On their way up the mountain, cross-country skiers can adapt the alternating pitch by accelerating the pace if the skis have a good grip on the snow and the slope isn’t too steep. When the slope becomes too steep for the skis to remain parallel, the ascent is made using the scissor method. The skis are spread out in a V shape, the angle depending on the slope, the inner edges of the skis provide the grip on the snow. A well-executed scissor climb leaves fishbone-like tracks in the snow.