Why do tele/rando skiers boot up mountains?

Most of us seem to be making perfect sense, quibbling only about relatively insignificant details. Like Greg, I've often judged incorrectly?booted when I should have skinned, skinned when I should have booted. <br><br>FWIW, I've both skinned and booted up that last 100 feet to Blue Lake Col, and booting is generally easier. In powder, however, and when the cornice isn't too threatening, sometimes I just don't feel like bending over to take off my skis (see geezer references above). At those times, powering up the slope just feels better, efficiency be damned.<br><br>In the end, the most efficient way to spend your time has nothing to do with spending hours and hours climbing mountains in order to return to the bottom at a high rate of speed. I'm in favor of doing more of whatever feels good at the time. If I didn't enjoy the uphills, I'd retire to something less stressful, like watching extreme sports on TV from the comfort and safety of my couch.

I prefer to skin. For me, booting up to ski down is like doing half a ski trip.    <br><br>I also feel that skinning is more efficient than booting in most snow conditions (but not all). Its like the difference between walking on pavement and walking on sand.<br><br>A lot of my early trips were overnighters or multiday trips carrying a heavy pack. Taking skis off the feet and piling them on top of an already heavy load was to be avoided, so I worked on my skinning technique.<br><br>A few years ago my wife and I skied the Monte Rosa in Switzerland. We left the cabin in the dark when the snow was frozen hard as a rock. Nobody climbed on boots. Everybody used skins and harscheisen. We "did like the Romans" and it really did seem faster.<br><br>I can't recall ever being passed on a long climb by someone on foot when I was on skins.

I can't recall ever being passed on a long climb by someone on foot when I was on skins.<br>

<br>This might have to do with something other than the relative efficiencies of skins vs boots, rather the relative efficiencies of the skinner vs hiker....

...which perhaps makes a good point about the comment "I'll take a nap on the summit while waiting for you"?<br><br>I know people who have back trouble and so strive to keep their packs light. I know people who either have bad climbing technique (yes - this takes a while to develop, just like downhill technique, and can make a large difference!!) or poor equipment (e.g. straight skins on heavily shaped skis) who will boot up when possible. <br><br>I personally try to pick a nice moderate uphill line and keep skis on feet whenever possible, and don't worry much about who is getting ahead or behind, but if it is starting to be a pain (e.g. slipping out sideways or backwards, too many kick turns required, etc. then I start hiking). Works well for me, and most of my partners seem to be able to follow such a line w/o cursing. I kept skis on longer than most on the headwall on the Adams false summit last summer, and seemed to be keeping pace with the same hikers I then kept pace with after switching to hiking (due to starting to slip out sideways a bit), so my guess is that in borderline conditions it's a bit of a wash, frankly, and so no need to get on high horses on this topic unless your pals are holding you up due to pig-headedness!<br><br>

After seeing Lowell, and subsequently trying ski crampons myself, I definitely agree about the harscheisen. I still feel the same way in general, but when (and it is no longer if) I get ski crampons of my own it will greatly extend the range of conditions and slope angles in which I skin.

I also feel that skinning is more efficient than booting in most snow conditions (but not all). Its like the difference between walking on pavement and walking on sand.

<br><br>Extending this idea, when I do take my skis off to boot, I will often put on crampons even if they're not strictly necessary. If I have to kick very hard to make a step, if figure I'm wasting energy and time. With crampons I just step rather than kick-step. This is especially helpful when climbing a weak crust. You're less likely to punch through the crust if you don't have to kick steps.<br><br>I like to zig-zag like a spider up the slope with crampons, an ice axe, and one ski pole. I rarely boot straight up a slope unless my path is restricted or I'm following a ribbon of good snow.