Tree Skiing
Tree runs transform from sketchy to magical — you'll feel the mountain come alive in ways open runs never can.
Navigating tight, variable terrain in forested areas by reading the space between trees, staying in the present turn, and letting go of line planning.
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below:
Key Moments
Your brain steers toward what you look at — eyes on the space, always
Trees demand quick turns — get short-radius carving dialed first
Enter slower than you think you need — you can accelerate but can't easily slow down
Half-committed in trees is more dangerous than fully committed — go or stop, no in-between
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like time slows down once you find the rhythm — the trees seem to part for you
- ✓Present moment only — no thinking ahead more than the next two trees
- ✓A quiet, focused hum rather than the adrenaline rush of open slopes
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Looking at trees instead of gaps
Pick a gap and burn your eyes into it — your skis will follow automatically
Entering too fast
Check your speed before you enter — once inside, options narrow quickly
Stiff, defensive posture
Relaxed, athletic stance absorbs the variable terrain — stiffness gets you bucked
Practice Drills
Slalom poles practice: ski a slalom course on a groomed run — the pole-gap focus directly trains tree-gap awareness
Edge-of-the-trees traverse: ski the boundary of a tree line, dipping in for one or two turns and back out — builds confidence incrementally
Follow the leader: ski tight behind a more experienced skier through a gentle tree section — mirroring their line removes decision fatigue