Until here the tour was comfortable and easy. Pleasant ascent, easy to walk, no technical difficulties – one foot in front of the other. But next on the agenda is a slope of about 100m length and 30-35° steep. So, what you need are kick turns in steep terrain, in a channel lined with jagged rocks. I guess you could say that’s my thing.
How the hell am I supposed to make a kick turn here???
I’m having second thoughts about doing this. But Falko is strangely sure that I can do it, so he stomps off. With a relief distance I follow doubtfully afterwards in the direction of the first kick turn – step, step, step, tramp down space, put the poles down, mountain ski around, shift my weight, valley ski around and on – lo and behold, the first two kick turns work out quite well. I am getting a little more confident. But then! Suddenly it is steeper, the mountain ski doesn’t want to go the way I do, I stand unsteadily, my legs cramp and the rest too. Shift my weight? No chance. I can’t make a kick turn now. Panic! What do I do now? I can’t get around here. “I can’t help you from up here either, don’t be a baby!” it comes at me from above. That doesn’t help me either, unfortunately. I can’t go back and forth. Shit. Okay, take back the mountain ski. Take a rest and breathe. Then next try, by now I’m totally desperate and scared. Then it’s finally working. Five steps of relief, then comes the next terrible kick turn and another and another and another… And how am I supposed to ski that down later? I’ll put that thought aside for a moment.