What is the difference between backcountry skis and regular cross country skis? What should I buy if I want to do a little of both?

— Jay

Annie's Answer:

	Ask the Expert Annie Getchell Gear expert Annie Getchell believes the key to happiness is buying quality gear and treating it with tender loving care. Meet Annie Answer Archive Gear Forums

Great question. I'm about to go shopping to upgrade my dad's ski gear right now, and he's in your shoes. He lives on a Wisconsin farm, loves snowshoeing and cruising through the woods, but he also travels to the Rockies for six weeks every ski season.

The trouble with dad's cross-country setup is that he bought his stuff 20 years ago, and he HATES the flimsy, cold little shoes and skinny, super-stiff double camber skis. Such fare fare is best suited for track skiing, not breaking trail in mixed terrain.

That's why I'm excited to introduce him to a new generation of cross-country gear that will let him zip 'round a golf-course track or bushwhack in ledgy woods or even crank a few telemark turns through an aspen glade. Traditional cross-country skis have double camber, which means they flex easily at the tip and tail, with a very stiff middle that contacts the snow only when all your weight is on that ski--as when kicking or climbing. These very lightweight boards must be waxed according to snow conditions (and that's a whole 'nother tangle to unravel) unless they feature a waxless, or scaley patterned base. Additionally, cross country skis generally lack metal edges and are designed to track and glide, straight and fast.

Backcountry skis, aka telemark skis, are almost like alpine skis because they feature a single camber flex: that is, the ski bends into a smooth, continuous arc when weighted and has no defined wax pocket. Single-camber skis are designed to turn, turn, turn, generally have full metal edges and are heavier and wider than double-camber skis.

Footwear is commensurate with the skis. Light track or touring generally means light boots and so-called"system" bindings like NNN (New Nordic Norm) or Salomon SNS. Backcountry skiing means a full-on leather or plastic-shelled boot with a stiffer soles and more supportive uppers.

The big questions for you are: How much turning are you really going to do? What type of terrain are you navigating? Will you be carrying a heavy pack and aiming for the high country? In the best of all worlds, you'd have skis and footwear for every scenario.

Because it sounds like you're thinking about gear that will let you mix it up, it's important to realize you may have to compromise a bit. However, I have never felt handicapped by my favorite setup: leather touring boots, backcountry three-pin bindings and solid, all-purpose Fischer E99 touring skis with full-metal edges. They're not the fastest or liveliest, but they're like four-wheel drive. Also consider looking at the Karhu Pinnacle paired with a superlight plastic boot, like the Garmont Libero, which is stiff and relatively low-cut and comfortable for touring.

For more on the subject, check out "Set Your Heels Free."