If you’re heading on a ski trip to Austria or Switzerland and you don’t want to spend the entire time carving groomers or getting lost on unmarked off-piste runs, pick up a new Freeride Map, which will show you where to find the steeps, powder, glaciers, and more.

Ski boot maker Dalbello has jumped into the backcountry and sidecountry markets with three new touring boots designed in collaboration with Glen Plake. We haven't tried them yet, but we'll update this gallery with performance reviews after we take 'em for a spin. In the meantime, click through the gallery for manufacturer-supplied specs.

It takes years of training and experience to become an expert in avalanches and backcountry safety. We sat down with Brian Lazar, the executive director of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, to talk about getting buried, why being a guide makes it tough to have a relationship, and skiing in Russia.

Whether you're going on a day-long tour or just heading out the gates, you need a binding that works as well going uphill as it does going down. Here is a collection of some of the best AT and telemark bindings out there.