Saas Fee mini-report

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:55:44 GMT, "David Brown"
wrote:

I tried to remember, but can't. What's the AFD exactly?

http://www.summitsportsinc.com/onlin...ide.html#Parts

Ahh. If he'd just used the words "Anti Friction Device" I'd have known
just what he was talking about.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:55:05 -0000, "Paul Schofield"
wrote:


"Ace" wrote in message
.. .

I tried to remember, but can't. What's the AFD exactly?


And while you're explaining things could someone enlighten me as to what the
dickens you're on about!

Well, you know, just the stuff about touring boots and different bindings.

As commented elsewhere, the AFD is the "Anti-Friction Device". It
allows the boot to move smoothly side-to-side and release correctly.

The point of concern is that some touring boots have thicker, grippy
soles, so may contact points on the binding that a normal boot
wouldn't and/or may not slip where they're supposed to.

It seems like a fairly simple question to just take my skis into the
shop and test the various boots in my bindings.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Jeremy Mortimer" wrote in message
...

....snipsy...

Touring boots are boots for ski touring (otherwise ski mountaineering,
ski de randonée in French or alpine touring in N. America).

....snipsy 2...

This is what I do. The equipment is light and comfortable,
and the skins are always in my sack, so at any time if I feel like
climbing something I can. It's a good insurance against route-finding
errors too - it's easy to walk back up.

Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy, that clears a few things up. I saw someone zig-zagging up the
mountain towards the Death Couloir in Meribel so now I know how it was done.
Looked like a hour's hard work for just a few minutes skiing though.

Now the skins are like ski galoshes with a fish scale finish like
cross-country skis?

Cheers
--
Paul Schofield

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:55:05 -0000, "Paul Schofield"
wrote:


"Ace" wrote in message
.. .

I tried to remember, but can't. What's the AFD exactly?


And while you're explaining things could someone enlighten me as to what
the
dickens you're on about!

Well, you know, just the stuff about touring boots and different
bindings.

As commented elsewhere, the AFD is the "Anti-Friction Device". It
allows the boot to move smoothly side-to-side and release correctly.


Okay full marks as a quick learner Ace - errrm but the AFD bit was actually
your question :-)

--
Paul Schofield

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:07:02 -0000, "Paul Schofield"
wrote:

Okay full marks as a quick learner Ace

Heh. I knew most of this stuff already, as it happens.

- errrm but the AFD bit was actually your question :-)

Only 'cos I didn't recognise the initials.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Ace wrote:
(but don't forget the sales tax which is never included in the
sticker price)!

Yeah, just like in the US.

Oops, forgot the most important bit - keep your receipt and claim back
1/2 the tax when you leave [you can reclaim the federal 'GST', but not
the provincial 'PST']. Note, you now have to present your goods to the
customs official before you clear customs and get a form stamped. There
are special offices at all the international airports to do this. When
you get back to Europe you can send your form off and after a few weeks
get teh tax back. They sent me my money in GBP last year, which is a
bonus.

On 14 Dec 2004 03:02:50 -0800, wrote:

Oops, forgot the most important bit - keep your receipt and claim back
1/2 the tax when you leave [you can reclaim the federal 'GST', but not
the provincial 'PST']. Note, you now have to present your goods to the
customs official before you clear customs and get a form stamped. There
are special offices at all the international airports to do this. When
you get back to Europe you can send your form off and after a few weeks
get teh tax back. They sent me my money in GBP last year, which is a
bonus.

Yeah, BTDT, GTTS. There are offices in most cities where you can do
all the paperwork and get the cash refund, then just get the forms
stamped by the customs office at the airport and send it off.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Paul Schofield" wrote in
:


Thanks Jeremy, that clears a few things up. I saw someone zig-zagging
up the mountain towards the Death Couloir in Meribel so now I know how
it was done. Looked like a hour's hard work for just a few minutes
skiing though.

Well, some people enjoy the walk up as well.

Now the skins are like ski galoshes with a fish scale finish like
cross-country skis?

Short stiff hairs, pointing towards the back of the ski, so they slide
forward and stick when you push back. They presumably used to be made out
of seal skin, since they're still called that in French (peaux de phoque)
but nowadays either mohair (anyone know what a mo is?) or synthetic. They
have a tacky glue on the other side which fixes them to the ski, with clips
that go over the tip and tail.

Jeremy

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 09:38:27 -0000, "Paul Schofield"
wrote:

I saw someone zig-zagging up the
mountain towards the Death Couloir in Meribel so now I know how it was done.
Looked like a hour's hard work for just a few minutes skiing though.

Well, the trick is to go up to a ridge that gives access to a
completely different downhill route - choose well and you'll get an
hour or more off piste downhill.

And if you think skinning up on skis is hardwork, try it in snowshoes
with a snowboard on your back!

http://www.champ.org.uk/boards/mtblanc.htm

http://www.champ.org.uk/boards/mcnab.htm
--
Champ

"Champ" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 09:38:27 -0000, "Paul Schofield"
wrote:

I saw someone zig-zagging up the
mountain towards the Death Couloir in Meribel so now I know how it was
done.
Looked like a hour's hard work for just a few minutes skiing though.

Well, the trick is to go up to a ridge that gives access to a
completely different downhill route - choose well and you'll get an
hour or more off piste downhill.

And if you think skinning up on skis is hardwork, try it in snowshoes
with a snowboard on your back!

http://www.champ.org.uk/boards/mtblanc.htm

http://www.champ.org.uk/boards/mcnab.htm
--
Champ

Oh Champ - still out there in Cyber Space - might remember me as the guy who
way back use to post daily reports of our escapades in and around La Grave
many years back - anyway - just to say, that after quite a few demanding
tours, we jacked the snowshoe concept, and have gone approach skis - that's
using small skis with skins and touring bindings, they enable us to skin up
much more economically than snow shoes and / or split board variations -
only trouble is that you have to use special boots, either Alpine Touring
boots or like mine, specially adapted soft boots that take a dynafit
tourlite binding - but this year I'm pretty sure I'm going to switch to AT
boots, as I've mentioned here, when climbing starts getting quite technical,
soft boots just do not have the support and even with crampons on your skis
they just don't cut it - literally - this year we toured for four days in
the Lyngen Alps (Artic Circle) Northern Norway, based on a boat and then
climbing up and descending down the other side to meet the boat - then a
couple of day in Narvik & Riksgrassen - we only had 15 mins or so, where I
was cussing my setup and sphyncter muscles starting to contract as I was
quite exposed - and I would have been far better if I had hard boots.....

Regards
WC