Alpine Touring: Ski the Back Country

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:30:00 -0800

Ski touring, is also referred to as ski mountaineering, ski randonnée, and alpine touring (or AT). It's a form of backcountry skiing (off-piste skiing) involving trekking from place to place in the wilderness, that has parallels with hiking, backpacking and Alpine climbing or mountaineering.

You have skis that are similar to regular downhill skis, but the heels can detach, kind of like telemark skiing. So you can actually hike around on your skis, climbing up a mountain, and then you can ski down.

The way it works is you attach skins to your skis, that help you ascend up the hill. They're straps that have little hairs on them, that create traction so you can climb up the slope on your skis and not slip down.

Once you get to the top, you take off the skins, click your heels back into the bindings, and then ski back down the mountain.

Alpine Touring is for the serious outdoors-woman, who wants to enjoy more freedom on her skis. You've got to be tough to AT, but you can go wherever you want.

Fit's Tips: When you're going into the back country, you never want to go alone. If you're new to alpine touring, contact your local outdoors group or club to find out about guided ski tours.

Skiing Defined

FitSugar — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 04:04:17 -0800

There are tons of ways to get from the top of a snowy mountain to the bottom. Here are all of the different types of skiing so you can get them straight, and know which one might be right for your personality.

Alpine or Downhill skiing: This requires you to take a chairlift to the top of the mountain, and then you ski down. This type of skiing has your foot inside a tight boot, that's completely binded to your ski - gravity and the slippery snow allow you to go super fast. Can get expensive with all the equipment and having to buy lift tickets or a season's pass.

Cross-Country skiing/Nordic skiing: This is much more physically demanding because you're doing all the work. You don't need a chairlift because you're mostly using trails in the woods, and it's cheaper too because you don't have to buy lift tickets. The boot is soft, and your heel is not attached to the ski. The skis are lightweight, and thinner than downhill skis.

To find out the rest, read more

Telemark Skiing: This type of skiing is sort of a combination of the first two. You're going downhill, but your heel is free. You're able to bend your knees, and move more fluidly, kind of like jogging. It's focused around the Telemark turn, which allows you great control.

Alpine Touring/Randonnée: It's pretty much the same as regular alpine skiing. But the heels of the bindings release, and you can attach straps to your skis called skins, so you can hike up a mountain. Then your heels can click back in so you can ski down the mountain. It's for hardcore skiers who like to hike to where they want to ski.

Heliskiing: Just alpine skiing, but instead of taking a chairlift, a helicopter brings you to the top of very tall mountains.

All are different from each other, but now you can figure out which one is right for you.