Freerando: What is freerando?

What is freerando?

Freerando (or freerando skiing) is a marketing term coined a few years ago to describe a way of doing ski touring where one favors more downhill and pleasure than climbing and effort.

What is the origin of Freerando? 

The freerando is the contraction of free and touring. It is born out of the desire of skiers to access pristine snow slopes easily accessible by means of a small ascent, usually close to a ski area.
The practice was initiated by brands who saw it as a lever for economic development. The existing ski ranges: freestyle, freeride and hiking, each peaking in their time; however, this vector created from scratch still anticipates an existing market demand. Skiers want easy and quick access to fresh snow slopes while keeping their traditional piste skis, wide freeride skis or even freestyle skis. The main difference is the bindings (and the skins).

What is the essential equipment for Freerando? 

The necessary freerando ski equipment is exactly the same as that used for ski touring:

• Skis (surprise!)
• Ski boots
• Attachments dedicated to the climb (so with a heel that can be released)
• Skins (it's better to ride)
• Sticks, possibly telescopic for the devers
• Shovel, probe and DVA (Avalanche Victim Detector)

The real difference lies in the performance of skis, shoes and bindings. By performance, we feel lightness, resistance, shape of the skis.

The bindings are similar to alpine bindings to this ready that one can choose to block or release the heel in order to be able to climb a slope.

Thus in freerando, we are not looking for performance, but the pleasure of a climb of a short duration for a nice descent away from the slopes.

If you want to be extremely efficient, and want to ride quickly and for a long time, do not opt for so-called freerando equipment.

Freerando: Practical advice for a Freerando?

Freerando is now a growing market. There is demand for bindings and freerando skis. All the brands that have gone there have maintained their freerando range for several seasons.

So despite this marketing name that sounds almost wrong, practitioners and practice exist beautiful and well. But beware, nothing was invented. The brands have adapted a concept of purist (ski touring) into a simplified and therefore more accessible practice.

Freerando : What is the freerando in the air of the time

Time will tell if it was a fad. But today's society craves freedom, ease and wide open spaces. Freerando is part of this movement. Experienced skiers are looking for some authenticity in their practice, and this is something that has been erased small in ski resorts. By slurring, modulating, flattening, dreading the slightest difficulties once present on the slopes, skiers no longer really find a challenge on a ski area.

The freerando is more than ever in tune with the times!