Lightweight AT, AT or adapted Alpine?

[Idris]

I’ve never skied a lightweight, as in skinny feather light skis, dynafit bindings and boots, so I can’t really answer this one myself. Normally my touring rig is Lowa Struka Evo’s with an extra clip, Freerides and Lawnchairs…I’ll take this rig anywhere…it does have its limitations. It’s not light by any means, I start to feel unstable above say 40mph and although crud is skable it ain’t easy…on really steep hard stuff I have to take it one turn at a time….Today I though I’d try something different. I dusted off my old securifx, ad went touring on my exploders and Richlee F1 Pro’s



As you can see my skins cut for Lawnchairs don’t completely cover my exploders…nice that they both the same length though.



The devices themselves…skis CMH exploders with rossignol tip protectors and a savaged home paint job.

On a nice skin track or breaking trail sinking in a bit they are fine…hard let alone icy conditions just don’t work and downhill performance (ok its only goanna be 20 feet or so but there are crevasses around) is like a bad pair of X country skis!…only one heal lift bar is a pain but I think I can fix that.

Skiing..well it was nice to be able to put turns in wind crust and the slush was rather nice…not getting pitched around in my boots in the bumps was also a bonus.

For anything long or if the hike is technical at all I’m back on my AT rig…but if the ski is more important than the hike, especially if it’s mainly a vertical boot pack with a skin to access, like say a steep couloir this rig is a winner.

[Dr. Crash]

The main issue I have with my Trekkers is that those things have so much moving latitude in every direction that when you're on an icy slope skinning switchbacks, it is very difficult not to slip (even though I have wall to wall ascension skins). That's my biggest beef with them. Downhill w/ skins is terrible in those high heels too. Also, they're a pain to secure in a crevasse before letting the skis go (clipped to the rope of course) so I need to rig some loop on the Trekkers for that. Not that I expect / want to have to be rescued out of a crevasse any time soon, though... But as you said, the ski down is very nice and nobody can touch me.

Does anybody here ski hairy stuff on Dynafit? I really think that's the way I'll go when I'll buy a dedicated AT setup, probably next season given that I've started touring as much as I can... I don't really want Freerides/Naxos since I'll have a dedicated alpine setup anyways How does it feel? Did you have to adapt your technique to the softer AT boots too?

drC

[Idris]

Originally posted by Dr. Crash


Does anybody here ski hairy stuff on Dynafit? I really think that's the way I'll go when I'll buy a dedicated AT setup, probably next season given that I've started touring as much as I can... I don't really want Freerides/Naxos since I'll have a dedicated alpine setup anyways How does it feel? Did you have to adapt your technique to the softer AT boots too?

drC

I don't but I see a great many here do, 50 degree hardpack with 1000's of feet of exposure gets skied regularily on dynafits....as for softer, a beefed up AT boot is stiffer than many alpines...but if you are going for dynafits I guess you will be on lighter softer skis that need less pushing around.

[summit]

I've heard dynafits have more trouble when switching bewtween walk and ski mode... that you cant just use your pole... anyone use dynait care to comment?

I know people have modded Denalis for Dynafit

Garmont Mega-Rides (G-Ride G-Fit with better lighter stiffer plastics) is dynafit compatible

[the_eleven]

Using Dynafit Comforts with a 181cm K2 Axis AK. Boots are Lasers with a Flexon tongue and Boosters for BC.

I ski a 190 Explosiv 3 with Freerides or Spatulas, with Lange L10s for lift accessed.

The Dynafits are SOLID. Less slop than the Fritschis for sure. After some Eastern Sierra runs, I stopped back in at Squaw to see how they would work at the area.

Palisades, W face of KT, Granite Peak, high speed icy groomers, no problem and no pre-releases. I was really surprised. Could see using them as an everyday rig, if big air was not on the agenda.

Most important thing is to match the stiffness of the boot with the ski. The Lasers didn't work so well with the 193cm or 188 cm XXX that were my previous BC skis. Work perfect with the 181 AK's though.

Using the Dynafit demands a bit more attention than the Fritschis, for sure, but it is more than a reasonable trade off for the ease of touring and light weight.

[summit]

So you can't huck cliffs with Dynafit bindings?

[the_eleven]

Only small cliffs.

[fez]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
So you can't huck cliffs with Dynafit bindings?

It's not the huck that's the problem, its the landing.

[cmor]

You can go from walk to ski real easy. Going from ski to walk involves unclipping out of the binding and clipping back in. Takes about 2 seconds. Saves about 3 pounds. Go dynafit for any sort of extended backountry. Freerides on explosives seem popular but are so stinking heavy. Great if your looking to nail some rediculous cliff riddin line. Which you won't be doing deep in the backcountry anyway. Lift accessed backcountry (lazy bastards) not a bad set-up. Alpine trekkers with an alpine set-up is beyond heavy. But again, for skiing something rediculous, go for it. A few superpornskistars opt for that method. I personally have a set of nordica 92tt with dynafits and Seth pistols with freerides. Covers both options. Set-up right I'm confident skiing exposed terrain with dynafits.

The lasers are great. They are super lightweight and walk decentlly with crampons on compared to other boots. The also have about as much forward support as a slipper. Them be the trade-offs.

[Dr. Crash]

Originally posted by cmor
Alpine trekkers with an alpine set-up is beyond heavy.

Hey don't poo-poo my wonderful setup G4s plus S912 plus Trekker = good leg workout (ouch).

drC

[Rascal King]

hahahah I had freerides on some 189 pistols this year and decided fuk it. Freerides fell apart and the setup was just too damn heavy on 10+ hour trekks. So gonna put some sollys on the pistols and get a lighter setup.

[laseranimal]

Bump

Rather then start a new thread I figured I'd throw on my questions here as this seems to be a logical place to start.

Ok so I have determined that my tele skills are nowhere near up to par for the kind of skiing I want to do, maybe in 15 years but not now. I was planning on using my tele setup to access some "relatively" higher altitude late season snow on the east coast. The problem is that a lot of this will require hiking over rocks, mud and other not snowy surfaces, and in the case of the Adirondaks, it can be something of a hike to even access the frozen goods. I'm on a budget so getting a full on light setup consisting of a dynafit binding + light AT boots + light skis would be impossible. I'm thinking of either getting a vibram sole put on my old alpine boots and going as light as I can with an old alpine setup or grabing AT boots and using a G4/Freeride combo. Neither is what I would call a perfect setup but it sure beats having hiking boots, Alpine boots, alpine bindings, and heavy skis which is the option I'm in right now

[the_eleven]

hahahah I had freerides on some 189 pistols this year and decided fuk it. Freerides fell apart and the setup was just too damn heavy on 10+ hour trekks. So gonna put some sollys on the pistols and get a lighter setup.

Exactly.

Even with all their problems, Trekkers are probably the best option for short shots out of the area. I have skied on Fritschis exclusively for the past three seasons, and am tired of the slop.

Dynafit all the way for dedicated AT.

[milkman]

Exactly.

Even with all their problems, Trekkers are probably the best option for short shots out of the area. I have skied on Fritschis exclusively for the past three seasons, and am tired of the slop.

Dynafit all the way for dedicated AT.

Strange. I've never noticed any of the Fritschi slop everyone keeps talking about....

[the_eleven]

Strange. I've never noticed any of the Fritschi slop everyone keeps talking about....

Most noticeable at high speed on hard snow and chopped up crud. Not much of a problem in fresh smooth conditions or corn.

The Fritschi doesn't keep me from doing anything I want to do, but I prefer the more solid feeling of Alpine bindings at high speed.

It is just a matter of time until someone brings out a really solid alpine binding that you can tour with...

[laseranimal]

yeah one of the major companies won't care about the stigma of having the heaviest AT binding and will just build it

[the_eleven]

Who cares what it weighs, if what we want is a fully functioning alpine binding with elasticity, retention, durability, and tourability.

Although, i have heard rumours of future developements in this area that will subvert the dominant paradigm.

[karma]

You can go from walk to ski real easy. Going from ski to walk involves unclipping out of the binding and clipping back in. Takes about 2 seconds.

Actually going from ski to walk isnt all that hard either. Just reach down and pull up the toe's to lock them. Then either lean forward hard and use your pole to turn the healpiece at the same time untill the heal releases (higher dins make this more difficult. Or my favorite after locking the toe, jam the tail into the snow at an angle and step down on the ski bending the tip down, once the ski flexes enough the pins will no longer be long enough to hold the heal down.
The ability to do this also reveals what i think is the flaw with Dynafits but I feel safer and more comfortable on them every time I go out, I've even started to huck some smaller stuff. And they really do ski with less slop than both Fritschis and Naxos.

[the_eleven]

With the Dynafit Comforts and a stiff ski, pre-release problems seem to have disappeared, as the pins are 2mm longer and the ski can't decamber enough to have them pop out.

I have heard that pulling up on the toe (tour mode) is equal to a DIN of about 12-14, if you want maximum security in those high-consequence situations.

[karma]

With the Dynafit Comforts and a stiff ski, pre-release problems seem to have disappeared, as the pins are 2mm linger and the ski can't decamber enough to have them pop out.

I have heard that pulling up on the toe (tour mode) is equal to a DIN of about 12-14, if you want maximum security in those high-consequence situations.

I have Havocs and Comfort and while it is much less likely it's still possible, I've had it happen a couple times. Once on a <10 foot huck and once jump turning in a tight, steep, slushy chute.
Pulling up on the toe pretty much locks them to your feet but does nothing for the decambering release issue. And if they do release they still stay attached to you but end up flopping about as you fall and hitting you in the nose (don't ask, it sucked). Like I said above though, I'm gaining more and more confidence in them every time I go out now and much prefer them over Naxo/Freeride for all but the most hairball stuipidity and then Alpine Trekkers get the call.

[the_eleven]

karma, I like the way you think!

Definately don't want to experience the heel pre-release with toe non-release. I will be sure to wear a faceguard if jumpturning in steep, slushy, chutes.