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Alcohol
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Essential ingredient for any skiing holiday.
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ARVA
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Appareil pour Recherche des Victimes d'Avalanche - also known as a transciever. This is a device worn when skiing off-piste in order to locate party members caught in an avalanche. The ARVA in normal mode transmits a signal which can be detected by another ARVA in search mode.
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Avalanche
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A large amount of snow sliding down the hillside. There are many types of avalanche but all are dangerous and potentially fatal for a skier caught in one. Generally the risk is restricted to those skiing off piste, as the snow within the ski area is carefully managed and any dangerous runs will be shut.
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Avalanche hazard
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The avalanche risk on a given day is measured on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (extremely high). Flags around the resort indicate the risk: yellow for 1 or 2; chequered for 3 or 4; black for 5. It should be stressed that this scale refers purely to the risk off-piste as any open piste should always be perfectly safe from avalanche risk.
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BASI
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The British Association of Snowsport Instructors - the governing body for ski and snowboard instructors, instructor training and qualifications in the UK, and for British qualified instructors working abroad.
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| Binding |
The attachment between the ski and the boot, consisting of a heel and toe piece fixed to the ski which hold the boot in place. |
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Bikini
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A ham and cheese toastie (in Catalan).
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Black run
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The hardest grade of piste.
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Blue run
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A moderate grade piste
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Breakable Crust
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Difficult snow sometimes found off piste where a hard layer of snow covers softer snow beneath. The skier is constantly breaking through the top layer and the skis tend to get caught and become very hard to steer.
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Bumps
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Also known as moguls, closely packed fairly regular bumps are formed by a number of skiers making tight turns in the same area. Moguls are not easy to ski but once mastered they make for impressive and exciting skiing.
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Cable Car
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Also known as a telepherique - a ski lift consisting of two large cabins each holding typically 50-100 people and suspended from overhead cables. One car moves up as the other moves down.
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Carajillo
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Espresso coffee with a dash of brandy or Baileys. Known as a cigalo in Catalan
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| Carving |
Making a turn by setting the ski on it's edge, pressing on it and using the shape of the ski to steer without skidding. |
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Chairlift
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A ski lift consisting of chairs holding two to eight people side by side (usually with skis on) supended from an overhead cable.
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Chute
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Like a couloir; steep and narrow terrain between rocks, skied by advanced skiers. Usually only found off piste.
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Concave
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A slope which is steeper at the top than the bottom.
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Convex
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A slope which is steeper at the bottom than the top. More intimidating to ski than a concave slope because the lower section is not visible from the top. Off piste, a convex slope is also more prone to avalanche risk.
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Corduroy
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Freshly groomed snow, especially first thing in the morning. The pattern left by the piste basher has a distinctive lined appearance like corduroy.
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Couloir
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Like a chute; steep and narrow terrain between rocks, skied by advanced skiers. Usually only found off piste.
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Crud
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General term for chopped up snow which is difficult to ski.
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Crust
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A hard layer of snow on the surface covering softer snow beneath.
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CSIA
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The Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance
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Depth hoar
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A layer of large and unstable crystals which can form deep in the snowpack particularly during a prolonged cold spell. These can cause avalanches in apparently stable snow.
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| D.I.N. Setting |
This sets how easily the binding will release the boot from the ski in the event of a fall. A high setting will make it harder for the binding to release. D.I.N. settings need to be matched to the skier's weight, ability, style of skiing and boot size. |
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Drag lift
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A ski lift where the skier remains on the ground and is towed uphill by a button or T-bar attached to a wire overhead.
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| Edge |
The metal edge of the ski is used to grip the snow. It needs to be kept sharp by tuning with a file regularly in order to maintain the grip of the ski. |
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EFPEM
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Escola do Formació de Professions Esportives i de Muntanya - the governing body for sports and mountain professionals in Andorra.
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Eurotest
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A G.S. race test which must be passed in order to obtain the highest level of ski instructor qualification in Europe
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F.I.S.
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Fédération Internationale de Ski, or International Ski Federation; the worldwide governing body for snowsports.
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F.I.S. Rules of Conduct
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The 'Skiway Code' safety rules which must be followed by all slope users.
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Freestyle
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The discipline of performing tricks on skis or snowboard. Includes jumps, halfpipe, flatland and railslides.
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Freeze-thaw
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The process where snow starts to melt in the day then refreezes at night.
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Gondola
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A ski lift consisting of many cabins holding typically 6-20 people.
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Green run
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The easiest grade of piste
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Groomer
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Also known as a piste basher - a machine for flattening and packing down the piste and moving snow around. It looks like a big red bulldozer.
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G.S .
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Giant Slalom - ski racing through gates (poles with flags) set fairly far apart leading to high speed carved turns. Also refers to the skis used for this type of race.
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Gully
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A narrow run sandwiched between steeper terrain.
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Ice
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The word ice is used to describe very hard packed, slippery snow
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ISIA
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International Ski Instructors Association - also refers to a qualification meeting the ISIA minimum standards, which is a high level instructor qualification.
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ISTD
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International Ski Teacher Diploma - the highest level of ski instructor qualification.
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Leash
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A cord or strap used to secure a snowboard to its rider to prevent it sliding down the hill by itself if the bindings are released.
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Magic carpet
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Also known as a travelator - a ski lift found on beginner slopes consisting of a conveyor belt which the skier or snowboarder stands on and is carried uphill.
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Moguls
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Also known as bumps, closely packed fairly regular bumps are formed by a number of skiers making tight turns in the same area. Moguls are not easy to ski but once mastered they make for impressive and exciting skiing.
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Monoski
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A single wide ski with two bindings mounted side by side. Rarely seen outside France.
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Nordic skiing
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Cross country skiing.
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Off piste
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Anything outside the marked runs of the resort.
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Passive reflector
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The 'Recco' gadget often built into ski clothing which can be found with specialist equipment used by some ski patrolers in the event of an avalanche.
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| Parallel turn |
A turn where the skis remain parallel throughout the turn - the starting point for learning advanced skiing. |
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Piste
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A marked and patrolled ski run.
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Piste basher
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Also known as a groomer - a machine for flattening and packing down the piste and moving snow around. It looks like a big red bulldozer.
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Pistero/pisteur
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A ski patroller - their job is to ensure safety on the mountain, providing first aid and rescue services, carrying out avalanche comtrol work, signposting dangers etc.
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| Plough |
Or snowplough - the basic position used to control speed and steer at low speeds; the skis are pushed apart and rotated into a triangle with the tips together. |
| Plough-parallel |
Turns where the skis begin in a snowplough shape and finish parallel. |
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Poma lift
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A type of drag lift.
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Powder
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Fresh fluffy snow that has not become heavy or packed. Considered by many to be the best snow to ski, it is the stuff of ski movies. Usually only found off-piste unless you get up very early.
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| P-Tex |
Ski base material, used to repair damage to the bottom of the ski. |
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Rain groomed
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Snow which has been flattened by rain overnight. Usually quite icy to ski.
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Randonee
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Ski touring using skins to travel uphill and specialist skis and boots.
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Recco
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The passive reflector gadget often built into ski clothing which can be found with specialist equipment used by some ski patrolers in the event of an avalanche.
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Red run
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Intermediate grade of piste; harder than blue, easier than black.
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| Service |
Skis need to be serviced regularly in order to maintain their performance. A standard service consists of waxing the base and sharpening the edges. |
| Sidecut |
The curved shape of the ski, whereby the waist is narrower than the tip and tail allowing it to make carved turns. |
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Skins
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Originally sealskin but nowadays synthetic, these are stuck to the base of touring, randonee or telemark skis for travelling uphill.
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Skiway code
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The F.I.S. safety rules which must be followed by all slope users.
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Slab
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Snow which has packed into a coherent slab due to the action of wind or weather.
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Slalom
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Ski racing through gates (poles with flags) set fairly close together leading to quick short radius turns. Also refers to the skis used for this type of race.
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Slush
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Snow that is beginning to melt. Generally quite heavy to ski.
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| Snowplough |
Or plough - the basic position used to control speed and steer at low speeds; the skis are pushed apart and rotated into a triangle with the tips together. |
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Spring snow
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Conditions found towards the end of the winter or during warm spells. The snow will be firm at the start of the day and soften gradually, becoming slushy by mid-late afternoon.
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Surface hoar
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Crystals which form on the surface of the snow giving a sparkly appearance.
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Telemark
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The original style of skiing invented in Norway. Only the toe is fixed to the ski by the binding and the heel free to lift.
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Telepherique
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Also known as a cable car - a ski lift consisting of two large cabins each holding typically 50-100 people and suspended from overhead cables. One car moves up as the other moves down.
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Touring
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Also known as randonee - using skins to travel uphill with specialist skis and boots.
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Transceiver
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Also known as an ARVA. This is a device worn when skiing off-piste in order to locate party members caught in an avalanche. The transceiver in normal mode transmits a signal which can be detected by another transceiver in search mode.
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Transformed snow
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Snow whose characteristics have changed since it fell, e.g. due to freeze thaw. All snow will transform due to various processes unless the temperature is lower than minus forty degrees centigrade.
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Travelator
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Also known as a travelator - a ski lift found on beginner slopes consisting of a conveyor belt which the skier or snowboarder stands on and is carried uphill.
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Twin-tip skis
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Skis which are curved at both ends for freestyle and skiing switch (backwards).
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| Wax |
Wax needs to be applied regularly to the base of the ski using an iron to prevent it from sticking. |
| Warm-up / warm-down |
As with any form of exercise it is important to properly warm-up beforehand and warm-down afterwards. |
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Wind packed
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Snow which has been compacted and consolidated by the wind becoming quite springy and easy to ski.
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Windslab
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Snow which has been moved by the wind and deposited in a slab which is often unstable off piste.
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