PNW touring quiver of 1

[klikboom]

I'm getting ready to change up my touring ski. Currently on Vicik 186 with dynafits. I'd like to go shorter and lighter but keep the great dense snow skiing capability of the Vicik . I've been saving for the billy goat tours / steeple's but demoed the Hojis in 179 at whistler today and was very impressed by how easy they ski. I want something easier to kick turn with than my 186's which one would you with? I rarely tour in fresh snow as I usually wait for it to settle to reduce avy risk. Should I do 112 bg tour, 102 steeple, or hoji? I'll have to get bigger brakes to fit anything > 110mm... At first I wanted something skinnier than the viciks but I'm thinking a bg or hoji in the high 170's could do the trick??

[whatsupdoc]

Also look at the praxis bc in a 180. It skis heavy/wet pow very well for its size. Versatile touring ski.

[RockinB]

^^^ 2nd the Praxis BC in the 180. I have been on a pair all season and can't say enough good about them. You will not be disappointed.

[Dry]

a couple of really fun options to drop more weight:

177 Huascaran @112 under 8.5# for the pair
182 Cho Oyu @ 90 under 6# for the pair

I could use either as a year around quiver of ONE on the wet side of the Cascades.
lwt and fun on the up and decent on any down and good on a lift yo-yoing if required.

[SkiingQuinHat]

Volkl Nunataq's are great - been on them for the last week and they ski everything well and are light for touring!

[Lambert]

Next years Moment Underworld?

[klikboom]

The thing I liked about the Hojis and BGs are their supreme unhookiness and both are really damp. You finding the BC's are equivalent in that manner? Any touring reviews on bg tours vs Hojis?

[SupreChicken]

Quiver of 1 touring? Man...tough.

I would argue for the gpo in whatever length you like...

[auvgeek]

Honestly, 181 K2 Hardside is a great quiver-of-one PNW touring ski for hardpack conditions. Not super light, but can be had pretty cheap. Praxis BC makes sense too, but I don't see why you'd need a ski 110+ if you wait for the snow to settle.

Other, more expensive options include the Raven, W105, 179 Bro, Steeple 102, etc.

[GeezerSteve]

PNW quiver-of-one touring ski is a difficult concept because mid-winter and post-consolidation spring/summer conditions are so different. If I were limited to one ski for both I'd go with Voile Vector (limited funds), DPS W99 (unlimited funds) or equivalent, i.e., mid- to high 90s waist, rocker tip, camber underfoot, flattish tail, lightweight but not ridiculously so.

Oh, one other thing: Get rid of the brakes.

[dschane]

182 Cho Oyu @ 90 under 5# for the pair

I think you mean under 6 lb for the pair, no?

[Dry]

I think you mean under 6 lb for the pair, no?

Yes, my mistake. 182 Cho is actually just under 6# for the pair. My 182 Chos are 6#2oz with bindings and leashes on a postal scale. 5 oz. plus in the bindings.

177 Huascaran goes at 8.5#, not under 8.

171cm Nanga Parbat is under 5# per pair. 174 Cho is 5.5# for the pair no binding.
I should never quote weights from memory.

[Huskier]

^^^ 2nd the Praxis BC in the 180. I have been on a pair all season and can't say enough good about them. You will not be disappointed.

3rd. Does everything well.

[D(C)]

I tried the Hoji and was quite frightened on anything very firm. They have a very short contact length and there is not much ski touching the snow unless it can sink in. For spring touring where the approach is icy when skinning for corn, I can't see this ski being ideal.
I'd go with something that has a bit more contact length.

If you liked the Hoji's lack of hookiness, maybe check out the 179 EHP. It is more of a slarver than a carver compared to the Hoji but has a longer flat section, which should do better on firm snow.

[klikboom]

Interesting, my demo experience was on real hard snow and 1" of fresh and I was impressed with how they could carve easily and pivot through icy bumps. Maybe being 179cm I could push them around pretty easily. I guess my focus for my touring ski is skiing consolidated pow first corn second. The 105 viciks have carried me well enough but I had to detune them like crazy to loose the hookiness seems wider and shorter may get me better performance for less weight. Id really like to demo some praxis but I've never heard of a Seattle area dealer?? The reason I've closed in on these two skis is I've demoed both and really liked them.

[Dry]

what is your bsl?

[klikboom]

My Sherpas (Dynafit) are 317bsl, Kryptons (alpine) are 327

[klikboom]

Do the Praxis BC's have the same sort of features as the Hoji's where the rocker matches sidecut? Its hard to tell from the verbage on the Praxis site.

[gregL]

Another vote for more than one touring ski; the ski you want tomorrow in the PNW is drastically different from the one you'll want in May.

If you insist on going in the "one ski quiver" direction, I'd go with the lightest ~100mm ski I felt comfortable on in heinous conditions. If I was buying this year, that would probably be the DPS W99 P3 or the G3 Zenoxide C3. Add the Dynafit Denali and the La Sportiva Vapor Nano when they become available.

[klikboom]

The steeples at 102 already seem pretty skinny, I like to enjoy heavy snow not survive it. I'm considering staying wide underfoot but cutting weight by reducing overall length. The 176cm billy goat tours and 180 praxis BCs and 179 Hojis are my contenders. Ive read every praxis BC review and I'm still wondering if the sidecut is going to be hooky. Seems like they would ski similar to the viciks (plaid vintage) which is what I'm on now. I wasn't even looking at BCs but the reply from the NW'ers has been extremely positive about them.

[grinch]

I have BC's and its hard to fault them. good in a variety of turn shapes, tough bases, light. while they ski better than some skis that are wider when needed, they won't crush it like hoji's. I wouldn't want to drag around Hoji's though. I'd look at the MVP. that will crush it everywhere. on sale for atleast until today maybe tomorrow(use code on top of sale) . get carbon hybrid cheaper than bc's because of sale. that will be my next touring daily driver for sure. 110-112 is max for variety of skintracks. they're 110 and carbon is only about 8.3ish lbs. med/stiff will blast thru most stuff and nice tail rocker to get loose when you need to. that being said I won't be selling my BC's , they're just really versatile(I can get them down steep alpine route or ski pow day on hill if I take a trip)

[chmnyboy]

Wailer 112's. Awesome on corn, powder, and muck.

[klikboom]

Thread revival for my final report. Drumroll please.... For my quiver of one PNW touring ski, I bought two skis:
1. Billy goat tour in 176 with ft 12's absolutely slays everything in the northwest that isn't ice. Short length tours easily and I've had no floatation issues with short length. But, the ice, they really suck in the ice.
2. Dynafit Denali 176 with speed radicals. Just picked em up this off season. Should be good for firm and corn days. Ridiculously light.

Quiver of one, it's just so hard to do!

[ScrewYou]

Thread revival for my final report. Drumroll please.... For my quiver of one PNW touring ski, I bought two skis:
1. Billy goat tour in 176 with ft 12's absolutely slays everything in the northwest that isn't ice. Short length tours easily and I've had no floatation issues with short length. But, the ice, they really suck in the ice.
2. Dynafit Denali 176 with speed radicals. Just picked em up this off season. Should be good for firm and corn days. Ridiculously light.

Quiver of one, it's just so hard to do!

How big are you?

[klikboom]

5'10" 158#. For me the 176 billy's are amazing even on deep days, but the edge grip is a problem on firm and also i slip before everyone else (and have to add crampons) on firm skin tracks. I may try the extra plush skins from G3, currently using BD ascensions and they glide super fast but slip really easy.