Gear Reviews

Climbing Gear

Raising the Stakes

Many backcountry skiers never use any technical climbing gear; they're content to boot hike when the snow gets too steep for skinning. As your ambitions evolve, however, you may find that approach insufficient for your needs.

Adding climbing hardware to a fully-loaded ski pack can quickly make for an unmanageable load, especially when your overnight gear is along for the ride. For that reason, ski mountaineers will tend to want the lightest gear possible—even at the cost of durability.

Axes

Carabiners

Crampons

Harnesses

Helmets

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