Help me choose a first Nordic ski!
Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 3:34 pm
Help me choose a first Nordic ski!
I just got back from a 100km trek in the California Sierra Nevada, about 50% on snow. I have done numerous similar trips in the past on snowshoes but this year took Altai Hok "ski-shoes" as a sort-of introduction into backcountry skiing. I have zero XC ski experience and am a mediocre resort skier at best. I had a mixed experience. The Hoks are 125 cm, 123-109-123 mm, and have a permanent integrated skin. I used 75mm 3-pin bindings with Fischer BCX-675 boots. I weigh 155 lb (70kg) and was carrying a 30 lb (14kg) pack. Height 5'10" (178 cm).
In the high Sierras in late April / early May, the typical temperature range is daytime 40-50F (5-10c) and nighttime 20-30F ( -7-0c). In the morning the snow is icy crust, firm enough to walk on. By 10am it has softened into a lovely grippy texture (corn snow?). By 3pm the snow is rotten and even my snowshoes have trouble with flotation. The terrain I follow is typical mountain trail - lots of up and downs, rare slopes > 20 degrees. Mostly above the tree line.
With the Hoks, I was very pleased with the grip of the skins, even in early morning icy conditions. They started to slip at about 20 degrees, which is about the point I probably shouldn't be on skis anyways given my skills. I felt faster than on snowshoes, and it was definitely less exertion. I mostly just shuffled. I tried a few kick-and-glides which worked without my pack, but I had a hard time balancing with 14kg on my back. Flotation was good until the end of the day when my skis were buried and stuck in wet dense snow.
Downhill of any sustained duration or steepness was beyond my skill set though. Any time I picked up speed beyond a jog I felt unstable. I was able to handle most slopes with well-planned traverse lines but had an extremely low threshold for removing skis and booting down sections. Both holding an edge and snowplowing were challenging and took my full attention and strength. A parallel turn or stop was impossible.
I'm aware this whole tale sounds like a foolish and dangerous misadventure, but I hope I can reassure you that I was fully aware of my limits and never attempted anything that would put me or a rescue crew in danger.
For those still reading, all of this is to say that I loved my mini-introduction to backcountry skiing and am inspired to invest in a real set of skis and work on my skills next year. From reading this site I understand there is no one-ski-to-rule-all-conditions but for the present I'm going to have to invest one set at a time.
I'm looking for a no-wax ski that will climb well, handle icy crust, and allow gentle downhill and turns. I have no desire to bomb down the fall line though I would like to comfortable hold an edge and traverse steeper slopes. I hope to do frequent day trips during real winter in typical Sierra dense snow, and hope to repeat my spring trip with late season snow as above. In a repeat spring trip, I will definitely have to hike with the skis on my pack so lightweight and relatively short are important, though with a me+pack weight of 185 lb (84 kg) I recognize that flotation will be important.
I have learned a lot from reading past threads here but still don't really grasp the implications of width, sidecut, and stiffness for someone with my skill level. The Fischer 78 crown/skin vs the 88 crown/skin seem like strong contenders but I don't know how to choose. With any ski, what length?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I just got back from a 100km trek in the California Sierra Nevada, about 50% on snow. I have done numerous similar trips in the past on snowshoes but this year took Altai Hok "ski-shoes" as a sort-of introduction into backcountry skiing. I have zero XC ski experience and am a mediocre resort skier at best. I had a mixed experience. The Hoks are 125 cm, 123-109-123 mm, and have a permanent integrated skin. I used 75mm 3-pin bindings with Fischer BCX-675 boots. I weigh 155 lb (70kg) and was carrying a 30 lb (14kg) pack. Height 5'10" (178 cm).
In the high Sierras in late April / early May, the typical temperature range is daytime 40-50F (5-10c) and nighttime 20-30F ( -7-0c). In the morning the snow is icy crust, firm enough to walk on. By 10am it has softened into a lovely grippy texture (corn snow?). By 3pm the snow is rotten and even my snowshoes have trouble with flotation. The terrain I follow is typical mountain trail - lots of up and downs, rare slopes > 20 degrees. Mostly above the tree line.
With the Hoks, I was very pleased with the grip of the skins, even in early morning icy conditions. They started to slip at about 20 degrees, which is about the point I probably shouldn't be on skis anyways given my skills. I felt faster than on snowshoes, and it was definitely less exertion. I mostly just shuffled. I tried a few kick-and-glides which worked without my pack, but I had a hard time balancing with 14kg on my back. Flotation was good until the end of the day when my skis were buried and stuck in wet dense snow.
Downhill of any sustained duration or steepness was beyond my skill set though. Any time I picked up speed beyond a jog I felt unstable. I was able to handle most slopes with well-planned traverse lines but had an extremely low threshold for removing skis and booting down sections. Both holding an edge and snowplowing were challenging and took my full attention and strength. A parallel turn or stop was impossible.
I'm aware this whole tale sounds like a foolish and dangerous misadventure, but I hope I can reassure you that I was fully aware of my limits and never attempted anything that would put me or a rescue crew in danger.
For those still reading, all of this is to say that I loved my mini-introduction to backcountry skiing and am inspired to invest in a real set of skis and work on my skills next year. From reading this site I understand there is no one-ski-to-rule-all-conditions but for the present I'm going to have to invest one set at a time.
I'm looking for a no-wax ski that will climb well, handle icy crust, and allow gentle downhill and turns. I have no desire to bomb down the fall line though I would like to comfortable hold an edge and traverse steeper slopes. I hope to do frequent day trips during real winter in typical Sierra dense snow, and hope to repeat my spring trip with late season snow as above. In a repeat spring trip, I will definitely have to hike with the skis on my pack so lightweight and relatively short are important, though with a me+pack weight of 185 lb (84 kg) I recognize that flotation will be important.
I have learned a lot from reading past threads here but still don't really grasp the implications of width, sidecut, and stiffness for someone with my skill level. The Fischer 78 crown/skin vs the 88 crown/skin seem like strong contenders but I don't know how to choose. With any ski, what length?
Thanks in advance for any advice!