opinion: Complete fear skiing
Caitlin McCullam, The Peak

This year's ski/snowboard season is underway, and in British Columbia the terrain at some of its more challenging mountains allows one to experience complete fear skiing or snowboarding through uncharted territory-sans ski patrols and groomed runs.

For those who aren't expert skiers or snowboarders, one crosses the boundary into the unknown for different reasons. 1. Your friends have been doing it, so why not get a taste of it for yourself? 2. To satisfy our curiosity as to what lies beyond 3. To try to ski as extreme skiers and snowboarders do, such as those in Warren Miller films.

The beginning of an adventure into what is unmarked on a trail map is generally exhilarating, yet relaxing due to the seclusion (no people or noise) and the untouched powder, both of which are characteristic of out-of-bounds terrain.

However, this type of terrain can trick the average skier or snowboarder. Mountaintop snow is desirable in quantity and texture but farther down can turn to hard packed ice. Therefore, a confident skier/snowboarder at the beginning of an off-the-map run later becomes deceived.

Once you are caught on a course with a steep pitch, protruding roots and boulders, you will experience "complete fear". The ideal solution is to embrace the situation, face the fear and tackle the trail, while engaging in a magical transformation from intermediate to extreme skier/ snowboarder.

However, this usually doesn't happen; instead you embrace the humiliating and painful task of taking off your skis - snowboarders can slide on their back edge - in order to tackle the hill on your butt. Unfortunately it is often more scary going down this way than on skis. For those skiers and snowboarders who do not perform well under frightening situations, beware of unmarked trails. They aren't the same run from top to bottom. For those of you who live for the thrill: go for it.

For both groups: be safe this winter, and enjoy the amazing sports of skiing and snowboarding in the great outdoors of British Columbia, which boasts some of the best terrain in the world.

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