How to Carve Steeper Runs - 3 tips from Tom Gellie

If you’ve ever carved confidently on blue runs but found yourself tense, cautious, or skidding when the slope gets steeper, you’re not alone.

Steeper groomers look beautiful from the chairlift, but once you drop in, everything feels faster. You end up “shopping for turns”, or skidding your way down the black run, and suddenly the smooth, flowing turns you had before start to fall apart.

That’s because carving on steeper terrain isn’t just “more of the same.” It’s a new challenge - one that pushes your timing, balance, and confidence:

1. The forces and speed on your body are much higher.
2. Many skiers use the same timing and movements as on easier terrain, which doesn’t work in steeps.
3. Fear of going faster leads to tense, overly cautious skiing.

The good news is, you don’t need to overhaul your technique. You just need to understand what’s changing under your skis, and how to move with it rather than fight against it.

In this guide, Tom Gellie breaks down three key shifts that make carving on steep groomers not just possible, but enjoyable. You’ll learn how to reset your mindset, commit to your transitions, and separate early edge angles from early pressure, with Carv data to show why each one matters.

1. Recalibrate Expectations

Let’s look at expectations. You are going to be going faster and building more pressure. This is part of the thrill of pushing into steeper groomed terrain.

I suggest that when you practice on these steeper slopes, tell yourself that it’s okay to feel a little scared. The purpose is to build your tolerance to speed and fear. The only way you can do this is with repeated exposure.

I suggest trying to ski 10-20% faster than your normal comfort speed. Even on slopes where you are comfortable, try skiing them at higher speeds, letting your skis run. Don’t worry too much about perfecting technique at this point. Focus on adjusting to the faster speeds.

Of course, be mindful of skiers around you. With even 3 or 4 runs like this, you will begin to recalibrate what actually feels fast to you. Now you are ready to add some higher early edge angles to better align your body with these expected higher speeds.

2. Commit to the transition

The transition is the moment where you cross over from one turn into the next. On steeper slopes, this needs to be much more aggressive and intentional than on easier terrain.

It starts the moment you feel your skis leaving those clean, carved lines and your momentum shifting more across the slope.

What the data says

When we talk about the transition phase of a ski turn, we’re referring to the brief period when you move your skis from edge to edge - when you move from one turn to the next.

Unweighting during the transition makes these actions smoother and more efficient, and prevents you from catching your new edges on the snow. With less downward force anchoring you down, you gain freedom of movement.

As you move onto steeper terrain, it becomes a key skill - unweighting your skis, the freedom of movement to adjust quickly, and it is essential for setting up clean, efficient turns.

To assess how well a skier is unweighting, Carv looks at the vertical G-force a skier experiences throughout a turn.

Take a look at the graph below. It shows the vertical G-force data from an advanced skier on two different slopes. On the steeper pitch, there’s a much greater range between the peaks and troughs.

This indicates a more dynamic transition phase, where they’re using flexion, extension, and rebound more effectively during the crossover.

Why? Because the steeper pitch generates higher forces, and the skier needs to manage these by unweighting more actively.

How can you develop this skill on steeps? At this point, focus on moving your core and hips diagonally forward and across the slope. Your center of mass needs to get ahead of your feet, almost like you’re leaving your skis behind.

You may even need to encourage your feet to move slightly uphill to help your body commit to the crossover and create higher edge angles earlier in the turn.

3. Separate Early Edge from Early Pressure

If you’ve committed to the crossover, you’ll be on your way to building early edge angles. However, early edge angles don’t necessarily mean early pressure.

You can separate these two things: on steeper terrain, it’s important to differentiate between building early edge angles and applying pressure to those edges, while early pressure works on blue runs, it can lead to excessive speed and loss of control on steeps.

If I apply pressure too early, I find I can’t keep progressively edging my skis, and I feel compressed and stuck. I also accelerate more than I’d like down the slope.

Instead, focus on building edge angles early, but be patient with applying pressure. Look for the pressure to help you accelerate across the slope!

World Cup skiers like Ted often flirt with this timing of pressure - pressuring their skis just enough to stay in control without over-accelerating.

You may have heard coaches talk about early pressure, but I suggest leaving this to the fastest of the fast. Elite ski racers push the limits well beyond us mere mortals and have the strength to back it.

We can all give ourselves a bit of a break and not seek the same early pressure as the greatest racers on earth. When practicing, aim to build early angles but be patient with the pressure.

Experiment with slightly earlier or later pressure, depending on the steepness, and find what works for your level.

Progressive edging may not be a beginner skill for skiing steeps, but looking at skiers like Ted Ligety gives us a glimpse into what makes high-G, controlled, and consistent turns possible.

His ability to build edge angles mid-turn is a masterclass in precision and technique. So let’s dive into what’s going on in his ski turn.

When we compare his edging data to other expert skiers, the difference is striking. He doesn’t just build edge angles quickly - he sustains them far longer through the mid-turn phase. Take a look at the graph below.

This allows him to carve smoother, more controlled turns and maintain speed without losing balance or control.

We can actually see that Ted’s Early Edging and Mid-Turn Edge Build improve as the pitch gets higher.

Carving on steeper slopes is where skiing gets exciting - and where small changes in confidence and timing can make a huge difference.

Start by getting comfortable with a bit more speed. Then focus on committing through your transitions and separating when you build edge angles from when you add pressure. These adjustments help your skis grip earlier, your turns feel smoother, and your confidence grows.

I’ve been working on mastering steeps since I started skiing at 22. I remember being intimidated by the black runs at my home resort, thinking I’d never ski them like my friends. But over time, with deliberate practice, my confidence and control grew. Even now, I still test myself with a little extra speed to keep progressing.

Tackling steeper terrain isn’t about skiing flawlessly. It’s about learning to stay calm, commit through the transition, and trust your edges as the slope gets steeper.