Boots are always a trade-off between performance and weight. The overriding feature however is that they should be comfortable and for those with awkward feet a good technician will be able to advise on the best approach to get that snug comfy fit. Of the Alpine touring boots, the Scarpa Denali is one of the best on the market but is quite heavy. They do make a slightly lighter model called the Titan but with a loss of skiing performance. Other boots to consider are the Nordica TR 12, the Garmont GSM and the Dynafit tourlite boots but at the end of the day, comfort and fit will probably decide for you.
"Whatever ski you choose, skins are a vital part of equipment"
For telemark boots the choice is plastic - comfort, performance and warmth - or traditional leather boots, which lack many of these features. Scarpa and Garmont are the main players in the plastic telemark boot market and both manufacturers offer a range of boots for all levels of telemark skier.
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Pete and Andy Benson ski the eastern slopes of Meall Corranaich
Pic: Alsadair Reid See larger pic
Whatever ski you choose, skins are a vital part of the equipment. Traditionally made from moleskin, but now more commonly from nylon, they act very much like a cat’s fur being smooth one way to allow progress up the hill but grip (meooww!) to stop you sliding down the hill. When you want to go down, the self adhesive skins rip off leaving you to enjoy the descent.
So you’ve got the all the gear, where do you go? Scotland has a huge variety of ski tours, everything from gentle strolls along giant plateaus, to Alpine length tours through to dangerous and challenging steep gullies. As with most ski tours, it always an advantage if there is snow cover down to the road but these opportunities are few and far between Alas, unless a start is made from the top of a ski lift, an element of walking is usually required but a good descent on a lonely mountain always makes up for any effort.
"So you’ve got the all the gear, where do you go?"
For inspiration on where to go, the Scottish Mountaineering Club Guide to Ski Mountaineering in Scotland has lots of dreamy pictures of sunny snow capped mountains and gives details of exciting ski tours all over the country.
To ski tour safely, you need to make judgements about the snow conditions and the weather and these two factors should not be underestimated. Understand the dynamics of avalanches, check the avalanche and weather forecasts. Learn how to use and carry avalanche transceivers, shovels and probes; they may be expensive but give peace of mind.
