Mastering Tree Skiing and Snowboarding: Essential Tips for Beginners

Skiing or snowboarding a treed slope can be fun and thrilling, but also challenging. Tree skiing brings its unique slice of heaven in the form of deep powder, untouched lines, and incredible visibility, even on days when the rest of the mountain is stuck in a whiteout. However, it’s not always easy to see your line through the trees, much less a whole forest of lines. The art of tree-skiing is as elusive as it is rewarding, and perfecting it requires understanding the fundamentals, having the right equipment, and knowing how to navigate safely.

Why Choose Tree Skiing or Snowboarding?

There’s no question that threading the perfect line through the trees is one of the most magical experiences one can have on skis or a snowboard. Passing from the trail into the trees can feel like entering some sort of Narnia of snow-covered conifers and infinitely creative line choices. The trees lining each side of the trail hold a particularly alluring mystique after you’ve grown accustomed to charging down the wide-open slopes of your favorite mountain. One of the reasons many choose to head into the trees is to find powder snow that hasn’t already been skied out.

Benefits of Tree Skiing

• Access to fresh, untouched powder days after a storm
• Improved visibility during whiteout conditions
• Enhanced mental engagement due to constant decision-making
• Unique aesthetic experience in natural, forested terrain

Essential Safety Considerations

Skiers and snowboarders, no matter how experienced, should never ski alone. Nor should they ski off the designated trails. In many cases, an injured skier can be saved if someone is there to help. Excess speed, loss of control, and collisions with stationary objects, like a tree or lift tower, are the most common factors associated with fatalities.

Avoiding Tree Wells

A tree well is an area of loose, unconsolidated snow that forms around the base of a tree. Low-hanging branches can disguise tree wells, making them difficult to recognize. They become dangerous when a skier or snowboarder tumbles into a tree well and gets trapped in the deep, loose snow. Tree wells can be extremely difficult to get out of and can cause snow immersion suffocation. To help avoid this fate, you must stay in control and give trees a wide berth. Always ski with someone else and keep them in sight at all times. If you can’t see your partner, it may be too late to save them.

Off-Piste Precautions

When lots of snow falls around the tree, the branches at the lower reaches of the tree tend to prevent snow from accumulating densely around the trunk. Instead, snow piles just outside the edges of the lowest branches and forms an unstable well around the base of the tree. When you come close to the edge of that well¡ªespecially after a big snow storm¡ªthe snow around the base of the tree can collapse, and down you go, into the tree well. Always check snow conditions and avalanche risk, as avalanches can still happen in tree fields. Carry avalanche safety equipment: transceiver, probe, shovel, and ABS pack.

Preparation for Tree Skiing and Snowboarding

Before you venture into the trees, a little knowledge and preparation go a long way toward helping you get started safely and confidently.

Physical Preparation

To fully enjoy every moment on the slopes, it’s crucial to prepare your body for the demands of the mountain. Skiing and snowboarding require a unique blend of strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. Here are some key exercises to prepare:

• Squats: Effectively target the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, which are essential muscles that support your skiing performance.
• Box Jumps: Perfect for developing leg strength and explosiveness needed for moguls and rough terrain. Aim for 3 sets of 10 jumps.
• Wall Sits: Great for building leg endurance for long, thigh-burning runs. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
• Planks: Build core endurance for staying balanced and in control. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.

For a comprehensive guide, check out exercises to prepare for skiing.

Skill Development

Being able to turn quickly will help you respond to sudden changes in terrain or a tree that seems to pop up out of nowhere. Practice making quick turns on the groomed slopes before heading into the trees¡ªfind a straight, open slope and see how many turns you can make in a given distance. Try to keep your turns compact by not straying too far to the right or left. Another good way to practice is to play “follow the leader” down the hill. Tell a friend to turn frequently but randomly, then follow them at a safe distance and turn when they turn.

Techniques for Tree Skiing and Snowboarding

When it comes to off-piste skiing between trees, there is no real difference in regular skiing technique off-piste, other than the obstacles you need to avoid colliding with. However, because there are now trees to avoid, many get apprehensive and doubt their ability. Your technique should not change greatly, but here are some adjustments:

Skiing Techniques

• Center or Sitback Your Weight: Unlike on hard-packed snow, where you might lean forward, in powder, it’s important to keep your weight more centered or even set back on your skis. This helps in floating atop the snow rather than sinking into it.
• Widen Your Stance: A wider stance than what you’d use on groomed runs will help you maintain balance in soft, unpredictable snow.
• Flex Your Knees: Keep your knees flexed and ready to absorb everything. This helps in maintaining balance and initiating smoother turns.
• Smooth Movements: Avoid jerky motions that can cause you to sink or lose balance. Think of your turns as flowing arcs rather than sharp cuts.
• Use Your Whole Body: Initiate turns with your whole body, gently rotating your shoulders and hips in the direction of the turn while keeping your skis parallel.

Snowboarding Techniques

For boarders, remember to get into a good stance and steer with your front foot. Keep your knees and ankles slightly flexed and your knees in line with your toes. Your shoulders and hips should be in line with your snowboard, and your upper body should be calm and relaxed. Mastering edge control is key to managing speed. Gently press on your edges to increase friction with the snow, slowing down your descent. Practice shifting your weight from edge to edge to find the right balance for controlled acceleration. In situations where you need to slow down quickly, shift your weight to your back foot and gently press your heel edge into the snow. This acts as a brake, slowing your momentum.

Navigating Through Trees

• Focus on the White Spaces: Don’t fixate on the trees, but rather the white spaces between them¡ªthis will help you steer where you want to go rather than where you don’t.
• Plan Ahead: Stop and scan ahead, planning your next four to five turns. Note any lumps along your planned route, as they are likely stumps, bushes, or other obstacles.
• Keep Hands Up: Bring your hands and arms up in front of you to protect your face from branches, particularly in tight trees.
• Tips Up: If you do not have specialist powder skis or boards, lift your tips/front of your board more than usual to avoid dipping too deep and catching branches.

Choosing the Right Terrain

Pick somewhere that offers a combination of widely-spaced trees and gentle slopes¡ªand plan where you will enter and where you will exit. You do not want to clear the trees and end up somewhere you do not want to be: in an avalanche risk zone, far out of resort, or on the edge of a cliff! Starting in wider glades will allow for broad, loose turns as you get comfortable. Glades are just tree runs with each tree spread further apart than typical tree skiing. These are the runs to practice before you work toward narrower paths.

Comparison of Terrain Types