Overcoming Fear

The hardest part of learning to ski as an adult is overcoming fear. Fear takes many forms. For beginner skiers, it can be fear of going too fast, of being out of control, or falling. For intermediate and advanced skiers fear can be caused by poor visibility, steeps, ice, powder, trees, or moguls. What all these fears have in common is that they are fear of the unknown or unfamiliar.

Today I skied Spanky's Ladder at Blackcomb for the first time. As I climbed up to the top of the mountain ridge it quickly became apparent why it is called ladder. I had to kick the toes of my boots into the steep narrow ledge to make my way up. It was so narrow I dared not look over the edge. A couple of times my boots slipped on the icy ascent and I dropped to a knee. I could not tell if my rapid heartbeat was caused from exertion or fear.

I was wildly relieved to get to the point in the climb where my whole ski boot could make contact with the snow. Then I realized I must ski down. The entry to Garnet Bowl was narrow and steep. There was lots of fresh snow that my narrow eastern skis sunk into. But taking it section by section it was totally skiable and dare I say it, fun. When I reached the valley floor I felt like I had conquered my own Everest. I couldn't keep a big grin off my face as we skied back to the lift. The next double black diamond we skied, Pakalolo, had a narrow entry which ordinarily would have been intimidating yet didn't feel so bad after Spanky's.

So how does one overcome fear? To become better at something you must do it. Yet getting into an intimidating situation often leads to a skier regressing to old habits - leaning up the hill, stiffening up, and even beginning a turn with a wedge. The best solution: put yourself into situations on the edge of your comfort zone. If you don't usually ski anything harder than a black diamond, try a double black diamond that isn't too long (Elevator Shaft at Blue Mountain comes to mind). Then the stakes aren't too high. Try to ski at least one run that challenges you every time you are out. As you become familiar with what was once unknown you will find that what used to look steep begins to look flat. You will begin to seek out moguls and more challenging terrain. What used to scare you will give you an adrenaline rush. And isn't that the reason we all started skiing to begin with?