Ski Mountaineering
If the term sounds intimidating, the practice of ski mountaineering is even more so; except to those who do it. But it is what it sounds like, the blending of skiing and mountaineering skills to achieve a descent on skis. And yes, you can take it to the extreme, or enjoy it in moderate doses.
Taken in moderation, ski mountaineering becomes backcountry skiing, where you eschew the lifts and earn your turns. It doesn’t have to be a steep couloir cut into the side of a cliff, it could be a wide open bowl or a powder run through the trees.