one ski for occasional touring/off piste and piste

A snowHead

Not an original topic I know. But over the years I have always had just one touring ski, but use them whenever I am piste skiing too, when they are flappy on hardpack and hopeless on ice. Currently on 5 yr old Volkl Snow-wolfs. Now they seem to be somewhat narrow too (76 waist). Thinking of going wider, and wondering which skis would be a good compromise. Perhaps the best benchmark is: "What are professional guides using this season?" Also, is there a max width beyond which it creates problems following a skinning track made by others with narrower skis?

A snowHead

Maybe take a look at DPS's narrower (95mm waist) offerings, and probably PM Gear too. Should help keep the weight down whilst still getting fatter.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I thought the convention was to have two Puzzled

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bruce leggott, I'm not a guide or expert but I am on K2 Mount Bakers with Barons, at 121/88/108 . Probably more for the side-country, and you would not want to skin more than 2-3 hours on them - but mainly because of the bindings, and I haven't found trouble staying in tracks when skinning, on very limited skinning on them.

more informed people will be along...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Assuming you aint huge or tiny, I'd go for:
~80mm waist
~20m sidecut radius
slightly longer than you'd normally buy

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Megamum,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I would say 90mm is the new 80 personally, Its a good width for pretty much anything, personally I really like the new Salomon sentinal, although may not be the lightest thing for longer tours but performs incredibly well, If I'm mentioning that I should really mention the mantra also as they are pretty similar. Also the atomic drift is nice and light and ment to be a flat tailed lighter snoop which is an awsome ski! (haven't skied it personally but if its anything like the snoop it will be good!!)

Then the normal list also, scott mission, Atomic nomad renu (very light as no metal in the construction) k2 hardside or coomba,salomon lord...

or if your wanting incredibly light weight skis check out the dynafit skis (i can't remember the 90mm under foot ones name :-S long week) or the scott crusair (lovely ski but pretty dam pricey!)

After all it is free

I am on K2 hardside with Fritschi Diamir free ride bindings, you can get K2 skins but I opted for a cheaper set as the ski and binding combination is not cheap!
I am an expert skiier and love these skiis, they are stiff in the tail, i think it has a race ski construction so you can put down the edge hard if you have to. They are wide and with a little reverse rocker in the tip they really want to float. The only thing with this construction is the ski is not as light as others on the market.
On my first trip I took out two pairs skiis to save these for the back country but in the subsequent trips there was no need as the ski is very versatile.
If your wallet can handle it this is a great combination. Check them out!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Thanks for all these comments. I am on the heavy side: 89kgs, 6 ft. Expert skier. I have a week hut to hut touring each year, and a week with my wife which is typically a mix of piste skiing with a couple of days or a few half days, off-piste in whatever the conditions are. Of course if/when I buy new skis, my Snow-wolfs wd remain as the touring choice. But much of the above suggests that new skis just might be so good, I wouldnt wish to go back to the old 'uns.!! Might well change to Dynafit bindings to maintain lightness with a possible heavier ski.

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I think (speaking from experience) that if you want a one ski quiver for resort skiing but also some touring (including multi day tours), it's hard to imagine a better ski than a Scott Mission. I've had a pair for the last 4 years (with Fristchi Freerides) and they've survived huge amounts of scottish abuse and misuse, and still ski well. I did the Haute Route in them a couple of years ago and they were fine. This season I am moving onto K2 hardsides with dynafts as a dedicated touring set up but I will be impressed if they ski as well as the scotts.

snow reports

bruce leggott,

You're nearly 20kg heavier than me, can understand why the snow-wolfs might not be sturdy enough for you.

I'd add the following suggestions to your list ....
Völkl Nanuq with dynafit bindings (ca 1.75 kg per ski)
Head i.Peak 82 with dynafit bindings (ca 2kg per ski Shocked

)
Head Johnny 94 with dynafit bindings (ca 1.75 kg per ski)
K2 Wayback with dynafit bindings (ca 1.5 kg per ski)

If your boots don't have dynafit inserts then it's going to be expensive (new skis, bindings, boots and possibly skins too)

You know it makes sense.

Dynafit bindings great for going up, but I would not like them if most of your skiing was downhill. You would ski with much more confidence with the more alpine style Fritschi binding. You will be able to give them a lot of abuse and if you had a big stack you are more likely to release. Also it is easy to step into the Fritschi binding on a steep slope in 1m+ powder. I had to as I chose to light a DIN.
I have not tried the dynafit binding I admit but I did some research on them before I bought my ski binding package last year and there was a few reports of injuries from them. I was looking for a package for 80% down 20% up. I am happy with my choice.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Downhill Sailor,

Dynafit have much less slop than Fritschi i.e. they ski downhill better but as you say the binding release isn't the same as Fritschi and entry isn't as simple. Fritschi is good for all-round when using one pair of skis for alpine and touring but for dedicated touring common opinion is that dynafit is the way to go.

A snowHead

Last year I had three pairs of skis - which was stupid I know - 186 Rossignol Scratch Steeze with Marker Dukes / K2 Mount Bakers with Dynafit TLT and Scott Missions 178

I was really impressed with the Dukes, let me use my Garmont Axon Touring boot though not there is a debate as to whether you should, as well as my Downhill boots. I only skinned a couple of times on that setup though - the Missions I thought as a ski were superb on every type of snowpack. All my touring was done on my Mount Bakers and the difference between those and the Missions was quite major for me............so having lost one Mission this year I have gone Missions with Barrons as more or less a one ski set up - I'll keep the Mount Bakers, though can not see me using them too much, maybe if we do a long hut to hut tour next year but there again I tend to be a wee bit fitter than my mates so the extra weight of the Missions & Dukes will not be too much of an issue.

Interestingly enough was in my local ski shop where I bought my Barrons and ended up having a chat about what amounts etc they were selling of the Barons, Dukes and the new T26 or whatever they are - they said they were in demand, to which I replied, sort of guessing the answer "so are you selling many pairs of skins" to which the answer was "no" !!!!!!

And no the people buying them are not on the whole changing from an existing touring binding!!

So will be putting the Steeze up on FleaBay soon along with the skins and bindings!!

A snowHead

Weathercam,

There must be a lot of people out there so fit that they can tour on Barons / Dukes without skins. Wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

DB, I agree, as soon as the Dynafit offer a decent DIN then they will be the way to go, but a DIN of 10 when you are doing serious steeps just isn't enough.

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I have a pair of Fischer Watea 78s with Fritschi Eagles which I think would fit your brief pretty well. It's a cracking touring rig (for the up at least, and also for the down in spring conditions) and it will also do the job on piste better than it 85+ brethren. They're very precise, dependable skis and would come into there own on a 1 week tour. Given that your focus is piste I agree with altis that you want something around the 80mm mark. I have two pairs of touring skis - the second are Watea 94s with with Naxo NX22s, which are heavier, and which tend to blow out at speed on piste (although this may be because I'm pretty light at 74kg) but are great in crud and deep snow. I don't understand why you'd need wider, but that might be because I'm pretty light. There is also no way that I would use the 94s for tours longer than 2 hrs, or for piste skiing (although I have Worldcup RCs for that - spot the slight Fischer bias...).

The guys I tour with are mostly on Fischer X-peditions or random Ski Trab jobs with odd tips, both with Dynafit bindings, although a few are on W78s/ Head Peak 78s too. The Ski Trabs/X-peditions are pretty sloppy on piste. For an allrounder I'd go for the W78s or the Heads.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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I used the Salomon Sentinel last season in Andermatt. A proper bushwhaker! It will do anything you want. I'm 68kg, fairly fit. Go for it.

Help!!

one ski for occasional touring/off piste and piste

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