 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello wallies…. I would appreciate some advicw pls. My touring / powder skis are fitted with Fritschi Tecton bindings which I am thinking of replacing with Shifts (I don’t care too much about uphill performance on these skiis). Reason for this is I’ve had a couple of falls this season on deep / steep / sticky powder where a ski has come off and I’ve taken a long time to get the ski back on - ie struggled to align the tech holes on boots with pins on toe binding in these conditions. In one case another person had to help by holding down the release lever to slowly guide the pins into the holes. Is this an issue that others experience in these situations or am I just a wally? Obviously it will be much easier to clip into Shits in ski mode
by digging the tail of the skis into the deep show. Thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ozboy, I would go ATK Evo rather than Shifts. They ski great, really easy to step into (I immediately noticed this vs Fritschi Xenic/Marker Alpinist), bomber metal construction (and are super light compared to a shift even if this is not your priority)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@BobinCH, Thanks - I'll will take a look at Ski Bartlett who are not too far from me in London. Do you have any tips for stepping into pin bindings in steep / deepish powder as I struggle with this when one leg is knee deep. Falls are rare but normally spectacular when they happen. Last fall I hit a buried block of ice from old avalanche debris with the ski.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| @BobinCH, Thanks - I'll will take a look at Ski Bartlett who are not too far from me in London. Do you have any tips for stepping into pin bindings in steep / deepish powder as I struggle with this when one leg is knee deep. Falls are rare but normally spectacular when they happen. Last fall I hit a buried block of ice from old avalanche debris with the ski. |
In pow use the ski to create a padded down space 3 or 4 ski widths wide, make sure the ski is flat, use your poles to balance (stand on your other ski to avoid sinking if necessary), only attempt to put on the ski when you are balanced, make sure you get the boot toe far enough forward to engage the pins and apply pressure gently, wiggling the toe if necessary so the pins slot in correctly. Lock and unlock with the lever to make sure pins fully engaged. Something like that… but most important is get ATK bindings 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
Hello wallies…. I would appreciate some advicw pls. My touring / powder skis are fitted with Fritschi Tecton bindings which I am thinking of replacing with Shifts (I don’t care too much about uphill performance on these skiis). Reason for this is I’ve had a couple of falls this season on deep / steep / sticky powder where a ski has come off and I’ve taken a long time to get the ski back on - ie struggled to align the tech holes on boots with pins on toe binding in these conditions. In one case another person had to help by holding down the release lever to slowly guide the pins into the holes. Is this an issue that others experience in these situations or am I just a wally? Obviously it will be much easier to clip into Shits in ski mode
by digging the tail of the skis into the deep show. Thoughts? |
I think it just takes practice , sometimes it can be at an awkard angle and one pin slots in one side, and, if not perfectly aligned the opposing pin misses and the toe piece closes and the boot slips out.
Mind , be grateful they released , I had a very low speed fall last week , like 2kmh slow, my ski didn't release as I 'went over the handlebars' and my leg snapped instead.
Currently enjoying an 8 day all inclusive hospital stay in Thonon after the surgery to fix it all.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The biggest aid to stepping into the bindings in deep snow is to stand on the other ski as BobinCH says, it's a breeze!
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@Ozboy, I wouldn't change the Tectons, as you know they release, which is way more important than a bit of faffing, which you'll gradually get sussed.
I've used Tectons for many a season and they're no issue.
Just persevere and you'll find your mountaincraft will get better as you experience more snowpack conditions.
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Guys thanks for all the feedback and @bobhitch sorry to hear and get better soon. Someone mentioned on another thread to use silicon spray on various metal parts to stop snow buildup and brakes freezing. Would you recommend use of leashes if brakes are fitted? I’ve also reduced my DIN by one as was overdue from passing to 50yo threshold a few years ago.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| Guys thanks for all the feedback and @bobhitch sorry to hear and get better soon. Someone mentioned on another thread to use silicon spray on various metal parts to stop snow buildup and brakes freezing. Would you recommend use of leashes if brakes are fitted? I’ve also reduced my DIN by one as was overdue from passing to 50yo threshold a few years ago. |
Avoid leashes - they're a nightmare and you should only use them if you don't use brakes. I repeat, use brakes. Leashes are a nightmare.
As per @Weathercam, I've been using Tectons on my freeride skis for years - if you already have them, I wouldn't bother switching to shifts unless you're particularly heavy. I'm 75kg unloaded and never had problems with Tectons when skiing various features in the backcountry. They're pretty sturdy IMV. Not sure about choosing ATKs over shifts if you're using them for DH-oriented; they're very different beasts. I know ATKs have flex compensation but they'll still transfer a lot of chatter to your feet in firm / chopped snow by nature of the interface. If you only ski champagne pow pow, you won't notice any difference at all, however 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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...also, I've seen more than one person struggle with shifts gooeing up in certain soft snow conditions during transfers. Tectons can, too. That's where tech bindings also work well - the fewer moving parts / nooks / crannies, the less chance of ice build up.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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anyone got any recommendations for improving hip flexors for kick turns, I can just about get one foot 90 degrees to the other, getting it pointing anywhere close to the opposite direction is currently impossible!! Years of biking, running and field hockey have taken their toll on my hip flexibility!!
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Interesting @kitenski, I introduced a mate to his first kick turns about 5 seasons ago.
He was horrified at the outset and similar to yourself could just about get to 90 degs. I will check to see what course of exercise he took. Second season he was planting uphill ski virtually opposite direction to the lower one, most impressive. I have an odd feeling that he may have said he "practiced" bare footed in the living room easing his leg ever further round!
As I said, I will check with him and report back.
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You know it makes sense.
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@kitenski, take three swings with your leg to get some momentum going, then your leg will fly around 
Have to say yesterday found myself in a most precarious position to kick-turn, had just put the ski-crampons on as snow was boiler-plate, plus was steep and then I realised I was almost in a no-fall zone, as if I'd lost it there was a nasty potential slide a long way down, nothing like a situation like that to concentrate the mind, especially as the OH is off games having had one of those nasty spin out slides when skinning up on an icy slope (and she was using crampons) coming down on top of the ski bruising her breast bone.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Mon 22-04-24 15:23; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Rogerdodger, thanks!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry @kitenski, spoke to friend who improved his kick turns .
It seems there was no magic exercise plan, no yoga nothing!
First season, extremely limited flex and movement. Next season was kick turning like a veteran mountain guide, no explanation at all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@BobinCH, when are you off to Svalbard? Hope you get better weather than we had in Lofoten!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @BobinCH, when are you off to Svalbard? Hope you get better weather than we had in Lofoten!! |
It's difficult to have worse weather than you had in Lofoten!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Sharkymark, don't rub it in
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@BobinCH, hopefully she included skins in her shopping list otherwise there will be a lot of frowning occurring 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@BobinCH, we’ve also both just got Raider Evos with the free ride spacer. 11 for her, 13 for me. They’re lovely bindings, beautifully engineered. Looking forward to trying them in Saturday near Tromso. Had hoped to get out on cairngorm this week but work…
Enjoy Svalbard. Looking forward to the pics!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@BobinCH, here to help.
Do you live next door to a DPS shop and an ATK shop per chance?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, good to see as ever you're keeping up with the Jones's
As you know wife has had her Pagoda Tours 106's for three years now and you just can't get her off them, even on the piste!
What length did you get her, and how tall is she, as there is some debate going on elsewhere about lengths for women evidently according to the OH, and OH also asking did your wife choose her own skis
Yesterday we had a break from the wintery conditions and seemed everyone had decided to go out on their bikes, as the incessant strong winds of late had eased.
I came across this dude yesterday, pretty hard core, boots on the back of the bike, skis along the side, and not electric!
He'd been up doing some gnarly couloirs and had ridden up some tough trails to the snow-line.
Still keeping on the bike theme I toured up in the Galibier sector, and image below is of the Col du Galibier road with the names of riders painted on the roads.
I didn't go to the ridge as there had been more landslips, and it all looked a bit precarious as bits had been dropping off, so headed for the rock above to transition and nearly had a moment as with both skis off my foot went straight through the snow, and it was the rock equivalent of a tree well, more like a crevasse, so could have been an embarrassing moment falling down that and trying to clamber out 3 or 4ms with no gloves etc
That face you'd normally expect to be Spring snow this time of year but was still nigh on chalk though just starting to transform.
Still loads of good coverage up there, but weather looks mining for the next week or so, what was promising to be great end of season touring is ging downhill rapidly 
And quite a few Mountaineer Alpinistes were out above the Lautaret on the Combeynot yesterday doing extreme lines!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| .... I wanted her to get the 112’s but lost that battle… |
OH was very pleased to hear that as she's on a mission to stop men choosing their OH's skis
Hope Weather Gods deliver for Svalbard.
In the past I mentioned that I've been sking with very good friends that I refer to as the Vikings.
Well one of them is now living in Svalbard and MD of one of the big travel companies there, so plan is for 2025, but land-based as by then they will have sussed what's good etc
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FAQ
