Ski Touring for Beginners - Getting Started Guide

Ski touring — ascending the mountain under your own power on skis, then skiing down through untracked terrain — is one of the fastest-growing winter sports disciplines. It offers access to pristine backcountry terrain, a genuine sense of adventure, and a level of physical challenge that resort skiing rarely matches. But touring also introduces serious avalanche risk and route-finding challenges that require specific skills and equipment. This guide introduces everything a capable resort skier needs to know before taking their first touring steps.

What is Ski Touring?

Ski touring (also called alpine touring, backcountry skiing, or randonnée skiing) involves attaching climbing skins to the base of specially equipped skis and walking uphill through the mountains under your own power. Once you reach your objective - a summit, a col, or a high point - you remove the skins, switch your bindings to downhill mode, and ski back down through ungroomed, often untracked terrain.

Touring is fundamentally different from resort skiing. There are no lifts, no piste markers, no groomed runs, and no ski patrol watching over the mountain. You are navigating real mountain terrain in a real alpine environment - which is both the appeal and the risk. The access to untouched powder fields, remote couloirs, and high-mountain scenery that only touring provides is genuinely extraordinary. But it requires preparation that goes well beyond what resort skiing demands.

Who Is Ski Touring For?

Ski touring is not for beginners. You need to be a capable, confident skier who can handle red and black runs in variable conditions - including deep powder, wind-packed snow, and chopped-up off-piste - before you attempt touring. The reason is simple: the descent from a tour is always off-piste, and the terrain is often more challenging and consequential than anything in a resort. If your downhill technique fails you on a steep face five kilometres from the nearest piste, the consequences are serious.

The ideal touring beginner is:

• A confident resort skier who can ski confidently on red and black runs
• Has already done some off-piste skiing with an instructor or guide
• Is in good aerobic condition - able to sustain moderate-intensity effort for 2–3 hours
• Is genuinely interested in mountain environments, not just the skiing

Equipment - What You Need

Alpine Touring (AT) Bindings

The most important piece of equipment. AT bindings have a pivot mechanism that releases the heel for the uphill (walking mode) and locks it down for the downhill (ski mode). The two main types are:

• Frame bindings: More like conventional alpine bindings, compatible with most ski boots, and relatively affordable. Heavier and less efficient for long ascents. Good for beginners who want versatility.
• Tech (pin) bindings: Lightweight, efficient, and the choice of serious tourers and mountain athletes. Require specific tech-compatible boots. Better for long, demanding tours.

Touring Boots

Touring boots must be compatible with your binding type. They have a walk mode that allows the ankle to flex naturally for uphill movement and a ski mode that locks the cuff for downhill performance. Beginner tourers often prefer boots with more flex and comfort; expert tourers prioritise downhill performance. All-round touring boots (like the Scarpa Maestrale, Lange XT3, and Atomic Backland range) balance both well.

Climbing Skins

Skins attach to the ski base with a glue layer and clips at tip and tail. They allow efficient uphill travel on gradients up to approximately 35°. Mohair skins glide better (faster, more efficient uphill travel); synthetic nylon skins grip better (useful in icy or wet conditions). Combination skins (mohair/nylon blend) are the most versatile choice for beginners.

Avalanche Safety Equipment

Non-negotiable for any off-piste or backcountry skiing. Three items are required:

• Avalanche beacon (transceiver): Worn on your body at all times (not in a pack), it transmits a signal when set to "transmit" mode, and switches to "search" mode to locate a buried victim. Modern three-antenna digital beacons are reliable and relatively easy to use under pressure.
• Avalanche probe: A collapsible pole (2.4–3 m when assembled) used to probe beneath the snow surface to locate a buried victim precisely before digging. Lightweight carbon probes pack small.
• Avalanche shovel: A sturdy, collapsible shovel for excavating an avalanche debris field. Speed of excavation is critical - survival rates drop sharply after 15 minutes of burial.

Carrying these items without knowing how to use them is insufficient. Take an avalanche safety course before you tour. The AIARE (North America) and Avalanche Training Foundation (Europe) courses are widely available and provide practical beacon search, probe, and shovel skills. Read our full avalanche safety guide for more detail.

Backpack

A touring-specific pack (20–30 litres) carries your skins (when descended), extra clothing, food, water, safety equipment, a first aid kit, and emergency bivouac gear. Many serious tourers use avalanche airbag packs that deploy an inflatable balloon on activation to help keep the wearer near the surface of an avalanche.

The Ascending Technique - Skinning

Skinning is surprisingly accessible even for beginners. The technique is similar to cross-country skiing or snowshoeing - a low-impact, rhythmic walking motion. Key points:

• Keep skis flat on the snow. Edging a skinned ski wastes energy. Keep the ski as flat as possible and let the skin do the grip work.
• Walk, don't shuffle. A full stride - lifting the heel and stepping forward - is more efficient than a short shuffle. Your heel releases naturally in walk mode.
• Pace yourself. The number one beginner mistake is going too fast on the ascent and exhausting yourself before the top. Touring pace should allow conversation without breathlessness.
• Use your poles for balance and propulsion. Ski touring poles are longer than alpine poles and have large powder baskets. Synchronise pole plant with each step.
• Kick turns on steep terrain. When the slope steepens beyond what direct skinning allows, kick turns - switching direction 180° in the traverse line - allow you to zigzag up steeper faces. This technique requires practice and is best learned with a guide.

Planning a Touring Route

Route planning for touring is fundamentally different from planning a day's resort skiing. You need to consider:

• Avalanche terrain: Which slopes are on your route? Are they above 30° (the critical threshold for slab avalanche release)? Check the daily avalanche bulletin before every tour - available at lift stations, resort apps, and on national avalanche warning services (MeteoFrance, SLF, Lawinenwarndienst).
• Aspect and altitude: North-facing slopes above 2,000 m hold snow longest and best. South-facing slopes warm rapidly and may have unstable or wet snow by mid-morning in spring.
• Turnaround time: Always set a turnaround time and stick to it regardless of how close the summit seems. Most mountain accidents happen on the way down from summit fever.
• Escape routes: Know how to get off the mountain quickly if weather deteriorates. Mountain weather in the Alps changes fast.

Where to Start - Guided Tours

For your first touring experience, hire a certified mountain guide and join a guided day tour. Most major Alpine resort areas have guiding companies offering introductory tours. Austrian and Swiss resorts often have guided touring programmes as part of the ski school offering. French resorts like Chamonix and Val d'Isère have extensive guiding industries built around off-piste and touring.

A guided introductory tour typically takes you on a moderate route (500–800 m ascent), teaches you skinning technique and transition (skin to downhill mode), and gives you a safe first taste of backcountry terrain. It is by far the most efficient and safest way to start.

Key Takeaways

• You should be a confident, capable skier on red and black piste runs before attempting ski touring — the descent requires strong technique in variable off-piste snow
• Touring-specific equipment — alpine touring (AT) bindings, skins, and appropriate boots — is essential and cannot be substituted with standard alpine gear
• An avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel are mandatory — they should be on your body before you leave the resort boundary
• Start with guided day tours rather than independent touring — a guide provides safety knowledge and route expertise that cannot be acquired from books alone
• Skinning (ascending on skins) is low-impact and meditative — many tourers find the uphill as rewarding as the descent
• Route planning using topogrphic maps and avalanche bulletins is as important as the physical skills of touring

Frequently Asked Questions

What fitness level do I need to start ski touring?

Ski touring is aerobically demanding — a typical day tour involves 600–1,200 m of ascent over two to four hours. You should be able to run or cycle at moderate intensity for 60 minutes without excessive fatigue. The ascent pace is generally slow and steady, but the sustained effort at altitude is significant. Pre-trip cardiovascular training is strongly recommended.

Can I use my normal alpine skis for touring?

Not effectively. Standard alpine skis use downhill (DIN) bindings that lock your heel to the ski — this makes walking uphill impossible. Touring requires AT (alpine touring) or tech (Dynafit-style) bindings that release the heel for the uphill and lock for the downhill. Some beginners use randonnée (alpine touring) hire sets available from specialist shops near popular touring areas.

What are skins and how do they work?

Climbing skins are strips of synthetic or mohair fabric that attach to the base of touring skis. They have directional fibres — they glide smoothly in the forward (uphill) direction but grip when pushed backward, preventing the ski from sliding back down the slope. After the ascent, skins are peeled off and stored in a pocket, and bindings are locked into downhill mode for the descent.

Do I need a guide for ski touring?

For your first tours, yes — strongly recommended. Mountain guides are qualified to assess avalanche risk, plan safe routes, and respond to emergencies. They know local terrain in a way no amount of self-preparation can match. In many European countries (France, Italy, Switzerland), hiring an officially registered guide is also a requirement for some insurance policies when skiing off-piste.