Spring ski touring is one of the most effortless and magical means of covering vast expanses of wilderness. Winter in the backcountry is a moonscape of consolidated snow in which to play on skis or a split board. The crux to maximizing the experience on the ups and downs however, is timing. If you’re after endless big turns down perfect corn, you’ll likely have to skin up in harder than ideal conditions for your skins to grip effectively. That’s when a good pair of ski crampons will not only make your life and travels easier, they can be a huge safety tool. Inevitably, we pack our ski crampons in the bottom of our packs and wait until the going gets overly icy and steep before thinking about them. What sounds like a simple tip is definitely not an obvious one. But trust us, it will turn a sketchy, terrifying skin into a solid and safe climb.
*First, always pack your ski crampons somewhere accessible either at the top or outside your pack at the start of your day. Second, before you start skinning up anything with some pitch to it, pull them out on the flats and pull your pack’s waist strap through the holes in your crampons so they are now on your waist and ready to deploy before the slope gets too steep for skins to work effectively.
