I spent about $132,000 on some very fancy equipment to go uphill (and then downhill) in the mountains. The special skis – called randonnay or Alpine Touring skis – have a lifting heel for going up and clamp down like a real ski for going down. They don’t work very well in either direction. Awfully good exercise though.
I recently learned that in France they say that the word “randonnay” means “fellow doesn’t know how to Telemark”. That is about right. It is a poor substitute for really knowing how to ski in the back country, but I still love it. Guess what: you’re out in the hills, you’re working like crazy, and it’s beautiful. That’ll do.
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Hehe…met some guys in Aspen in early 1980’s who wrapped and tied seal pelts to the bottom of their skis…hair grows at a severe angle and grips in snow..they would “shuffle” up hill with attached pelts (hair pointing down hill)…then remove at higher elevation destination and ski down…hard core
Ski touring (Randonee Skiing) is the origin of the skiing sport.
Before it was a sport skis were used to get around in the snowy winter.
Not sure how you spent so much on your set-up but having boots with a ski touring binding ( especially tech-binding -such as Dynafit) attached to a multi purpose lighter ski (130-88ish-115ish dimensions) with ski skins for going up, gives you access to all types of winter terrain-up, along, down , over trail, in mountains, the back 40 etc
The great thing about snow is it covers all the obstacles -such as heinous rock fields, nasty bushes/undercover and creates this beautiful white carpet to travel on .
Enjoy your ski touring