UKC

Hi,

After my second season in the Alps skiing in resorts, I've decided to leave the crowds behind and start learning ski touring. I can ski black slopes, I don't have the full skills like jump turns (getting there). Next weekend I will be in Scotland and this will be my last chance to put on ski boots for this season. I have been inquiring about private guides to learn the essentials but it's getting a bit over my budget at the moment.

I was wondering if I rent some touring equipment in Aviemore, do you think I can get the handle of skinning up some easy slopes and make it back down? I never used any touring equipment before. Are the easy areas like A' Chailleach even covered in snow at the moment ? Or any of these http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6092

Any advice?

Thanks,

In reply to aalper:


Provided you have mountain skills too (navigation etc) then no problem.

In reply to aalper:

You can always ski beside the ski area if weather is indifferent for easy navigation or for practice. I would definitely not recommend learning to ski tour in bad visibility on your own. Actually, I would not even commend it when there's a group of experienced skiers.
Worth trying to see if there is a late place on a course available too.

In reply to aalper:
Hi - I was asking myself a similar question a few weeks ago, faced with large cornices and only the ridges to climb on Ben Nevis I decided to head to Aviemore and try touring. Touring is something I have been interested in for a while so I did a little research beforehand. There are some excellent articles aimed at the beginner on UKC so these are worth a read. I had a day downhill skiing first to find my ski legs and then headed to Mountain Spirit where Rob was very helpful in providing all the kit and a few ideas for a first tour. The kit cost £65.00 for two days which I thought was very reasonable (make sure the boots feel comfy straight from the offing if not they will hurt a lot as I found out!). My first tour took me from the carpark area to the summit of Cairngorm, I was able to skin all the way and followed a route up left to windy ridge and the Ptarmigan restaurant, from the summit I headed down into Coire Raibert and then skins back on to the summit of Lochan, from here I headed off down to Lurchers Gully and followed this until I came to standstill, there was then just a short walk back to the carpark. I am by no means a great skier, but thought the adventure was fantastic and will try again. Not sure how the cover is holding up but hope you have a great time.

In reply to aalper:

The getting up and across is no hassle, the getting down in one piece is a different ball game

In reply to aalper:

Yes rent some kit and give it a try. You don't have to go far from any of the ski centers for some nice touring and if it doesn't work out you can always go back to the piste.

In reply to Paul Atkinson:

The man says he can ski blacks so he'll be fine on an easy tour.

In reply to aalper:

Do you mean you have done 2 whole seasons or had a couple of weeks in the Alps in each of the last few years?
My advice, from the mistakes I made, would be to spend as much as possible learning to ski properly so that when it comes to crap snow with a biggish sack on your back, you can still derive some pleasure.
Skinning and kick turns are quite easy to get the hang of.... but then you get into all the other stuff about avalanches etc which a guide could impart lots of useful info about.

In reply to Djhartley:

Thanks Djhartley! That's really helpful! I think I will give this a try and try to have a nice day out. I have navigation skills as I do plenty hillwalking and climbing as well, but still I think I will check the weather. For the boots you rented in Mountain spirit, how was the fit? Did you use the same size as in your ski boots or did you size up?

In reply to earlsdonwhu:

two and half weeks in the Alps only and some weekends in Scotland. Always with ski instructor. My aim is to get some experience with the ski touring kit and moving around a bit. I am hoping to get into a proper course in the alps next season.

In reply to aalper:


Ignore the worryworts. If you can get down a black run then you have the DH skills you need. You don't need to be an awesome skier to go touring just have basic competence, know your limits and have a healthy dose of common sense*. You can tour and continue to develop your DH skills.

Don't wait. Go do.

*edit: and avalanche awareness etc.

In reply to DaveHK:
youtube.com/watch?v=XsiiIa6bs9I&

In reply to ASharpe:

It's all about the chicks.

In reply to aalper: Don't waste money on guides, just do it. Read the avalanche reports though. The Ben Lawers corries and ridge are a good place to start conditions permitting. Scottish piste skiing is awful, but off piste magic...

In reply to aalper:

Thanks for all the replies. I will go out this weekend weather permitting, rent some kit and hope I find something easy in condition. Anybody rented kit from Tiso in Perth? If they are good that gives me more options for places without going all the way to Aviemore (I am based in Dundee for the weekend).

Also any easy touring areas near glenshee?

In reply to aalper:


Easiest terrain is going W from ski centre over to Loch Vrotachan and then Carn a' Gheoidh: aim to join the ridge at the col W of Carn nan Sac. Coire Clachach often gives a good run, but you have to regain some height on the return. On the E side it's usually better to start from the main road about 2km N of the ski centre and go up via Sron na Gaoithe: you can then do Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc: the best run off the latter is normally the shallow gully on the NW side (Turkey Gully).

In reply to aalper:

Go for it.

(Make sure the boots fit or it will ruin the enjoyment)

In reply to DaveHK:

I think he is right, the problem is still to get down. There is going down a black and going down a black off piste after a 3-5 hours climb with bagpack, complicated weather/snow conditions.

What saves me is tspend more time on resort than I would like, skiing off piste (even if just along the piste but never on it). I sarted I could hardly do a blue... Two years on, I am starting to believe I am actually skiing. Style is another matter though.

And I suppose moving to Geneva plaied a part too. You know, the all fondue thingy.

In reply to sebastien:


Sure, but Scotland is not the Alps: there are plenty of good tours to do where the descents are never steeper than a blue.

In reply to aalper:

The first pair I used were a pair of Scarpa Maestrale and I knew when I tried them in the shop they were not a great 100% fit but was too keen to get out the slopes and paid a high price with two kingsize blisters by end of the first day! The guys in the shop were great and after trying on every other pair of size 10 boots available settled for a pair of Salomon Quest which were really comfy, I also had to patch up my feet with compede. The second day was compromised but still had a great time!

In reply to aalper:

What about the bindings for the first time? Should I start with step in touring bindings or with dynafit bindings? Is it better transition slowly or get used to dynafit right from the start?

In reply to aalper:

If they have dynafit for hire, go with them. (I've not hired from Aviemore for a few years, but it used to be all step-in type)

Dynafit is where it's at

In reply to aalper:

Doesn't really matter for your first time just give it a go. You can always try different skis/bindings later if you take to it.