From the BMC in association with The National Mountain Centre at Plas Y Brenin. This DVD will educate and inspire all those wanting to learn the essential skills and techniques for ski touring and ski mountaineering. Filmed in the Silvretta Alps of Austria, the fifty minute documentary follows a team of four skiers on a varied and exhilarating week off piste, ski touring and ski mountaineering in glaciated terrain.
Starting off piste in Ischgl, see how they get a feel for the snow conditions, find fresh tracks, and safely get away from the crowds on a big powder day. Setting off on a simple day tour, see how they make use of skins to reach a ski summit, before enjoying a superb descent to the valley.
Finally, they set off on a hut to hut tour through glacial terrain - taking in alpine summits on the way. See how they make safe decisions about the terrain and snow conditions on the move. Watch how they take sensible precautions to minimise the risks, yet enjoy some superb skiing in the mountains.
The skills covered illustrate a progression through off piste skiing to multi day ski tours and ski mountaineering in glaciated terrain, and are appropriate to skiers and boarders of all standards. In addition to the film, technical chapters include: equipment, what to pack and what to wear, get your kit on, general advice, guidebooks, internet, forecasts, ski maps, and sketch plans, etc, skinning uphill, fitting, caring and using skins, kick turns, picking a line, etc, defensive skiing, understanding snow, aspect and altitude, avalanche terrain, using a rope, skiing roped on glaciers and avalanche rescue.
Made by Plas Y Brenin. for the BMC, MCofS, MLTE, Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust and the Benjamin Brabner Memorial Fund.
50 mins plus 180 mins if technical stuff.
Released 2008.