Lesson 5 - Lift

Original on onboard.ru

Your capabilities have increased, you are no longer afraid of going down the mountain. What about the rise? Let's talk about using lifts.

Let's go up the mountain

These wonderful devices are divided into three categories: gondolas, also known as funiculars (choose the more euphonious of these two names), chairlifts and towing ones. Using the first ones, which are ordinary suspended trailers, is not a problem, just make sure that your board does not rest against the mask with its edge standing nearby German skier However, gondolas are often equipped with external mounts for equipment. We will dwell on the technique of using chairlifts and towing lifts in more detail.

Towing lifts

There are several varieties of such lifts, united by a couple of general principles. In any case, you will be going up in tow, and also in any case you will be pulled by a steel cable. The difference is in the method of attachment to the cable.

Children's lifts

Trails for beginners and “children’s” slopes are most often equipped with very slow lifts with rubber-plastic brackets attached directly to the cable. The cable moves parallel to the ground at a height of about one meter. Such devices are most often called baby lifts. It’s best to start getting acquainted with the work of lifts here. Here are the general rules.

Stand on the bottom platform of the lift next to the cable. The front leg is fastened, the back leg is not. The board is turned straight up the slope. The question is whether to unfasten back leg quite difficult to climb. Experienced riders most often do not consider this necessary. If you unfasten your back leg, it will serve as a support for you while you wait for the approaching staple. If both legs are strapped in and there is some slope at the base of the lift, you will have to take precautions against sliding down. In this case, turn the board across the slope at a sufficient angle.

Look behind you at the approaching staple.

When the bracket is level with you, grab it with both hands. Push off with your free foot to move the board out of place. If you didn’t unfasten it, with a quick jump, turn the board exactly up the slope and move it forward with the movement of your legs. It's not that difficult. In any case, you must help the board move - the point of application of the lift's force is too high, if you remain passive, the lift's jerk will simply make you fall forward.

When you start, put your back foot in front rear mounting like you did in the first lesson.

Keeping the brace close to you will help you maintain your balance.

Don't bend at the waist. If there is a need to lower the bracket lower - and the cable often goes very low, especially if in front the whole team small skiers - bend your knees.

Your body weight should be evenly distributed between your front and back legs.

Don't yawn around, look forward. If necessary, control the board by lightly pressing the corresponding edge with your back foot.

If the lift has stopped and you are only halfway up, take measures against slipping, that is, either stick your back foot out or turn the board around. You will have to start again.

If you fall, and this happens to everyone, try to leave the lift path as soon as possible.

When you reach the top, don't linger on the lift path, release the bracket and slide to the side.

Anchors and plates

A more serious structure is the lift, called an “anchor” lift, or T-lift in English terminology, based on the shape of the towing rods. Such a bar easily picks up a couple of cute skiers under the butts at once. While you're a beginner, use this thing alone, bringing one side of the anchor behind your front leg. Later, when you feel confident, you can climb on the same bar with another rider, or even one of those skiers, leaning on your side of the anchor with the top of the thigh of your back leg. There is also a purely individual variety of such lifts. A small plastic plate is attached to the end of the tow bar of these units, which is why they are called disk-shaped. According to the English-language classification, these are Poma system lifts. It is clear that the plate is designed to be placed between the legs. Here are some features of using T and Poma lifts:

Lifts with an average (about 3 m/s) towing speed are equipped with exhaust reels - devices that facilitate the start and equalize the speed of your movement on changes in terrain. You will feel the tug of the cable when the auxiliary cable is completely removed from the reel. You need to get moving without waiting for this moment. To do this, either push off with your unfastened back foot, or jump slightly to unload the board.

Do not sit on the anchor or plate, they are not designed for that.

Hold the barbell with your front, and if necessary, with both hands.

If you fall, get rid of the barbell immediately; there is no point in dragging yourself through the snow behind the cable. Don't worry, the bar will immediately go up due to the reel (the same will happen to it at the top when you release it and slide to the side).

Don't tense up, relax your muscles shoulder girdle, breathe evenly and deeply, move the board calmly. Avoid energetic edgings.

Lifts with high (about 5 m/s) towing speed are equipped with a special starting system. The rods of these lifts are not rigidly attached to the cable. The command to the actuator that fixes the rod on the cable is given by a special sensor located in the starting gate equipped at the lower station. At this point there is a slight slope towards the slope, which will allow you to simply roll out onto the lift path. As you understand, in this case the movements of the rider with the rear leg fastened or unfastened are no different. As you roll out, you will take the end bar in the drive and place it between your legs. The jerk will be very strong, but due to the fact that you are already moving, it will not create problems for you.

Don't be scared high speed rise. You will quickly notice that it is easier to stabilize your board on these lifts than on any other. The speed allows you to use the edge very effectively. Vigorous edges, which often lead to a fall on slow and medium lifts, are quite manageable here.

Clear the track even faster in case of a fall; the nine-year-old pro-rider starting behind you may well, regardless of the lifting rules, practice his favorite tricks on the lift bar.

Try not to throw the barbell in front of the intermediate support, this may cause the main cable to stop.

T-bar lifts

Now a little about common anachronisms. You can often see lifts that look similar to those just described, but are not equipped with any devices that make life easier. On small slopes their use is sometimes justified. The principles of use, of course, do not differ from those stated above.

It's a completely different matter when it comes to a rope tow. A rope tow is a bare cable that moves up a slope. You will be attached to it using the so-called canvas yoke (this best option) cable with a special bracket (in fact, this is what the yoke is) at one end and a small wooden crossbar at the other.

Borrow starting position near the cable.

Place the bracket over the cable. There are many different designs of this device, depending on the presence or absence of intermediate supports, the imagination of the manufacturer, most often underground, and God knows what else. Correct position The natives will tell you the yoke on the rope.

The main trick is the need for tension on your canvas rope to engage the yoke. After placing the shackle over the hoist cable, apply light tension to your cable. Having caught on the main cable, the bracket will begin to move upward. Do not place the yoke on the cable at the junction of its ends, the so-called braid.

Pass the canvas rope, slightly clamped in the hand of your front hand. Having released the yoke a meter and a half, squeeze your hand tightly and initiate the movement of the board with your feet, just as you did on the baby lift.

If you lack balance and the main cable is at a comfortable height, you can grab it with your free hand. But keep in mind that the cable is coated with grease (black, of course), and often has frayed areas that can damage both the glove and your hand.

Once you have stabilized your movement, place the wooden bar between your legs. With your free front hand, grasp the canvas rope in front of you again.

If you fall, immediately release the yoke! Unloaded, it almost immediately falls from the main cable. True, sometimes this does not happen.

It is absolutely unacceptable to wrap a tarpaulin rope around your hand or secure it in any other way. In this case, the fall will almost certainly result in injury! Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration. You may experience dislocations and damage to the bursae of the hand joints. An even more gloomy prospect awaits the violator of this rule if the bump stop at the top station of the lift does not work and the yoke begins to go to the drive pulley of the main cable. They say there have been deaths.

Having risen up, release the crossbar a little before reaching the bump stop. Collect the yoke thrown off by the bumper and move to the side.

If you need to leave the lift before reaching the top, pull your cable closer to you and then quickly release it. The unloaded yoke will jump off the main cable.

Have fun! The attitude “cool descent - scary climb” is fundamentally wrong! Everything on the slope should make you happy, including the upward movement.

Chair lifts

Using chair lifts is much easier than using tow lifts. In practice, all you have to do is sit in the lift chair at the bottom and leave it at the top.

Take the starting position. The board is in the upward direction, the back leg is unfastened.

Look behind you at the approaching chair.

Grab the counter of the chair that comes up and sit down.

Elevate your free foot and the toe of the board to avoid catching snow while the chair is low.

Lower the safety bar (if equipped).

Use a footrest, or if you don’t have one, support the board with your free leg.

When approaching the top station, turn the board in the direction of the slope and turn around a little on your chair. Raise the safety bar.

Once above the landing point, place the board on the snow and stand up.

Place your back foot in front of the back mount and roll to the side.

On high-capacity chairs, it is better for a beginner to take the outer seats and warn his neighbors about his inexperience. For their own good.

Of course, on chairlifts it is possible to climb with both legs strapped in, and even to climb with a board in your hands (don’t forget about the leash). Follow the rules of this slope, decide for yourself what is more convenient for you.

So, now you can both slide down and climb up. In the next lesson we will start talking about the technique of effective board skating.

Riding on alpine skiing or snowboarding can turn into a real challenge if climbing the mountainside is done on your own. To make the process of climbing the mountain easier, you just need to figure out how to use a rope tow.

What is a lift

Specialized equipment for towing skiers consists of a descending branch that undergoes cyclic rotation through elements of supporting structures located along the slope. Rope tows contain intermediate supports, which athletes hold onto while climbing to the top.

Such equipment is driven by electric drives. The design includes backup engines running on diesel fuel, which are activated in the event of a line loss.

Types

Rope tow lifts are divided into structures with intermediate supports in the form of a “plate” and an “anchor”. The first are represented by metal fasteners movably connected to the cable, which contain a disk holder at the end. The latter, in fact, is what skiers grab when lifting.

Rope tow lifts with intermediate supports in the form of an “anchor” have a similar design. The only difference is the presence of a T-shaped end, which can be used as a holder by several athletes at the same time.

Features of operation

How to use a rope tow lift? Photo correct landing presented in this material. As for the practical operation of such equipment, when placed on the platform, novice snowboarders are recommended to unfasten one leg from the board fastening, using it to perform maneuvers during the ascent. Skiers cope with this task somewhat easier.

However, you can jump onto the rope tow with a snowboard without unfastening the bindings. It is enough to jump to the landing craft and grab the towing bar. The optimal method of lifting for every lover skiing chooses for himself, based on convenience and considerations of personal safety.

1. It is better to carry out loading with service personnel who will help you catch the towing bar and position yourself on the intermediate support.
2. For safety, when lifting, it is better to hold onto the mount with both hands.
3. You should not sit with your whole body weight on the anchor or disc mount of the lift, since the latter serve only as auxiliary support elements.
4. Once on the lift, you should try to relax and maintain even breathing, which will save energy on the subsequent descent from the top.
5. If you fall, you must immediately release the towbar and roll to the side. This precaution will help protect yourself from injury and will not create an obstacle for skiers behind you.
6. When you need to climb only to the middle of a mountain peak, it is enough to unload the grip of the fastening with the cable in advance when reaching the desired point and quickly move to the side.
7. Before using drag lifts, it is worth seeing how other, more experienced athletes cope with this task.

In conclusion

The secret to successful operation of a rope tow is the need to perform calm, judicious actions. Many skiers have to fight fear when looking at a massive mechanical structure. Therefore, when landing on a support, inexperienced athletes instinctively grab the first element that comes to hand, which is the main mistake.

When making a mistake that causes a fall, the main thing is not to cling to anything. Otherwise, you can drag for a long time behind the intermediate support.

At the end of the day, a rope tow is nothing more than a moving cable. Only practice helps in conquering it. After several climbs and complete mastery of the principles of operating the mechanism, you can proudly call yourself a real skier.

The rope tow is the most common lift on small, training slopes.

Attention! For safety reasons, the lift can only be used

Approach the lift, place your snowboard parallel to it, your free leg is on the snow, you are waiting for the yoke. Get ready to start moving.

As soon as the yoke begins to approach you, place your free foot from the snow on the board, and in advance (about a meter away) grab the rope with your hands. When the yoke reaches you, place it in your thigh area. I do not recommend placing a yoke near your waist - you may fall.

For clarity, imagine a tug-of-war - the opposing team is at the top, and you rest slightly on your front leg, pull the rope towards you and smoothly ride up.

So, go to the lift, catch the “mop”. Place it between your legs in the thigh area.
– distribute the weight evenly, 50 to 50 on each leg, the body is straight, do not protrude your pelvis, do not lean forward, look forward, bend your knees slightly.

At the very top, pull out the lift, lift your free leg and place it on the snow behind you, then immediately move away so as not to interfere with those who are coming behind us.
You need to crawl a couple of meters away from the lift so as not to collide with other people!

Learning to edge

Remember about the stance - the weight is evenly distributed between the legs, arms look to the sides, look down in the direction of movement, and not under your feet) Tuck your pelvis a little so that it is above the snowboard. Knees bent.

- Let's wrap up:
Stand in the correct stance facing the descent. Stand on your heels, raise your toes - you've turned over.
Now let's start moving. To do this, slightly reduce the edging, that is, lower the toes slightly.

- Speed ​​is also adjustable:
- To accelerate, lower your toes further - this will lower the front edge and the board will begin to pick up speed. Just don't drop your toes too low. If you catch the front edge on the snow, you will stumble and fall, that is, you will catch the front edge.
- To reduce speed, raise your toes slightly up.

- We stop:
If you lift your toes too high, you will stop.
Always stop at the edge of the slope. Never stand in the center - this will interfere with those rolling on top and put everyone in danger

You need to ride backwards on the leading edge. That is, you are now standing not on your heels (not on the back edge), but on your toes. And you regulate the speed with your heels - lower them down to start moving and accelerate, and lift your heels up when you want to slow down or stop. Watch where you are going on the slope over your right or left shoulder.

If you are doing this exercise for the first time, do not spare money on an instructor, otherwise you risk earning several fresh bruises.

You've learned how to stand on your snowboard, how to start, go down with your face and back facing the slope, and how to brake.

Now we learn to move left and right along the slope

We are preparing to drive to the right across the slope with our backs to the descent
Strap two legs to the snowboard.
Stand in the correct stance with your back to the descent. Roll over - stand on your toes, lift your heels so as not to roll down.
Start the movement - turn your knees, shoulders, hips to the right side and transfer your body weight to your right leg.

To understand if you did the exercise correctly, look back. If there is a wide trail left behind you from the board, then everything is correct. If only a thin trail follows you. This means that you drove to the edge - this is a mistake, as it will not allow you to stop in time.

Try this same exercise in left side.

Once you have mastered this technique with your back to the descent, practice doing this exercise while facing the descent.

You can also check out similar exercises:

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Getting used to speed

Stand with your back to the descent in the correct stance.
To start the movement, shift your body weight in the direction of movement down the slope. With this movement, your board gradually begins to unfold.

On the opposite side of the slope, level the board - that is, distribute your body weight evenly, 50 to 50 on each leg.

Continue the movement, but in the other direction - shift your body weight in the direction of movement and level the board.

Then change direction again.

Try doing this exercise while facing the descent, that is, standing on the front edge.
Remember that the more you turn your board downhill, the more speed you gain.
In words it sounds difficult, so watch the examples and videos, contact the instructor)))

So, today you learned how to ride a lift, slide down a slope with two legs attached, adjusting the speed, and also stop when necessary. We also learned to enjoy rolling at speed using the “falling leaf” technique on the front and back edges alternately.

Step-by-step instructions for the second lesson on the slope

Remember the technique of moving on a snowboard with one leg strapped (first lesson)

Learn to use a lift on a training slope (bar or T-bar)

Remember correct stance snowboarding (first lesson)

Learn to edge:
- Go down the slope with the board placed across the slope FACE DOWN. To go, we lower our socks down, to stop, we lift them up.
- Go down the slope with the board positioned across the slope WITH YOUR BACK DOWN. To go, lower your heels down, to stop, lift your heels up.

Try moving left and right along the slope
Turn your knees, shoulders, hips and shift your body weight in the direction of movement. There should be a wide trail behind you. Learn to perform the exercise to the right and to the left, both while standing with your FACE and with your BACK to the descent.

Getting used to speed - the “Falling Leaf” technique
Shift your body weight towards the downhill direction. On the opposite side of the slope, level the board, distributing your body weight evenly. Continue in the other direction. Then change direction again. Practice with your face and back facing the descent.

Music used in the video:
WRC 3 – Soundrack 2;
Annonymos ft. Taz – Look At Me.

A chairlift is the best option for snowboarders to get up the mountain. The legs are rested, the snowboard does not interfere, the main thing is to dress warmly and enjoy the views.

Landing

Go through the turnstile, determine whether you can carry a snowboard in your hands (usually yes) or whether you need to fasten one leg (usually in such places the staff will not let you in without wearing a snowboard), wait for your turn and stand in line with those who are going to board the lift with you (depending on the capacity of the lift). Typically one chair is designed for 2 to 6 people. Everyone needs to board the chairlift at the same time, so everyone needs to be on the same line. Don't run into this line if you don't have time to get to the chair. Wait for the next one and sit down like a human being.

When the chair approaches, carefully sit on it, immediately putting your legs forward and straightening them so that they do not fall under the chair and break. Place the board edge-on between your legs so that it does not interfere with the lowering of the safety frame and does not rest on your knee. Carefully, smoothly and slowly lower the safety frame, first informing others about this. Place your feet on the step (if you get one), check that the snowboard will not fall down, usually to ensure that in any case it engages with the fastening on the frame. It's better to hold it all the way.

Disembarkation

When the chair approaches the top station, you need to raise the safety frame in advance (usually this place is marked with the corresponding sign), take the snowboard in right hand and determine in which direction you will run. It is best to sit on the outside of the lift and run there. However, if you are sitting inside, then you should not rush through all the seats, you still won’t make it in time. Run back to the inner support and go right behind the chair to go outside. The main thing is not to get in the way of the chair, it will sweep away instantly.

If you have one leg fastened to the snowboard, then you will have to go straight ahead, as skiers do. Get ready, stand on your supporting leg, push off from the chair, place your other foot on the board and carefully steer away from the lift. It is important not to fall, because there may be other people behind you, for whom your fall will be a complete surprise.

Features of the chair lift

Dress warmly - the wind is much stronger on the ski lift than below. The lift may be stopped, so no one knows how long you will spend there.

Don't drop your snowboard, mittens, phones and other things - it will be almost impossible to find them. It’s better to wait until you arrive upstairs, and there devote a few extra minutes to all the necessary manipulations.

Be sure to lower the safety frame. All the coolness of riding chair lift without a safety framework ultimately leads to tragedies. Falling onto rocks from a 5-meter height is no longer cool, so think with your head.

If you are riding a chair not in splendid isolation, but with someone else, no matter if they have skis or a board on their feet, be sure to coordinate your actions for everyone’s safety. This is especially true for lowering and raising the safety frame - you can seriously injure an unwary lover of mountain slopes.

This is a quick guide to using rope tows for new snowboarders. Small slopes are equipped mainly with yokes (T-bar - the name abroad), which cause fear among beginners. There are techniques that, once mastered, will help you enjoy your skiing more and limit yourself from getting into trouble on the slopes.

A yoke is a ground-type lift on ski resorts. This type of lift has a steel cable raised high on a series of steel supports. A pylon with a rubber disk or rod on the base descends from the cable (T-shaped, designed to tow two people at the same time). Lifting is carried out by towing along the highway.

To climb up the slope, snowboarders grab a pole, pull it lightly, and place a disc or barbell between their legs. At the top there is a shock absorber that smoothly pulls up and tows the “rider”. Such lifts are installed on short and medium length trails.

Training slides are sometimes equipped with ropes or poles. They simply grab them with their hands, maintain balance, and go up.

The second type of ground lift is the conveyor belt or “magic carpet”. It is installed on short slopes intended for beginners or children. It stands on the ground and literally carries standing passengers. Very convenient and not dangerous.

There is also an aerial type of lifts: closed gondola type and open chairlifts. Unlike rope tows, they are more comfortable. Installed on long routes.

Why is it harder for snowboarders to climb ropes than for alpine skiers?

Amateur and professional skiing has led to the need to create devices for transporting athletes and amateurs to the peaks. Lifts were created especially for them. Snowboard enthusiasts appeared much later, they had to adapt to the existing transport installations.

The skier makes the ascent with greater comfort because he stands on both legs, holds the pole, leans slightly back and rides. But his colleague has a more difficult time, since the board cannot go across, which would be very convenient.

The snowboarder has to climb almost sideways, attaching the yoke bar to the inner thigh. Very high tension in the muscles when lifting incorrectly can result in injury.

Only after a beginner athlete stands confidently on the board, knows how to balance, make turns and glide freely along gentle slopes, can he conquer the T-bar. These skills are mastered at training sites.

It's important to remember that making your technique automatic will lead to more fun on more challenging hills.

Exercises to help you get up on a rope tow

There are three basic rules for a confident climb:

1. cling correctly;
2. be able to maintain balance;
3. determine the position of the stand when towing, in which it will be comfortable to stand and the load will be distributed evenly across the muscles.

Simple exercises will help you gain the skills of proper skating and using the T-bar:

1. Walking.
Technique: fasten the leading leg, fix the second one on the board so that it does not dangle (this is important when performing any exercise with an unfastened leg). Walk calmly and evenly, trying to look ahead of you and not at the board. On slopes, the board should be turned across and placed on an edge. The task is to learn to walk with a board and look forward.

2. Flat sliding.
This exercise will be very simple for amateurs. You will need to push off with one foot. The area for performing the exercise should be as flat as possible. Execution technique: one leg is fastened, and the second is placed after pushing off closer to the fastened one. The weight is distributed over the board. You shouldn’t put weight on the fastened leg, but most of it goes on it. The task is to slide freely on a board along a flat slope.

To do this, select a place with a slight slope, which will not have a deep depression. It is needed for a natural stop. Technique: only one leg is fastened. The movement begins from the top point, pushing off. Confident stance on the board, knees slightly bent for better shock absorption. A natural stop in a hollow. The task is to learn to stand confidently while moving.

4. Flat turn technique.
The beginning is like in the third, but with a twist. You can turn forward and backward. When turning forward, if your leading leg is left, then you turn to the right, and if your leading leg is right, then to the left. The front edge is engaged and the toes are supported, the heels do not rise. Execution technique: after attaching your legs, turn your head and shoulders in the direction of the turn. The board will turn next. You need to bring it to automaticity and only then switch to the reverse turn. The technique is the same, only the back edge is involved, the emphasis is on the heels, and the toes are raised. It is very important to remain resilient.