• Recognising potentially dangerous terrain
• Avoid, anticipate, prepare
• Build an anchor
• Crampons
• Ice axe
• Emergency self-arrest without ice axe
• Use of ski poles

Falling on steep ground is one of the most frequent causes of backcountry accidents. It is not so much the act of falling, rather what lies below, which presents the risks. For piste skiers, for whom falls are a routine aspect of their skiing day and rarely even lead to injury, they can be much less aware of the potential dangers they face in a backcountry environment.

You should seek instruction from qualified instructors, about what to do, and how to deal with, steep ground.

Recognising potentially dangerous terrain
If you can't see the bottom of a gully or line, only a horizon line below, then it's obvious that you should anticipate some sort of drop below. Use common sense.

Avoid, anticipate, prepare
Before you find yourself in a potentially precarious situation, you should consider some of the following (note that some of these apply to both ascent and descent):

- Putting your harness on
- Putting your ski crampons on
- Getting the rope out, ready for use
- Getting your ice axe accessible, such as through tucking it into a shoulder strap for easy access
- Put on extra clothing to anticipate pace slowing, and potentially chilling
- Taking skis off, and putting crampons on

Build an anchor
If you reach a point where you need a rope to negotiate a difficulty, such as to abseil over a cornice, you need an anchor. Use the simplest rope and anchor system you can get away with - that means, quick to set up, and using the smallest amount of kit necessary. You should seek proper instruction on building anchors.

Crampons
A backcountry environment is not the place to use your crampons for the first time, or have to adjust the size etc. Practice in advance, first walking on flat terrain, then progress to angled terrain, and then cross-gradients etc. It is advisable to have anti-balling plates on your crampons - this will keep the spikes as clear as possible, so won't affect performance.

Ice axe
It sounds elementary, but many people do not know how to use an ice axe properly when moving in the mountains! It is also essential to learn and practice the ice axe arrest.

Emergency self arrest without ice axe
Ice axes work very well at arresting your falling body. However, what about the occasions where you don't have one in your hand. Such as while skiing, for example.

When skiing steep terrain, remove the wrist loops, being careful not to drop your poles. In this way, if you do fall it will be easier to grab the bottoms of your poles, and be able to dig them into the ground.

Finally, if you have lost your poles and skis, and are still falling, try to roll onto your front. In this position, push your arms into the snow as if you were doing press-ups. This forces your upper body upwards, and as a result drives your lower body into the snow - the toes on your ski boots may help to stop you.

Use of ski poles
While side slipping down particularly steep ground, it may not be appropriate to use your ski poles the normal way. It might be an idea to remove the wrist loops, hold them together, and with the hand nearest the slope grab the two bottom ends, and with the upper hand grab the handle. This is good for balance, and won't impede you or push you out of the slope.

In another situation, if you were ascending and were met with a short but steep snow bank, can't be bothered to get your ice axe out of your bag, or perhaps are not carrying one, then under these circumstances the safest way to ascend would be to turn your ski poles round, and hold them just above the handle. Drive the handles into the snow. This gives added security (but is not a replacement for using proper kit).