Thanks to Dynafit for sponsoring this Tech Tip. They’re psyched to make sure people are in the right gear and know how to use it.
Really flare out that free-flying skin for style points.
Efficient transitions = more laps = more fun
Transitions are an essential element of ski touring. An efficient one leaves more precious time for skiing while a botched one could result in frozen skins or fingers, or a ski careening down the mountain and disappearing forever in cloud of cold smoke. There is a wide spectrum of transition speeds and tactics. Depending on the situation I have found myself as an outlier to both.
As a ski mountaineer racer I have flashed through an uphill to downhill transition in less than 20 seconds (and have even been known to drill this on the carpet at home). On a recreational spring tour, the same transaction could take upwards of an hour as beverages are cracked and the sun creeps around a cirque to cast rays on next aspect to be skied. No matter what pace you move at in the mountains, your transitions can be and important piece for safety and comfort.
Be systematic
Like all procedures in the mountains both your uphill and downhill transitions should be done the same way every time. There is nothing worse than working your butt off to get to the top of a ski line only to realize with dismay that your boot was left in walk mode for the entire descent. I figure I ski technical terrain poorly enough because of my own body mechanics; there is no need to have the equipment working against me too. Coming up with a ritualistic way of handling your transitions will ensure better speed and efficiency and that you don’t miss a step.
In all below advice the obligatory steps of, 1) summit high fives 2) victory beers and or picnic 3) selfies that you may or may not post to social will be omitted for brevity’s sake. Please deploy these when necessary.
A word about layering
Adding layers for the colder action of skiing downhill is essential. This is the first step in the transition before your sweat from excursion starts to freeze. On a normal backcountry day I will add my layers from a packed down spot right at the transition. If a summit or ridgeline is involved I will start my transition before gaining the high point. Taking a minute to put on your layers before you need them is a great way to avoid exposure to winds and cold temps after topping out.
Taking skis off: uphill to downhill transition
Whether you transition with skis off or on, always start by putting your boots and bindings in ski mode.
This is where many people start when getting into the sport.
1. Find a flat spot. Or by taking the extra minute to tamp down one with your skis.
2. Remove your skis one at a time.
3. Put your first ski into ski mode. If you are using ski stoppers this will engage the brakes BEFORE setting them down or removing the skin. (Seems easy, but I have seen more than one ski fly down the mountain and ruin someone’s day).
4. Now that the brakes are engaged, remove the climbing skin. I prefer to keep my skins always stuffed into my jacket above the waist belt of my backpack. The warmer the skis remain the better chance they will stick when you need them again.
5. Set the first ski in the snow upside down. Take a little extra time to wiggle it into the snow. You can also bury the tails in a slope if it’s steep. It is important to practice this step of putting the ski down binding first even if you are using brakes; there may be a time when you don’t have them.
6. Repeat above steps for second ski.
7. Place boots into ski mode and flex liberally. Sometimes ice jammed in the walk mechanism will give you a false positive. It’s best to test this before your first turn is at hand.
8. Step into the toe of your binding and lock and unlock your toe several times to clear snow and ice from the pin holes. Make sure to return the lever to ski mode at the end of the cycle.
9. Swing your ski back and forth on just the toe pins. This is important to make sure you have a firm connection.
10. Step into the heel of the binding.
11. Enjoy hard earned turns
Skis on: uphill to downhill transition
Although some people see this as flashy or race oriented I would suggest anyone getting into the sport spends some time in the comfort and warmth of a living room practicing this technique. Once you have it down, it removes many of the above steps designed to trouble shoot icing in your pin holes or run away skis.
1. With skis on, reach down and turn or flip both bindings into ski mode.
2. Flip both boots into ski mode.
3. Stomp down to engage both heel towers.
4. Remove Skins. Now the ski ballet really begins. Using a pole for balance I like to bring my downhill ski back so the tip is in the snow. Then I reach back to unclip the tail of my skins and in one sometimes even smooth motion I rip the skin forward on the outside of the ski while sliding my ski backwards. Note: If you have a fancy Dynafit ski or other lightweight ski with a tip notch, it is far easier to remove the skin before locking your heels down in Step 3.
Option 1: reach back to the tail of your ski and rip forward while simultaneously bringing the ski back.
5. Repeat Step 4 with other ski. On steep snow I like to pull the uphill leg cross technique. While balancing on the downhill leg, Lift your uphill ski and cross it in front of your downhill leg. With your opposite hand remove the tail clip and rip skin down the inside edge of your ski. Confused yet? Videos TK.
6. Fold skins, stuff into jacket, and enjoy.
Option 2: bring the ski and ski across the opposite leg, grab the tail clip and rip forward while simultaneously bringing the ski back.
Keeping your skins inside your jacket will ensure they stay warm and happy for the next uphill.
Downhill to uphill transition
This is usually done first thing in the morning straight out of the car but for multiple lap skiing you will have to do this out in the field.
To start your uphill transition, put your boots in walk mode.
1. Begin by packing down a flat spot in the snow. You can be swallowed by deep snow and get unpleasantly wet, so take a minute to do this right.
2. Flick your boots into walk mode.
2. Remove skis one at a time. It helps to keep one on at all times to prevent the other from slipping away.
3. Attach skin.
Once you’re out of the ski, peel your skins apart. Some people peel them all the way apart, others use the ski to provide counter tension.
4. Put binding into touring mode. (See the recurring theme of keeping binding and brakes in ski mode whenever skin is off?)
5. Step into binding.
6. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 on second foot
7. Lock toes by pulling up both tabs on tech bindings.
8. Enjoy the uphill.
These are the steps that work for me and the closer I follow, them the less there is to go wrong. There are a thousand variations on the ski touring transition so please leave your additions in the comments below. If the reader gains one piece of advice its find a system that works for you and practice and repeat. Details and time-saving may seem small, but better efficiency adds up to more kick turns on the uptrack and powder turns on the down.
Note: we covered transitions for splitboarders last week. Check that out also if you have spliboarders in your group.
38 comments
Nice Summary however: Skis on transition to downhill step 2. Flip both boots into walk mode, aren’t they already in walk mode? I always lock mine into dh for stability before ripping skins.
Agreed, seems like a typo on step 2 of uphill to downhill with skis on.
Fixed that, thanks.
I take my backpack off FIRST.. The skier in the pic is doing the transition with his pack on, so I assume his helmet is in his pack and that is where he will put his skins. His pack has to come off at some point which Is why I do it first and flop it on the ground and then get on with the transition. Yes it’s easier to stand on one foot removing skins without wearing a pack. Lastly, I strap into my pack.
It’s faster if you don’t take off your pack, at all. Learn to tolerate some thermal instability; a little hot on the way up and a little cold on the way down. Lock your heels, rip your skins, stow them in your pack, and away you go. Skins go in your jacket. Get a helmet you can wear on the up and the down; or dispense with it altogether. If you need to get in your pack for food, water, etc. do it at the bottom where it’s not as windy or cold.
dw, what’s your average length of lap/climb? average vert per day?
Agree about leaving pack on. I seldom take mine off and wear a light, well-vented rigid foam hat both up and down. Same for goggles on a goggle day. Zippers and hoods handle most adjustments for temperature. Race style packs often have a semi-rigid compartment at the bottom with a velcro door operable while wearing. I use that for skins and don’t bother using body heat. Even on cold days skins stick to skis if their adhesive is kept clean and dry (Contour Hybrid adhesive). I use the crossed-leg method for stripping skins. It’s the most graceful way for me. Grace counts.
I use a bladder and tube for water. A tube just long enough to drink from is much less likely to freeze. Food is stowed in an exterior pocket reachable without removing the pack.
However, despite getting detailed advice from readers here on how to mount and remove ski crampons without dismounting from the skis, I’ve yet to succeed. I may need to see it done out in the snowy wild.
Step into the toe of your binding and lock and unlock your toe several times to clear snow and ice from the pin holes. Make sure to return the lever to ski mode at the end of the cycle.
9. Swing your ski back and forth on just the toe pins. This is important to make sure you have a firm connection.
– Ice under the springs will stop the pins from fully gripping the boot so I work the toe 3 times with the ski in my hand to clear smoo from under the springs
– There are slots in the pins at 3 & 9 o’clock that cant be seen from above, I swing the boot 3 or 4 times before stepping in
so the slots can auger the snow& ice from the pin holes
I do these 2 steps ^^ everytime I step in or the ski might fall off
typo: stow the skins in your jacket, not your pack
“Adding layers for the colder action of skiing downhill is essential. This is the first step in the transition before your sweat from excursion starts to freeze.”
Getting sweaty in the first place should be avoided at all costs. Get your layering/ventilation program dialed to the point that you don’t need to change layers. Sure there will be days with crazy/variable weather — and days you straight up botch it — but generally it’s an easy, worthwhile goal to ski up and down in the same kit. Also, getting sweaty means carrying more water, which means working harder, which means getting sweatier… just try to not sweat.
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” If you have a fancy Dynafit ski or other lightweight ski with a tip notch, it is far easier to remove the skin…”
Seriously. Why is the tip notch not industry standard for ALL backcountry skis now? What are the drawbacks? Everyone should have the opportunity to rip skins with skis on, and a minimal amount of ballet/cluster****ery. I have cut notches in the tips of fat skis, and it’s always worked out great.
I second the ski trip notch thing. Why isn’t this standard? It makes transition fast for those of us who are not ballerinas.
I try to wear the same clothes up and down unless the weather on top of horrible, and even then I’ll usually rush the transition to get down out of the wind rather than dig in my pack for the puffy.
Trying not to sweat is a bit hard for those of us who sweat just looking at a hill 🙂 Staying warm even when sweating profusely is still possible. Wool mesh baselayer with something very light on top where the water can evaporate works well for me. Add a vest that can be open on the way up and you’ve got a decent solution for staying warm. On cold days using thin shorts over the tights also works.
Totally with you on tip notches! But it is hard to get the ball rolling when everybody except for racers are set on fastening the skins in the tail…
Yup, I’m a big sweater too, and agree that vest + carefully-selected base layer is the way to go. Not sure I could pull off the tights, but lightweight “tropical” hiking pants (with a little DWR on the front) + windblock underwear gets the job done.
I too usually go sans tail clip, but for days when I do want one, the Dynafit (Pomoca) Speed Skins have a simple clip that works great paired with the rubber tip knob up front.
I also do the combination of a compression short under a lightweight hiking pant, that’s warm enough for me down to about zero F as long as not too windy and sun is shining. I’ve never felt a need for more layers than that for the lower body.
On top, I wear a thin merino poly blend quarter zip long sleeve, very light windbreaker with good, and a light softshell, with a ball cap, Mercury Mitts, and if really cold, a buff for my face. I bring a puffy but almost never use it. This gear is sufficient down to around zero F. I don’t get out much when it is below zero F, particularly if it’s windy.
But with a tipnotch the optimal solution after putting on warm clothes is:
1: closing boots
2: grabbing skin at tip and remove it while moving ski forward
3: clicking in binding when putting ski on the ground
Couple reasons skin notches are not standard (unfortunately). 1. Can increase cost of production (either from cutting and sealing the notch, or taking more time to lay up and align in the mold) 2. You ever seen the majority of BC users? wall to wall nylon with tip and tail attachments, full gtx on a bluebird day, etc… 3. With tail attachment-less skins you have to do a better job of skin glue management (like putting it in your jacket, and touching up the glue) which is just more things your average bc user has to do. 4. The attachment system is less durable.
SO I’m not saying it’s better, but it’s just a more advance set of things that has to be managed and that’s why your average tourer isn’t using them. But luckily adding tip notches is cake as long as you have a dremel and a drill.
Yes, agree with a pack off first. Once at the summit, one often needs to get a warmer layer/gloves, helmet and googles from the pack. Also, skis with a notch are pretty common so ripping skin from the tip is common too. I don’t know if I want to attempt a balancing act standing on one ski at the top of an exposed 14er. Maybe if I take up yoga? 🙂 I use ski leashes in the mountains. So I remove ski, rip skin, switch boot and binding into DH mode, click back into the binding and then do the same with other ski.
In my world, it’s pack off first, warm layers on, then skin removal either before or after a pour from the thermos, depending on conditions both human and environmental. Lou
Good article. I am similar to Lou (must be our old guy wisdom 🙂 *BUT* before skin removal I always always get my boots into ski/downhill mode. It’s so easy to do this with skins on your skis and to do it quickly. I saw this tip in an AMGA video on transitions.
There are some other great tips in here that I need to try (ie make sure brakes are engaged before taking skins off, turning ski upside down, etc). Thanks so much!
One clarification! I keep my skis ON (with skins) when transitioning the boots into ski/downhill mode. I found this is the easiest and safest way.
You’ve left my favorite transition out. Get the perfect alpine start Climb the steepest, most frightening shoot you can find in the Sierras. Take your crampons off, rest, wait for the snow to soften to the perfect level. Rip the shoot top to bottom, realize you left your expensive crampons sitting on a rock at the top. Climb back up, this time sans crampons. Recover crampons. Ski the same shoot now in manky horrible conditions. Struggle back to the car.
How many skiers does it take to make a skin track?
One to make the track and at least 2 others that say ‘I would have done it differently”.
One video instead (or as an addition) of the tldr article, please!
I’m all for an efficient transition though the boys up north taught me the Kootenay transition which has its place too.
What skin models do you use that let you rip easily, that stick well to the ski even in cold or repeated applications, but don’t need a netting between the glue when sticky sides are stuck to each other?
Contour Hybrid skins are all those things, PH, so long as you clean the glue when needed. It’s cleanable! I use Goo Gone.
Please elaborate. Imagine rolling papers are involved?
I think I lean towards the Kootenay method (efficiency is fine, but really we’re out there to enjoy our time not rush through it). However, I do take issue with top photo and caption: “Really flare out that free-flying skin for style points.”
Um, No – that’s dangerous! You should work to rip skins w/out possibly taking a partner’s eye out 😉
I used to rip skins with skis on all the time. I realized that more often than not there’s some snow or ice on your bases edges and/or topsheets. Often a tell-tale crime scene outline of your skin tip formed in snow/ice. Whether its cold snow getting under the skin and forming a skim of ice on the base, or the sunny uphill wall of a skintrack doing a little melt freeze on your edges (even at solstice!) there’s almost always something on your ski that could use a little attention with a scraper. If you spent any time waxing & scraping (or even if you didn’t) it s a bit of a waste to willingly take off downhill with that slowing stuff on your skis. This also helps you keep tabs on where/when your skins might be starting to fail.
Good one Buck! Happens all the time here in the PNW. Not only “slowing” but dragging to one side. Many times I’ve had partners express that the snow quality is not what they thought it was on the way up. Time to have them show me their bases! I NEVER “strip ‘em standing” and prefer partners who do not. Hate having partners standing around getting anxious while I’m kicking back having a good rest cause I want to be fresh for the best part of the day! Most of them want to get their runs in quickly and go home early. I’m just not into rushing around in the mountains! I’m out there to BE out there, the skiing part is a welcome bonus. 95% of the time, my top transition is sitting down for a short rest. I remove skins with the skis in my lap and make the mid length fold when the skin is still stuck at the top quarter, using the ski base as an inclined table – tail stuck in the snow. I save the boot buckle transition for last, just before getting up. Bending over with your pack on to fiddle with boots is the last thing your back wants! Many good ideas here to speed up the top transition, When it is rough weather at the top, doing a clothing transition in a sheltered spot close to the top is great. When it is frigid out, I’ve been able to stay in my warmest stuff on both ups and downs. I never climb with goggles on, however, and always stow my skins in my pack unless I’m having trouble with them. So there is always a need to take my pack off, besides it making a great seat!
There are some good skimo race tips that apply well to ski touring in general: Best sweat management I’ve found is
Craft base layers then wool layer next. The Patagonia R1 and or R2 techface fleece is an ideal breathable soft shell for Colorado that avoids over heating, multiple weight buffs frequently changed out manages neck, head and face.
Going tail clip free is a good skimo trick until your glue fails from multiple wet snow laps and then you are much better off with tail clips. It’s lighter to have one full clip pair of skins deep in the backcountry than carrying a back up pair of clip free skins. I practiced my skimo transitions plenty when I did the Rec race circuit, but in the bc, haste can hijack the aesthetic experience of wild snow. Slowing down brings a beauty all its own.
Oh bless those last two sentences! I’m lucky to live and tour where it is often calm, beautiful weather with amazing views at the top. Always confusing why some folks want to cut that short, get on with the turns and go home early!
Pre-transition tricks. Take care of some business before you stop with tiny pre- stops. Tighten toe buckle shortly before the climb ends and before stopping for transition. Align power strap. Change into downhill gloves and zip vents closed. with brief stops before the top Align goggles . On the up remove a layer by un-zipping layer pulling one arm out of pack strap while pinching the sleeve of that arm with the other hand behind your back/ This leaves the jacket wrapped around your waist and through the strap. Pack stays on, added warmth from waist wrapped layer.
For those of us whose feet get cold easily, ripping with skis on really reduces how cold feet get. Especially with thin lightweight AT boots.
I also buckle into downhill mode *after* ripping (last thing I do before skiing down). Again, helps to keep feet warm! It’s never really made it harder for me to rip with my skis on – YMMV.
Try sitting down and taking your weight off your feet. I have those d#&! light weight AT boots too.. Thankfully, I have a small volume foot so I was able to add a large stock foam foot bed under my liners. Still cold! Wish they would do away with trying to get the foot as low as possible and add some “egg crate” (dead airspace) to AT boots! Additionally, liners are totally worthless cheap crap in all lightweight AT boots that I’ve seen. I recommend getting Intuition liners for any of them for increased warmth and much better performance. When I take breaks, I stomp a hole for my legs and feet, set my pack down and sit on it. My feet and my core, are much warmer in this position.
Stripping ‘em standing and heading down right away can keep you warmer I’m sure. If you are well ahead of your group at the top, maybe that’s not appreciated. If you don’t get to take in the views available only at the top, maybe you are missing out. Looking out for avvy activity on neighboring slopes is something I make sure to do at the top. Digging a quick pit can be another important step before skiing down. The point I’m trying to make is: If you are not prepared to spend a little time in one spot, are you really prepared to be out there!
I carry side-zip insulated over pants on all winter tours. Few folks do. Doesn’t make me invincible, but I can take a break out there, stay out longer, without having to constantly keep moving.
Ed R is right about at least some stock boot liners. I just replaced a pair of Atomic Backland Carbon Light liners with Intuition Pro-Tour Low Volume liners, and they are warmer and ski better at nearly the same weight. Their range of motion is comparable.
I am of the mostly-keep-moving persuasion (not fast, though moving), but tastes differ. One of the things I cherish about backcountry skiing is that you can be always skiing, either up or down. A lot of sports require lots of waiting around or messing with gear. With bc skiing it’s optional.
Good tips and advice and here is one that is often overlooked and applies especially to soloing, Be sure to look back at your transition place after two steps when leaving to be sure you have not forgotten a piece of gear or perhaps dropped something.
Glad someone mentioned this! Solo or not, most all stops, unless your pack has stayed on. Summer and winter.