Ski Touring

Touring requires a whole lot of different gear. Unfortunately, standard skis and boots just won’t cut it. Your skis need a specific kind of binding that will lift at the heel for the skin up, but clip down for the ski down. Touring boots, meanwhile, tend to have a generous walk mode so that you have better movement on the way up. Both the skis and the boots tend to be lighter than alpine skis, to take the strain out of the hike. Lastly, you need a pair of skins to attach to the base of your skis so that they grip into the snow as you climb. Most ski shops have sets of touring boots, skis and skins available to hire.

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Don’t make the mistake of touring up in your thick, insulated ski jacket. Touring is all about layers. I usually wear baselayers on my top and bottom, a thin pair of ski trousers and a light mid-layer on top. In my backpack, I carry a spare mid-layer and a shell jacket to change into at the top. Same goes for gloves: I keep a pair of normal ski gloves in my pack and tour in a pair of thin liners. Picking the right combination is a very personal thing, but this is a good place to start.

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Do you get your skiing kicks from exploring untouched territory, far away from well-prepared skiing slopes and efficient lift systems? In that case, you have come to the right place. Your options for ski touring adventure in Norway, a country dominated by vast mountain ranges, are seemingly limitless.