Skis to compliment Asnes Gamme 54 for the Laurentians?

[lilcliffy]

Another question- what are your family/friends skiing on in this region (and does it have E99 stamped on it )?

[lilcliffy]

The Ingstad does compliment your Gamme 54- very much- they offer very different performance and the Ingstad is definitely more stable in deep soft snow- being a full 8mm wider underfoot.

As far as other options in the Ingstad "class"- depends on your weight and personal preferences.
I cannot speak for the "new" Fischer Transnordic 82 (i.e. I don't know if it is identical to the most current E-109-XL).

But the Ingstad BC has the most longitudinally stable flex of any ski I have tested in its class. It is my favourite Nordic touring ski- when the conditions suit it.

I am assuming you want a wax base? The Fischer 78 or 88 are others to consider...

Also- what boot and binding do you have on the Gamme? Are you looking to use the same on this new ski?

[lilcliffy]

Telemark Pyrenees reports that the TN82 has the same flex as the E-109-XL.
https://www.telemark-pyrenees.com/ski/f ... rrency=USD

[johnnycanuck]

Curious- what was the challenge with the Gamme in 25cm of fresh snow?

They felt extremely slow, really struggled to get very far with them in fresh snow, it was exhausting. I could not see myself having to do more than a KM or 2 in it as I was really burning up quick in comparison to the tire-compacted snow (this was a detour into the deeper stuff off a farm road I live by). It felt like my boots were doing the most snow clearing when trying to break trail.

Now to add some context, this was in Eastern Ontario and the largest of our snows here this past year. I also don't have a ton of experience backcountry skiing (this year is my first full season, and I've logged only ~60km on my Gammes) so this could have been a combination of inexperience/technique/wax + conditions that aren't typical...? I haven't encountered a similar experience on the Gammes since.

I am assuming you want a wax base? The Fischer 78 or 88 are others to consider...

Also- what boot and binding do you have on the Gamme? Are you looking to use the same on this new ski?

I prefer a wax-able base. I'm 72kg, 178cm and I wear an Alpina Alaska with a NNN-BC binding on the Gamme. I would prefer to use the same setup. I use the Asnes suggested size of Gamme based on my height, 190cm

Another question- what are your family/friends skiing on in this region (and does it have E99 stamped on it )?

The family/friends I know that live in the area only ski in tracks, and even then I don't think they could tell me off the top of their head what skis they have other than they are for "ski de fond" lol. I didn't see E99's when I did take a peak, ha

[fisheater]

In soft, dry, I consolidated powder you can sink. However I weigh 86 kilos or so / 190 lbs. I’m on a 210 Gamme and a 196 Falketind Xplore. The 20 cm difference on the Gamme is over 8” of ski, I think that could be helpful. The bottom line is some days in light, unconsolidated snow, you will sink. I think longer, and wider would be better. The Asnes guide is just a general guide, you would have quite a bit more square inches underfoot with a 205 Ingstad, or a 196 Falketind Xplore even. I wouldn’t recommend any of the fatter skis with your boots. Some guys can use an Alaska BC with a fatter ski, but they generally have a good reason to think they can pull it off.

[Nitram Tocrut]

I picked up a pair of Gamme 54s in November and absolutely had a blast with them this season. They are great for the local terrain here in Eastern Ontario. The only time I had trouble with them was trail breaking after the ~25cm snowfall we had in January. Otherwise they were amazing.

Next year we're planning to visit family out in the Laurentian Mountains area, in around Jacques-Cartier National Park. We have hopes to be able to do a ski-in (or ski-from) cabin next year. The conditions in the backcountry are wildly different from eastern Ontario. My dad reported around 4ft of snowfall this past season in the Lac Beauport area.

I'm looking for a ski to compliment the Gammes for this sort of terrain. I've currently got my eyes on the Ingstad but wondering if there is something else I should look at?

@Rodbelan if you can chime in you could provide the best insight as you probably are the most knowledgeable about this area on the forum. As far as I know this is literally your backyard!