Is is “Alpine Ski Touring”, “Backcountry Skiing” or “Side Country Skiing”?
Many skiers are confused about these terms in the year 2013! Here we are with according to Ski Industries of America estimates of 3.7 skiers skiing on wide alpine skis and using them like they are cross country skis! Is the world going mad? And what do all these terms mean? We should go back to where this type of skiing all started: Europe. In the alpine countries such as France, Switzerland and Austria people could not ski the steep mountainous slopes like those skiers that ski in Norway where there are vast plains of snow.
In the Alps of the late 1800’s, they developed a different method of skiing using wider skis and higher stiffer boots. The Norwegian countries did develop Telemarking skiing that could be used on steeper slopes, of course, but with time people found that parallel technique was easier on harder and steeper slopes as was found in the Alps.
The term “Ski Randonnee” is a French phase that literally means to “walk about on skis”. This comes from the French word “randonnee” that means to “walk about”. The phrase is sometimes used to describe what the English and Americans call Alpine Ski Touring. In America, we have shorten that term into “AT” skiing. Both “ski randonnee” and “alpine ski touring” refer to the use of wide alpine skis and a convertible binding that can be locked down for downhill skiing and than released and using in touring mode so that the heel lifts up allowing the skier to walk and glide on flat snow and climb up slopes en-route to a peak or a pass. Briefly stated, “ski randonnee” or AT skiing is a combination of cross country skiing and downhill skiing. With today’s modern AT binding, it is expected to be light weight and have an adjustable release binding. They are bindings that a skier can now simply step into with out having to lean down and manipulate anything with the hands.
Things have changed drastically since just 10 years ago when you had to lean down and lock in the heel piece or toe piece. Technology has come a long way in reducing the weight of bindings by 60%! This may explain the increase in popularity. Sales of bindings and accessories have averaged an increase of 40% per year for several years. How do people climb “up” slopes when skis were meant for sliding down them? Climbing Skins are the answer. Climbing Skins or “seal skins” were actually made of seal skin. As you know, fur has a “nape” or a direction in which it lies. Strips of this fur used to be attached to the bottom of the ski with buckles in the old days. The skier was then able to ski up while pushing the ski forward. But when it was weighted, the “nape” gripped the snow crystals when it was pushed back on itself. Than, when unweighted, it slide forward again since it was going in the direction of the nape of the fur. Today “seal skins” are no longer of animal origin. They are very high tech being made of nylon with an resusable adhesive backing that sticks to the bottom of the ski. They are much lighter than the old seal skins and in fact are barely noticeable on the ski when you are climbing up.
In addition, to the advancement in climbing skins technology, there is the advance in binding design that has brought the weight of the bindings into the comfort zone. The rear part of the binding can be lifted into what is called a Climbing Elevator that prevents the heel from dropping down to the ski during climbing. This elevator increases efficiency, reduces calf fatigue and energy expenditure making climbing much easier. Ski boots also have felt a design makeover. New designs allow for a flexible cuff that allows one to stand up right in their ski boot instead of being forever leaning forward in the downhill stance. Additionally, the boots bottom has a patterned gripper bottom that can grip on snow and rock. I believe someday all ski boots will have this design so there will be less slips in parking lots!
But getting back to definitions, “side country” is another way of defining skiers who primarily ski the resort but occasionally stray into the backcountry areas that the ski patrol opens up for the public. These skiers would benefit from a binding and ski that would ski well on groomed and ungroomed slopes. Naturally, they would also appreciate a binding with a higher release setting that would hold the skiers weight at higher resort speeds but release when skiing in the heavier non groomed slopes in the opened backcountry areas.
“Backcountry” or “Side Country” or “Ski Randonnee” or “Alpine Ski Touring”: however you name it- it is growing year after year in popularity. And the manufacturers are coming up with higher tech lighter equipment that will even fuel this trend even more. It’s coming to a slope near you! Try it!
Jean Vives Ed.D. has his degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Northern Colorado. He has published over 25 articles in such sources as Ski, Skiing and Outside Magazine. His research on skiing won the Charles Houston Grant from the Wilderness Medical Society. He has skied and climbed all over the world. He has done sport science research as Everest Base Camp while teaching at Kathmandu University, Nepal. He has written several books on backcountry skiing. He is a guide and writer living near Boulder, Colorado. Look under “Jean Vives” for other helpful articles and links to other of his web sites such as http://www.skirandonnee.com. His new book “Alpine SKi Touring Handbook” is due Fall, 2013.
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