of daydreams.<br><br>--Lowell Skoog<br> Seattle<br>

It has been experimentally determined that a snowboard is an inferior tool for steep hard descents.

I would have to agree with Paul's statement. <br>

Skiing as defined by most is limited to the ski resort. This is accepted and extreme isn't the uttered term. One pet peeve of mine is the collective opinion that what we do here (climbing, skiing) is considered extreme merely because it is done, "In the backcountry"; or "Behind the lines" promoting the idea that we are rebels. The American news proliferates this view and the magazines seem to hold the backcountry up as a badge of honor. Look at me; I'm hucking triple back flips off some misbegotten peak in some far off place. As a group though we are very safety conscience and consider ourselves infiltrators not conquerors. Safety is always considered and getting away from the hustle and bustle of life is what attracts me as much as I imagine most of us here. The beauty and quiet are as much part of the experience as any other including the skiing or climbing.  The extreme that the 'Vertical Limit'; and 'Cliffhanger' bolster isn't commonplace. Extreme as most of the public would view it is just not commonplace in the backcountry or ski mountaineering! Most of climbing and even steep skiing is done in a very controlled manner. The backcountry is a dangerous place but if you understand the risks and quantify your limits then you can spend many 'challenging' years in the mountains. Skoog can be used as a case in point; many accomplishments but very few extreme situations. With solid mentorship and with sites like turns-all-year I think that the more we explore and learn, disseminate information and collaborate as a group the more I hope that we will shed 'extreme' and let people know that we are not adrenaline hazed, young punks but just normal people who enjoy the outdoors. We choose the BC or the mountaintops instead of football or soccer, boxing or wresting neither of which is extreme but instead are considered talented athletes.  

A notably ugly byproduct of what Jason describes ('the collective opinion that what we do here (climbing, skiing) is considered extreme merely because it is done, "In the backcountry"') is how those involved in BC accidents are immediately tarred as idiots, irresponsible, gloryhounds, immature, etc. You hear stuff like "That's what happens when you do that extreme stuff." etc.<br>If what you do here (I'll leave myself out until I complete a full year of turns - missed it by 1 month last year ) becomes more broadly understood as its popularity increases, I think this will subside slightly.<br>This subject always reminds of a TV ad for some credit card that had two guys talking about things they'd never try:<br>"Ever surf?"<br>"Nope. Scared of water"<br>"Tried skydiving?"<br>"No way. Those guys are crazy."<br>The camera then pans out and the pair is in a portaledge halfway up some insane granite face. <br>I've found that defining what I do often is best done in equipment terms. This seems to sidestep the "so, it's like x-country" line. If that equipment involves harnesses, rope, snow/ice protection, it becomes SM, to me.<br>Please snow!Please snow!Please snow!Please snow!