off piste courses Archives - FreeFlo Ski Coaching

Conquering the Slopes: How to Overcome Fear and Enjoy Skiing

Posted on June 13, 2023June 13, 2023 by Jocelyn Cockle

Introduction: Conquering the Slopes: How to Overcome Fear and Enjoy Skiing- 8 Tips

Skiing can be an exhilarating and enjoyable winter activity. For many people, fear can be a significant obstacle to overcome. Whether it’s the fear of speed, losing control, or the possibility of injuries, these concerns can dampen your skiing experience. However, with the right mindset and some helpful strategies, you can conquer your fears and embrace the thrill of skiing. In this blog post, we will explore effective techniques to help you conquer the slopes and how to overcome fear and enjoy skiing.

Understand and acknowledge your fears:
The first step in overcoming fear is identifying and understanding what specifically frightens you about skiing. Is it the fear of falling? The sensation of speed? Or perhaps the fear of the unknown? By acknowledging your fears, you can begin to address them more effectively.
Take professional ski lessons:
Enrolling in ski lessons with a qualified instructor is a valuable investment, especially for beginners or those struggling with fear. A professional coach or instructor can guide you through the fundamentals of skiing. They can teach you proper techniques, and provide a supportive and safe environment. Their expertise and encouragement will help build your confidence and gradually diminish your fears.
Start with beginner-friendly slopes:
When starting out or overcoming fear, choose ski slopes that match your skill level. Beginning on gentler slopes allows you to gradually acclimate to the sport, build your skills, and gain confidence. You can slowly progress to more challenging terrain as you become more comfortable.
Visualize success and positive outcomes:
Visualization is a powerful tool for overcoming fear. Before hitting the slopes, take a few moments to close your eyes and imagine yourself skiing confidently. Feel the wind on your face, and experiencing the joy of gliding effortlessly. Visualizing positive outcomes can help reprogram your mind to focus on success rather than fear.
Practice relaxation and breathing techniques: Fear often leads to tense muscles and shallow breathing, which can hinder your skiing performance. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or meditation to calm your mind and body. By consciously relaxing your muscles and maintaining a steady breath, you can enhance your focus, reduce anxiety, and improve your skiing ability.
Set realistic goals and take them at your own pace:
Set achievable goals for yourself and break them down into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate each milestone you reach, no matter how small. By taking the process at your own pace, you can gradually build your confidence and skills without overwhelming yourself.
Surround yourself with supportive companions:
Having supportive friends or family members who understand your fears can make a significant difference in overcoming them. Skiing with people who encourage and cheer you on will boost your confidence and create a positive skiing experience.
Challenge yourself gradually: As you gain confidence, challenge yourself by gradually increasing the difficulty level of the slopes you tackle. Pushing your boundaries in a controlled and progressive manner will help you expand your comfort zone and overcome your fears step by step.

Conclusion: Overcoming fear while skiing is a personal journey that requires patience, determination, and a positive mindset. By understanding your fears, seeking professional instruction, starting with beginner slopes, practising relaxation techniques, setting realistic goals, and gradually pushing your boundaries, you can conquer your fears and fully embrace the thrill and joy of skiing. If you would Remember, fear is just an obstacle waiting to be overcome. With perseverance, you can unlock the true exhilaration that skiing has to offer. So, gear up, hit the slopes, and let go of your fears as you glide down the mountains with confidence and excitement.

If you would like to book online coaching and ski coaching to help you move forwards then step forwards and email: [email protected] or book a discovery call.

Watch the video below to give you tips to overcome ski fear.

#1 Ski Touring Route This Winter 2020/21- Rocher De La Davie, Tignes area, 3159M

Posted on February 21, 2021February 22, 2021 by Jocelyn Cockle

With no ski lifts open this winter in France due to Covid 19 the only way to make some turns is earning them and ski touring uphill. The ski touring route to Rocher De La Davie is not only a beautiful touring route of wilderness and sheer beauty. But it is also a special route for me.

Rarely I get the chance to climb over 3000m. It must have been a couple of years ago before my leg was broken that I ski toured up such a height. Then lockdown with Covid stopped everything. So being up here on La Rocher De La Davie 3159m last weekend meant a lot to me. It was my first big vertical tour in a long time. Determination and grit are the reasons why I got here!!

If you put your mind to something you can achieve it!!! So I wanted to share this journey with you because whatever goal you have you can do it! You can succeed even if the journey is hard, difficult and will take a long time. This blog is the proof!

ski touring summit rocher de la davie — On the Summit Rocher De La Davie 3159M

This route is such a beautiful and stunning route with breathtaking views all around. It is a route where timing is everything. If you tour up in the springtime then make sure you leave early to reduce avalanche risk as lot of the faces are west and southerly aspects.

Watch the youtube video: Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE

Directions: You start by parking your car on the side of the road below the village. Then you walk up to the village and tour up follow the signs Orsiere village. Continue through the forest and before you get to Orsiere the forest will start to thin out and go east onto a wide and open face of Plan Du Geniviere. Work your way up until it starts to get steep then contour round to ridgeline and up to spot height 2819m. Then descend and a slight climb to the weather station. Once at the weather station contour round and the summit is in view in the background.

The view at summit de la davie — View at the summit of La Davie

Route: Le Villaret Des Brevieres to Rocher De La Davie
Off Piste skiing between: 1832m -3159m E/SE/S/W
Max Gradient: 38 degrees
Uphill: With good fitness 4.5 to 5 hours
Total Return Route time: 5.5/6hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate/Advanced off piste
Ski Touring Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Start: From the road below the village Villaret Des Brevieres
Finish: Villaret Des Brevieres
Map needed: 3532ET

Powder Skiing Of La Rocher De La Davies, Tignes area

COMING SOON: If you want to get into ski touring and you don’t know how. Or if you have done ski touring a few times and you want to learn more then consider purchasing the Ski Touring Kickstarter digital course. Save time and money by making the right decisions and learn at your own pace. It is a lifetime course that you can always refer back to. For more info please email [email protected].

Part 1: Ski touring Col Des Fours, Val D’Isere

Posted on February 4, 2020November 24, 2020 by Jocelyn Cockle

Part 1: Ski Touring the Col Des Fours in Val D’Isere

Ski touring the Col Des Fours in Val D’Isere is part 1 of my top five classic ski tours in the Tarentaise Valley in the Northern French Alps. It is also part one of the series Best Ski Touring Routes on my Freefloski youtube channel

Its a low intermediate ski tour with only a 480m of ascent. For your efforts, you are rewarded with amazing views and over 1000m of vertical off-piste descent into the Vallon Des Fours. It is a great introductory tour for skiers who have some experience in ski touring already. But it is a tour where your timing is everything! You need to make sure that you have big enough weather window and that you time the last traverse to perfection.

Route: Fornet, Val D’Isere- Col Des Fours- Fornet, Val D’Isere
Off-Piste skiing: 2976m -1915m W/NW/N
Max Ski Gradient: 38 degrees
Uphill: 480m 1.5 to 2hrs
Total Route time from Fornet: 5-6hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate off-piste skier
Ski Touring Level: Low Intermediate
Start: Fornet cable car
Finish: Fornet cable car
Lift pass needed: Val D’Isere
Map needed: 3633ET

Depending on your size of the group and the speed of the group this tour in the winter you can actually start in Tignes and ski over to Fornet and ski back depending on your size of the group and the speed of the group. In springtime when the snowpack is warming I would advise you to start in Fornet in Val D’Isere so you aren’t depending on a ski lift home.

You start on the Col D’Iseran and ski down southwest to Pont de la Neige. At the bridge, you will find a flat area so you can transition to uphill skiing. From there you climb 480m to the col. If you are careful with your line you don’t need to be able to do a kick turn. The last two hundred metres of the tour is the most difficult and its when the timing is everything. It’s a 200m traverse which is slightly exposed and often icy. As the pitch above the traverse is southeast facing it has the sun on it early and the snowpack warms and often releases some slides.

After you reach the col you have endless options of skiing different lines to the Refuge Des Fours. Choosing your ski down after the refuge becomes a little bit more tricky as you are in more complication terrain. Depending on snow conditions you can then decide to keep left or right of the river des fours back and then back to the Manchet chairlift.

For more ski touring tips see blog: 5 Ski and Snowboard Touring Technique Tips

‘Ski tour in comfort and performance; I choose nothing but the best and highly recommend the backcountry selection from Floâ Sports,’ Jocelyn Cockle (Floss) Director of Freefloski

FREEFLO specializes in progressive on and off-piste ski instruction, backcountry ski touring and women-specific ski courses. We offer personal British ski instruction for skiers of all abilities. Our primary objective is helping competent skiers to improve their technique on and off-piste and in the backcountry. Our intuitive coach approach will help you to progress, have fun and enjoy the full freedom of the mountains in a safe and confident manner.

Ski Touring Decision Making-Tignes 20th Nov 2019

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

The Preparation:
Always a good day ski touring in the mountains takes some sort of preparation. The night before I checked three weather forecasts one included my favourite snow-forecast.com. I decided that the conditions for ski touring were good for two days. In the morning I reaccessed the forecast. I packed my bag with enough food and equipment that gave me optionality, as I wasn’t certain how long we would be touring for. The plan of attack was to start touring up a piste called Palafour from Tignes Le Lac. The slope is south-east facing and we could stay warm in the sun. We would then decide where to go on route. We had no other concrete plans to arrive at a summit or to achieve a particular route.

On Route:
I decided to break trail off-piste as there were workers on the piste half way up. Once we arrived at Chardonnet Bowl, we could really start seeing the mountain and reading the signs. Routes in Chardonnet bowl had been skied and two skiers were skiing down and not making it look easy. The wind affected certain summits and cols. There was one group of 6 or 7 skiers or splitboarders going up a route called Grapillion Des Merles. The snowpack looked thin, the snow was uneven, there were sasturgi and plumes of snow. The group still decided to go up even if the route wasn’t inviting?

We decided to continue upon the piste to the snow park on Grattalu after discussing what we saw and how we felt. Our aim was to ski tour gentle and it was our second ski tour of the season. Two other ski tourers were happy to chat and to share some of their knowledge. They had told us that their friends had ski toured up Grapillion a few days ago and they found that the snow was dangerous, thin with lots of rocks. That news reinforced the decision that we made earlier not to follow the group. They also told us that they saw avalanche activity on west facing slopes and to be aware of the weak layers in the snowpack. We thanked them for their news and headed to the Col Du Palet taking on board what we knew and what we could see.

Knowing the routes into the col and knowing what I knew about the terrain, I decided to keep low and take a new flat touring line into the col to avoid rocks. Above we could see a man skiing on the ridgeline struggling with the lack of snow. So we kept our eyes on him and made sure we weren’t underneath him.

Reading the mountain for the ski down:
Once we arrived at the Col Du Palet we could read the mountain and the evidence of where was the best powder route down. We looked on to the back of Chardonnet bowl and notice a slab avalanche on the west face on route to diamond couloir. At lower altitude the fresh snow had been cross loaded to north-east slopes and gullies. With this info and what we could see, we then decided to handrail clockwise to a north-east gullie and enjoyed making fresh powder turns on a gentle slope.

Ski Touring out:
Enjoying the fresh powder by ourselves, we soon arrived at lake Grattalu. I had noticed that the lake hadn’t been frozen so it was best to stop before continuing any further. We then choose the easiest and most efficient route to get back to the col. Once we reached the col, temperatures had risen and we were tired. To be on the safe side of caution, as I was coming back from a ski collision. We decided to take our own skinning track back onto the piste and headed home. Another great day in the mountains. We were very happy with our decisions, we found the best snow, was safe and had a great day skiing powder with no one around.

I will be delivering mountain respect workshops throughout the winter. If you are interested please get in touch: www.freefloski.com

Happy Skiing 🙂

How to book a night in Refuge Turia, Les Arcs

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

Getaway from the hustle and bustle of a ski resort or your nine to five job in the city and visit Refuge Turia. Be overwhelmed with the epic mountain views that surround you. Find yourself relaxing with the peace and tranquillity of the mountains.

**Refuge Turia, picture taken from the moraines of Lac Riondaz**

In a dormitory room the refuge can accommodate up to a maximum of nineteen people per night. The refuge is looked after by a guardian from June to September. Prices start from €17.50 to €55 euros full board. The good news is that the refuge is open all year round with or without a guardian. Payment for your stay is taken in cash. When the refuge is not guarded you can pay for your stay into an honesty box called the Tronc.

When to go?
The best time to visit refuge Turia and to explore the surroundings is to avoid french and UK holidays. A good tip is to phone up the refuge and ask how many people have reserved the night you want to go. Once you have decided when to go and have booked by telephone then the next step is to plan your route depending on your fitness and ability.

**An eco loo with a view!!! Mount Blanc 4810m in the background**

How to Book?
To book your overnight stay visit Refuge Turia website. If you are looking for a winter adventure Freefloski can ski and guide you there or teach you skills for you to get there. To start your adventure send an email and get in touch with Freefloski.

For summer guiding to the refuge and around get in contact with Delphine Julliard

Behind the scenes of the Refuge De Leisse: Ski Touring and Skiing Off Piste Tignes and Val D’Isere

Posted on September 9, 2019 by iwood.web

The Refuge De Leisse is behind the Grand Motte glacier in Tignes and can be accessed by many different routes. After my second season of ski teaching and guiding in the Espace Killy I am still amazed as to what this area has to offer. There are so many good off piste and ski touring routes beyond your dreams. I know instructors and people that have lived in Tignes and Val D’Isere for years and they have never seen the places that I have been too, the places that I have fallen in love with and places that I am still discovering. I get so excited when I have spare time which I spend hiking, touring and skiing these routes.

Beyond the pistes of Tignes and Val D’Isere holds the wilderness and natural beauty of the Vanoise National Park. In the parks in France and around the world there are mountain refuges. The best way to describe a refuge is that they are very similar to lodges. Many of these refuges are on hiking or ski touring routes so you can actually travel refuge to refuge, hut to hut. A lot of refuges are not manned for the main part of the winter and they are left as a winter room where you can stay for shelter. End of March to mid May dependant on snow and conditions these refuges are open and offer food and accommodation. The guardian of the refuge often ski tours in the winter or hikes in the summer into them which can take hours and sometimes days, just to start work. Each refuge is self suffcient as there are no supermarkets or corner shops nearby, the water supply is often a mountain stream which is diverted to the refuge. The water from the trough of the Refuge De La Leisse is the best I have ever drunk. Most food and supples are heli dropped once every couple of weeks. Most refuges are ran by solar power and the light switches are on a timer, you also don’t have internet access or any phone signal.

**IGN Map showing the route to refuge de Leisse, Tignes**

The easier route is skiing off piste from the Genepy piste around the back of the Leisse chairlift and then over the frozen marshlands. If you wanted to embark a more difficult route you can drop into 35 Glacier couloir and get to the refuge. You also can also arrive to the refuge by the Col De Sana, Refuge De La Femma, Col De Vanoise, the list is endless. Celine Terryn is the guardian of the refuge de Leisse. She will welcome you with open arms and make sure that your stay is as comfortable as she can.

Celine can tell you many good stories, ‘ One day I was ski touring alone to the refuge and the weather came in. I ended up touring in circles as I couldn’t see anything. It took me hours to get to the refuge as the only ski tracks I could follow was mine and they were going in circles.’ I asked her what happens when the weather gets really bad. She replied ‘This season the weather has been very up and down, when the winds get very strong I often stay in a room which is underground.’ The word brave entered my head. Like most of us doing seasonal work we have many strings to our bow and have many passions. Celine is a chartered physiotherapist when she isn’t working at the refuge and she surfs when she can. She is living the dream.

For more information visit the website of the refuge de Leisse.

Ski Touring Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere, France

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Jocelyn Cockle

Ski Touring Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere:
This is a simple ski touring route that you can build your skills and confidence on. It is good physical training at high altitude as you start going uphill at 2700m to 3200m.

Ski Touring up to Col de Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere

Route: Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire 3229m, Val D’Isere, France
Off-Piste skiing between 2700m -3229m W/NW
Max Gradient: 36 degrees
Uphill: 2.5-3hours
Total Route time from Fornet lift: 4-5hrs
Total Return Route time from Tignes:3.5/4hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate
Ski Touring Level: Beginner/some touring experience
Start: 9 am Fornet Cable Car, Midpoint back at Col De I’Iseran 12.50pm
Finish: 2 pm at Fornet Cable Car
Lift pass needed: Val D’Isere
Map needed: 3633ET

Why did I choose this ski touring route?
The snow conditions this winter are different compared to last winter. The snowfalls have been far and few between and have brought warm temperatures and high winds. At the beginning of December, it rained up to 2900m and last Monday it rained up to 2400m which affected our snowpack.

Knowing the history of the snowpack in the ski area that you want to ski in is crucial to making the right decisions and finding the good snow. I knew that the area of the Fornet and the Col De I’Iseran had more snow than any other area in the Tarentaise Valley. Looking at the weather forecast the night before and reassessing in the morning, I made the decision to ski tour Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire in Val D’Isere. I could keep at high altitude and find the good snow in the gullies. It is a smaller route on simple terrain with navigation points that I could use if the weather got worst. The temperatures in the day would stay warm and consistent which meant that the summits and ridges wouldn’t be too icy. I was really happy with my decision and with good route finding, we managed to find some good snow and reach the Col de I’Ouille Noire.

Improve your mountain skills and get in touch with FREEFLO.
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FREEFLO specializes in progressive on and off-piste ski instruction, backcountry ski touring and women-specific ski courses. We offer personal British ski instruction for skiers of all abilities. Our primary objective is helping competent skiers to improve their technique on and off-piste and in the backcountry. Our intuitive coach approach will help you to progress, have fun and enjoy the full freedom of the mountains in a safe and confident manner.

Off Piste Skiing Val D’Isere: Table D’Oreintation

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Jocelyn Cockle

The Rocher de Bellevarde rises to 2817m and the summit of its 1000m high face overlooks Val D’Isere. Through the breathtaking off piste skiing lines between the rocky spurs of the summit lies the couloir Table D’Oreintation and l’Antenna. The Table D’Oreintation is commonly known as the Table and it is a classic off piste route in Val D’Isere that should not be missed.

The Table is one of my favourite routes to guide and to coach in because of its variation and also for its accessibility. If you get the snow conditions right you can start the decent in a wide couloir which opens into a bowl of untracked powder. After the bowl you can then decided to continue left into the trees and end up at the bottom of the cable car lift. The second exit option is handrail to the right and work your way back onto the piste of the famous World Cup downhill run Le Face.

Off Piste skiing between: 2690m-2209 m NE
Max Gradient: 44 degrees
Uphill: 25 to 40 mins boot hike dependant on conditions
Skiers Level: Strong Intermediate/Advanced off piste
Start: From the top of Olympique
Finish: At bottom of Val or the
Lift pass needed: Espace Killy
Map needed: 3633ET
Grade: 2:2
Exposure: E2

FREEFLO specialises in progressive on and off piste ski instruction, backcountry ski touring and women specific ski courses. We offer personal British ski lessons for skiers of all abilities, though our sweet spot is helping competent skiers to improve their technique on and off piste and in the backcountry. Our intuitive coach-approach will help you to progress, have fun and enjoy the full freedom of the mountains in a safe and confident manner.

Step into your next adventure and email: [email protected] or visit www.freefloski.com

For more ideas for adventures and activities in France visit: Active Azur

How to improve your skiing on steeper terrain

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Jocelyn Cockle

How to improve your mindset when skiing in steeper terrain is a good place to start

If you are reading this there is a fair chance that you are interested in improving your steep skiing. You may be struggling to get to the next level. You might be feeling nervous when the gradient of the slope gets steeper. You might be worried and have a lack of confidence and focus or you might just be stuck in how to improve.

I know how this feels. I have been there myself. It was me when I first started skiing and doing winter seasons. I was terrible at it. I couldn’t link turns and be in control on steeper terrain on the piste and off the piste.

So I developed new skills and tactical strategies. I improved my fitness and my head game. With the right coaching and practise I got better and today I love it especially when I get the chance to ski in steep couloirs. It one of my passions and one of the many sides of skiing that I enjoy and coach in. .

Relating the ‘Here and Now’ of coaching from the book ‘Inner game of Tennis by W. Timothy: Galloway‘

What really improved my mindset on steep slopes was reading and the famous book the Inner Game to Tennis by W Timothy Galloway. Skiing on steep offpiste and in narrow unknown corridors which are often surrounded by rock is where focus, skill and belief is vital for a good and safe decent.

Rich skiing Pisteurs Couloir Val D I'sere — **Rich skiing Pisteurs couloir in Tignes/Val D’sere**

Learning to focus your attention is a master skill that has unlimited application. When skiing in a threatening environment where your skills are being pushed you need to learn to focus awareness in the NOW. It means tuning in to what is happening in the present and not in the past. It also means to be in the present and not in the future.

Tip 1: FOCUS
Don’t let your concentration and thoughts drift. Concentrate your focus on here and the NOW. Be in the present time and in the present space. Most accidents and falls happen when we lapse in concentration as we allow our mind to think about what is about to happen or to dwell whats has already happened in the past.

Tip 2: BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY
Especially for people who are lacking confidence don’t let your doubts in your mind take over and self 1 come into play. Don’t let your mind absorb itself in the world of “what if’s” “What if I fall over” “What if I can’t make that turn” and then let your mind wander away to “this happened to me last year and this is how I injured my knee” or something totally irrelevant “I can’t believe what that Facebook post said about me”. Since the mind has a will of its own and tends to wander, how can one learn to keep it in the present? The answer is by practice as there is no other way. Every time your mind starts to leak away, simply bring it gently back and be in the Here and the now.

Tip 3: TAKE ACTION
The next time you are in a couloir or on challenging terrain take this action plan. Focus your mind on the present, see and accept the environment that you are in and then ski it with one tactical or technical focus to block out any nervousness. Subconsciously believe in yourself and ability and you will be able to ski stronger and more effectively.

Have a look at the video below. When I was skiing this couloir I was blocking my thoughts out and my focus was on linking turns whilst being balanced. I was in the here and now. That’s where you should be when skiing steeper terrain.

For more skiing advice and tips please subscribe and like us on youtube.

I will look forward to skiing with you soon.

Take Care

Floss

Ski Touring North Face of the Pramecou, Tignes

Posted on April 12, 2017 by iwood.web

Route: Val Claret Tignes/Pointe De Pramecou/Val Claret
Off Piste skiing between: 3054m to 2107m NE/NW
Max Gradient: 48 degrees
Uphill: 3hrs 12 mins
Total Route time from Val Claret: 5hrs
Skiers Level:Advanced off piste
Ski Touring Level: Intermediate
Start: Bottom of Lanches Chairlift
Finish: At bottom Tichot chairlift
Map needed: 3633ET
Grade: 2.1
Exposure: E2

I just love Spring time. Its warmer, the snow pack is more stable and I have more time to go on adventures. Last year touring up and skiing down the 48 degree North Face of the Pramecou on the 9th May 2016 with adventurer and good friend Squash Falconer was one of my vivd memories of 2015/16. From that day onwards we came up with the idea of running backcountry adventures together to inspire, to teach and to motivate people to adventure into the back country. With one of the largest winter store retailers Snow & Rock behind us, in a few days time I am looking forward joining up with Squash and to leading the Snow and Rock Back Country 5 day Backcountry Adventure in Tignes and Val D’Isere.

Category: off piste courses