Backcountry
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Once known as riding 'off-piste', but now almost universally known as 'backcountry', is what most of us love the most. This is where the powder is and the crowds aren't.
It's in the backcountry, either by walking, skinning (see below) or simply taking off-piste routes, that much of the real magic of the mountains is found.
However, going off-piste is as serious as going climbing or mountaineering. Only an idiot would do it poorly equipped or with a lack of knowledge. Unfortunately many do both. These days there is no excuse for not taking the Holy Trinity - Transceiver, Probe & Shovel - with you if you are heading off-piste.
1. Transceiver | 2. Probe | 3. Shovel |
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The links above will take you through to the Natives online store. Alternatively you might want to check out, Snowsafe or Facewest - another very good backcountry store. | ||
Backcountry Touring
So, how do you escape the crowds and access some genuinely unspoilt terrain? If you can't afford a helicopter, then touring is the obvious option. This used to be the preserve of ultra-slim, weight-obsessed, randonneurs, who took pride in living off lichen & melted snow as they accumulated vertical metres between mountain refuges.
However, things have changed. Freeriders want to rip up slopes that lifts just can't get to: but they don't want to sacrifice the ride down, so the equipment needs to be robust enough to pop cliffs and shred powder.
The BCA Trekker is a neat way of enabling skiers to go uphill, but letting them ride down on their Big Mountain skis. Fritchi & Naxo lead the market in freeride touring bindings and are common sights around off-piste havens like Chamonix & Verbier. Split snowboards provide the same touring ability for boarders, with Burton & Voilé offering the best options.
Specialist Backpacks
There are now backpacks incorporating an emergency-release inflatable balloon, making it more likely a person will 'float' to the surface.
Another great idea is Black Diamond's Avalung - which enables a buried victim to continue to breathe indefinitely under the snow.
Final thought...
"How many people spend a few hundred pounds before their holiday on designer sunglasses and a trendy jacket? A transceiver and telescopic shovel can cost less than £200. It might sound like a lot, but it will last a lifetime - more important it may save your - or someone else's life."
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