Why stick to designated pistes when you can experience a wonderful cross-country nature experience? An increasing number of skiers are thinking exactly that and choosing to head off the beaten track on their ski tours. Here are the most important items of ski touring equipment you should have if you want to be safe on your ski tour.
The following list is intended as a basic guide, which can be individually adapted to suit your ski tour.
Clothing for ski touring
- Ski touring trousers
- Ski touring jackets
- Ski touring gloves
- Fleece jacket
- Ski touring base layer
- Sport socks
- Beanie, Scarve or Neck warmer
- Hardshell jacket
- Ski goggles / sunglasses
- Gaiters
Ski touring equipment
Avalanche equipment
When ski touring, you should also always have
- If
If you are staying overnight in a hut
If there’s space left in your backpack
If you want to ski away from managed pistes, and enjoy the freedom of being able to ski as you please, you sacrifice the safety of a maintained piste and subject yourself to the risks of a wild winter landscape with weather changes and avalanches. Therefore, anyone going on a ski tour should be well aware of the weather in the mountains, avalanche safety and avalanche rescue. Mastering Werner Munter’s reduction method for making quick decisions on the spot is certainly a good start if you want to be prepared. And, of course, never head out alone when going into dangerous or unknown terrain.
The list given here is for one-day ski tours, possibly combined with an overnight stay in a hut. If you plan to spend the night outside under the stars, you will need much more equipment.
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