On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 14:28:43 +0000, Peter Clinch
wrote:

bbense+rec.skiing.backcountry.Dec.19.03@telemark. slac.stanford.edu wrote:

_ True, I was not suggesting that, but your contention that AT ==
Skins, is just your prejudice.

Fair enough, I was just working from the setups I've seen in the shops
and on the hill, which is, of course, hardly exhaustive.

others. If you can get beyond your prejudices about what you
can and cannot do with AT gear, I think it's a viable alternative
if you don't want to telemark.

Though as I've said a few times, tele gear is quite viable if you don't
want to (or can't) telemark. I was using it for years before I could do
teles.

Which is why some of us try to avoid calling it tele gear, but use a
term like backcountry skis (which of course shows my bias as to
preferred location to use it).

According to many expert instructors, a good backcountry skier will
have an assortment of ski techniques and use them as appropriate,
sometimes switching during a run. This goes back to the early days of
skiing in North America, when there was no distinction between
different types of skiing.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom