 Poster: A snowHead
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Dear  s,
I will be in and around Flachau (Wagrain, Flachauwinkl, Kleinarl etc.) during these dates with some buddies.
If any of you are nearby and fancy a ski / a beer / 2 or more beers / joining me on some ridiculous touring thingy my mate has organised, let me know.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a nice dump on the 3rd ....
Zammo
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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DB, indeed. I will be hiring touring skis + skins and embarking on a 26km jaunt here: http://www.planai.at/planai_dachstein/winter/skitouren/winter_d_1442_DEU_HTML.htm
My mate lives nearby and has persuaded me that it will be good fun. I suspect he's right but it will be my first time on skins so it's probably a bit ambitious. Still, assuming the guide he knows is decent I'm sure I'll be fine.
I guess you've got in to this touring mularkey a bit? It will be strange to ski something challenging on hired skis rather than my own planks, but I'm looking forward to it and subsequently hoping that we get a good clear day for the trip.
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26 km is a long way but length isn't everything  it's the altittude, height climbed and the steepness of the climb that's the killer. I take it you are reasonably fit and you are doing it over a few days? The least fittest in the group takes the strain I'd make sure the pace will be OK for you. I'm sure that your friend & guide will sort you out but here are a few tips ...
1) Your feet aren't used to that sort of mileage in a touring boot, put something on your feet to stop any blisters (prevention is better than cure,don't wait until you have a blister as it will be too late). 2nd skin, Compeed etc
2) To improve your fitness try to get some steep hill walking in with poles at home. Even climbing the stairs at work helps.
3) Make sure you have a camelbak or similar for water.
4) When you skin up loosen your boots but make sure your heel doesn't lift up as this is a prime cause of blisters. I generally just losen the top two buckles a bit.
5) Your ski touring friends will like you better in Merino wool thermal underwear & socks, anything else stinks.
6) Always hang your skins up to dry at night. Trying to get them to stick with glue the next day is a nightmare, trying to ski skis with glue deposits on doesn't help either.
7) Your normal skiing gloves will be too warm once you're are on the move, I use cross country skiing gloves.
8 ) A shell jacket and thin layers works best. A thin hat and strong suncream / chapstick are also advised.
9) Carry as little weight as possible (e.g check to see if shower gel etc is available in the huts, if not take small sample bottles).
10) Remember to put your boots in "ski" mode for the descent.
I much prefer ski touring to piste skiing, you really get out in the mountains. I've heard the scenery is fantastic and the Dachstein has the most snow in Austria at the moment.
Have fun.
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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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DB, thanks for the great advice. Fit? Reasonably - I run 15 - 20 km a week and try to get out on my bike as often as possible. I know the area a bit (although not the Dachstein specifically) from walking in late Summer and have a feeling that I will enjoy touring as much as I enjoy scrambling up past teams of descending cows in September!
As I don't have touring boots I was hoping I might manage with my alpine ones as they will of course privide a good fit, but do would you recommend hiring touring boots instead?
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zammo,
The touring boots weigh less, have a walk mode and also have a boot type sole (I hate scrambling over rocks in normal ski boots). Alpine boots give better downhill performance although stiffer touring boots have come onto the market in the last couple of years. Probably best to ask the guide how much skining and how many downhill descents you will be doing. Either way I would wear blister prevention with whichever boot you decide on. If it's only day tours then alpine boots should be OK. It tends to be relative, if you are one of the fitter members of the group the extra weight of alpine boots shouldn't be a problem but if they are fitter and have touring boots you could be playing catch up all the time.
As I said before a bit of hill walking with nordic walking poles is great trainning for ski touring - it tends to work the same muscles in the same way. I used to do a lot of hill walking in the UK and like ski touring even more.
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