What is Spring Skiing?
“Spring Skiing or Crust Cruising” refers to when you can ski on ungroomed snow without breaking through the top layer of snow. This is possible when snow has melted during the day and then refrozen overnight, which happens most often in the spring. When conditions are right you can then ski everywhere you like quickly and easily.
Skate anywhere!
Spring skiing conditions are perfect for skating, enabling skiers to travel to places that are not normally groomed and to cover distances in hours what it might take days to do on touring skis. Softening snow can make the trip back slower, so the trick is to pick the right days and get out there early. To the experienced it is an addiction, waiting for the perfect day to conquer different peaks or visit distant huts.
Drop some Teles!
As spring snow starts to soften mid-morning it is perfect for cutting telemark turns. "Hero Snow" some call it, as it's easy to turn, even on skating skis, and very forgiving if you make a mistake. There are plenty of gullys and slopes around the resorts that are rarely touched throughout the winter that can be easily accessed in the spring.
Safety Comes First
One hazard with spring skiing is the ease of travelling far from the resort boundary quickly. Don't forget to check the weather forecast and be prepared for changing conditions. Newcomers should start off with more experienced skiers and freshen up on their Snowsafe knowledge.