No lifts, no pistes, just you, the mountains and a pair of skis – ski touring is one of the purest ways to enjoy the peaks. For some, touring is a means of travel for others a route to skiing some of the gnarliest descents. But whoever you are read this guide to buying the best ski touring skis before making a purchase.
What is ski touring?
Ski touring is about getting away from the crowds and experiencing open skis and untouched terrain away from the pistes. Using skins you can walk uphill to find your own descents. Whether you are skiing in Austria, Australia, Andorra, Argentina or Antarctica having the option to go uphill opens up a world of opportunities
Although you need to be able to handle yourself on the mountain, you don’t need to be an expert skier or an experienced freerider to start touring. However, a pair of skis specifically designed with touring in mind will make the whole experience easier and far more enjoyable.
What to look for in touring skis
When buying the best ski touring skis you should be looking for something that is lightweight enough to make carrying them uphill easy. Conversely they need to be strong enough to withstand off-piste descents and nimble enough to allow for tight turns. Plus of course they should be wide enough to give float in powder.
They tend to be broader, softer, shorter and lighter than downhill skis and may include a hole at the tip or notches at the tip and tail for securing skins (furry bits of material that simply stick onto the underside of your skis and allow you to slide uphill on your skis, without slipping back down again).
Other touring gear
Ski touring skis need to be mounted with specialist touring bindings with hinged heels. These are a bit like telemark bindings but they can be clipped down for descents.
Unlike telemarking, your normal ski boots will fit into most touring bindings. But, for real enthusiasts, specialised touring boots are available and include different settings for walking uphill and skiing downhill.
As with non-touring skis, the ‘best’ pair will be the ones that suit your own personal style of skiing and match your experience. Of course they also need to fit well and you should consider how you plan to divide your time between touring and resort skiing.
Buying the best ski touring skis
In theory, you don’t need specialist ski touring skis, as many styles of ski can be adapted by fitting touring bindings and sticking on a pair of skins. However, these are what we consider to be the top 7 touring skis for the 2012 season by three top brands.
Scott
Scott do a good range of ski touring skis, with the CRUS’AIR one of the best. Light and strong, these skis are great for day-touring, freeride and resort skiing, and include cutaways to reduce weight and fix skins. The SCOTT NEO AVERSION, however, is a better choice for more aggressive skiers and the SCOTT ROSA is specifically designed for women.
Atomic
Atomic also have a good selection. The FREETRACK is a manoeuvrable, all-round touring ski, best for beginner to advance tourers. While the ATOMIC CLIMBER gives a little more floatation and the TOUR BALANZE is best for females.
Rossignol
Rossignol have an excellent track-record in touring skis, as well as a reputation for pioneering technology in ski-touring. New for 2012, their BC125 POSITRACK skis incorporate waxless bases that can grip the snow for uphills, without the need for skins! We’d like to see this in action.
