The word “randonnee” is French and means “excursion”. Nowadays, we mostly refer to it ski touring, which is pretty self-explanatory:  you go touring on skis on unmarked areas getting yourself up and down solely by your own machine. Randonee originally originated from military patrol races, which was an Olympic exercise already in 1928 (and we brought the gold all the way home #GoNorway).

Freeriders, wilderness gurus, mountain guides, ski guides, and other mountain goats all got their own definition of the perfect rando experience, not to mention the at times inevitable gear-o-rama. Luckily, having the basics will get you a long way, and it’s more important to have the coolest ski peers than the coolest ski gear.

Shovel
Probe
Beacon – always attached to yourself
Wind sack
First aid kit
Small repair kit (Leatherman, bits for bindings, strips, and wires)
Headlight with extra batteries
Bottled water
Thermos
Lunch plus a snack
Goggles and/or sunglasses (UV-protection FTW)
Down jacket or another insulation layer
Extra (warm) mittens
Map and compass
Helmet
Crampons and an ice ax if the route may require it
Climbing rope if the route may require it
Skins
Camera
Extra wool shirt
Sunscreen

Last but not least, never go on tour without an experienced guide. There’s always a risk of avalanches or other accidents when touring in the mountains, and make sure to always check out weather and snow reports from the area. If it's risky, make other cool plans. We also highly recommend taking an avalanche course in advance if possible.