Photo: Getty Images
Fitness is hot, as evidenced by the explosion of ”smart” workout bands, increasingly varied gym classes, and a massive proliferation of races of every sort. Combine the desire to get a better workout with a passion for skiing and you get the hottest current trend on snow, the uphill/downhill skier.
Alpine Touring, or AT gear, also known (mainly in Europe) as randonnee, is hardly new, but its popularity certainly is - by many estimates it’s now the fastest growing thing on snow, possibly in all of outdoor sports. Long a skiing niche occupied by harder core participants skilled at often dangerous backcountry travel, AT has suddenly gone mainstream. Why? A perfect storm of greatly improved equipment and the general fitness craze has brought AT out of the wilderness, and this winter, you will likely be seeing it a resort near you. You might even want to try it.
The best selling thing in winter sports, alpine touring (AT) gear lets downhill skiers ski uphill... [+]
In a nutshell, AT gear is equally well suited for uphill and downhill travel. Today’s AT skier uses a hard plastic boot very similar to an alpine ski boot, but designed so it can be opened and pivoted at the ankle like a cross country ski boot when going uphill. Bindings are also increasingly similar to alpine, but much lighter, and designed so that on ascents the heel unlocks and only the toe is attached, again, like cross country skiing. The ski itself is the least different and it is entirely possible to use AT boots and bindings on conventional alpine skis, one reason the two sports are becoming increasingly blurred. The biggest difference is the use of “skins,” fiber coated strips that attach to the bottom of the skis for climbs, sort of like a temporary carpet, providing traction to allow you to ski uphill. When you get to the top, you peel them off, stick them in your pocket, close the boots, lock the heel down, and you go down like traditional alpine skiing.
For those familiar with telemark skiing, the big difference is that while tele skiers climb on skins with the same free heel, they also have to ski down that way, which requires actually knowing how to tele-ski, a different sport. While beautiful and beloved by its practitioners, this is a major hurdle - but if you already know how to ski you can use AT gear immediately. At the same time, in just the past couple of years, AT gear has improved enormously, and is more comfortable, efficient, durable and lighter. It is also far more widely available for rental. It was long looked upon as good for going up and a sacrifice for demanding descents, but today’s gear performs almost as well as the very best alpine gear, and works on steeps, chutes, bumps and expert terrain, and is even used by top extreme skiers in some of the Warren Miller movies, which means that an AT setup lets you ski pretty much anywhere, up or down, resort or out of bounds. As a result, many formerly alpine skiers now own and carry just the one setup, even if they a have no plans to go uphill on a given day at all. What was once a sport for a small group of more adventurous backcountry travelers has crossed over into the realm of fitness, and the most basic way to enjoy what AT offers is at a conventional ski resort, going up a trail under your own power rather than riding the lifts, a great full body aerobic workout, what tele skiers have long called “earning your turns.” Even if you do this just once a day, with a 30-60 minute climb, and then ride lifts, you get a much more active day. The logistic problem is an inherent conflict between people skiing uphill and downhill, so some resorts have been resistant, while many have embraced the seemingly inevitable growth.
I first tried alpine touring not in the wilderness, but on the slopes of Breckenridge, Colorado, the nation’s second most visited ski resort, and one of its largest. Every morning before the lifts open, a regular group of locals gather at various base locations, grab a cup of coffee and head up on their AT gear. It’s a social event and great morning workout, and after reaching the top, locking down the boots and bindings and skiing a single run on the freshly groomed pristine trail, many folks headed off to work, having gotten their exercise and adrenaline fix for the day, not much different than a morning run. I just kept skiing the rest of the day, using the lifts like I normally would and the same gear. It was the best of both worlds, and I loved the concept of combining my passion for downhill skiing with my quest for new ways to get fun workout. Turns out I am not alone.
The author enjoying the rewads of fresh powder after a three hour ascent on AT gear in Wyoming's... [+]
A 2013 article in Colorado’s Post Independent said “Touring equipment is the fastest growing category in the outdoor sports market,” while the SnowSports Industries America, the chief trade group for all “sliding sports,” called alpine/AT convertible boots “one of hottest items” in the marketplace with a one year sales leap of 27%. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the growth of uphill skiing (which inevitably is also downhill skiing) has been so pronounced that Utah ski resorts have scrambled to set policies for the practice on an individual basis. At the same time, the National Forest Service, which leases the land to many ski areas and owns the land surrounding them, is developing policies of its own, also in response to fast growth. Russ Pecoraro, who heads up media relations for industry leader Vail Resorts, with eleven major resorts spanning five states, also acknowledged rapid growth, saying, “We’ve had a slew of media requests around this recently.” Longtime ski journalist and editor Everett Potter, who also runs the award winning website Everett Potter’s Travel Report, told me, “I think it’s growing for a couple of reasons. One is ageing boomers who are tired of crowds, lift lines and crowded slopes but still love to be outdoors in winter. They’re past the need for the adrenaline rush but they’re interested in staying in shape. This is something they can do on their own terms and at their own pace. For younger enthusiasts, I think it’s about fitness but also about freedom. They want the adventure and the discovery that mountains can offer but they want to be off piste when they do it.” Perhaps most notably, a Canadian company called Genuine Guide Gear, or G3, an industry leader specializing in high quality AT equipment that makes skins, binding, skis and split boards, detachable snowboards that allow snowboarders to climb on their own power as well, confirmed explosive growth and linked much of it to significant gear improvements. The president of G3 told Vancouver’s Straight.com news site that, “Technology has dropped the weight of skis and related gear by 30 percent…Boots are half the weight they were 10 years ago. “ He also noted the huge growth of resort AT skiing: “Our research shows that even the most hard-core AT users spend half their time inbounds. “
As a result, many ski resorts are embracing AT users, but some are holdouts. Smaller resorts typically are much more flexible, and Eagle Point, a boutique resort I just visited in Southern Utah, has an open peak behind and above the main ski area that many enthusiasts climb in the morning, then make a single descent into the resort and ride the lifts the rest of the day. At the same time, many resorts and regions have quickly added uphill and downhill race series to allow more competitive skiers to sprint up and down as quickly as possible. Winter Wild is a series of such climb and descend races held across various resorts in Vermont and New Hampshire, and Colorado’s Breckenridge, quickly emerging as a hotbed, also has its own five race series. Breckenridge is part of Vail Resorts, which also owns the RockResorts hotel chain and several lodging properties sat the mountain, one of which, the Mountain Thunder luxury condo hotel, is especially keen on AT. “The GM of Mountain Thunder Lodge loves to skin up the mountain with guests right from the back door of the property, up the 4 O’Clock run of Breckenridge Ski Resort. Spark up a conversation with him or call in advance to find out more and be prepared to get up early and try to keep up with super fit Stephan,” said ski resort spokeswoman Kristen Petitt. When I visit Breck later this winter I absolutely plan to bring my AT gear and enjoy a morning outing with Stephan.
Typically, larger resorts limit uphill traffic to the morning hours before lifts start, to avoid conflicts with the downhill majority. Some allow uphill traffic on certain trails only to prevent dangerous interaction with heavy grooming equipment and avalanche control efforts. Some prohibit uphill traffic during lift hours but take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach at other times. It’s also entirely possible to get a safe workout on AT gear without a ski resort, as long as you are in an area free of avalanche danger, like much of the eastern U.S. Where I live in Vermont, there are a variety of options, from scenic mountain auto roads closed in winter to defunct ski resorts to simple open hillsides.
AT gear lets you go uphill as if cross country skiing, then downhill like traditional alpine gear.... [+]
To get an idea of the more conventional backcountry AT usage, I did a one day outing last season in Grand Teton National Park, just outside the Jackson Hole ski resort, with a guide from Exum Mountain Guides. Exum is the oldest and most acclaimed mountain guiding and instructional company in the nation - if not the world. This was the kind of trip they offer routinely in winter, makes a great break during a week of resort-based skiing, and is available to those with no backcountry experience - a full day guided private outing begins at just $175 per person depending on group size (up to four). It is a great option for skiers like me who are not well enough versed in the dangers of avalanche conditions. We did an ascent of just over three hours, followed by one long unbroken powder run, akin to my experiences heli-skiing, but with a whole lot more calories burned. It was an extremely fulfilling day.
Zahan Billimoria, a renowned Exum guide, competitive AT racer, and technical consultant on extreme ski films of Jackson-based Teton Gravity Research (TGR) told me that, “Interest in AT gear seems to fit the overall fitness trend among the American middle class. Riding the lifts is exciting, the skiing can be great, but for skiers accustomed to an active lifestyle, lift accessed skiing doesn’t satisfy the need for heart thumping exercise - that’s where AT gear comes in. To the excitement of downhill skiing, you add adventure, powder, and full body aerobic activity. When you come home from a day spent backcountry skiing, the satisfaction is complete.”
He’s right, and that’s why I’ve been spending this season testing the latest and greatest AT gear.
Tomorrow, Part 2: Buyer’s Guide: The Perfect Alpine Touring (AT) Ski Setup
Follow Me on Twitter Here
