Ski Mountaineering equipment

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Ski Mountaineering equipment can be highly specialised as the weather conditions faced by tourers can be very challenging.
Even on an ordinary daily trip, tourers will travel up to five hours hiking uphill shouldering a 10 kg backpack, an intensely aerobic effort with extreme perspiration even in below-zero temperatures, reaching heights of minimum 2.000 – 2.500 m on sea level in weather conditions that can change very rapidly. Then there is the ski down part of the trip, where a different set of outerwear is required to protect from the wind and the speed of the descent.
As a result, the ski mountaineer’s equipment is a cross between that of a climber and a cross country skier, and all of it is completely different from anything worn or used in alpine or any other type of skiing.
 
Ski Mountaineering SKIS
They are lightweight to reduce the uphill effort, generally shorter (height ranges from 150 cm to 180 cm according to the skier’s height) and wider than downhill skis to float in deep powder. They have edges like downhill skis to be able to carve turns in almost any type of snow, though their lightweight construction and limited rigidity makes them unsuitable to ski on hard or icy packed snow.
 
Ski Mountaineering SEALSKINS
Nowadays they are made of synthetic material or natural materials like mohair: they are long thin strips with a permanent glue side that must be attached to the ski sole, and they prevent skis from sliding backwards even on the steepest uphill climbs.
 
Ski Mountaineering SKI POLES
They have to be collapsible (telescopic), as it is often necessary to reduce or increase their length on uphill hikes to adapt to the conditions of the snow (they will be longer in deep snow) or the slope (the mountainside pole will be shortened in very steep diagonal climbs).
 
Ski Mountaineering BINDINGS
As with skis, they must be ultra lightweight and allow for both the cross country ski-type gliding step, leaving the heel free to swing up and down, and the complete fixation of the boot to the ski that is necessary for downhill skiing.
 modern lightweight binding: toe part.