Are you looking forward to finally getting the deep powder snow under your planks or your snowboard again, but are in doubt about which equipment you should bring and which skis / snowboards are best suited for the different destinations? Then you’ve come to the right place. Read on about what we at Eastern Snow recommend, so you get the most out of your trip.
The right planks
When it comes to skiing, we recommend Freeride or All mountain skiing. If you want skis that are primarily used for off-piste, the Freeride skis is the right skis for you. This type of skis provides a more comfortable flow in the deep snow, so you can get down the mountain more easily and without difficulty. The freeride skis can be just as long or longer, but are typically softer in its construction, which is why you can lose a bit of stability at high speeds on ordinary slopes, but on the other hand they are easier to maneuver with when it comes to soft depths. These types of skis are easy to use, even in difficult conditions, as the skis are wider than normal skis to improve buoyancy.
If you want skis that run well in the depths, but can also be used on the piste, the All Mountain ski may be the right choice. These skis will be able to make more cutting turns on the piste and stand better than the Freeride skis. We do not recommend using classic race carving skis for off-piste and deep snow.
If you are going ski touring at Lake Baikal we recommend that you use Freeride or All mountain skis. But you will need to have a binding with a loose heel and skin so you can get to the tops again. If your focus is on low weight with easy and fast walking up the mountain, then you should choose a tech binding or so-called pin binding that is specifically developed for randonee. However, this binding requires that you have a special ski boot that fits these bindings. You can also buy a binding that mixes the best of the classic alpine binding with the randonee binding so you can still go up with skins. You can use this type of binding together with ordinary ski boots. The binding weighs a lot more and is therefore suitable for shorter summit trips, but in return they have performance properties like a normal alpine binding on the way down. If your heart’s in it for touring and randonee we would recommend that you acquire a tech binding and boots.
Don’t forget to buy climbing skins if this is your first time on a randonee trip. Here we recommend that you buy a skin that can be cut to fit your ski and which is a mixture of real and synthetic skin.
The best snowboard for a better flow in the powder snow
If you are a snowboarder, it’s a little more forgiving which board you choose. However, it’s an advantage if you choose a more powder oriented board. This board is typically softer at the core than, e.g. a park board. Furthermore, the board often has a wider snout, so the board can more easily shovel the snow away in front of it, which gives a smoother flow.
The right snowboard for ski touring at Lake Baikal should be a splitboard so you can get up the mountain. The splitboard also includes some special bindings, which are adapted to click off and rotate. Thus, the board can mimic 2 skis up the hill and at the same time function as a regular snowboard when going downhill. There are some who occasionally make use of snowshoes. This is only needed on shorter trips, but for a serious touring week this is not recommended as it’s heavier and more inefficient when ascending compared to a Splitboard.
To get the right ski, binding or snowboard, we recommend that you also talk to your local ski shop.
Safety equipment
We also require that you bring safety equipment. it’s not just a recommendation, but rather a requirement when you travel with us, as your safety is our first priority. This includes a backpack with a shovel, probe and beeper. However, this safety equipment can be borrowed from us. At some of the destinations, it’s further required to bring an Airbag, but we will make sure to bring it if necessary.
When we’re off-piste we’re often far away from slopes, lifts and restaurants etc. we’re often out in the cold wild terrain all day. This also includes breakfast. Therefore, we also recommend that you bring extra clothes, glasses, inner gloves, 1.5 liters of water in your backpack e.g. in a camel bag, some chocolate or energy bars. We’ll take care of the lunch! Additionally, we recommend that you bring a small first aid kit with patches, blister patches, gauze tape, gauze, headache pills and an aluminum blanket. Finally, you should of course have plenty of lip balm and sunscreen with you.
You are always welcome to contact us if you want more information about equipment, so you can be as best prepared as possible for your trip with Eastern Snow.
