“I want to try it this winter too!” I always hear this phrase from someone when it comes to skiing or snowboarding.. If you have stopped being a dreamer who kept this desire in your mouth for years and have now decided to include it in your plans, the article you started reading is just for you.. Your intention may be a one-day getaway or a long ski vacation; I hope the above mentioned topics will be of use to you for both plans.
What You Need to Know to Read a Runway Map
Whether you are an amateur or if you repent of coming to the mountain in winter after trying it once, you can ski You need to be able to read the runway map of the center. At first, I don’t think you will have a problem of getting lost because you will be learning-oriented on the novice track, but you still need to be able to see which lift goes where, where and what… If there are those who think “, let me briefly talk about them.. The areas arranged for skiing, snowboarding or any mountain sports (even heliskies or sledges) on the mountain slope where the ski center is located are called piste. You may come across the names of trail or piste at ski resorts abroad.. The runway boundaries are marked with flags, signs and colored poles and are smoothed with snowcats to make them suitable for skiing.. In addition, regular maintenance is carried out; For example, dangerous stones are cleaned.. With the artificial snow machines on some tracks, snow can be filled on the track, thus providing an environment where skiing can be done even if the weather conditions are not suitable.. This is of course the ideal scenario; Unfortunately, the ski resorts in Turkey have some difficulties in fulfilling these conditions.
Places outside the designated tracks are called off pistes (backcountry or slackcountry).. bolkar,which you will hear frequently, especially among snowboarders, is the name of the snow that remains natural and not crushed in the areas outside the track.. I assume that you won’t go crazy on your first try, as it requires gliding with slightly different techniques than the track. The general mechanical devices that carry a runway to the starting point are called lift.. Now let’s get into the details of these.
* Runway Classification According to Difficulty Level
The slopes are classified according to the degree of difficulty and are displayed on the runway map so that an amateur skier does not get stuck and a professional skier does not get bored on the flat like the airport. is shown. This degree of difficulty is generally determined by the slope of the track, but in some ski resorts, the narrowness of the track can also be a factor.
The tracks are in America, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.. It is classified differently according to the region in which it is located.. In this article, I will only talk about the European classification, which is also applied in Turkey.
Green: It is the easiest track type. This green track, which is reserved for those who try it for the first time or very novice, may not be available in every ski resort.
Blue: It is a beginner track in ski resorts where there is no green track.. The runway is quite wide and the slope does not exceed 25%. If you are going to ski for the first time or if you are a beginner, you can ski on the blue pistes.
Red: Intermediate skier slope. It is not as wide as the blue runways and the slope is up to 40%. If you have planned a ski holiday for the first time, although it is a little difficult to slip on the red track from the first day, you can try the red tracks in the following days depending on your learning status, but it is useful to consult someone who knows the track before.
Black: Advanced skiers runways reserved for. The difficulty of the track may vary; although it is sometimes on the red slope slope, it is classified as black because it is only suitable for advanced skiers due to its narrowness and the cliff on its side.. Black tracks are usually the ones who suffer from the non-ideal scenario in track maintenance that I mentioned above.. Because it is not crushed regularly, bumps called mogul can form in a short time.. (Since skiing in Mogul requires a separate technique, it is sometimes left unattended in some ski resorts and is indicated on the runway map.)
There is also a double-triple black diamond class, which is not available in ski resorts in Turkey and can only be used by experts, There are extremely difficult tracks. What you need to know for now; Being on the green and blue tracks on the first day, not going above the red track level and not using the off track in the following days.
* Types of Lift
Chairlift: For the chairlifts that you are familiar with in almost all ski resorts, we can roughly say, “The seated machine system that makes the old types piss off, while making the new types square with pleasure”.. Consists of a series of benches that move connected to a rail from the top. The old types are usually 2-3 people; it is open top, so it gets very cold and moves slower when going up the hill. The new types vary between 2-8 individuals; most have a top-closing windscreen, some even have heated seats. Although I couldn’t see the 8-seater version in Turkey, I came across the 6-seat version in Erciyes working in suitable weather and runway conditions.
I won’t go into technical issues about what to do when getting on the chairlift.. The only point I want to warn is, if there is a busy chairlift queue, try not to send the seats empty by moving as fast as possible.. Unfortunately, the desire to go alone in 2-person chairlifts or to be with only a group of friends in larger capacity ones, unfortunately, adds even more intensity to the existing density.. Remember that there is no harm in sitting next to people you do not know.
Teleski: When you hold onto a bar attached to the rail with your ski equipment, the systems that pull you upwards are called teleskis.. They are available in two variants: One is the single-person Button Lift, with a rounded ledge at the end of a long rod; the other is the T-Bar, which is shaped like an inverted T and has two seats. General logic; Taking the end of the stick between your legs (or, if you are a skier, holding it to your butt for support) and holding onto the stick, go to the runway.. It’s a bit difficult for novices to use, you may fall on your first try.. Remember that falling in a ski resort is not something to be shamed or disgraced.. When you fall, all you have to do is to step aside quickly so that what is behind you does not hit you.
Gondola (Gondola-Telekabin): the covered transport called “cable car” in ski resorts in Turkey system. The gondolas, which you have to take off the skis or boards, have a capacity of 8-10 people; outside the cabin, there are compartments to place the equipment and you can sit in all cabins.. However, in other facilities in Europe, the types with a capacity of 30 people are also used, where you go standing.. Going by gondola is more preferred because it is more comfortable than chairlifts and chairlifts, so there may be congestion during boarding.
Funitel: It is the same as the gondola in type, but because it is connected by two separate wires from the top. stronger and more wind resistant. As far as I know, our country has not met this technology yet, although it is widely used in ski resorts in Europe.
Tram (Cable Car): Again, a system that is not in our country but is widely used in Europe; so I don’t know their names used in Turkish. The only difference of the trams, which is no different from the gondola in terms of use, is the working principle.. While the gondola has cabins that spin around a line, the tram has a cabin that goes up and down on the same line.
Magic Carpet): and specially designed for children’s use, the mechanical system that carries you upwards while standing on it.
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Terms to Use When Planning a Ski Vacation
Skipass:The card that allows you to use the lifts in the ski center is called a skipass (or lift pass). Depending on the facility you go to, the skipass can be a standard card given to everyone (ie someone can use it for half a day, someone else can use it for the rest of the day), or it can be a card issued in your name with your photo.. In some facilities you do not need a skipass to use the green runway.. If you are going for the first time and you are going to spend a day only on a beginner’s track, it is useful to learn the details before buying a skipass, in order not to waste money.
The biggest item that determines the cost of a ski holiday or a daily ski tour is the ski pass fee.. Unfortunately, daily ski pass fees are quite high in popular ski resorts such as Uludağ and Kartalkaya.. Considering that, I must say that you can have a winter holiday at a center abroad for the same prices.
There are different alternatives for skipass in most ski resorts; daily, 4-hour, 7-out, 15-out etc… Before buying a daily ski pass, I recommend that you check other alternatives and buy the lowest one for the first day, because I guess you can’t use the lifts much because you can’t move quickly and get tired quickly.
Après-ski:
Après-ski:
strong>We don’t live in the Alps, but we call it Apres-ski, for all the activities after a day of skiing on the slopes.. You can give yourself a drink of fatigue beer in spite of the cold without changing your clothes or shaking off the snow that has accumulated on your boots; you can dance to live music over your meal; You can mingle with people sipping mulled wine by the fireplace or just relax in the hot tub.. It is possible to put everything done after skiing in the après-ski category.. Especially when choosing a hotel for a ski holiday in Europe, choosing according to après-ski facilities allows you to have a more enjoyable time.
Ski in ski out: This feature, which is hosted by accommodation centers that provide transportation by skiing, is called ski in ski out.. This is what an ideal ski in ski out hotel should have: You reach the track by skiing as you exit the building (or by taking the lift right next to it); At the end of the day, you will ski back to the hotel.
Chalet: Another term coined by the Swiss Alps for skiers… The name given to the wooden houses on the mountain slopes. Considering that renting a chalet is much cheaper as an alternative to the hotel, especially in ski holiday plans with a large group of friends, it would be useful to put it in a corner of your mind.
What to Wear While Skiing or Snowboarding ? – Choosing Outfits
If you are going to try skiing for the first time, you do not have the slightest idea whether you will like it or not, and if you have some financial concerns, you do not need to buy all the items I will list below.. He wants everything to be yours and asks “Where to buy ski clothes?” If you think that, besides online shopping, you can benefit from stores such as SPX, Decathlon, Quicksilver-Roxy, Tchibo, Intersport in metropolitan cities.
* Thermal Underwear
Life saving clothing when skiing or snowboarding, of course thermal underwear. The purpose of the underwear, which you can use for both top and bottom, is not only to keep you warm, but also to prevent you from getting sick, thanks to its breathable structure.. Skiing and snowboarding are sports in which you exert a lot of effort and therefore sweat.. Especially if the sun is at -15 degrees, there may be times when you want to take off everything on you.. The hot flashes you feel while on the go will be replaced by shivering while resting or going up on the lifts.. Do not be fooled by the crazy Russians skiing in T-shirts, especially in ski resorts abroad; As a generation whose back is covered with a towel in case they sweat as a child, do not neglect to wear thermal underwear.
If you have a very sweaty structure, you can also wear thermal underwear produced for running, for example, instead of a thick thermal underwear.. The important thing is that the clothes you wear on you are not cotton and have a breathable structure.. I recommend you to buy thermal underwear before your ski holiday, as you can use it where you live or when traveling to a city with a very harsh winter such as Prague. situation. Assuming that you will fall a lot in the first days and you will need to sit on the snow to rest, a thermal tights that you will wear inside your ski pants will help you stay warmer.
* Interlayer (Fleece or sweat shirt)
Depending on the weather, it is a matter of preference to wear a ski jacket directly over the thermal underwear, but when the temperature drops below -10 degrees, you may need to wear a fleece or sweat shirt once in a while.. For example, as long as I’ve known, Uğur only glides with thermal underwear; On the other hand, if the weather is not sunny and close to zero degrees, I definitely wear additional fleece. It will be easier to understand whether you will need this layer as you gain experience on the mountain, but it is useful to go prepared as if you will need it for the first trip.. There is no cure for the cold, but if your clothes are too much, I think you should have the chance to take them off and put them aside.
* Ski Jacket and Ski Pants
Another must-have outfit is a ski jacket and ski pants.. If your goal is not to show up in cool outfits on the side of the runway, but to learn how to skate, you don’t need to put on a full set of clothes on your first try.. Because especially ski pants will not be an outfit that you will use in daily life.
The important thing for the first trial day is that the coat and trousers you wear are waterproof.. If you have a warm and waterproof coat that you use in winter, you can manage with it until you decide to do sports; You can borrow coats and trousers from a skier friend, or renting these clothes at the ski resort you go to is also an option.. But a cashmere coat, a tracksuit or jeans can not be worn under it.
* Snow Gloves
Waterproof snow glove is one of the must-have clothes.. If you have tried to throw yourself out and play snow in wool gloves as soon as the snow starts to catch up in winter, you must have noticed that hypothermia begins in your fingers within 5 minutes.. You need to have good gloves so that your ski holiday, where you will spend all day struggling in the snow, is not poisonous.
* Inner Gloves
The necessity of an inner glove, which I have not used for the last two years, but which I have kept with me before that, is necessary for you and for the one you use. varies according to snow glove. If you are using a snow glove with wide fingers and insufficient heat retention, you may want to wear a thin glove, just like a thermal underwear.. Even if you do not use it as an inner glove, in cases where you do not slip in extremely cold and windy weather; For example, having a spare glove that protects your hands from the cold and allows you to use it comfortably while smoking or eating something outdoors makes your job easier.
* Ski Socks or Wool Socks
We continue to cut the cotton foe. …The socks you will wear inside the ski boots should also be wool in order to keep them warm.. You can also get ski socks specially produced for this sport; Decathlon’s options are quite rich in terms of both variety and price.. You don’t need to wear layers of socks, as ski boots keep much warmer than you might expect.. On the contrary, if you wear too many layers of socks inside a boot that fits your feet well, you are more likely to cause your feet to feel cold as you will reduce blood circulation.. In addition, even a tiny protrusion in the boots caused by the socks worn on top of each other can cause pain in your feet after a while.
* Balaklava / Ski Collar / Ski Mask
As if you were dwelling on that you would sweat a lot until now. but on the other hand, I have to underline that you will spend the coldest minutes of your life during your ski holiday.. There are moments when you feel as if every square centimeter of your body is frozen and losing its function; especially when using open-top lifts. For this reason, you should definitely wear something to protect the neck and face area that the clothes I have mentioned cannot cover.. Balaklava, with its colorful patterns, conquered my heart, but I must admit that the most useful product is balaklava.
Different names can be used depending on the store where it is sold, but in general terms: Balaklava is worn like a beret, covering the whole face, ears and eyes, leaving the eyes open. an accessory that covers the neck. It is also comfortable to wear inside the helmet, as the ones specially produced for skiing are made of a thinner material.. A ski collar is an accessory that you can cover only the neck and, if necessary, the mouth and nose.. (A buff or biker mask also functions similarly, but in very cold weather, as you breathe in and out, the area around your mouth becomes steamy and wet and then icy.) The ski mask, on the other hand, varies according to its type, but in general, it is an accessory that you cover only the mouth and nose.
* Beret. If you want to buy a special product for your ski holiday, my favorite is the hats with fleece inside and wool on the outside that will never let your head get cold. an accessory that I think is necessary. “I’m not skiing too fast so I wouldn’t mind if I fell.” I am one of those who make the mistake of not wearing a helmet until I learn the logic well.. In fact, we must take into account not only our own fall, but also the fall of someone else.. The skis thrown from the feet of a person who rolls while skiing at high speed may hit your head while sitting on the side of the track, for example.. For this reason, skiers without helmets are not allowed on the piste in some ski centers; Erciyes Ski Center is one of them.
* Snow Goggles (Google)
We’ve come to the end of the list of ski clothes we can’t count… The endless whiteness of the mountain has a feature that bothers your eyes after a while.. In fact, you may have heard that snow blindness begins in people who stay without glasses for a long time in sunny weather.. It is a must to wear snow goggles both for a comfortable vision and to protect your eye health.. From time to time, I also see people wearing sunglasses while skiing; even on a day when my snow goggles were scratched, I had to ski with normal glasses too. “It can’t be done.” It’s not right to say, but every time you fall, those glasses will jump out of your eyes and because they are open, snow will get on the inner glass, you will have to constantly remove and clean it.. Even harder falls can have more dangerous consequences.. The choice is yours. Helmets and snow goggles are also among the materials you can rent at the ski resort you go to.
* Other Materials
Although it is not in the clothing category, it is also useful to take with you when you plan skiing. Let me tell you:
– You can get a small backpack to put your things like money, phone, water etc.. Putting all of these in the pockets of a ski jacket or trousers is also an option, but in hard falls, especially the items in the chest area can harm the body.
– On days when the weather is very cold, if the battery does not withstand the cold, your phone may turn off; The drinking water in the bag can freeze up… Taking it from small pocket heaters and throwing it in the bag eliminates these problems.
– Even if you like to get snow burns to show that you have just returned from a ski holiday, you do not want all the traces of your snow goggles to show on your face.. Don’t forget to buy a sunscreen to use before you hit the track.. Let’s say you forgot, then walk around in the sunny weather with your whole face covered.
– You can use lip protectant to prevent your lips from chapping with cold and wind.
– Fall and fall. If you are afraid of hurting your part, obtaining knee, back protection or hip protection equipment will allow you to slide more easily.
Latest Tips
– Ski or snowboard, whichever you prefer you don’t need to buy equipment for your first days; You can rent everything in the ski resort you go to (or in the city center if there is a suitable place).. But if you decide to do sports, I recommend you to buy all your equipment, including the clothes I have listed above, as soon as possible.. The sooner you get your own skis or boards, the faster you will learn.
– Since my instructor is always Uğur, I will tell you, “You have to get training from a teacher on the first day.” I can’t say, but I definitely recommend you to go out with someone who knows and can guide you constantly.. If there is no such person with you, you should get support from a trainer to love sports.. We are so lucky now that there are so many training videos on the internet. It will also be useful to take a look at them before you start your ski holiday.
– If you are part of a group of friends who are experienced in skiing, remember that you should act separately from the group until you learn.. “I’ll take class in the morning, I’ll join you in the afternoon.” you should put your dreams aside and take into account that you will be alone for a while when you grow up. (This is why it is very important to be able to read the runway map.)
– They love to dress you up where you rent skis.. “Let go sister, our boy ties.” they take care of your boots and so on. But you should learn how to do these things as soon as possible.. You need to be able to put on and take off your equipment by yourself when you have cramps in the middle of the track or when you feel the need to fix your socks. then you will understand. To minimize the pain you will experience, do not forget to warm up before exercising and stretch afterward.. I must say that yoga works very well in this regard; Even a few Sun Salutations in the morning and evening will help you move more easily the next day.
– In long-term ski vacation plans, going back to the piste the next day can be a bit painful for the reason I mentioned above.. If you have a medicine or herbal cream that you use for muscle relaxation, I suggest you bring it and use it.. (You can search Doline Spray.)
– The retention rate of the weather forecasts for the mountain is not as high as in the city centers; anytime, anything is possible. There may be so much fog that you cannot see in front of you in the bright sunny weather in the forecasts, or a snowstorm that will cause you to cancel your plans at the last moment may leave its place to a calm and rainless weather.. You should not forget that during your ski holiday months ago, you may also be sitting in a hotel.
As it is easier to learn the beginner level, low motivation is seen less because those who try ski grasp faster.. So my word is mostly to snowboard enthusiasts; First day, second day…tenth day… you will always fall. In the meantime, you will see mini mini earth dwarfs whizzing past you.. Don’t worry, even a little kid can do it, I can’t.. Don’t think about how incompetent I am!. This sport is learned by hovering and it takes a long time.. If you focus on learning and try to enjoy yourself instead of comparing yourself to others, I am sure that you will join the snow enthusiasts in a short time.
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