Climbing in an integral part of backcountry skiing. Instead of dreading the climb, anticipate what you’re going to see once you reach the top! While skiing on the flats is not as exciting as going downhill, skiing the flats can be a pleasant experience if you learn to relax your mind and go with it. If you’re expedition skiing, you’ll need to cover a lot of ground between those downhill sections. Skiing or climbing up the slope you intend to ski down is a good practice, and lets you inspect snow conditions. Climbing in the backcountry is all about technique and equipment. It’s not all muscle!

Image captions (looking at small icons on the left):
Top left: A dramatic alpine backdrop during an early morning climb, en route to the Vignette Hut from the Dix Hut. Day four of the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route. Vivesphoto.

Top right: These skiers are using a diagonal stride for forward locomotion. Subconsciously the body walks diagonally – that is, the left arm and right leg advance together. Alpine skiers during an early morning peak climb in the Austrian Alps.Photo Courtesy of Gary Neptune.

Middle left: Advancements in skin adhesives have rid the skier of skins which used buckles and straps that often interfered with traversing steeper slopes quickly. Vivesphoto.

Middle right: The rewards of climbing! A mile or so beyond the top of Snowmass Ski Area (Colorado). East Snowmass Creek with the Maroon Bells Wilderness is in the background. Vivesphoto.

Bottom left: A staggered ski pole helps in keeping the body “square” to the traverse, increasing climbing efficiency. Carter Photographics.