in soft snow, insert the tail of both skis into the snow so that they stand up slightly and the bindings are freely accessible. In hard snow, stamp down to create a small, even surface so that the touring skis lie as flat and securely as possible. Start by stepping into the binding of the downhill ski. Before stepping on, tap your ski boot against the back of your other boot to remove any snow. Check the soles for lumps of frozen snow and ice. If necessary, clean them with your pole and/or hand. Follow this principle to step into both touring bindings. In icy conditions it can help to briefly lock pin bindings (pull the lever on the toe piece up) to reset them into the “ski” position. This often presses ice and snow out of the inserts and prevents them from being triggered accidentally.