 Poster: A snowHead
|
After many years of renting I'm finally taking the plunge and buying skis.
Last year this would have been pretty simple but had a go at touring this year and hope to do more if I can improve my off piste.
So should I take the plunge and go for a touring set up (Diamir/Naxo, any opinions) staight away or stick with standard alpine kit and see how the touring progresses. Is there a down side with touring bindings except embarrassment if they never actually get used to tour?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I asked a similar question recently (thread headed 'Too early for touring bindings?' - dunno how to paste links, so use the search facility). And I'm very happy with the Atomic R9 and Fritschi Freeride combo I ended up with. Apart from anything else the bindings are incredibly light. The release works fine (at least it does when you fall off the lift  ) It's difficult to say what may be behind apparently meteoric improvements in ability, but the fact that my boots sit quite high above the skis (like a massive riser plate) seems to make carving a breeze. Haven't tried them for touring yet - next week in the Pyrenees, I hope. But the free-heel mechanism is very easy to use and the bindings seem to be very robust despite their weight.
I say "go for it", if your wallet can stand the hit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
rich, To take the oppsite view from Stevo, How much touring are you going to do.
Have you done any yet ? (I see tou have)  If you aspire to multi-day hut to hut tours, then go for it, but remember that skis and bindings that are suitable for touring may not be best for resort days.
You really don't want to finish up with two pairs of skis, and one set of bindings....
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
... True, but lots of tourers use 'downhill', 'all mountain' skis (as are - or, rather were - the R9s). The key thing is that they prefer to err on the lightweight side. This means GS or slalom skis are probably out of the question.
I agree that, if you want to have the ideal gear for each style of skiing and each snow condition you might meet, you wouldn't put touring bindings on them all. But, if you're not an expert at anything, but are a competent skier and want one rig for everything, then you can do anything with a touring binding, but you can't skin uphill on a downhill binding.
Of course, if you're only going to tour every now and then, you can always hire specialist gear as and when.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Cheers for the comments. Decided to sit on the fence for the moment and go for alpine bindings for now and hire touring gear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
rich, I've just got myself a touring setup (Dynastar 8000, Fritschi Freeride, G3 skins, Scarpa TT boots) and, unless you are a racer, I can see no reason for having anything else. Even if you're not going to do hut-to-hut stuff, this just gives you so much around-resort opportunity. E.g. in the last two weeks (in-resort off-piste holidays, not mainstream touring), I've been three times in untracked thigh-deep powder in stunning scenery when all the purely lift-served slopes were pretty much tracked out. Each time for only about 45 minutes skinning to get back to the rat-race. It just opens up the possibilities so much that, if you're getting a taste of the off-piste stuff, I can see very little argument against it. I also realised it gives you a wonderful insurance policy in case you get so carried away on the fluffy stuff you miss the bottom of the lift system! It also looks more and more a popular option. I've never seen so many touring setups as in the past two weeks (although maybe I'm just noticing it more...looking for self-justification!) - and two of the three groups in one of the hotels were all on a range of touring kit (skis being mostly B2s, several Dynastars, Pocket Rockets, 1080s, and the odd B3).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ