Ski touring: the encounter with the mountain

If alpine skiers are all about having fun in the crowd on groomed slopes, ski hikers are all about enjoying seclusion, experiencing the deep tranquility of the mountain environment, detachment from civilization and the powerful aura of the mountain, and discovering unique slopes that are all your own.

by Rolf Fleckenstein

Ski touring is about something completely different than sliding down the snow in a crowd of people and having a product under your feet to make this mass fun. Ski touring is about a sensual experience with the mountain, whether in a group or alone, whether in short excursions or multi-day tours. Accordingly, other needs are also addressed to the skis. The combination of lightness and good glide in powder with the best possible lift are essential points here. In addition, one is exposed to the snow world relatively unprotected and it holds correspondingly greater dangers. Therefore, good protection is a must for every tour in the snow desert.

The freedom that liberates
Where transport facilities end or have even been dismantled, there is still mountain and slope. For the piste skier, this is the end, but for the touring skier it is still a long way off. Like the off-road driver who explores nature with his jeep or SUV on sand, gravel, grass and forest soil, crosses the desert and conquers unknown heights, the touring skier gets into undeveloped skiing terrain and into an almost mystical, untouched mountain world that enchants him. Here the energy-sapping ascent is half the fun, here there is no hectic, but only the experience of one's own strength, the tranquility of the mountain world and the inner anticipation of the waiting descent through untouched deep snow. Discovering this freedom is liberating.

No piste skier can come close to this high alpine experience, this is reserved for touring skiers and it is precisely this attraction, this fascination in an increasingly migratory and overpopulated world to get out - even if only for a few hours or days - that is driving more and more people to this passion.

Short climbs, long tours and vice versa
Not every touring enthusiast has the same inclination. Just as with piste skiers, there are different tastes. That's why there are also very different tour offers starting with the small Sunday afternoon excursion to the one-day tour to the multi-day tour with overnight stays in huts and the extremists who cross entire mountain ranges at 4,000 m altitude.

Ski touring race
Of course, there are also experienced runners in this area who want to compete in the sport. As a layman, one is amazed at how numerous the events in this area are. On 14.12.2013, this season started with two of three planned events: The Nightrace 777 in Leukerbad was unfortunately canceled, but the Trophée Verbier Sport Plus in Verbier and the NightAttack in Flumserberg, which struggles with too many participants, were held. Probably one of the best-known races is the Patrouille des Glaciers (www.pdg.ch)), an international military ski touring race run by the Swiss Army in which civilian patrols are also allowed to participate. The competition route leads from Zermatt to Verbier or from Arolla to Verbier and has to be completed in a single stage.

Dangers
However, all touring riders have one thing in common, namely the fact that one is relatively unprotected and exposed to nature and its dangers. Especially the ignorance of the area holds dangers, the overestimation of one's own strength, the fact that one is sometimes cut off from civilization for kilometers and has to wait a long time until help arrives, and the danger of unexpectedly getting caught in an avalanche. That's why it's a good idea to think about possible emergency and rescue scenarios before the tour, to hire a knowledgeable guide and to carry good avalanche protection equipment, whether it's an airbag, shovel or probe. No one likes to think about such emergencies, but if such an event occurs, you are glad that you thought about it beforehand and took precautions.

Different touring skis for different purposes
Each manufacturer offers a different range and tailors its range to the needs of different target groups and purposes. Touring skis for freeriders who only want to take on short ascents and then have long deep snow fun, accept a certain weight, but the advantage of surfing well in deep snow with a wide base. Those who want to perform longer ascents and tours will opt for a lighter model, because over long distances, every unnecessary gram more feels like tens of kilos in the end and for athletes, the weight and performance factor is clearly decisive, here it's not about fun, rest or mountain experience, but about results. Explore the offers of the numerous brands carefully, it is amazing how striking the differences are. Below we show individual pallets from three high-quality brands.

You can find the article in the issue Sportguide Winter 05/2013
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