| This is any skiing away from prepared pistes or trails. It may involve climbing passes or peaks and skiing down as part of a trip. This may be a single or multi-day outing. The ski equipment depends on the terrain skied and the aim of the trip. Clothing for safety in remote mountain situations is needed.
There are two types of free-heel mountain touring:
Nordic mountain or hut-to-hut touring
Comprises a journey over rolling mountains, typically Norwegian or Cairngorms. It emphasizes travelling and coping with variable snow conditions beyond the trails as opposed to skiing the very steepest slopes (although these are available!) It uses the techniques from track and skating as well as downhill turns.
There are wonderful trips even for snow-ploughers as long as they have learnt the travelling techniques. Metal-edged Nordic skis stronger bindings and substantial leather boots are needed. Nordic camber skis allow fast travel but need more skill to turn. Ski sticks are still long as they are used for propulsion. Ascents are made using waxes or skins.
Alpine mountain touring
Alpine mountains are more steeply up and down in character and the snow will generally be much deeper / difficult than in Norway. There may be crevasses on some routes.
Modern, shorter, wider and shaped telemark skis (carving), stronger bindings and high plastic boots are needed for flotation and control. A good standard of freeheel dowhhill and practice in off-piste skiing techniques, gained in a ski area, are a must before alpine tours are undertaken. Avalanche transceivers and the ability to use them are necessary.
You might hear people talk of 'ski-mountaineering'. This is exactly the same, touring in an 'alpine' environment. Many skiers do this type of touring on alpine touring equipment – this is a system which allows you to walk up hills by releasing the heel of the binding plate (being fixed at the front on a hinge) and is then clipped down for any descents to become exactly like an alpine / downhill set-up. As such this activity is a part of the 'Downhill skiing family' as opposed to the 'Free-heel family' (remember the definitions at the start of the article). So the activity and the environment is the same but the equipment is different and the 'alpine ski mountaineers' cannot telemark!
• Nordic skiing or Track skiing, XC, cross-country skiing, langlauf, skating, biathalon – read more >
• Telemark skiing or telemarking free-heel downhill – read more >
Article ends.
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