In reply to Simon4:
> (In reply to Damo) The problem is skiing down with a full climbing pack. I am sure that some users of this forum can do it, and probably do it well, but that is very much the exception than the rule.
>
Oh, I certainly agree with all that. I was just disagreeing with David's statement about relative speeds uphill. As for Cogne, much of that, iirc, is relatively flat - that's why there is a popular x-country circuit there - so some of the approach might be OK on skis for the poor skier, though I always walked it.
In the actual mountains though, for alpine routes or remote water ice routes, skiing badly back down, rucsac or not, is dangerous and unfun, as noted above. I've used skis a lot in Antarctica, but have always rued not being good enough to ski well (or at all) down some of the stuff we have skinned up.