Climbers and Waxes : Page 74

The waxed-on skins are much lighter, and the absence of side straps allows them to slide forward freely. Their chief drawback is that it is more of an art to apply them. That is, of course, no deterrent to a person who enjoys making an art of ski touring. If your skins have been precoated with the right wax, all you have to do is to stand the ski so that the sun can warm its under side, hook the strap over the tip—if your skis have no tips, you can equip them with short bolts with wing nuts through a hole—and stroke them down with the hand. Do not stretch them. If there is no sun, put the skins between your shirt and your own skin for a while, dry the under surface of the skis and stick the skins on quickly, one at a time. Skis so armed slide forward very freely, downhill or on the level. Of course, one cannot do any of