It might be time for you to start exploring your off-piste options at your resort of choice. Most resorts don’t allow you to go off-trail without a guide or special permit, but arranging an off-piste tour is absolutely worth it if you want to take your alpine skiing to the next level.

Photo by Boggin

Going off the beaten path carries with it some considerable additional risks. You’ll be outside the regular paths of the ski patrol. It can be easy to get lost, or find yourself at the bottom of the mountain with no lift for miles around if you don’t plan out your route.

Hidden hazards can threaten even experienced skiers, and the risk of avalanches is very real even in good conditions. Know your risks, consult with experts who know the terrain, and make sure that you’re not breaking any rules and regulations.

Losing your ski pass isn’t worth a single off-trail lark.

Photo by per.edin

Before you embark on an extended off-piste expedition, be sure to gear up with important safety and performance equipment designed specifically for the needs of extreme off-piste skiers.

1-4. Avalanche Safety Equipment

These items aren’t very expensive, but they can save the lives of your entire skiing party. If you’re going off-piste, make sure that everyone carries avalanche transceivers with them. This is the most fool-proof way to survive an avalanche, although you need to be conscious to activate it if you become buried in snow.

Price: $289.00 | BCA Tracker DTS Avalanche Beacon

Any modern ski patrol will be well equipped with them, so you can be confident that you’re managing your risk effectively.

Price: $129.95 | Black Diamond Avalung II

At least one person in your party should also carry avalanche probes and a small shovel, although it is preferable that everyone brings their own. The mountains don’t distinguish between the people they decide to bury. It’s better to carry a little extra weight than to end up dead and buried.

Price: $49.95 | Mammut Avalanche Probe Plus

Price: $44.95 | Black Diamond Transfer 3 Shovel

5. Two-Way Radios

Cell phone coverage is improving all around the world, but anyone who’s been skiing for very long – particularly in the back country – knows just how unreliable they can be. Injuries can happen at any time, and when you’re in the back country, it can save hours – and lives – if everyone comes equipped with effective two-way radios. A General Mobile Radio Service radio is a good choice for a back country skiing group.

One common such radio, the Motorola Talkabout FV700R, costs only about $35 from most online retailers. Be sure to bring spare batteries in case you end up spending more time out in the snow than you anticipated.

Price: $45.00 | Motorola FV700R Talkabout® Two-Way Radios

6. Performance Wax

Downhill skiers accustomed to groomed trails often find themselves stymied by sticky snow when they go off-piste because they have not waxed their skis sufficiently. The amount of powder that you’ll be plowing through wears down the waxy surface of your skis quickly, and you’re also likely to be hitting more patches of rough ice and rock than you would be otherwise.

Don’t just get waxed at the ski shop – bring some with you when you’re going out in the field.

If you’re planning on a group trip, have everyone chip in for a bulk order of some Hertel Super Hot Sauce ski wax for around $170 to keep you going downhill all season.

Price: $12.00 | Hertel “Super Hot Sauce” All Temperature Ski and Snowboard Wax, 5 oz

7. Ski Helmet

You might be able to get away just fine without a helmet on marked trails, but when you’re in the back country, the wipeouts are especially spectacular. It’s impossible to know what’s in front of you when you’re going off-piste, so it makes sense to do your best to protect your head.

Helmets from vendors like Giro, Smith and K2 are specially designed for skiing, with heavy-duty straps to prevent it from becoming a part of one of your inevitable “yard sales.” If you’re going to go back country, you’re going to fall – hard. It’s virtually guaranteed.

Price: $39.99 – $110.00 | Giro Nine Snow Helmet

8. Backcountry Skis

Ordinary skis are designed for the hard packed conditions of most groomed trails, or are designed as a compromise between powder and ordinary snow. It can occasionally be an exercise in frustration to carve off-piste with those kinds of skis.

If you’re planning on spending a lot of time off-piste, it’s a good idea to rent or buy a set of backcountry skis – often referred to as Freeride Skis.

These are designed to cut through all types of snow and difficult conditions. They are heavier relative to normal alpine skis, so they require more strength to carve with effectively. Manufacturers like Rossignol, Salomon, Scott and K2 all release excellent lines of these ski types.

Price: $698.95 | Scott Mission Alpine Ski

Telemark Skiing is less popular than downhill or even cross-country skiing, owing in part to the difficulty but also because of its niche status.

Photo by dirkgroeger

That wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that it makes the gear a lot more expensive and difficult to rent. If you’re ready to get on the slope, here’s the gear you’ll need to get started in this sport.

1. Boots

Boots. Obvious, right? When you’re telemarking, you need boots that best fit you and give you good performance, both unbound and bound. You will not be a happy skiier if you don’t get the fit right.

Expect to spend at least $500 on new boots, and if you’re buying everything at once, be sure that they work well with your choice of bindings. Brands to look for include Scarpa, Garmont and Crispi.

Price: $599.95 | Garmont Ener-G Telemark Boot – Men’s

2. Skis

If you’ve been watching telemarkers from afar for years, you might be surprised to see what the newest skis look like. As time has gone on and materials science has advanced, telemarking skis have grown to resemble downhill ones.

Some have even used alpine skis for telemarking, but it’s not recommended – the style of skiing, even downhill, is very different in terms of weight distribution – you’ll be putting much more weight on your uphill ski with telemarking than in downhill. Expect to pay more than $400 for a pair.

Price: $499.95 | Karhu Spire Telemark Ski

3. Skins / Crampons

Skins and crampons are covers that you place on your telemarking skis to help them climb better. If you’re accustomed to cross-country, you’ll find that it’s far easier to get up hills – and mountains – with a good set of telemarking equipment.

Skins are made out of a synthetic material that helps your skis grip the snow. Crampons help you climb up icy, hard surfaces. Most of these fit the tips and tails of the ski.

Many people who are just getting into the hobby underestimate just how much these important pieces of equipment will cost. Expect to spend $100-200 on a set of skins alone.

Price: $75.00 | Telemark Ski Crampon by Voile

4. Bindings

You can’t ski without something to attach your boots with. The type of binding that you run with for telemarking is arguably very important because of the dual-style of stiff and flexible you need to use.

Innovations are continually coming in, with Rottefella’s brand-new NTN binding system being an excellent example. The bindings are also rather pricey, going for $300 and up for new ones.

Before jumping into extreme conditions, be sure to get accustomed to a new set of bindings – it can be a very different experience depending on the style that you purchase.

Price: $299.95 | G3 Targa Ascent Telemark Ski Binding

5. Warm, Breathable Clothing

Any kind of skiing is an intense workout if you push yourself, but telemark skiing is something else entirely. Your goal when picking your clothing is to minimize mass while maximizing flexibility and insulation.

Price: $239.96 | Marmot Randonnee Pant – Men’s

Unlike pure downhill skiing, in which it doesn’t matter so much if you pack on an extra 20 or 30 pounds of clothing, with telemark skiing you have to carry that extra weight uphill.

Layer thin underwear and consider forgoing a heavy outer jacket unless you’re facing extreme cold. As long as you have on a waterproof outer shell, you should be alright.

Price: $239.93 – $294.95 | Spyder Defender Insulated Ski Jacket (Men’s)

Price: $269.99 | Spyder Spine Ski Jacket (Women’s)

Community Connection

Looking to try telemark skiing? Check out our first timers’ guide – Free Your Heel, Free Your Mind: A First-Timer’s Guide to Telemark Skiing