Backcountry skis are specially designed equipment for skiing off groomed slopes, as opposed to in the front country, at a resort or on-piste. To ski in the backcountry, skiers must "skin," meaning hike on skis, up a slope and then ski down. For this reason, backcountry ski design accommodates both ascents and descents in the backcountry, and ski bindings adapt to uphill and downhill travel.
Considerations
According to the University of Utah, backcountry skiing is defined as "the sport (and art) of skiing in places and terrain that have not been altered by people, and away from snow that has been groomed for skiing." As a result, backcountry skis must be wide enough to float over the deep powder that accumulates in ungroomed wilderness. Paul Richins of the Backcountry Resource Center notes that the shorter, wider skits are opening "new and steeper terrain." Flotation, he notes, is largely a product of ski width, so backcountry skis are much wider (particularly at the waist) than their front-country counterparts.
Camber
Backcountry skis may be single or double camber, according to the University of Utah. Camber refers to the bow in the ski, where double camber skis are more bowed and better for touring over mixed uphill and downhill terrain. Single camber skis are specialized for downhill travel and turning. The university notes that overland touring skis, a subcategory of double cambered backcountry skis, are particularly well-suited to rolling terrain travel.
Telemark
Some backcountry skis fall into the subcategory of telemark skis, which the University of Utah describes as "usually single cambered and designed to ski downhill using the telemark turn." This technique involves dropping the uphill knee to turn, and necessitates a telemark-specific binding, which leaves the heel free.
Alpine Touring
A further subcategory of backcountry skis is alpine touring, or AT. These skis, according to the University of Utah, are generally quite short, wide and light. They are designed to produce tight turns and are used on steep and difficult terrain. Their width also makes them appropriate to deeper powder than would be skiable with a telemark setup.
Skins
A special characteristic of backcountry skis is that they have a hole in the tip and a notch in the tail for attaching climbing skins. Telemark Ski, an online ski shop and source of information about backcountry skiing, describes skins as "composed of thousands of little synthetic nylon 'hairs' all laying down in one direction (angled toward the back of your ski to propel you forward)." The purpose of skins, which attach to the bottom surface of the ski for uphill travel, is to allow the ski to slide freely over snow in the forward (uphill) direction but prevent backsliding. This makes uphill travel easier and much faster than hiking through deep powder.
Warning
Since backcountry skiing takes place away from groomed and maintained slopes, there are several inherent dangers in the sport, notes the University of Utah. In particular, avalanches are a potential risk of backcountry winter activities, including skiing. The university recommends taking a class on avalanche safety, carrying safety gear and always skiing in pairs.
Member Comments