Mogul Skiing - Moguls

Moguls

Moguls are a series of bumps on a trail formed when skiers push the snow into mounds or piles. This tends to happen naturally as skiers use the slope. They can also be constructed (seeded) on a slope for freestyle skiing competitions or practice runs.

Once formed, a naturally occurring mogul tends to grow as skiers follow similar paths around it, further deepening the surrounding grooves known as troughs. Since skiing tends to be a series of linked turns, moguls form together to create a bump field. At most ski resorts certain pistes (trails) are groomed infrequently or left completely ungroomed to allow moguls to develop. These mogul trails are generally relatively steep.

Some trails cannot be groomed because they are too steep, too narrow, or they have obstacles that cannot be overcome by a snowcat. Such trails often form moguls. Mogul trails that can be groomed are usually groomed when the moguls get so big and the troughs so deep that the moguls become difficult to ski on or around. Some mogul fields are also groomed when they become too icy or too hardened to ski safely and enjoyably. Many times a section of a trail will be left ungroomed and allowed to bump up to prevent skiers from gaining too much speed and getting out of control.