Ski Touring

Ski Touring is similar to ski mountaineering in that it combines the skills of skiing and mountaineering for an enjoyable skiing experience.  With the use of specialized ski equipment, skiers climb the slopes sans ski lifts.

Ski Touring is definitely not for beginners.  It is, at the very least, skiing off the marked trails, so one should be a fairly experienced and skilled skier.  You should also have excellent navigation skills, the knowledge to make a good assessment of snow conditions, and snow survival skills.  These skills will come in handy, first, to enable you to avoid an avalanche, and second, to enable you to survive an avalanche, if you are ever caught in one.

The skis used for this skiing discipline usually come with skins attached to the skis’ bases, as well as a binding with freeheel.  The skin works to prevent skidding so that the skier can move forward more efficiently.  The skin is usually has for its material Nylon, Mohair, or a combination of the two.  The bindings, meanwhile, enable the skier to “walk” in the slow.  Because of these equipment, one can make an ascent up slopes with 25 degrees or lower.  If you want to climb slopes that are angled to up to 35 degrees, you can use conversion-linked traverses.  For still steeper slopes, it is best to use ski mountaineering instead, that is, to strap your ski onto your backpack and do the climbing by foot.  The ski itself should be made of strong yet light material.

For climbing by foot, one should use what is called as ski crampons.  These are attached to either the ski or the binding and have a saw tooth pattern. Usually made of aluminum or sheet steel, it works by holding on firmly to the slope, so that the skier can climb higher.

There are times when a skier has to climb a glacier to get to the objective.  For cases such as this, the skiers use their rope and harnesses to climb.  Being roped together will help you and your group to deploy crevasse rescue techniques when these are necessary.  Of course, this is an activity that is fraught with dangers – falling from great heights, getting covered up by an avalanche or taking a tumble because of a falling crevasse.

As for other equipment, you should not forget to bring with you equipment that will help you survive an avalanche and help search committees find you as quickly as they can.  Your kit should include a probe, a snow shovel and an avalanche transceiver.  Bringing a cell phone with you is also a good idea, although you may not be able to get a signal in some parts.