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"Backcountry" Equipment..hmmm?
My Question is what type of skis, bindings and boots to get:
My wife and are starting to get more into "backcountry" skiing. We recently went up to Mt. Lassen and were fine on the road (Hwy 89) because it had tracks. However, once we ventured off the road and onto the bypass near Diamond Peak we were unable to climb and on the way down we had little control. It was still great skiing in the virgin powder even though we ate it often. We have also skied out to Dewey Point at Yosemite. Right now we pretty much have track skis. My wife (5ft/100lbs) is a beginner-intermediate. I (5'11/180) am more advanced and used to ski with 3 pin and leather boots (sold long ago at garage sale) and used to do a little resort telemarking. I would to take some telemark refresher courses and get my wife to take some too. We would also like to continue our treks off track and possible build up to a trip to Ostrander hut (and similar trips) someday. There is a big jump to the next level (in weight and cost) of equipment. Looks like we can 1) choose among a few remaining makes/models of 3 pin leather boots, 2) stick with the standard boots (bar) or, 3) go for 3 pin plastic/telemark type boots and bindings Skis – lots of different choices there too. After a little research, I have some questions: For the level of trips I described above (some on track, some off) what type of equipment should we look at? I know skins will help on the climb. I figure we have our track skiis for groomed tracks…what about those days when we want to do a little more? Safety is concern #1, cost is 2nd (cheaper to pay for good equipment than hospital bills). Are telemark type boots too much? They don't look very glide friendly. Are releasable bindings too much? Already had a torn ACL from downhill accident. Would rather have good equipment than have a trip to the ER. Thanks for any suggestions. |
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#3
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Martin Thornquist wrote:
For diverse conditions you want steel edges, at least. Double/single camber and wax/waxless depends on use -- you need double camber for real kick 'n glide, but single camber is much better for doing turns. As you want to (re)learn the telemark turn, I'd go with turn-friendly skis, that is single camber and not bothering about track width. In summary, you just can't have too many different sorts of skis! I have track skis for the tracks and flattish woods, double camber steel edged tourers for rolling terrain in the hills and wide things for the steep stuff (light for touring, alpines with tele bindings for the piste). Several repeats as well, with an old pair for rocks and a good pair for snow. They say the softest plastic boots are quite good for touring (que Pete Clinch). I use the original T3s for touring, similar to the current T4 and the Garmont Excursion and Crispi CX-T are probably better, *if* they fit. My decision to come out of leathers was purely based on fit, as I have Scarpa shaped feet and Scarpa's leather range is not available in the UK. What I do for touring is certainly fine in leathers, but a well fitting plastic that's over the top is better than a heel-skinning leather that's otherwise just right for it. I speak from painful experience. Given you've got something that fits, I'd sooner do day tours in double-camber terrain on leathers. On longer tours other advantages of plastics like total waterproofing, greater warmth and easy drying in front of a fire without damaging them all fit into the equation. Where plastics are undeniably better is downhill control. Even in the light touring ones you'll get more power into your edges than any leather boots still available (now the Mad crew have converted completely to plastics). This can be quite nice on your tour for the odd descent on the limits but it also means you can have one less pair of boots for covering all the bases reasonably. I started to learn to tele properly in my T3s, and though they're a bit small to power serious carvers they will take less radical skis down fairly serious hills in the right hands (or rather on the right feet!). There aren't many leather boots left; the usual low model don't give very much support for driving the skis downhill. But Scarpa and Garmont still do make quite a range. The problem is finding the things to try on! Few people use them, they tend to weigh a lot extra. I ski Scarpa T1 on Salomon Teneighty, but I've never had a fall where I felt the need for releasables. A friend of mine ruptured his meniscus (sp?) on skiing steep tele though, maybe he wouldn't have been hurt so bad if the skis had released. Difficult to say if it's worth the extra weight. I have releases on my piste skis where the weight is a non-issue. My new wide touring skis don't: I'm not a very aggressive skier and the free heel itself combined with relatively light bindings and boots (old T3s, 2000 T2s, Riva 3s) gives a fair chance of something popping out before my knees do! Last year, due a bit of brain-death on my part, I skied a whole week with a too-long screw in the piste skis which prevented one from releasing (D'oh!) but though the *other* one released from time to time I never did anything that got me hurt. Releases get more desirable as you ski more aggressive things and/or are relatively less good. Unless you're pushing your boundaries an awful lot on the steepest, fastest stuff you can manage I wouldn't personally bother any more, having been more paranoid in the past. If you do want a release on a touring ski then the Voile and 7TM are fairly light, though not as light as not having there. Pete. -- Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#4
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Check out:
http://www.backcountrymagazine.com/i...revi ews.html which has a good review of the latest backcountry skies (mostly ones that tour and turn) and boots (plastic and leather) to drive them. I've used releasable plates on my lift tele boards for years, but unless your heading for the really steep and deep I wouldn't bother. I have an old torn ACL too. Seems to be a big debate about whether releasable tele bindings are worthwhile in any type of skiing. As it stands even with new lift boards I don't think I would get releasables again. I bought a pair of Fisher Ottabounds with a 75mm leather/plastic combo boot this year (Alpina Telelight that's not made anymore...good price though). It's a perfert set up for backcountry cruises with some yo-yoing mixed in, although I wish the negative cut waxless base climbed a bit better. Good luck. I know it's a tough decision. I'm still trying to find the right set for my wife who is a less experienced skier than I. Brent "Jelso" wrote in message om... My Question is what type of skis, bindings and boots to get: My wife and are starting to get more into "backcountry" skiing. We recently went up to Mt. Lassen and were fine on the road (Hwy 89) because it had tracks. However, once we ventured off the road and onto the bypass near Diamond Peak we were unable to climb and on the way down we had little control. It was still great skiing in the virgin powder even though we ate it often. We have also skied out to Dewey Point at Yosemite. Right now we pretty much have track skis. My wife (5ft/100lbs) is a beginner-intermediate. I (5'11/180) am more advanced and used to ski with 3 pin and leather boots (sold long ago at garage sale) and used to do a little resort telemarking. I would to take some telemark refresher courses and get my wife to take some too. We would also like to continue our treks off track and possible build up to a trip to Ostrander hut (and similar trips) someday. There is a big jump to the next level (in weight and cost) of equipment. Looks like we can 1) choose among a few remaining makes/models of 3 pin leather boots, 2) stick with the standard boots (bar) or, 3) go for 3 pin plastic/telemark type boots and bindings Skis - lots of different choices there too. After a little research, I have some questions: For the level of trips I described above (some on track, some off) what type of equipment should we look at? I know skins will help on the climb. I figure we have our track skiis for groomed tracks.what about those days when we want to do a little more? Safety is concern #1, cost is 2nd (cheaper to pay for good equipment than hospital bills). Are telemark type boots too much? They don't look very glide friendly. Are releasable bindings too much? Already had a torn ACL from downhill accident. Would rather have good equipment than have a trip to the ER. Thanks for any suggestions. |
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