Don’t panic! Bryan Iguchi, hasn’t suddenly turned to the dark side and started loving skis, but what he has done is incorporate one of the (few) positives to come out of having two sticks (the ability to skin uphill) to produce his new pro-model – the aptly named MTNApproach Skis.

With the total weight of a regular set of snowshoes, a built-in climbing skin and the ability to fold up and pack neatly into a MTNApproach backpack, these nifty little skis will make touring in the backcountry just that little bit easier. They retain a paulownia wood core and full metal wrapped edges to ensure they perform like a regular all-terrain ski, with ample float and control.

Designed as a possible alternative to splitboarding, the MTNApproach skis are light, short, easy to use and adaptable to all snowboard boot sizes making them the perfect vehicle for accessing backcountry terrain. If you have a freeride board you’re quite keen to keep hold of without sacrificing it for a splitboard, then these beauties are ideal.

The full kit comes with a backpack designed to hold the folded skis, a shovel, climbing poles and a probe – the essentials of backcountry touring.

Coming it at just under £600, it’s not cheap by anyone’s standards, but you get what you pay for, and in this case that results in more backcountry terrain and a greater touring experience.

And hey, as long as your coming down on one stick, I don’t see why going up on two is all that bad? It’s a small sacrifice for a big gain really.