Riding techniques

[AKboondocker]

Any tips for an downhill to uphill transition for a 115lb gal? It's the one thing that is still haunting me, got into a bit of trouble last ride coming down into a clearing with a drop off, couldn't get her turned back up in time.

First off, youve got to commit! Jump on the left side running board (assuming left turn back uphill) with both feet, slow down a bit, get a good grip on the bars, counter steer away from the hill and at the same time blip the throttle a few times and begin to gradually but quickly lean into the hill until you are plowing snow with your body against the mountain to lay the sled into the hill, then gradually add gas and begin standing back upright eventually being at 3/4 to full throttle as you are pointed back the direction you want to go up the hill.

Once headed uphill, try to use your best judgement and re-position yourself as soon as possible to maintain your momentum. Sometimes this means jumping from the side you were just on all the way over to the other to transfer into another immediate sidehill. You basically lay in the hill as an anchor and you hold the sled and guide it as it turns back up the hill in an arc around you. Be carefull not to do this too suddenly with too much downward momentum and speed or youll get flipped over the front and most likely run over by your sled.

Laying off the sled as much as possible when you begin your turn keeps the sled light without you on it and less likely to get bogged down when making the turn back uphill. Throttle control, balance, timing and grip strength will be key with this manuever. Practice in deeper snow first. The thinner the snow the more likely to high-side. Practice makes perfect. Sorry so long winded Good Luck

 

[mil81]

First off, youve got to commit! Jump on the left side running board (assuming left turn back uphill) with both feet, slow down a bit, get a good grip on the bars, counter steer away from the hill and at the same time blip the throttle a few times and begin to gradually but quickly lean into the hill until you are plowing snow with your body against the mountain to lay the sled into the hill, then gradually add gas and begin standing back upright eventually being at 3/4 to full throttle as you are pointed back the direction you want to go up the hill.

Once headed uphill, try to use your best judgement and re-position yourself as soon as possible to maintain your momentum. Sometimes this means jumping from the side you were just on all the way over to the other to transfer into another immediate sidehill. You basically lay in the hill as an anchor and you hold the sled and guide it as it turns back up the hill in an arc around you. Be carefull not to do this too suddenly with too much downward momentum and speed or youll get flipped over the front and most likely run over by your sled.

Laying off the sled as much as possible when you begin your turn keeps the sled light without you on it and less likely to get bogged down when making the turn back uphill. Throttle control, balance, timing and grip strength will be key with this manuever. Practice in deeper snow first. The thinner the snow the more likely to high-side. Practice makes perfect. Sorry so long winded Good Luck

Solid advice, but I don't know if I can listen to someone called akREV who has a picture of a CAT in his avatar. LOL. Just kidding man, thanks for the tips.

 

[longtrack156]

Take your right foot and put it on the left running board in the very front and take your left foot and plant it out in front of you. Then feather the throttle and counter steer and your sled will come right over. Then just keep feathering the throttle until you are pointing generally uphill and give it full throttle. By doing this technique I found I can have the sled completely stopped and do this or be going at what ever speed I need to be going. This is for doing a left hand turn back uphill. Just reverse the footing for a right hand turn.

I find these kind of instructions to be very helpful, have being trying the countersteer thing this year by just adding throttle, working much better, for the last couple of years before this year I was trying the pin it method. All that ever did was leave me laying in the snow 25' to 50' away from the sled and I learned nothing.

 

[Hiterhard]

I am a firm believer that you can not be taught how to carve, sidehill, turn out...Small tips might help the process slightly, but practice is all that can help you.

The best way to get good is to ride with people who are better than you. If you can see someone with similar equipment to yours do something you can't do, that is drive to improve yourself so you can keep up.

FOR SURE! me and my buddies i ride with push eachother, one guy does something cool or makes it over the top of a long pull. You've got to know you can do it too! Also works great with tuning a sled, tune one till it beats the other, and just keep going back and forth till they both rip. works for us, and makes for some good trash talk

 

[triple Black]

you aint riding unless your leg hangin!!!! Very important to ride with guys who push, but in a smart way, dont do anything unless your confident you can make her. Its an expensive sport and we cant afford to wreck our machinery let allone ourselves. Also dont be afraid to travel for the good riding, good snow, and safe conditions.

 

[MTNRCR]

Practice riding a stand up jet ski. A snowmobile in the powder reacts almost the same. Throttle stands it up! No throttle tips it over and CRASH!

 

[WYsteph]

Thanks for the tips Need to get my sled fixed and some time off so I can go ride and try your hints out.

 

[Snowman.Jeff]

I think this is one of the best threads on here. Always learning....

 

[hilinerider]

Practice riding a stand up jet ski. A snowmobile in the powder reacts almost the same. Throttle stands it up! No throttle tips it over and CRASH!

x2 on the throttle,

i was off my game last sunday and pulled this rookie mistake a couple time but got lucky and didn't have the crash part,

throttle is your friend, use it to steer yourself

 

[woodpecker]

easy now!!

you guys need to lay off the WOT. telling these guys to pin it does not help them. turning up hill from going down takes fineness and practice. throttle CONTROL yes, pin it no. you don"t want to spin the track loose, you want it hook up. use your downward momentum to help hook it up. don't be scared to lay it on its side. the more throttle you use the more it will side out.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Awesome thread! Great tips...... Screw the Super Bowl.... Im goin riding on Sunday!

 

[PaulWatt]

Agree with the finessing of the throttle, rather than pinning it. A couple blips and a hard lean/countersteer seem to work the best for me, then blip blip for a hookup to get moving up hill again before full throttle. I think wide open will make it come around to fast, and you'll end up with a trenched sled in deeper pow.

 

[kinge]

It is all about commitment and throttle CONTROL. You are going to throttle differently with different snow conditions. Pinning it when the sled isn't necessarily doing what you want is just a good way to hurt stuff.

You just have to practice and practice. Also, If you can't do it in good snow, then you probably aren't going to pull it off when the snow conditions make it harder. Spring is a good time to practice for harder conditions because while it is firm, it is way more forgiving than some stupid crust this time of the year.

A guy I was riding with a long time ago tried pinning it when things weren't going quite right, got high sided and ended up checking his track speed with his a**

Jeb

 

[speedemon]

I just watch Burandt ride and try to do what he does lol

 

[SSWIM]

I let someone else better than me do it. LOL


Sam

 

[Concrete Mike]

It is all about commitment and throttle CONTROL. You are going to throttle differently with different snow conditions. Pinning it when the sled isn't necessarily doing what you want is just a good way to hurt stuff.

You just have to practice and practice. Also, If you can't do it in good snow, then you probably aren't going to pull it off when the snow conditions make it harder. Spring is a good time to practice for harder conditions because while it is firm, it is way more forgiving than some stupid crust this time of the year.

A guy I was riding with a long time ago tried pinning it when things weren't going quite right, got high sided and ended up checking his track speed with his a**

Jeb

Commitment is everything.decide what your going to do and where you want to end up.If you chicken out your done.Also don't practice around trees

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

great advise..I will add this..when you are doing your uphill turn(from going downhill)dont try and point the sled straight back up the hill...you want to come out of your turn slowly increasing throttle and sidehilling across the slope..as your momentum picks up you can start turning more straight up the hill...if you try to do a 180 from going downhill to up you will most likely stick it right as the skis get pointed straight up the hill...and dont look down the hill..your sled goes where you are looking..focus your eyes as you start your turn on where you are going to come out of your turn...when the sled is at the center of your turn start looking up the hill for obstacles and where you can go if the sled doesnt want to climb back up the hill............and practice...