Alpine Touring Skis - Buyers Guide
Alpine Touring skis are skis that are designed with uphill in mind. Touring involves a ton of effort so weight of your skis is incredibly important.
Waist Width
Touring skis span across all waist widths and have slightly different categories to their alpine counterparts. Touring skis specific to Australia are typically just as wide as in the Northern Hemisphere due to the importance of variable and soft snow performance.
| Category | Waist Width |
|---|---|
| Skimo Race Skis | 60-75 |
| Fitness & Training skis | 75-90 |
| All Around Touring Skis | 90-105 |
| Powder Touring Skis | 105+ |
Our favourite dedicated touring skis are all 95-105mm, this is our ideal balance of downhill performance in typical backcountry conditions whilst retaining great uphill characteristics.
Length
| Alpine Touring Ski Length Guide | Your Height | |
|---|---|---|
| Skier Ability | Beginner | Subtract 10cm |
| Intermediate | Subtract 5cm | |
| Advanced | Your Height | |
| Expert | Add 5cm | |
eg. A 173cm Intermediate skier should look for Alpine Touring skis around 168cm
If in between lengths, it's recommended for less experienced backcountry skiers to size down to save weight and make kick turns easier. More experienced skiers can choose to go longer for more downhill performance or downsize to save weight.
Weight
In Alpine Touring skis, weight is the #1 factor. Lighter skis will go uphill better but will be less durable and won't have the same downhill performance.
| Alpine Touring Ski Weight Guide | Mens (~180cm) | Womens (~165cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Light | <1450g | <1300g |
| Light | 1450-1700g | 1300-1550g |
| Crossover | >1700g | >1550g |
