skis

They're the foundation of our sport, allowing randonnée skiers to travel over deep and light snow with remarkable efficiency while enjoying a unique form of descent when the climbing is done. For ski touring, a ski's desired attributes differ slightly from alpine skiing. Speeds are generally lower, snow conditions highly variable, and solid icy conditions are relatively rare. Though good alpine skis can and often are mounted for touring with randonnée and telemark bindings, ascending on skis and dealing with the vagueries of ungroomed snow puts a premium on characteristics that aren't always so important at the ski area.

Weight is important. Experienced ski tourists will often forego some measure of downhill performance in favor of light, short and relatively narrow skis that require less of an energy expenditure while skinning and climbing. Even resiliant twenty-somethings who can run a sub-3:00 marathon should pay heed, and usually do - it's often the super-fit crowd leading the way with the light-is-right gear, making it even harder for the rest of us to keep up with them.

A ski's ability to excel in conditions seldom found in lift-served skiing, such breakable crusts, re-frozen avalanche debris, and moisture saturated mank can mean the difference between having the time of your life and being totally miserable or seriously injured. Often there is a fine line between choosing a ski that is wide enough to comfortably handle all the conditions you expect to encounter in the backcountry and light enough to tour on all day. Figuring out what you can get away with in terms of width requires finding a balance between float and weight, with your skiing ability factored in as well.

As technology improves and skis' weight-to-width ratio goes down, randonnée skiers are increasingly drawn to skis in the 90mm to 100mm waist width range for winter touring. One excellent choice in this class is K2's Coomback , a rockered 100mm offering that excels in adverse snow conditions. Perhaps the most popular winter touring ski among experienced west coast skiers, including many of my friends, is Dynafit's Manaslu , a great soft snow ski with a 95mm waist that's lighter than many of its narrower peers. The Manaslu (and several other skis in Dynafit's line) now come with threaded nylon inserts which fit only Dynafit bindings. Some might consider this a drawback, but it's really the only appropriate choice.

Dynafit's Mustagh Ata Superlight is another ski that I've added to my personal quiver; with an 86mm waist in a 169 length (88 in larger sizes) it has enough surface area to handle funky spring and summer "surprises" but is still super light on the ascent. Another top contender in this class is the Movement Logic X-Series which tames crud with a relatively wide 88mm waist yet weighs only 1,100 grams per ski in a 176.

For spring and summer tours, when deep fresh snow is less likely, many people use super-light and much narrower skis, usually in a shorter length. Although you give up some performance in new and difficult snow, the energy saved by having less weight on your feet (or your pack, if carrying them) makes long trips much more enjoyable. Some top contenders in this category are the Dynafit Broad Peak and the Movement Random X-Series. Even super-light randonnée race skis, such as the Dynastar Pierra Menta Pro Carbon , can be suitable for such use, depending on your level of comfort descending on ultra-light gear.

Skis with waists over 100-105mm, which work admirably for powder and heavy crud descents, are becoming increasingly popular for touring, particularly by "crossover" skiers coming from an alpine background. K2's Sidestash , with it's 108mm waist, is a great fresh snow performer which, when mounted with a stout binding, could serve as a lift-served ski as well as a "heavy" touring rig. For a lighter "wide" alternative, check out the Dynafit Stoke , Greg Hill's signature powder ride, or the new La Sportiva Hi-5.

So how are you supposed to choose from the plethora of available choices? Perhaps the worst reason to buy a particular ski is because a certain pro you admire or the best skier on the mountain is using it - you aren't them. Slightly more meaningful might be online reviews on ski forums, especially if the poster has a history of making useful suggestions and is adept at analyzing and describing ski performance. Even better is positive feedback from people you ski with or can at least watch ski. The best, of course, is to demo the exact model and length you are interested in over a reasonable period of time and in a variety of snow conditions. Find a shop that is strong in backcountry gear and see what they have available as demos or rentals; the money you spend usually will be applied to a purchase. Keep an eye out for backcountry ski events with industry attendees - these often have demos available as well. And don't limit your choices to skis you see on websites like this one - the skis I picture here are skis that I or people I know have skied and like, or ones that people whose opinions I value have spoken positively about; there are many more great skis out there. In addition, there are a number of companies who have excellent touring lines but little to no distribution in the US - these include well-known brands like Atomic, Stöcki, Hagan, Trab and Dynastar. Look around, and don't be afraid to shop online.

A Note on Rocker: What's rocker? Basically, it's a bend or upward curvature (away from the snow) in the tip or tail of the ski that begins closer to the ski mid-point than in traditionally contoured skis. In the past, skis had camber (when you put them together, base to base, with the tips and tails touching, there was a gap between them in the middle) and the tip began its upward curve approximately 15-17 centimeters from the end of the ski. The camber was intended to allow an even distribution of weight along the length of the ski when the right sized person stood on them. As skis began to get wider, then wider still, people found it increasingly difficult to turn them quickly with this conventional profile but manufacturers discovered that bending the tips (and tails) upward closer to the center of the ski, as well as leaving out the camber, mitigated the problem. Rocker was born, and fat skis became the norm. There are now myriad combinations of tip/tail, tip only, and "early rise" with or without camber available, and some degree of rocker has filtered down to many popular touring skis (K2 employs tip rocker on every touring ski in its line). A bit of tip rocker or early rise can have a surprisingly positive effect on a ski's performance in difficult fresh snow, so its widespread adoption is sure to continue. It's also safe to say that incorporating rocker usually has a deleterious effect on hard snow edgehold, so a heavily rockered wide ski may not be your best choice for a "quiver of one" if groomed or icy skiing is in your future. If in doubt, try to demo.

Whatever your choice in skis, most experienced backcountry skiers try to match their ski-boot-binding choices in terms of "burliness" - it makes sense to team a light ski with a Tech binding and a light boot like the Dynafit TLT 5 Performance. A beefy powder setup, with a 100mm or more waisted ski, will warrant a powerful boot like the Dynafit Titan or Scarpa Mobe and a heavier binding like the Fritschi Freeride Pro or Marker Duke/Baron. Be forewarned that setups at the light end of the spectrum require a centered stance and advanced skiing skills on anything other than smooth corn, while skis on the heavy and wide end (waists over 115mm, with tip and tail rocker) can be tiring while skinning and a handful on tenuous traverses. Twin-tips, in general, should be avoided for touring - they make securing skins at the tail a challenge, and are a liability when booting with a ski in each hand and trying to use the planted ski for extra security.

Many people have several touring "setups" and choose their gear depending on their intended destination and anticipated snow conditions. An expensive solution, perhaps, but think of all the money you're saving by not buying lift tickets . . .

A Note on Skin Compatibility: Even though all of the above skis except for the Pierra Menta Pro Carbon and Logic X have fittings meant to accept a particular model of skin, you can always find another way to attach them at tips and tails. The Black Diamond tip loop/elastomer tail, for instance, will work with any of these skis, even if it's not quite as elegant as the factory fittings. Keep this in mind if you already have skins you'd like to re-use, or prefer another type of skin than what the factory offers. For those who have had problems with the first generation pre-cut K2 skins (grey plush), they are using another source for the 2011-2012 model year (green).

© 2012 Gregory C. Louie