Backcountry skiing

[2] As the sport does confront the individual practicing it with the dangers of natural, unprepared alpine terrain like avalanches, it is generally recommended to carry standard safety equipment and to learn beforehand how to behave safely under such conditions.

[4] Traveling on snow in the backcountry requires additional technical and safety equipment to efficiently and safely tour outside of monitored or patrolled areas.

The type of skis or snowboards that perform well in the backcountry are lightweight and optimized for long-distance uphill traveling.

A narrow strip of nylon or mohair fabric designed to mimic sealskin and allow skis to slide forward, uphill, but not backwards, downhill.

Tech binding compatible boots are also designed with additional features useful in hiking and mountaineering pursuits including a rockered sole and rubber lugs that aid in bootpacking and climbing.

If an avalanche occurs, skiers that have remained safe switch their beacons to "receive" signals from buried victims to begin emergency search and rescue procedures.

A beacon is a useless piece of gear without the knowledge to use it properly and ability to conduct an emergency search and rescue.

Skiers will practice with members of a touring group to refresh skills and build confidence in the life saving capabilities of their skiing partners.

Strong skills and enough practice with both a beacon and probe allow backcountry skiers to more efficiently find victims, thereby increasing their chances at survival.

Avalanche shovels are also used to dig snow pits and perform stability tests to analyze the history of the snowpack, and they can also be useful for building jumps and other freestyle features in the backcountry.

This is because when snow debris from an avalanche sets, it hardens into a firm pack resembling concrete and will shatter plastic blades.

[14] In addition to the equipment listed above, other pieces of essential gear include the ten essentials, a helmet and goggles, gloves, extra layers for variable weather conditions that can be life-threatening in the backcountry, an ice axe for steeper mountaineering-style tours, ski crampons for steep and icy ascents that skins fail on, a Voile ski strap, duct tape (which can be used for a variety of reasons including gear failures and emergency first aid), and a pack large and comfortable enough to carry all the equipment.

In recent years training courses on how to use these tools and how to assess the risk of avalanches have become commonplace in North America.

A set of backcountry ski runs in the Battle Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains . Notice a minor avalanche has occurred at the right of frame.
Warning sign at the ski resort boundary of Stevens Pass. Many tracks leaving the ski area nearby indicate people enjoying sidecountry tree skiing.
Backcountry skiers skinning up in British Columbia
Backcountry skiers skinning up in Norway
Snowboarding in deep powder is technically easier than skiing and much faster to learn. One reason is that there is naturally no requirement to keep the skis parallel, one of the main difficulties when skiing in deep snow.
A deployed airbag.