What is the difference between alpine touring skis and all mountain skis?

Answer 1

Alpine Touring, also known as Randonnée, is a type of backcountry skiing. Randonnée ski bindings are a cross between standard downhill bindings (toes and heels locked in) and telemark bindings (only toes locked in). With randonnée bindings, the skier can clip down the heel piece when skiing downhill (like downhill bindings) and release it when skating or climbing (like telemark bindings). Special ski boots are used with both telemark and randonnée; though, randonnée boots have rigid soles like standard downhill boots. Also, randonnée bindings can release during falls, but telemark bindings cannot. And a skier need not learn to turn differently on AT skis, as with telemark skis, since the heel can be clipped down. As for the skis themselves, AT skis are typically much wider and heavier than a basic ski-area ski, as they are used more often in deep powder and ungroomed conditions; though, randonnée bindings can be mounted to most skis. All Mountain skis are a mid-width type of ski, such that the skier can handle well in both groomed and ungroomed/powder conditions--the latter not as well as with AT skis.