Blog

Edging is what turns a skid into a confident carve. Here is how I went from washing out on Koktokay’s steeps to linking clean turns, with drills that work on Xinjiang’s variable snow.

How I keep skiing hard Altay winters with exercise-induced asthma — pre-warm routines, medication timing, and the signs that mean stop.

After years of chemical warmers, I switched to rechargeable ones in Altay — runtime, cold-weather battery truth, and which features actually mattered.

How the longest night became my favourite time to ski — solstice traditions, the cold-light photography, and why resorts empty out exactly when conditions peak.

A coeliac skier’s field notes on gluten-free eating across Xinjiang ski towns — safe dishes, hidden wheat traps, and which resorts helped.

A skier’s intro to bandy — the ice sport played with a ball, not a puck — and where a pickup game broke out on a frozen Altay field.

How a cleared ice lane on Sayram Lake became my favourite non-ski activity — gear, safe ice, and the aurora I caught while skating.

Why a pulk sled beat a backpack for skiing with my two-year-old in Altay — packing, harness fit, and the slope mistakes I made so you don’t have to.

A parent’s honest take on tobogganing at Xinjiang ski areas — where it works, what it costs, and why it kept my non-skiing child happy for a full day.

How I learned to pile and hollow a quinzee on an Altay ski tour — safer than a snow cave, warmer than a tent, and a genuine confidence builder off-piste.