Backcountry skiing requires a variety of equipment in addition to the gear you use at a ski resort. Since
you're venturing into unmanaged snow-covered mountains and engaging in climbing in addition to skiing, equipment similar to that used for a short winter mountain climb is essential, regardless of the duration or location of your trip.
Therefore, we covered the "Backcountry Ski Gear Experience" workshop held at the end of January, hosted by Lost Arrow, a company that handles backcountry ski gear from brands like Black Diamond and Scarpa. We've extracted some footage from the workshop, which taught the proper use and handling of hike-up gear and avalanche gear, and compiled it into a collection of how-to videos for backcountry beginners. There are a total of 10 videos.
[Hiking Gear]
Climbing skins
, bindings
, ski poles
, ski crampons
, ski boots
【Avalanche Gear】
・Beacon
・Shovel
・Probe
・Avalanche Backpack
This time,
we focused on climbing skins. Our instructor, mountain guide Genki Narumi, gave us a lecture on how to put on and take off climbing skins. He also taught us how to perform the kick turn, one of the most technical techniques for hiking uphill.
Step 1: How to put on climbing skins
Step 2: How to remove climbing skins
Step 3: How to do a kick turn
*The content introduced here is only a part of the training course.
・Gear used in this video
Black Diamond/Glide Lite Mix FL Series
The skin is a lightweight, glide-resistant blend of mohair (65%) and nylon (35%). The hair is treated with a non-fluorine durable water-repellent finish. The adhesive uses Gold Label adhesive for strong adhesion, allowing for repeated reapplication even in harsh environments. It's available in three widths: 110mm, 135mm, and a splitboard-specific (145mm width) version. It's available in four lengths: S = 151-168cm, M = 159-176cm, L = 167-184cm, and XL = 175-193cm
Interview cooperation/Lost Arrow
Video shooting and editing/Daiki Yoshikawa
Video composition and text/Shinya Moriyama