THE dream of the wilderness skier is to cover ground as quickly

and rapidly as the Nordic racer and still have the capability of

skiing downhill as powerfully as the Alpine skier. He wishes to ski

long river valleys and steep chutes, huge glaciers and powder-covered

forest slopes, long access roads and wide-open bowls.

Once a unified sport, skiing has evolved into two distinct forms --

Alpine (or downhill) and Nordic (or cross-country). As their names

imply, each is a response to the problems posed by a specific type of

terrain. It is in the mountains of the American West, which combine

great untracked horizontal expanses with steep alpine terrain, that the

desire for free wilderness travel has stimulated the synthesis of a new

way of skiing that combines the pleasures and strengths of its predeces-

sors. While Nordic mountain touring is certainly not new, its style is

profoundly changed by much more powerful cross-country downhill

techniques than were used in the past.

Techniques and equipment are now available that allow the

wilderness skier to ski almost any combination of slope and snow

conditions using the lightest, simplest, most mobile, and safest of

touring alternatives: light skis and boots joined by pin bindings. This

gear is more than merely adequate for mountain travel; it makes possi-

ble, surprisingly, a rich downhill skiing experience. It is graceful, fluid,

powerful, and exciting. Furthermore, manufacturers are rapidly devel-

oping lighter, more effective, and more reliable winter camping equip-

ment. When combined with improved Nordic mountain ski techniques,

fast, light, long-distance winter trips in remote and varied terrains are

now much easier, safer, and more enjoyable than in the past.

A number of different threads have come together to catalyze the

emergence of cross-country downhill. There is a great modern surge of

expert Alpine skiers who have fallen under the spell of wilderness

touring, and they are reluctant to give up the rewards of downhill

skiing, even while escaping its problems. Their modern understanding

of ski technique, derived from decades of Alpine racing, has rejuve-

nated the use of long discarded techniques of the early days of skiing,

such as telemark and open turns. Advances in ski design and construc-

tion allow durable, light touring skis to be built that run well, edge on

hard snow, turn easily, and even carry speed stably. Boots now can be