Ski tour planning – how to make the tour a success

Ski tour planning

how to make the tour a success

No matter how eager you are to go on your next ski tour, every planning starts with the checking the weather, snow and avalanche situation. Cold and stormy weather can turn even a small ski tour into a big challenge.

On every ski tour with routes in unsecured terrain it is essential to check if the avalanche situation allows it. If the warning level is too high or you don’t have enough experience, postpone the tour to another day with a better forecast. Or choose a route that runs completely in secured terrain, i.e. on the piste.

When choosing a ski tour, you should always be honest and never overestimate yourself. That goes for fitness, altitude difference and slope steepness in the ascent and descent. Your learning curve will be steeper and safer if you are not over your limits. Plus this way you will have a lot more fun. Choose the ski tour according to your strengths. If you’re a good off-piste skier, you can also dare to go off-piste – otherwise you’d better choose a piste tour or a ski tour where you can also reach the piste. And keep in mind: Finest powder snow is never guaranteed, you can always expect icy slopes or runs with extremely heavy and wet snow!

Safety and fun is only possible if the equipment fits. Check in advance that the climbing skins fit your touring skis perfectly and the touring shoes fit your feet. Crampons can be worth their weight in gold in tough conditions and make your life uphill a lot easier. Off-piste ski touring poles with large baskets are much more comfortable, save energy and provide more grip. Sufficient warm clothing and a changeable shirt for the downhill run help you to concentrate on the essential stuff during the ski tour. Sufficient hydration and good food will put you in a good mood. Additionally we recommend warm tea in a thermos flask and a few bars or nuts for a quick energy supply in between.


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