Climbers and Waxes

The running surface of the touring ski is always protected from direct contact with the snow by a composite coating called, in general, wax. This coating serves a triple purpose: to protect the wood from absorbing water, to facilitate sliding, and to aid climbing. Base wax,—The first coating is the "base wax," and must be applied before the start of the tour. This is intended to be durable, to adhere tightly to the wood, to "take" well the running and climbing waxes later applied, and to slide well if these should be worn off. Many commercial bases are available, some of which are rapid-drying lacquers. The wood must be dry and absolutely free from wax before such a lacquer is applied. This is a minor disadvantage in repairing the coating if it is injured. A waterproof varnish is stronger but takes longer to dry. A very satisfactory base for touring can be made by melting together pine tar and flaked orange shellac, about equal parts, to give a mass that can barely be indented with the thumbnail at room temperature. A thread pulled out of the melted mass should not be too brittle, but should bend slowly. If it is soft or sticky at freezing temperature, it needs more shellac; if too brittle, more tar. This wax can be melted on to the ski with a warm—not too hot—iron, but a better coating is secured if it is dissolved in denatured alcohol, warmed by setting in a can of hot water, and then painted on to the