Which bindings and should I even use these skis

[gitrinec]

What do you guys think about the Madshus Annum's compared to these skis for breaking trail in Spring time weather, as in corn, etc?

[STG]

gitrinec:

When I skied in avalanche terrain, I used the Karhu Guide (waxless) which is now called the Madshus Annum. I used it for skiing steep, powder, tree runs. I consider it a turning ski and less of a touring ski. It is single camber so it doesn't tour great although it is a relatively light ski. I found that I had to often put skins on the skis even on the flats. Given the distance you are going and the gear you will be carrying, I think weight might be an issue? If you were to ski the Annum you would need plastic boots which will add up to more weight then the ski system you had mentioned in another post. If you are considering Madshus skis, I think the Eon would be a better choice (camber and a half); lighter and narrower than the Annum.

[Cannatonic]

I'd take the Asnes all the way for spring touring. It has surface area by being long instead of wide. It should float you on deep snow, and the double camber will help you ski really fast over consolidated corn. The Annum would work too but it would be slower and more work over long distrances. If you're skiing a straight line, the long and narrow ski "tracks" well, i.e. plows straight ahead, where a curvy ski's tip wants to wander. Hard to describe.

[gitrinec]

Gannett peak terrain visualization with Google Earth, should be an interesting ski.

[youtube][/youtube]

[STG]

gitrinec:

I agree with cannatonic about the benefits of going with a more traditional, narrower ski since more weight equals more work and a straighter ski will track better. Whatever ski you decide to go with, I think it is crucial that you have a good pair of skins. Waxable and/or waxless skis will not climb very well on many sections of the trail to Titcomb. So you need skins for climbing. Also, if you get into a survival mode (bad snow/too steep to turn safely) the skins can slow you down going downhill or across a slope and allow more control. My impression is that your focus is climbing? Based on the terrain, it looks like you will be doing more touring than turning? Also, if the skiing is not working for you and snowshoeing or crampons take less effort etc. you can always unload the ski equipment and stash it along the trail.

[gitrinec]

So I'm still debating on the Voile 3 pin traverse binding or the Switchback and which boots specifically, choices choices..

[gitrinec]

Though I'm sticking to the Asnes skis, everyones been very helpful and it is appreciated!!

[bgregoire]

go with the 3pin.

[lilcliffy]

IMHO- those Asnes Combat skis are going to perform a hell of a lot better with a 3 pin binding than a free-pivot Telemark binding like the Switchback.

With the cable off (or disengaged) the 3 pin binding gives enough freedom for a complete stride, but enough resistance for a true Nordic kick.

(there's a recent discussion on kick and glide touring with a free-pivot Telemark binding on the forum)

The switchback is a Telemark binding and is designed to offer “shift on the fly” climbing (free-pivot) to downhill performance. IMHO- way more power than a BC-XC boot is designed to handle…

As far as the boot-binding combo…You still trying to decide between the Excursion and the Fischer BCX675?

The BCX675 mated with a 3 pin binding will offer the best XC performance of the two.

The cable binding may be overkill with the BCX675 though- it is a very soft boot- perhaps not rigid and powerful enough for the power of the cable.

If you really want the cable- the Excursion is probably a better choice- or a more powerful leather/composite Telemark boot (e.g. BCX8; Antarctic; Andrew, etc.)

BTW- IME, the Annum/Guide is an excellent XC ski- but it only performs well in deep, soft snow. The Annum is brutally inefficient on hard/dense snow. It's flex pattern is designed for the pow. It's a funny thing- the Guide is an "older", or dated design these days…It was clearly designed to try and offer a true balance between xcountry and downhill performance (in powder snow). The waxless pattern is a XC design (not optimized for climbing); and it has a relatively flat, straight tail. In deep snow, the Guide/Annum tracks very well for such as wide, shaped, XC ski.

[gitrinec]

Lilcliffy, that's what I needed to know , I think I'll get the voile 3pin traverse, the cables can always be removed if I don't need them , I'll probably have to try on the boots and figure out between the two, the Excursions or the bcx675.