ASF-2011-01

8 Adirondack Sports & Fitness
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING continued from page 1
with ski touring in the valleys of the Adirondacks. Due
to the demands of the terrain, true AT ski gear has
more in common with alpine ski gear than it does the
cross-country like setups common in ski touring. AT
skis are essentially lighter versions of downhill skis,
but many backcountry skiers opt to use a true alpine
ski as the foundation of their setup. I myself have
toured on a pair of heavy Volkl skis with an alpine
touring binding for a number of years.
AT boots are similarly heavy-duty. Hard plastic,
three or four buckle boots are standard. Many
companies now offer lightened versions of their fullblown
downhill boots, with Vibram rubber soles and
walk modes that make traveling up the hill a relative
breeze. The popularity of alpine touring has grown
substantially in the United States over the last fi ve
years as a result of high tech alpine touring gear starting
to be imported from Europe. Increased access to
AT equipment opened the doors to backcountry skiing
all over North America.
The real key to the AT setup is the binding. It
works just like a standard binding on a downhill ski
– the skier clicks into it with toe and heal, but there
is one key difference. The rear of the binding can be
released, allowing the binding to pivot up and down
at the toe giving it a cross-country like functionality
when skiing on fl at ground and up the hill. It’s
a hybrid between a freeheel telemark binding and
standard downhill binding – offering better touring
than a telemark, with the full performance of a downhill
binding.
The AT binding is only half of the equation for backcountry
ski effi ciency however – once the skier adds
a “climbing skin” to the bottom of the ski, he or she
has effectively transformed a strong and safe downhill
setup into an effective cross-country ski. Climbing
skins are made of a Velcro-like material and clip to
the ski on the tip and tail and allow the ski to grab the
snow and only slide forward like a cross-country ski.
Combined with an AT binding they giving the ski an
uphill capability usually reserved for snowshoes.
With the added strength, durability, and functionality
of an alpine touring setup, comes one disadvantage:
weight. If a skier isn’t planning on tackling the
rugged steeps of the High Peaks, there’s little need for
the additional weight of an AT setup. Most experienced
AT skiers will agree however, that when standing at the
top of a step chute on a remote High Peak, the added
assurance of having strong and reliable gear underfoot
is well worth the weight penalty on the way up.
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A popular alpine touring destination in the High
Peaks is Angel Slide on Wright Peak. If you’ve toured
into Marcy Dam in the past, you’ll know Angel Slide
as the exposed rock face visible to the south west of
the dam, on the lower portion of Wright Peak. Where
the touring ski is likely only to get skiers to Marcy
Dam, the AT setup, combined with expert skills and
proper safety gear, will allow them to go through the
backwoods off-trail to the slide itself.
With an AT setup, the skilled skier can ski up the
mountain, then have the chance to make turns on
natural, and potentially deep powder from the top of
the slide. It’s a rush that any experienced AT skier will
tell you – well worth the work it takes to get there.
Angel Slide is a great place for expert alpine touring,
but please keep in mind that it is not a beginner
objective. You’ll need to be able to ski double black
diamond terrain at resorts, and also have the fi tness
to spend 12 to 14 hours climbing in the High Peaks
before heading out to a location like Angel Slide.
AVALANCHE RISK
An immediate word of caution must be heeded
when discussing backcountry skiing on Adirondack
Slides. It is critical to understand that avalanches
are a reality in backcountry skiing, and Angel Slide is
the key example. A skier was killed in an avalanche
at Angel Slide in the early 2000s, and last season
another pair of skiers nearly lost their lives when
the snow avalanched off the slide while they were
skiing there. Avalanche fatalities have been rare in
the Adirondacks, but in recent years the number of
incidents of people being caught in an avalanche and
narrowly surviving has increased dramatically. I suspect
this is due to the increased number of people
traveling in the Adirondacks in the winter – with
growth in adventure skiing, comes an increased risk
of exposure to dangerous conditions.
There are three key safety items you must have
to safely complete backcountry skiing objectives on
Adirondack slides: the avalanche beacon, a probe and
a shovel. The beacon is the key element in avalanche
safety. It is simply a homing transceiver that each
person in your party needs to wear in the backcountry.
In the event that you are buried in an avalanche,
a beacon gives the rest of your party a chance of
fi nding you, and digging you out before you suffocate.
The probe and shovel are key elements in the process
as well. None of these things are a replacement
for common sense though. You need to have a good
understanding of how the snow pack develops, what
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snow conditions are dangerous, and how to analyze
the environment around you to make sure you’re
safely traveling.
I can’t possibly cover all of this here, so I’ll simply
say it is critical to take an avalanche awareness
course, which is offered in the region a few times
each winter, and learn the necessary skills for safe
backcountry travel before you plan on traveling in
exposed parts of the High Peaks.
SKI MOUNTAINEERING
Not scared off yet by the risk of getting buried in
snow? You may be ready for ski mountaineering, the big
brother to alpine touring. Where AT adds challenging
climbs and descents to the concept of ski touring, ski
mountaineering adds the challenge of climbing and rappelling
vertical cliffs and ice walls that are not skiable, in
an effort to get to skiable terrain. In alpine touring, skins
and an AT ski setup should get you anywhere you need
to go. Once you start to mix in the need for crampons,
ice axes, harnesses and ropes, you’ve crossed over into
the fringe of the fringe – ski mountaineering.
Traveling in the mountains and getting to the
remote ski locations becomes a primary objective
in ski mountaineering. Many ski mountaineers will
set goals of skiing places no one else has skied. The
accessibility of the objective typically becomes even
more remote and diffi cult to get to with experienced
ski mountaineers, and requires advanced ice climbing,
winter camping and skiing abilities.
In the Adirondacks, the classic ski mountaineering
destination is Gothics. With a lengthy approach
and steep rock faces, it requires a mixed bag of
skills, from the ability to move quickly and effi ciently
on the long approach, to ice climbing the north face
W
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HIGH ADVENTURE SKI & BIKE
of the mountain before skiing the True North Slide
and heading back to camp. It’s doable as a very long
single day, but to me the trip makes perfect sense to
match with winter camping in the Johns Brook Area.
It’s certainly not a trip for the faint of heart, but it can
be a rewarding day or two in the mountains for the
strong backcountry adventurer.
If you’re like me, and you love winter and skiing
but are tired of lift lines and $80 lift tickets, its time
to check out the backcountry. Beginner and intermediate
skiers should start out with ski touring. Expert
skiers should look into getting an AT setup and venturing
into the mountains. If you already have some
AT gear, consider pushing yourself a little further by
learning mountaineering skills, and pushing yourself
even further this winter.
The ninth annual Adirondack Backcountry Ski
Festival is March 5-6 in Keene Valley with ski clinics,
guided tours and presentations (mountaineer.
com). For guide services, contact High Peaks Cyclery
& Mountain Adventures (highpeakscyclery.com),
Northeast Mountain Guides & Wilderness School
(hallocksmarine@yahoo.com), NYS Outdoor Guides
Association (nysoga.org), or Adirondack Mountain
Club (adk.org).
Try it and you’ll likely agree – backcountry skiing is
the best way to spend a snowy day in the woods!
Eric Schillinger (eric@schillinger-law.com) has
been skiing in New York and New England for
over 20 years. When not skinning to a remote
slide in the High Peaks he practices law in the
Capital District.
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