Talk:Backcountry skiing

Equipment?
What kind of equipment is used in backcountry skiing? Is it more typically alpine skiis, telemarks of cross-country? 66.30.136.200 (talk) 12:51, 9 January 2010 (UTC)

Answer: Most often tele, Alpine Touring (AT)set ups like fat skis and dynafit or Fritschi bindings, or a splitboard for snowboarders. Skins are also required for traction/climbing. Sometimes crampons for skis and poles such as BD Whippets that have a removable ice axe head. Safety gear like beacons, bacon, shovels, probes, avalanche airbags, and PLBs. In extreme situations pinions, anchors, ice screws, rope, harnesses, etc.

♦♦♦Sawatch777♦♦♦ 2.1.10 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.112.166.40 (talk) 05:19, 2 February 2010 (UTC)


 * Hi there, I added a section on Gear to the article. Please review for mistakes and additional information! I didn't include more specialized equipment like ice axes and crampons (boots or skis), but it might be appropriate to add. It would be great to get more information on splitboard equipment! Kdatist (talk) 17:34, 24 September 2019 (UTC)

Safety disclaimer
Dear Hike395,

I am wondering why you removed my edits to the Backcountry skiing page. The reason you gave for your commit does not seem to apply here: my edits were not about advising people what to do, but more about social responsibility: every winter, the ski areas are filled with people skiing off-piste without any safety equipment, believing that because they are close to the marked runs, there is no danger. Every winter, this belief kills people. The current phrasing of the page let the casual user believe that only "true" backcountry (ie with skins) requires avalanche skills. So we should either remove the mention that backcountry skiing can be hazardous or include my disclaimer (maybe in its own section).

Mathias.bavay (talk) 10:36, 16 August 2013 (UTC)


 * I think I fixed the article to address your point. As a matter of policy, Wikipedia does not provide advice, safety or otherwise. One sign of advice is the use of imperatives. Saying that something "should" be done is a sure sign of advice/how-to material. —hike395 (talk) 14:00, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

does the last paragraph belong to a Wiki article? "Backcountry skiing is a very dangerous and dynamic sport, and proper safety precautions should never be taken lightly. On average, over the past 10 years in the US, there has been 25 deaths directly related to avalanches while backcountry skiing. Although there is a lot of great safety equipment out there today to help minimize the chances of being another statistic, the #1 issue with backcountry safety is the lack of education.  A $300 avalanche lesson could save your life one day." 188.119.192.128 (talk) 13:25, 29 December 2013 (UTC)