Ski touring tips in Alborz in the picture
Beginner skinners tend to want to go straight uphill; or if they are zig-zagging tend to make the skin track too steep. Great guides always set a mellow skin track that minimizes the amount of energy necessary to climb. I rarely use my highest heel lifters, instead opting to stay in my middle heel-lift setting and taking a more mellow approach up the mountain. You can move faster on a lower-angle skin track. One exception to this rule is if you are breaking trail in deep snow. In this case the tips of your skis lack enough pressure to sink in to the snow and create a flat angle, so you will want to use your high-lifts.
