 Poster: A snowHead
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Know that there have been a few threads on here about skinning up / ski touring in the resort, well would seem that two big companies, Decathlon and Dynafit think that it's the way forward as many resorts now have specific ski touring routes in resort, and said companies are producing equipment (boots and skis) that will enable people to ski tour up in the resort and then ski back down specifically on the piste.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I find that quite an attractive activity. A good walk up the hill and nice easy ski down! In summer I enjoy the uphill - whereas walking downhill is uncomfortable. When I did an "intro to ski touring" day I enjoyed uphill, in that masochistic sort of way one does (and managed "conversion" turns in quite deep snow) but my skills weren't up to skiing down with any style or enjoyment and I got hopelessly stuck in a bush.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Well if you're looking for some exercise it's probably a better way to get fit than riding a chairlift!
I've seen the French army doing this in a resort for training - along with some regular skiing. Some appeared to be complete beginners. We were treated to the sight of a soldier in full camouflage gear falling of a button lift!
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Ski touring sucks.
3 hours to puff up the hill.
3 minutes to slide down the hill.
It will never takeoff among normal people.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
3 hours to puff up the hill.
3 minutes to slide down the hill.
It will never takeoff among normal people.
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Like winter hill walking or mountaineering - absolutely nobody could possibly enjoy that, could they?  And it would have to be a damn big hill to take 3 hours to get up it! Most people would be doing rather more modest ascents.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As a stand alone activity I can't see it taking off, as an addition to a ski holiday for a day some definite attractions. If you have a spare day you don't have to buy a lift pass , you get some decent exercise and you needn't worry about safety too much in terms of avalanches getting lost etc.
Whereas you clearly need a form of touring binding and skins, specialist clothing and skis etc is just marketing flam but that's true for lots of what we wear to ski in which really doesn't need to be differentiated much from a lot of other out door gear.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
3 hours to puff up the hill.
3 minutes to slide down the hill.
It will never takeoff among normal people.
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And it would have to be a damn big hill to take 3 hours to get up it! Most people would be doing rather more modest ascents. |
Be kind to old man @Whitegood. At his age and fitness level, it’ll take 3 hrs. He can’t hope to be as fit as you at his advanced age. 
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You certainly need touring bindings and skins to walk uphill! I hired gear for the day -or two days, as I spent a preliminary day feeling slightly foolish skinning uphill beside a chairlift, just to get used to the idea. The light touring boots were a revelation - I loved them.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Some time spent on tame touring of this kind, alongside XC skiing, raquettes, walking on pisted paths, would make a great holiday in the mountains.
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For me it has to be one of the best things added to ski resorts. Rather than reading of more and more infrastructure which just brings to the mountain sprawl everything you go to the mountains to avoid ... will it catch on as the next big thing ? doubt it as its too much effort and a totally different thing. Unlike the introduction of fat skis and the irresponsible marketing drive of off piste nirvana which made the whole skiing experience easier, desirable and attainable.....
Should people give it a go ? definitely ....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@T Bar, makes a couple of good points, as you could rent the gear for less than the price of a day pass.
You would not really know the difference between normal touring gear and this new stuff unless the shop you rented from had ancient kit.
Also for many, could be a better option maybe than skinny XC skis.
As it's nigh on a Full Moon tonight we're going up the piste in front of us at around 19:00 with head torches and of course the dogs, just a shame that none of the restaurants are open, and tomorrow the Refuge Napoleon is open but fully booked, so just have to look forward to the food after we get back down.
OH is paranoid we'll come across some piste bashers
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
Also for many, could be a better option maybe than skinny XC skis.
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Different beast, I guess. Most skinny XC skis are going to be used on prepared tracks and even in a centre like Les Saisies, limited gradients (scary as I find some of the black pistes!). I could well imagine (assuming that I get my cardiac problems back under control) doing both XC and "tame touring". You couldn't, of course, use touring skis on XC tracks and using skinny skis for "proper" off piste is beyond the skill/fitness of most people.
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You know it makes sense.
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@pam w, I got hopelessly stuck in a bush.
You have also tried grass skiing at Hillend (Edinburgh dry slope).
Similar results, with thorns. Every time. Every single time.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would be inclined to try ski touring if there was a tour that involved travelling between hotels, optionally with one's luggage being ferried separately.
Thus arrive in evening at hotel 1, first day do a practice circuit, then next day - telemark/xc ski to hotel 2, next day to hotel 3, etc.
I know you can do this in northern Sweden from Abisko, but that is between refuges rather than hotels... 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I encountered many people skinning up in Aspen after some new snow. Frankly I don’t quite see the appeal.
I was going downhill. And was somewhat surprised to see in my view too many of them going uphill. There were powder on the edge of the piste I was aiming for, which happened to be where the uphill skinner were.
It wasn’t difficult for me to avoid them. But if I were skinning uphill, I wouldn’t enjoy being constantly “harassed” by downhill skiers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@chocksaway, I have poles too, far more effective as I have momentum on my side. And I have more maneuverability as the faster moving skier.
That's why I don't like to be on the receiving end.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have used XC skis up the side of s piste - with an instructor. I didn't like being there - felt wrong. Wouldn't want to see pedestrians either - especially with dogs. Best to separate uphill and downhill traffic I think.
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Specific ski touring routes are a good idea, but part of the fun/charm/challenge is picking your own route and breaking trail to get away from anything man-made.
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I’ve seen a lot of ski tourers around here skinning up the piste in St Johann, Fieberbrunn, Kitzbuhel and Ski Welt. Even in the heavy snow conditions we’ve had recently.
I did it myself once or twice to try out my first set of skins.
I’m not sure if I’d fancy it on a regular basis I think I’d be concerned about someone ploughing into me caning it downhill.
After all there are much nicer places to do it but you’d need to navigate yourself for that or get a guide, not just walk up the piste.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It is huge in some places. Especially anywhere that already had some ski touring. In Chamonix they have had to create some specific uphill tracks and rules for when the normal piste can be used. It has got to the point where the police have been called to numerous accidents caused by people not just being dumb or silly but plain selfish. Skinning uphill through a tunnel for example when there is a dedicated uphill track 10m away that is 20m longer.
On most days there are 100's going up les Houches.
During normal daylight hours I find it silly. There are so many beautiful places with no lifts! Early morning or late night, when you haven't gotten out skiing (due to work etc) then, Yes great.
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| Idris wrote: |
| Skinning uphill through a tunnel for example when there is a dedicated uphill track 10m away that is 20m longer. |
was that the Vallorcine rail tunnel they were skinning through? I think that was on YouTube, the surprised train driver filmed it 
I think the relative decline in alpine clubs has seen the rise of a lot of surprising practices in Ski Touring. It is generation "too kool for skool" blundering around the back-country.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Jealous! @Weathercam,
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I'm surprised more resorts don't offer protected touring itineraries that go somewhere other than up to a groomed piste. Like Flute Bowl in Whistler for example. I think it would be incredibly popular and shouldn't be too expensive to maintain. They're often securing slopes that threaten pistes anyway, so might as well mark out a touring track and an itinerary.
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You know it makes sense.
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I did this in Cham, kind of. There is a track you can go up at the back of Les Chosaletes, and ski back down lognan. Weather was crappy, conditions not good. Nice to get out for a skin up hill for the exercise.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
Ski touring sucks.
3 hours to puff up the hill.
3 minutes to slide down the hill.
It will never takeoff among normal people.
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But people go for runs and hikes up mountains - and they don't even get to ski back down!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Ski touring sucks.
3 hours to puff up the hill.
3 minutes to slide down the hill.
It will never takeoff among normal people. |
Its great..keeps you superfit.....Pepple should do this first before bein g permitted to purchase a lift ticket
Lifts makes people lazy (lazy/tired legs) ...
Lifts are eyesores
Lifts are expensive
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Weathercam, good effort!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It is great! I’m definitely going to do some skinning while I’m here this season otherwise it doesn’t feel like I’ve done ‘enough’. Ok downhill skiing burns more calories than being at work as I’m outside keeping warm but gravity is doing most of the work.
Even on a day of off piste skiing my Garmin only comes out at ‘2.3 maintaining aerobic fitness’ so I’d definitely have to skin or walk up some hills to increase my fitness (well according to the Garmin anyway).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And it keeps you warm
It’s hard work but exhilarating
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@VolklAttivaS5,
I cycle commute 20 miles per day so downhill skiing is less exercise than a day driving my desk. And I eat and drink more.
I keep telling myself that I will get up early, skin up from the valley and meet the rest of the group on the mountain.... somehow a relaxing cup of coffee seems to win out.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Some of the small resorts within 90 mins drive from here (Vienna, Austria) market to ski tourers.
Things they offer include -
Ski touring equipment rental
Side of the piste touring routes
Ski touring on specific nights (one resort does Monday, another does Tuesday etc)
Ski tickets for ski tourers (for ski tourers who wish to do a ski tour and then a couple of hours alpine skiing)
Low cost parking for ski tourers (typically something around €5 and has the advantage of the smaller parking areas not being uncontrolled free for alls.)
In the last couple of weeks the avi danger has been really high here so many tourers have been sticking to the pistes to improve / maintain their fitness for when the ski touring routes become less risky again.
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@jedster, haha. I’m definitely doing it especially when there’s a warm spell.
I saw quite a few skinning up the piste in St Johann this afternoon. Seems very popular around here. It may be because it’s a much quieter area so less chance of being hit by out of control piste skiers maybe.
In the Kitzbuhel area they do ski touring up the piste on Friday nights and stuff. Seems quite a bit going on.
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| Quote: |
| I'm surprised more resorts don't offer protected touring itineraries that go somewhere other than up to a groomed piste. Like Flute Bowl in Whistler for example. I think it would be incredibly popular and shouldn't be too expensive to maintain. |
But there is a cost for them to do that and yet no revenue generated if no lift pass is being bought....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| I have to admit that folks skinning up piste side annoys me. Surely asking for a collision. |
They qualify as 'the downhill skier', let alone 'pedestrian'.
Isn't it a bit like car drivers being annoyed by cyclists using 'their' road?
If there was a bunch of 'em all sat down, having a pow-wow in the middle of the piste just below the brow of a hill/crest (like many snowboarders) then annoyance would indeed be justified.
There are worse annoyances than skinners...
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