The XC Skiing thread

[Eddie]

ORS has a shitload of stuff.

Kev, I'm thinking of getting a set for the girl so we can get out a bit over the holidays. They weight limit of 120-150 would work for both of us.
This way I have another set and I don't have to rent for her. A thick sock and the boot will work.

Oh nice. Check out the Rossi Evo OT. New model. Partial metal edge version of the Evo Tour, but still trackable. I think your S-Bounds are 80+ mm which is great for some uses but not as good for others. On those downhill hairpin turns at Minnewaska I'm envious of your setup, but I can ski tracks and you really can't.

[DCT]

$340.00 for the entire package shipped

Tour Ski Package #2<br>Rossignol Evo OT Skis - X-5 / X-5 FW or Alpina T5 Ski Boots - Rottefella NNN T3 Auto Bindings - Swix Touring Poles

REI is over $100 more.

[Badonkadonk]

I know you love spending money, but as previously discussed I think your current setup is awesome for your needs. I'm torn right now between getting a trackable ski with a metal edge and going full on BC or even AT for WV.

Also, check out the ORS packages. Good peeps in Montpelier/Berlin. I get my gear there or at Ski Barn in Burlington.

no shit though, darren has girl's bindings on his skis

hahahahahahaha!!!

[DCT]

no shit though, darren has girl's bindings on his skis

hahahahahahaha!!!

are you ready for our 9pm ski @ pound ridge!?!?

[vandebergen]

I know you love spending money, but as previously discussed I think your current setup is awesome for your needs. I'm torn right now between getting a trackable ski with a metal edge and going full on BC or even AT for WV.

Also, check out the ORS packages. Good peeps in Montpelier/Berlin. I get my gear there or at Ski Barn in Burlington.

WV, as in the State of? Done a lot of skiing there...with many different setups.

[Eddie]

WV, as in the State of? Done a lot of skiing there...with many different setups.

Yeah man. Last season skied a lot at Whitegrass and Dolly Sods in the Canaan Valley. My track/touring skis are waaay under geared for much of it, but I make it work.

What's your preferred setup for WV? There's so much varied terrain - in some places you can ski out on groomed XC trail, break trail to get over to the alpine area, and then rip a run down to the resort if you like. I'm just learning about a lot of the equipment choices. Out there I see a lot of 80-125mm wide BC skis set up with 75mm bindings and either BC boots or tele boots. Of course what some of the folks out there can tackle on something like a Rossi Evo Trail is insane.

[Lionel]

For the Backcountry/touring I have Trab duo freerando light with dynafit TLT bindings with Dynafit shoes. This is a fantastic setup to go up and you can go down almost anything as well as the boots are plenty stiff. The skis are pretty wide but very light so they can become pretty technical to ski on the way down.

[Eddie]

Very nice setup Lionel. I imagine you hike up with skins, then lock in the AT binding and ski down with a fixed heel? For my purposes (think, more rolling terrain) I think it might make more sense to get a scaled BC ski setup with a similar sidecut. The Madshus Epoch seems to be pretty popular. Although, an AT setup would be nice because I could resort ski that setup as well.

[Lionel]

Very nice setup Lionel. I imagine you hike up with skins, then lock in the AT binding and ski down with a fixed heel? For my purposes (think, more rolling terrain) I think it might make more sense to get a scaled BC ski setup with a similar sidecut. The Madshus Epoch seems to be pretty popular. Although, an AT setup would be nice because I could resort ski that setup as well.

Yep, I skin up, then lock the TLT binding with the matching boot. That's a great setup but as you say more appropriate when the climbs are long and steep (my case).

[DCT]

Fahnestock is open tomorrow!

https://twitter.com/FWPupdates

[vandebergen]

Yeah, that is a pretty sweet setup! (Lionel's) I'm thinking of moving to Dynafit for touring, but haven't made the leap yet.

Yeah man. Last season skied a lot at Whitegrass and Dolly Sods in the Canaan Valley. My track/touring skis are waaay under geared for much of it, but I make it work.

What's your preferred setup for WV? There's so much varied terrain - in some places you can ski out on groomed XC trail, break trail to get over to the alpine area, and then rip a run down to the resort if you like. I'm just learning about a lot of the equipment choices. Out there I see a lot of 80-125mm wide BC skis set up with 75mm bindings and either BC boots or tele boots. Of course what some of the folks out there can tackle on something like a Rossi Evo Trail is insane.

If you like free heels, my favorite setup for WV is a 75mm binding on a cambered/waxless pattern ski and a lighter tele boot. Can ski almost everything on that setup, and is especially nice if you're all about the tour and still want to shred a bit on the down.

Personally, I'd have a 3-pin cable binding mounted on BC skis with a 95'ish waist, and a T2 boot. I'd also carry skins on tours into the unknown....

Right now I'm running a straight-up 3-pin binding mounted on skinnier BC skis, and the setup works pretty good most of the time. I have some issues in the deeper, heavier snow. I'd add the cables for some extra burl, the width for flotation, and the skins for "just in case".

Fun discussion.

[cny rider]

Fahnestock is open tomorrow!

https://twitter.com/FWPupdates

Mother nature can be very cruel.
We have thigh deep powder upstate right now with spectacular skiing.
By Monday we are likely going to be looking at brown grass and flooding.

[Eddie]

Yeah, that is a pretty sweet setup! (Lionel's) I'm thinking of moving to Dynafit for touring, but haven't made the leap yet.



If you like free heels, my favorite setup for WV is a 75mm binding on a cambered/waxless pattern ski and a lighter tele boot. Can ski almost everything on that setup, and is especially nice if you're all about the tour and still want to shred a bit on the down.

Personally, I'd have a 3-pin cable binding mounted on BC skis with a 95'ish waist, and a T2 boot. I'd also carry skins on tours into the unknown....

Right now I'm running a straight-up 3-pin binding mounted on skinnier BC skis, and the setup works pretty good most of the time. I have some issues in the deeper, heavier snow. I'd add the cables for some extra burl, the width for flotation, and the skins for "just in case".

Fun discussion.

Great intel, thanks man. I've been doing a lot of research, and the setups I'm starting to zero in on are pretty much what you've described as your WV setup. The thing is, I've been at the XC thing for several years now, I push the limits of the equipment that I do have (within my abilities), and I'd also say I'm an intermediate alpine skier, but there's that vast space in between that I'd really like to explore and is entirely new to me.

The equipment geekery can be fun stuff, but it's more fun to be out there using it.

[Eddie]

Yeah, that is a pretty sweet setup! (Lionel's) I'm thinking of moving to Dynafit for touring, but haven't made the leap yet.



If you like free heels, my favorite setup for WV is a 75mm binding on a cambered/waxless pattern ski and a lighter tele boot. Can ski almost everything on that setup, and is especially nice if you're all about the tour and still want to shred a bit on the down.

Personally, I'd have a 3-pin cable binding mounted on BC skis with a 95'ish waist, and a T2 boot. I'd also carry skins on tours into the unknown....

Right now I'm running a straight-up 3-pin binding mounted on skinnier BC skis, and the setup works pretty good most of the time. I have some issues in the deeper, heavier snow. I'd add the cables for some extra burl, the width for flotation, and the skins for "just in case".

Fun discussion.

Great intel, thanks man. I've been doing a lot of research, and the setups I'm starting to zero in on are pretty much what you've described as your WV setup. The thing is, I've been at the XC thing for several years now, I push the limits of the equipment that I do have (within my abilities), and I'd also say I'm an intermediate alpine skier, but there's that vast space in between that I'd really like to explore and is entirely new to me.

The equipment geekery can be fun stuff, but it's more fun to be out there using it.

[lukasz]

YO DARREN: ski where and what time on Saturday? I may or may not be able to make it. Girlfriend planning rather large party in my apartment so I can't be out until too late in the day.

Yeah, that is a pretty sweet setup! (Lionel's) I'm thinking of moving to Dynafit for touring, but haven't made the leap yet.



If you like free heels, my favorite setup for WV is a 75mm binding on a cambered/waxless pattern ski and a lighter tele boot. Can ski almost everything on that setup, and is especially nice if you're all about the tour and still want to shred a bit on the down.

Personally, I'd have a 3-pin cable binding mounted on BC skis with a 95'ish waist, and a T2 boot. I'd also carry skins on tours into the unknown....

Right now I'm running a straight-up 3-pin binding mounted on skinnier BC skis, and the setup works pretty good most of the time. I have some issues in the deeper, heavier snow. I'd add the cables for some extra burl, the width for flotation, and the skins for "just in case".

Fun discussion.

What do you mean by a T2 boot? I'm looking at upgrading to a similar setup. I broke my XC touring bindings on the first ski last year (popped the heel piece off) so would like something more heavy duty. I posted a bit about it here a few weeks ago (on previous page of this thread).

[vandebergen]

^^^
Sorry about the vague reference. The T2 series are made by Scarpa. I was including it as a reference to the type of boot I would choose. I guess I would call it the happy medium of 75mm telemark boots.

That said, others are out there that fit the bill. Choices became more limited after Garmont left the game. Black Diamond makes a boot called the Seeker that is pretty similar, and the Scarpa T4 is also a nice boot (but a 2-buckle model as opposed to 3-buckle). Not sure if Crispi still makes a 3-buckle boot. I'm also curious about the Fischer BCX 675/875 boots. They could be fun to ski.

[lukasz]

I looked up the Fischer before. Looks pretty light. I could see myself using it. Judging from internet photos alone, the Scarpa T2 looks like a full-on downhill boot.

[vandebergen]

Oh yeah, the T2 will definitely get you downhill. Driving a 90+mm waist ski in variable snow and everything.

But there are much stiffer/heavier boots out there.

[Lionel]

My Dynafit ZZero 4 buckles are great going up and very solid going down. I just had a quick look at the dynafit site and they do not seem to make them anymore and seem to have switched to 3 buckles for every boot they make now.

[lukasz]

Oh yeah, the T2 will definitely get you downhill. Driving a 90+mm waist ski in variable snow and everything.

But there are much stiffer/heavier boots out there.

I was saying that it looked like too much boot for the kind of skiing I see myself doing in the next few years. I'd rather have something lighter like the Fischer (judging by looks alone) for uphill comfort.