The Complete Guide to Skiing in Touring

Everything you need to know to choose your gear, understand the sport, and head out into the mountains.

There comes a moment when everything changes. You leave the trail behind. The ski lifts disappear behind you. All that remains is the sound of your skins on the snow, your breath, and the mountain opening up before you. That’s what ski Touring is all about. Climbing under your own power. Choosing your own line. Descending where no one has gone before.

You don’t need to be a seasoned mountaineer. You don’t need to have skied your whole life. Skiing à Touring is for anyone looking for something different: direct contact with the terrain, an effort that gives meaning to every turn. And gear designed for just that: each ski embodies a shape, an intention, a way of interpreting the mountain. This guide helps you understand the sport, choose the right gear, and head out safely with the right equipment.

Touring, or Touring, involves ascending a mountain on skis using climbing skins attached to the bottoms of the skis, then skiing down freely once the skins are removed. Unlike traditional alpine skiing, there are no ski lifts. The skier provides the power for the ascent.

Touring ski equipment is designed to meet these two requirements: being lightweight on the ascent and high-performance on the descent. The Bindings feature a walking mode (free heel) and a descent mode (locked heel). The skis are lighter than alpine skis, with constructions optimized to reduce weight without sacrificing stability.

The sport encompasses several different approaches. Classic “ Touring ” prioritizes efficiency on the ascent and lightweight equipment. “Freerando”—a term coined in the 2010s with the arrival of wide, lightweight skis like the ZAG UBAC—combines ascending on skins with a freeride-oriented descent on wider, more playful skis.

Beginners in backcountry ski Touring ingare looking for forgiving, easy-to-handle gear that inspires confidence from their very first off-piste turns. A ski with a good balance of weight and stability and an accessible flex.


The regular ski tourer wants a versatile ski that performs equally well in light powder and on groomed snow. They’re looking for a smart compromise between ascents and descents.


The freerider making the switch to the “ Touring ”refuses to sacrifice the thrill of the descent. They want a wide, playful ski capable of floating in deep snow while remaining light enough to carve clean turns.

Ski width
Thisis the measurement, in millimeters, of the narrowest part of the ski, under the foot. It determines the ski’s overall performance.

- Below 90 mm, you’re on a ski designed for ascents and classic Touring : lightweight, responsive, and efficient on hard snow and during turns. This is the domain of lightweight Touring skiing in the strictest sense.

- Between 90 and 100 mm, you’re in the all-around category. The ski remains narrow enough to follow existing tracks without extra effort, while offering enough float in soft snow. This is what’s known as a versatile Touring ski. Beyond that, the ski often exceeds the width of a classic Touring track; each step requires a little more effort.

- Above 100 mm, you’re entering the freerando category. These skis are designed primarily for downhill skiing. They float in powder, handle speed well, but require more effort on the ascent.


Weight
Intheversatile classic- Touring , a ski typically weighs around 1,100 to 1,300 g per ski. This is the weight range for models that combine efficiency on the ascent with a true sense of excitement on the descent—which is where the UBAC line fits in.

Note: the ultra-lightweight category exists below this (skis weighing 700 g or less), but that’s a different story, focused almost exclusively on performance on the ascent. Above 1,500 g, you enter the realm of freerando models, which are more stable on the descent but more demanding on the ascent. Above 1,500 g, you enter the realm of freerando models, which are more stable on the descent but more demanding on the ascent.

The right balance depends on your skiing style. If you spend 80% of your time climbing and 20% descending, weight is the top priority. If it’s the other way around, stability and width take precedence.


Profile: camber and rocker
Camber is the natural upward curve of the ski when it’s laid flat. It provides grip on hard snow and helps you regain speed when turning. Rocker is the opposite curvature, at the tip and/or tail: it’s the part of the ski that isn’t in direct contact with the snow when the ski is laid flat. This raised section facilitates pivoting, float in powder, and forgiveness on uneven snow.

A classic cross- Touring ski will have a pronounced camber with slight rockers: stability and grip. 

A freerando ski will have reduced camber and generous rockers: playfulness and lift.


Flex
Flex determines the ski’s stiffness in the longitudinal direction. A stiff flex provides stability at high speeds and precision in turns. A medium flex is more forgiving, easier to bend during pivots, and more playful. For a beginner in ski Touring, a medium flex is often more suitable.

Binding systems

Bindings with inserts (or “pins”)
The lightest system. The boot clips onto two metal pins at the front. During the descent, the heel locks into a rear stop. This is the current standard in the Touring , used by the majority of riders. The ZAG FORGE[Tour] and FORGE[Pro] Bindings , developed with ATK in Italy, use this system.


HybridBindings s (such as the Salomon Shift or ATK Hy)
They combine a classic alpine toe piece with a walking system. Heavier than insert-style Bindings s, they offer downhill stability closer to that of alpine skis. Suitable for skiers who want a single setup for both resort and off- Touring.


Selection criteria
Weight is a key factor if ascending is your priority. The DIN range should match your weight and skill level: a 4–10 range covers most skiers at Touring, while a 3–11 range offers more leeway for lighter skiers or those seeking a more aggressive ride. For the most powerful skiers or aggressive alpine skiing, Bindings go well beyond that—up to DIN 15 or 16. The width of the brakes must match the waist width of your ski. 

Materials

Mohair (Angora goat hair)
The best balance of glide and grip. Lightweight, smooth, and performs excellently on cold snow. Less durable than synthetic materials.


Nylon (synthetic)
Very durable and offers good grip in wet conditions. Glides less well than mohair.


Mohair/nylon blend
The industry standard. Combines the glide of mohair with the durability of nylon. This is the choice of the ZAG line: POMOCA skins made of 70% mohair / 30% nylon offer a balance between performance and longevity.


Care Instructions
Let the skins dry at room temperature after each outing, with the adhesive exposed to the open air. For storage, most skins on the market require a protective mesh between the sticky sides, but ZAG skins are an exception; their adhesive allows them to be folded directly skin-to-skin without a mesh. Store them flat or hung up in a dry, temperate place. If they lose their grip, they can be re-glued.

Touring 's skiing isn't just another sport. It's a way of experiencing the mountains. Every run is different. Every climb adds value to the descent. And on certain days, when the snow is good and your body finds its rhythm, everything falls into place. The skis carry you. The terrain responds to you. You come back down a little different. That’s why we’ve been designing skis in the Alps since 2002—for those moments when the shape we’ve given the ski meets the line you carve in the snow.