Uphill Performance Touring skis

Focus uphill performance skitouring skis

Without a lift or the use of other motor-driven aids as in alpine skiing, climbing a mountain becomes a sweaty sport pretty quickly. But the effort is also rewarded with a lot of fun and breathtaking landscapes.

Unlike normal walking, the technique of walking on touring skis is to push the skis forward without lifting them from the ground. That said, weight is a key factor itself, as well as it plays into agility uphill and downhill. But you should also know that the downhill quality decreases to a certain amount the faster you go. So you can imagine how properties correlate whith each other and form certain characteristics, that make the ski favourable for specific applications.

Lightweight skis for optimized uphill performance

Ascent-oriented touring skis are a rather good choice for more experienced touring skiers with a  focus on fast, far and high and somewhat tend towards ski mountaineering. Models such as the Dynafit Blacklight 80, Trab Magico.2, Fischer Transalp 82 Carbon or Movement Alp Tracks 85 are therefore very suitable for demanding, long day or multi-day tours. But they are also popular for after-work fitness tours along the piste. Some of thes models are also available in a special female version.

Given their narrow width of around 80 mm under the binding they are very lightweight. This makes these touring skis easier to move (and carry), especially in steep terrain, and hairpin technique becomes less complicated. Due to the lower weight, you will also manage to climb more vertical and horizontal metres compared to all-rounders or even freetourers. However, you have to make some sacrifices in terms of downhill quality on and off-piste not to mention powder.
This is because less weight also leads to less smoothness on the descent (especially when skiing faster) and, due to their lack of width, also less uplift in powder. For these reasons, you should be an advanced skier to handle demanding terrain.

A good compromise for beginners – Allround-Skis

If that's too special for you, simply go for the all-round category. These touring skis are the perfect compromise between easy ascent and good downhill performance for your tour. The ski for beginners but also for experts without major weaknesses. The still comparatively lighter weight promises you easy ski touring and the slightly wider cut under the binding guarantees you good skiing characteristics and lots of fun on the descent.

The right length of your skis

For ideal skiing fun, however, you should also consider the length of your skis. The shorter your ski, the more maneuverable it becomes, which has some advantages, especially in steeper terrain. You will also save weight in the ascent. However, you will have to make some sacrifices when it comes to downhill characteristics like less stability and edge grip. 

Generally said, longer skis that reach up to your nose are optimal. You can go even longer with regard to your abilities. See our ski sizing guide for more details. 

Further touring ski categories:

For all those who want to be even more sporty and competitive: Race touring skis

Simply one for everything and everyone: All-round touring ski

Everything (almost everything) that counts is downhill fun: Free Touring Skis/downhill-oriented touring skis

Easy and inexpensive entry, sensibly put together by an expert: touring ski sets