About Backcountry Ski Equipment

The backcountry entices advanced skiers with the promise of untracked powder, solitude and freedom. Although the "great white open" is tempting, it is potentially dangerous and exhausting. Powder-skiing skills, strength and aerobic endurance, knowledge of safety measures and proper backcountry ski equipment will enhance the experience. Avalanche gear, which is crucial for backcountry skiing, is required for safety.

History

Chairlifts and snow-grooming machines are early 20th century inventions. Before them, skiing was predominately a form of transportation, not a recreational or competitive sport. Olaus Magnus, a Norwegian, wrote the earliest and lengthiest known description of climbing skins and skis. His 1555 work titled "Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus" describes the skis as pieces of wood that are "bent like a bow" and covered with fawn skin.
Skis also played an essential role in the California and Colorado gold rush. The Breckenridge miners of the 1850s had two forms of equipment; snowshoes and Indian Feet. The snowshoes resembled what we now call skis, and the Indian Feet look like modern snowshoes. The miners climbed up the mountains in their Indian Feet and used their snowshoes to descend the slopes.

Time Frame

Ski historians often refer to the early 1900s as the golden age of ski mountaineering. They credit Sir Arnold Lunn, a mountaineer and prolific British writer, with the development of the sport. Lunn defined ski mountaineering in his 1927 book "A Century of Mountaineering: 1857-1957." He believed that ski mountaineers were pioneers and explorers who were not content to follow traditional routes. Ski mountaineering played an essential role during World War II, when America's 10th Mountain Division fought in Italy's mountains. Many former troop members opened American ski resorts when they returned form the war. When skiing became more commercialized, purists, longing to get back to basics, returned to the backcountry. Ski manufacturers began to manufacture equipment to suit their needs.

Function

Manufacturers design backcountry skis to get you up the hill, down the hill and handle deep powder snow. The skis are wider, with waists measuring at least 95 mm. Their width provides greater flotation in powder. For climbing, backcountry skiers follow either of two traditions. Some use skins. While the ancient Norwegians inspired this traction-creating method, modern manufacturers make "Bambi-friendly" skins from synthetic materials. Other skiers prefer hiking uphill in snowshoes while carrying their skis in a backpack. Some backcountry ski poles are adjustable. This enables skiers to shorten their poles and place them in their backpack for the uphill climb.

Types

There are two types of backcountry skis. Telemark skis leave the heel free to move at all times. Alpine touring, also called randonee or AT skis, have bindings that enable the skier to ascend the slopes with a free heel and descend with their heels locked into the bindings. Although touring boots are usually lighter and more flexible than traditional alpine boots, most skiers need to compromise. The lighter, flexible boots are more efficient on the uphill climb, but they only provide minimal support during downhill turns. These boots are suited to people whose ski skills surpass their level of aerobic endurance. The stiffer, heavier alpine touring boots challenge your strength and endurance during the climb but provide greater support while skiing. Choose this type of boot if you are in excellent aerobic condition but need greater support during your turns.

Warning

Even the best backcountry ski equipment becomes useless during an avalanche. Never ski off-piste without an avalanche transceiver, an avalanche probe, an inclinometer and a shovel. Some specialized backcountry ski poles screw together to create a probe. Make sure all of the transceivers in your group are turned on and compatible with each other. An inclinometer measures slope angle. Most avalanches release on 30 to 45 degree slopes. Practice slope angle measurement before your backcountry ski trip.