Ski For Medium Length Tours
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:09 pm
Over the past four winters I’ve gone from beginning with cross country skiing for the first time through expanding my XC quiver, moving into XCd to xcD and this past winter into downhill tele with heavier gear. There’s a blown ACL in there that I have been forced to work around. I’ve made gear mistakes along the way, tried to progress too fast at times, and experimented with different skis, boots, bindings, skins, and waxes. I’ve learned a lot and am hoping to continue that trend this year.
Last year I moved from cross country bindings (Xplore) to heavier gear, F1 and TXPro with Transit bindings and felt like I was linking turns and doing well on greens and easy blues. I had enough control to pick my way down harder slopes but it wasn’t much fun.
Along the way I found that I just wasn’t strong enough to tele for long at a resort as my technique would start to degrade pretty quickly. I’ve committed to being in better shape this year and am doing a lot of weight training and cycling. I’m not sure I’m gaining any muscle mass or getting any stronger but my endurance is increasing.
What I hope to try this winter is more ambitious XCd with longer tours into more variable areas, pushing distances past 10 or 15 miles which I’ve only done once and it wore me out. I’ll be looking for routes that stay under 20 degree slope angle but will likely need to ski stretches of up to 30 degrees from time to time. I’m looking at using Xplore bindings with heavier boots for these tours. Alfa Free boots have not worked for me so I’ve sourced some Lundhags Abisku Explore boots. However, I don’t think I have the right skis.
I currently own Gamme 54, Falketind 62, Voile Objective, and Rossignol BC80. The Gamme54 is too narrow for the snow depths I’ll encounter. The Objective will work but lack on kick and glide and are horrible on breakable crust, which I will also encounter. The FT62 will work but lacks in float. The BC80s might do it but the pair I have, at 172cm, are on the short side.
So, I’m seeking a ski with decent kick and glide, some turning ability with tele technique, decent float, light weight, able to handle some breakable crust, and probably waxless for Northern Utah’s highly variable conditions and relentless up and down. Ability to accept a half-skin could be a plus. I’ll be making full length skins. Of course, I will also be encountering snowmobile tracks so handling those is also part of the equation. Having read a lot of posts here it seems like an Asnes Nansen, waxless might fit the bill. I know a lot of people here also like the Fischer SBound 98 but I have also heard that the kick and glide is lacking with this ski. Hoping I can get some advice on what I might consider looking for. I do know that the fewer long boxes that arrive at the doorstep, the better my relationship with my wife seems to be so, I want to avoid trial and error!
Last year I moved from cross country bindings (Xplore) to heavier gear, F1 and TXPro with Transit bindings and felt like I was linking turns and doing well on greens and easy blues. I had enough control to pick my way down harder slopes but it wasn’t much fun.
Along the way I found that I just wasn’t strong enough to tele for long at a resort as my technique would start to degrade pretty quickly. I’ve committed to being in better shape this year and am doing a lot of weight training and cycling. I’m not sure I’m gaining any muscle mass or getting any stronger but my endurance is increasing.
What I hope to try this winter is more ambitious XCd with longer tours into more variable areas, pushing distances past 10 or 15 miles which I’ve only done once and it wore me out. I’ll be looking for routes that stay under 20 degree slope angle but will likely need to ski stretches of up to 30 degrees from time to time. I’m looking at using Xplore bindings with heavier boots for these tours. Alfa Free boots have not worked for me so I’ve sourced some Lundhags Abisku Explore boots. However, I don’t think I have the right skis.
I currently own Gamme 54, Falketind 62, Voile Objective, and Rossignol BC80. The Gamme54 is too narrow for the snow depths I’ll encounter. The Objective will work but lack on kick and glide and are horrible on breakable crust, which I will also encounter. The FT62 will work but lacks in float. The BC80s might do it but the pair I have, at 172cm, are on the short side.
So, I’m seeking a ski with decent kick and glide, some turning ability with tele technique, decent float, light weight, able to handle some breakable crust, and probably waxless for Northern Utah’s highly variable conditions and relentless up and down. Ability to accept a half-skin could be a plus. I’ll be making full length skins. Of course, I will also be encountering snowmobile tracks so handling those is also part of the equation. Having read a lot of posts here it seems like an Asnes Nansen, waxless might fit the bill. I know a lot of people here also like the Fischer SBound 98 but I have also heard that the kick and glide is lacking with this ski. Hoping I can get some advice on what I might consider looking for. I do know that the fewer long boxes that arrive at the doorstep, the better my relationship with my wife seems to be so, I want to avoid trial and error!
