Ski touring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ski touring is a form of backcountry skiing (off-piste skiing) involving travelling over the winter landscape on skis under human power rather than through the use of ski lifts or snow vehicles. It can take place in terrain ranging from perfectly flat to extremely steep. In either case, unlike alpine skiing, the skier's heels must be free to allow a natural walking motion while ascending and traversing. Ski touring has parallels with hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering.
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[edit] Requirements and reasons for ski touring
Ski touring requires cardiovascular fitness, mental toughness, and a firm understanding of mountain craft. Touring involves navigating and route finding through potential avalanche terrain, and often requires familiarity with meteorology along with skiing skills. For advocates who possess the skills to safely enter the backcountry in the winter, the rewards of touring can be exceptional. Ski tourers can access mountain ranges and experience solitude, even in areas that would typically be quite crowded in the summer. Competent ski tourers also get to experience the self reliance that few others ever get to experience in the modern world. In many mountain areas, cell phones are worthless and the ski party must rely on self-rescue should something go awry.
Ski touring--or hiking for turns--is also popular with people looking for powder snow since these conditions do not last long after storms inside ski area boundaries due to intense competition. Spring touring can also access corn snow which some consider to be equal to powder snow. Corn snow forms when the snowpack freezes at night and then melts during the day. The tourer tries to descend just as the corn ripens or when about an inch of slushy snow melts on top of the firmly frozen snowpack. Whether a tourer is looking for winter powder or spring corn, the emphasis is on being self reliant in the mountains and skiing wild snow.
The greater surface area of a ski prevents "postholing" which renders hiking in snow very energetic, slow & inefficient. While snowshoes can also address the hiker's tendency to sink in snow, the fit ski tourer can cover far longer distances because the downhill sections are skied much faster than they could be hiked or snowshoed. Even flat sections are rendered more efficient by the ski's ability to glide, extending the tourer's stride.
Ski touring can also be faster and easier than summer hiking in some terrain and some conditions (like on talus slopes, for instance), allowing for traverses and ascents that in some ways would be harder in the summer. In this way, skis can ameliorate access to backcountry alpine climbing routes during the spring & early summer when snow is off the technical route, but still covers the hiking trail.
[edit] Techniques for ski touring
Going uphill or across a flat also requires grip, so that the ski will glide forward but not slide backwards when weighted. Dedicated cross-country touring skis may have a fish-scale pattern engraved into the base of the ski to enable the ski to grip, but other types of ski require the use of sticky wax or climbing skins. Skins are removable pieces of plush fabric whose nap runs at an oblique angle, allowing the ski to glide forward, but not back. If the snow is particularly icy or the skin track very steep, then the ski tourer may choose to attach ski crampons, sometimes called Harscheisen (German), couteau (French), or ramponi (Italian).
As the slope angles increase, the climbing ski-tourer will make switchbacks, using so-called "kick turns" to change direction, typically resulting in a line that climbs at a moderate angle of 20-30 degrees. Skin tracks can be seen as zig-zags heading up a snowy mountain. Ski-tourers try to maintain the "up-tracks" in avalanche-safe zones as they head up the mountain, staying out from under dangerous cornices or slide paths. Setting a proper and safe skin track requires a great deal of skill and avalanche knowledge as the tourer spends most of their time climbing. Traveling quickly up the hill is important for safety as well. Thus physical fitness is one of the most important elements of safe mountain travel in potential avalanche terrain.
On reaching the summit or other intermediate destination, skins (if used) are removed and the skiers prepare to descend. In traditional cross-country skiing equipment and more robust telemark equipment, the skier's heel is also free on the descent, while AT skiers lock down their heels for the descent in typical alpine skiing style.
Ski touring requires the ability to ski off-piste, good navigation skills, and good awareness of the risks of the mountain environment in winter. In particular it requires the knowledge to assess and test snow conditions to minimise the risk of avalanche. Avalanche rescue equipment including radio transceiver, probe and shovel should be carried, and the ability to use them quickly and efficiently is required.
Additionally, ski mountaineering implies climbing a mountain with the intent of skiing it, preferably from the summit and down an elegant "line." Ski mountaineering blurs the line between mountaineering and skiing as advocates typically choose peaks that are both worthy climbs and challenging descents. Ski mountaineering may require kicking in steps up steep sections while carrying the skis on a backpack. Ski mountaineers may also use ropes, ice axes and crampons for ascending slopes too steep for skinning or kicking steps. In some areas, ski mountaineering involves glacier travel, a whole subject unto itself. When skiing on glaciers it is wise for the party to wear harnesses, carry crevasse-rescue gear, and sometimes rope together to allow crevasse rescue techniques to be employed.
[edit] Equipment for ski touring
All ski touring equipment has the common ability to free the heel for level and uphill travel. However ski touring can be carried out using a variety of equipment. The choice of equipment is determined by the ski touring goals and to some degree, the other types of skiing the individual participates in. Generally speaking, steeper, more difficult terrain requires a more supportive, heavier equipment choice:
[edit] Nordic
Nordic ski touring is skiing with bindings that leave the heels relatively free all the time. Thus, Nordic skiers do not have to change back and forth between uphill and downhill modes, which can be advantageous in rolling terrain.
[edit] Traditional Nordic
At the lighter, simpler end of the scale, Nordic skis may be narrow and edgeless cross-country types for groomed trails or ideal snow conditions, used with boots that resemble soft shoes or low boots.
These traditional Nordic skis have a "double-cambered" construction with a "wax pocket" to hold sticky wax under the foot for grip going uphill. Slicker "glide wax" is applied to the base of the ski in front of and behind the foot, for glide. The idea is for the ski's base to stick to the snow when the skier weights the ski going uphill, but glide along smoothly when the skier is on the flat or going downhill.
The most popular versions of these skis have bases with a grip pattern molded into the base under the foot, in a "fish scale" pattern, which can be used without kick wax. These "no-wax" skis are not as fast as waxable skis, but are more convenient to use and can perform better when the snow is at or very near the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Either way, these traditional Nordic skis allow for very natural, seamless travel up and over mildly hilly terrain due to the lack of a need to change modes for ascending and descending.
The telemark turn was invented as a means of turning these lightweight skis with soft shoes that can't efficiently translate leg force to the ski.
[edit] Backcountry Nordic
There's also a mid-range solution. The backcountry Nordic ski is somewhat between traditional Nordic and Telemark. The ski's width at the tip can be anywhere from about 70 mm to around 90 mm, with the waist of the ski (the area underfoot) about 60 mm to 65 mm wide. Backcountry Nordic bindings designed for backcountry skiing are wider and more stout of construction, allowing more stability and better energy transfer between boot and ski. Many skiers use the 3-pin, 75 mm Nordic Norm or Telemark Norm boot/binding system for additional turning and speed control, even though it is somewhat slower than the newer NNN-BC (New Nordic Norm-Backcountry) binding "system." Backcountry Nordic boots are usually semi-rigid (usually the side is rigid), and the skis also have more carving "sidecut" similar to telemark/alpine skis, as well as metal edges. These features improve the skier's ability to turn and control their speed as slopes begin to get steeper.
[edit] Telemark
At the heavier end of the Nordic skiing equipment spectrum lie Telemark skis for steep backcountry terrain or ski-area use. These skis are similar to alpine skis and AT skis: heavier and wider than other Nordic skis with a smooth base and metal edges for carving turns in steeper terraine. Telemark gear, like AT equipment, is frequently used for ski touring because of the additional control the equipment provides on the descent. Like AT equipment, telemark equipment is heavier than other Nordic gear so the tourer is sacrificing the heavier weight on the uphill for ski ability on the descent.
Like all Nordic boots, telemark boots flex at the toe for more natural walking and striding, but they are heavier and more supportive than other forms of Nordic ski boots. Telemark boots conform to the 75 mm Nordic norm, which provides for a duckbill and the front of the boot with 3 holes on the bottom. The soft soles of telemark boots make kicking steps or front pointing with crampons difficult.
Traditional "3 pin" telemark bindings clamp the duckbill with the 3 holes in the boots aligned with 3 pins on the bindings to provide rotational rigidity. Most modern bindings have a spring loaded cable that attaches around the heel of the boot, and most do away with the 3 pins entirely, since they tend to eventually shear out. The cable improves control, but can squeeze the arch of the foot painfully, so many cable attachment systems include a provision for relaxing the cable for climbs.
Telemark binding springs have become progressively stiffer to add downhill control by holding the ski tight to the bottom of the boot, but this also adds undesirable heel lift resistance when hiking. This added resistance makes ascending & traversing less efficient, especially when breaking trail through deep snow. Recent telemark binding designs add AT style free toe pivot with the addition of a catch that is released for hiking then locked for downhill skiing.
Telemark boots have gradually increased in stiffness and height to improve control. The increased forces have led to increasing desirability of releasable telemark bindings. However, the design constraints of the 75 mm Nordic norm do not allow the boot to release from the binding effectively. Instead, this type of releaseable telemark bindings leaves part of the binding attached to the boot when release occurs. New Tele Norm [NTN] is an emerging solution to the releasability problem that employs a plastic tab molded into the sole of the boot. This tab engages in a special binding that offers step-in convenience and releasability.
However, due to the physics of the problem, it is very difficult to design consistent release into a telemark binding, so there is currently no DIN-certified releasable telemark binding available. The free heel of Telemark equipment appears to help prevent knee injuries common to alpine skiers or AT skiers even without releasable bindings <http://www.ski-injury.com/nordic.htm>, but non-releasing bindings still present a serious hazard in avalanches where attached equipment creates drag that increases the possibility of injury and deeper burial--not a problem in ski resorts, but a serious consideration in the backcountry.
[edit] Alpine
[edit] Alpine Touring (randonnée)
Alpine Touring (AT) or randonnée equipment is specifically designed for ski touring in steep terrain. A special Alpine touring binding is used that allows the heel to be clipped down for more support when skiing downhill, and allows it to be released to swing resistance-free from the toe when climbing. Like telemark gear, this equipment is popular with people from an alpine skiing background; but unlike telemarking, it requires no learning of a challenging new type of downhill turn.
Most AT bindings have DIN safety release as in an alpine binding. Since the AT boot heel is locked for descending, the rigidity of the boot sole allows for reliable release and adds strength to the binding. This means that the bindings can be lighter in weight since they do not have to address the difficult physics of always-free-heel telemark bindings that place intense levering and twisting force on the toe piece. Some heavier AT bindings are also available and popular with users who cross over ski area boundaries and bring resort-style skiing with them, including jumping and high speed skiing, often using a heavier, more stable ski.
Special ski boots are also used, something of a cross between a downhill ski boot and a hiking boot, which are light and flexible enough to be comfortable to walk up in while still being stiff enough to provide good control when skiing down. These boots have specialized soles for traction and the ability to hold a crampon when climbing steep slopes with the skis on one's back.
Like downhill skiing boots, most AT Boots have rigid soles, which is advantageous for climbing steep snow slopes with or without crampons. However, all supportable ski boots--tele, AT or alpine--are less than comfortable for hiking approaches over bare ground, so most skiers will carry their ski boots & use a lightweight hiking or trail-running shoe when approaches are dry & it is not possible to drive to the snow.
[edit] Alpine Modified
Alpine skiing equipment can be used for ski touring with the addition of a removable binding insert that allows for free heel swing on ascents. The advantage of this set up is maximum support and safety release at higher speeds, in more difficult snow conditions and on steeper slopes as well as no new ski equipment needs other than the insert (assuming one already has alpine ski gear and avalanche rescue equipment).
The major downside of this equipment arrangement is that it is very heavy, stiff and uncomfortable on uphills and long traverses. Also, the wide, deeply side-cut skis currently popular for resort skiing are optimized for downhill turning and are less effective than narrower (by today's standards), straight sided skis for "survival" techniques sometimes used by ski tourers to cope with steep, difficult or unskiable snow conditions, for instance: jump-turns of various flavors, side-slipping, traversing, snowplowing, uphill herringbone and side-stepping.
[edit] Snowboard
Snowboard touring is a variation of the activity in which a snowboard is used for the descents. To ascend, the snowboard tourer removes the board and uses snowshoes, stubby skis or a snowboard that can split in two pieces lengthwise (splitboard) to be used like skis with skins on the ascent. Of course, with snowshoes or stubby skis the snowboard must be carried whilst ascending adding to the weight carried. Whereas a split board is more akin to skis and must be converted before the descent by removing the skins and fixing the two halves together.
Snowboards are the tool of choice for some difficult snow conditions like breakable crust, spring slush or dense new snow. Many people also prefer them for powder. Unfortunately, travelling over flats and uphill is somewhat contrived and difficult, with transitions taking much longer than skiers.
[edit] Ski touring around the world
U.S.
Ski touring takes place anywhere there is snow in the U.S. In much of the country, this means skiing in low-angle terrain, often on snow-covered roads packed down by snowmobiles. Skiing along prepared tracks on golf courses or in city, county or state parks is generally referred to as cross-country skiing rather than ski touring; the difference is that the decision of where to ski is predetermined by the track setters.
In steeper terrain, U.S. ski touring is in large part driven by the desire for powder snow or spring corn snow. Peak ascents, traverses and other ski mountaineering considerations are generally secondary since logistics tend to be challenging. Mountain access typically takes place from high paved and plowed roads and passes (or from ski areas boundaries), so elevation gain and loss is moderate and horizontal distance travelled tends to be minimized. A typical tour may rise 1,000-3,000 feet over 3-5 miles, and skiers may "yo-yo" to make several runs on the best descent sections, increasing the elevation gain for the day. It is, however, possible to find much more striking vertical relief in places like the Pacific Rim volcanoes, i.e. Mt. Rainier, Mt. Shasta and in abrupt fault-block mountains like the High Sierras and the Tetons where up to 7,000 feet (2,100 m) of descent (and ascent) is possible for the truly energetic in some seasons.
The taste for backcountry powder skiing has caused several problems. First, in-area skiers crossing over to the backcountry for off-piste or lift-assisted ski touring without learning the additional skills of avalanche awareness, first aid. self-rescue and winter mountaineering frequently run into serious, media-grabbing problems as they slip under ski area ropelines. Second, the skiers come into conflict with ski area operators, who are understandably unwilling to accept liability for injuries and deaths in the backcountry outside the ski area's controlled terrain. Attempting to minimize this potential liability in the past, resort managers typically enacted blanket prohibitions on backcountry access via their boundaries. While skiers are entirely free to hike into these same areas from the parking lots, most U.S. backcountry skiers prefer to spend as much of their day as possible making downhill turns rather than slogging up long approaches. Since most ski areas are partially or entirely on public land, the issue failed to die and many ski areas are accommodating with open boundaries or backcountry gates as they receive support in the courts against claims resulting from backcountry accidents. In the interim period, many serious backcountry skiers gave up and moved on to Europe.
Due to the almost complete absence of public transportation in remote U.S. mountain areas, ski touring from point-to-point requires often lengthy and onerous car shuttles; a spectacular example is the 5 hour car shuttle required for the Sierra High Route: that's 5 hours there to drop a car, 5 hours back and 5 hours to return with the car at the end...15 hours of driving; therefore, most U.S. ski touring is out-and-back.
Most U.S. ski touring is also day touring, since the rarity of mountain huts means that skiers must carry all required camping gear, food and fuel for multi-day trips, rendering the actual skiing quite difficult on a multi-day traverse. However, "corn camps" are reasonably popular in the spring, with skiers packing in and setting up a base camp for several days of ski touring in the area during this period of warmer weather, stable snow and longer days. In the east, a skier can tour from Massachusetts to Canada on Vermont's 300+ mile Catamount Trail. The Catamount Trail is divided into 31 sections, each of which can be reasonably skied point-to-point in a day, using a car shuttle. There are also some sections that are routed to make overnight inn-to-inn trips possible.
Popular ski-touring areas in the U.S.:
- The "East Side"; California's High Sierra
- The Cottonwood Canyons; Salt Lake City, Utah
- Teton Pass; Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, Jackson, NH
Canada
With similarities to both Europe and the U.S., ski touring in Canada is also possible using remote lodges for basecamp staging. Accessing and stocking the lodge by helicopter or snowcat, ski tourers then make day-trips into the surrounding area, with or without the services of a mountain guide who may own the lodge.
Popular ski-touring areas in Canada:
- Roger's Pass; British Columbia
- Wapta Traverse; Alberta - British Columbia (Banff and Yoho national parks)
- Icefall Lodge; British Columbia
- Revelstoke; British Columbia
Europe
The European Alps are a Mecca for ski touring with an elaborate and interconnected ski lift system for high mountain access, open ski area boundaries and excellent public transportation within and between mountain valleys.
The extreme elevation gain of the Alps--over 12,000 vertical feet in Chamonix, for example--leads to a long season, glaciers and dramatic descents. This challenging alpine environment favors the greater stability of spring snow and many routes are dangerously not in condition until then.
Point-to-point ski tours are facilitated by a system of manned alpine huts that provide food, heat and shelter, eliminating the need for carrying massive packs of camping gear and enabling skiers to go high and stay high over long distances rather than having to drop way down into a valley at night. Many point-to-point, multi-day Alpine ski tours have become popular and famous, the best known undoubtedly being the spectacular Haute Route. Examples of other tours of this type in the Alps include the Berner Oberland, Western Bernese Alps, Monte Rosa (Spaghetti Tour) Circuit and Tour Soleil.
Ski touring from point-to-point, skiers must deal with many aspects and elevations. This means that the snow conditions and terrain will likely be highly variable and ski mountaineering techniques like climbing with ice-ax, rope and crampons, mountain navigation, minimizing gear weight, preparing for crevasse-rescue and covering longer distances will be required. These increased demands favor Alpine Touring equipment and also create a real need for professional mountain guiding services that are less necessary for the ski touring goals, conditions and terrain typically encountered in the U.S.
Popular ski-touring areas in the Alps:
- Chamonix, France
- La Grave, France
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Davos/Klosters, Switzerland
- Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route
Italy's Apennine mountains
Ski touring is also popular in the Apennine mountains of Italy, especially on the high plateau of Campo Imperatore, called Italy's "Little Tibet", and the adjacent mountains of the Gran Sasso massif. Campo Imperatore and the Gran Sasso comprise one of Europe's southernmost ski touring areas, lying just 100 km due east of Rome.
Australia
Ski touring is popular in the Victorian and New South Wales alps, with the season running from late June to October. New South Wales, in particular, has extensive rolling snow country in Koscuiszko National Park which is well suited to this activity. Most of this park is designated wilderness, and skiers require snow camping skills to access much of it. The Victorian alps are somewhat more broken than those of New South Wales, often with deep snowless valleys between the ski fields. However, excellent ski touring opportunities are found at places such as Mount Bogong. Mt Feathertop and Falls Creek.
