TOP GEAR WITH...
Yann Westercamp
The Flaine-based Freshtracks off-piste guru shares his top gear picks for the winter
As one of the Club’s most popular mountain guides, Yann is the man to ask about ski kit for our Top Gear column. Yann has managed the Club’s Freshtracks courses in Flaine for the past 22 winters, leading a squad of instructors to offer off-piste trips for skiers of all levels. Known for their in-depth knowledge of the Grand Massif ski area and infectious love for skiing, Yann and his team work in partnership with Seb at the local Flaine Super Ski shop to supply Members with off-piste equipment, meaning they know their kit inside out.
MY MOUNTAIN MUST-HAVES
LANGE XT3 120 TOURING BOOTS
Ski touring boots offer countless advantages over Alpine boots for skiers looking to explore off-piste. Featuring a flexible ‘walk’ mode that allows your ankle and calf to flex forward and backwards for skiing and hiking uphill, they’re light-weight and feature grippy rubber soles to facilitate walking on icy surfaces. Most boots come with heat-customisable liners, which offer a ‘bespoke’ fit that should also help avoid blisters. £479.95; Ski Bartlett
MOVEMENT ALP TRACKS 95 SKIS
The key consideration while selecting ski touring equipment is weight – the lighter the better! I have used these super lightweight skis for years; they’re ideal for touring but are still strong enough for aggressive skiing and tackling variable terrain. At just over 1kg for a 169cm-long ski, the Alp Tracks 95 is remarkably light for a relatively fat ski (I advise a waist of between 94-100cm for freeride ski touring skis) and offers good side cut, agility and excellent floatation. The catch? The price… £835.99; Bergzeit
ORTOVOX 30 AVABAG
Safety on the mountain is vital and I always carry my transceiver, shovel and probe. I don’t automatically ski with an avalanche backpack but make the decision to take it based on the conditions. This bag is light and leaves space for extra kit. My pack uses a cannister system, but JetFan activation packs use a (rechargeable) battery-powered fan as the airbag inflation mechanism, making travel easier, so could be a good investment if you’re buying a new bag. £610; Snow+Rock
MY LUST LIST
DRAGON ALLIANCE X1 ECHO GOGGLES
Good goggles are an essential piece of my ski kit, even though I don’t actually ski with them in sunshine, only in bad light conditions. I like these ones for their frameless design and the way the lenses automatically lighten in overcast/cloudy weather and darken in brighter sunlight. £199; Dragon
SNOW DEER HEATED GLOVE LINERS
When you’re spending seven hours a day outside in the snow, your hands get cold – especially at my age! Heated gloves will keep you warm but they’re usually heavy and expensive. These rechargeable heated liners are a good alternative: made from Lycra and neoprene, they fit under your ski gloves or mittens and have a heating element that covers the back of your hand and fingers. from £99; amazon
THERM-IC HEATED SOCKS
Yes, there’s a theme here – I feel the cold these days! Heated socks are much easier to use than boot heaters, although you have to invest in a few pairs for your holiday (or just wash them every evening). The battery fits snugly on the cuff of these machine-washable socks, so it doesn’t impinge on the comfort or fit of your boot. It runs for up to eight hours and can be controlled and adjusted through your phone via Bluetooth so you don’t have to roll up your trousers to fiddle with the settings. €320; Therm-ic