Choose your terrain carefully! Pick a quiet area and make sure that the slope is very short and very gentle.

The herringbone (Duck walk)

This climbing method is trickier than Sidestepping and it only works on relatively flat slopes--but it gets you to your destination quicker.

On a flat area, spread the tips of your skis far apart while keeping the tails together--think duck here--and proceed to "walk" forward.

• Tails of your skis getting tangled? The trick is to step wide enough and make sure you lift one ski high enough to clear the other. It is a bit awkward, but don't feel silly--we all do it like this.

Once you feel comfortable on the flats, proceed to a very slight incline and walk up the hill.

• If you add some energy to your duck walk, and glide a little between strides, it becomes a skating maneuver--a fast and useful way to propel yourself over flat terrain and up modest slopes.