One/Maybe two ski quiver for Las Lenas

[shasti]

Hey all, I am headed down south this summer, and I have no idea what to expect from LL. I have skied a lot of mountains that have high alpine terrain but I am not sure what the winters, nor the Marte, down there offer.

That being said I know I dont want to deal with any more than 2 pairs of skis.

I have been strongly considering something like a DPS 120 ( Lhasa, CRJ, Bibby) in a 190 as a one ski quiver. The thing is, after a long drout, these may get a bit old (I dont know how they deal with hard snow I have never skied them). Which MIGHT leave me wishing for my Goliaths, or even something skinnier (190 LP or Exploder)

So, the question is, could I do it with just one ? Would I be bummed I did ? And if so, which one would it be ? If doing it with 2 should I sack up and bring the 138 ? so many questions.....

Obviously would love to hear what guys who have skied there think, but anybodys ideas are welcome

Also, me = 24 years, 190 lbs, 6'6 ft, charismatic, green eyes and like to ski elegantly. I have Golaiths, Sploders, and Lotus 138 in my quiver.

[bossass]

Lib Tech Pow Recurves 188: Ultimate one-ski quiver.

Seriously. Obviously they ski really well in powder, but then the magnetraction makes them stupid fun on hardpack. I'm not kidding. They carve like race skis on groomers. Put some dukes on them. Boom. Problem solved.

[wcf3]

I've never skied the Goliaths, but from what I know about them from your quiver, and only taking one set I'd take the Golaiths as long as they were mounted with dukes or some other touring binding. I was down there with XXL's (a sorta similar ski) and I never felt like I needed another ski. There is plenty of great touring to be had, so even in a long drought you can get to non-boiler plate snow if you are willing to hike. Be prepared to deal with lots of 'variable' snow (wind and sun effected).

[Hugh Conway]

If you break something in Argentina yer fucked. Well, it'll either be expensive to buy, or serendipitous for you to run into someone who has what you need. Ergo, always bring 2 pair when traveling.

Terrain wise - top with narrow couloirs followed by big open machschnell powder. And some traverses. No trees within 50 miles. Not so much minigolf.

[sf]

If you break something in Argentina yer fucked. Well, it'll either be expensive to buy, or serendipitous for you to run into someone who has what you need. Ergo, always bring 2 pair when traveling.

Terrain wise - top with narrow couloirs followed by big open machschnell powder. And some traverses. No trees within 50 miles. Not so much minigolf.

The prices are insane in LL. You should bring two pairs and spare parts for anything you might break. I learned the hard way with NTNs in Revelstoke and Jackson this winter

And you shouldn't bring just a pair of powder-specific skis either. There will be many days with steep boilerplate and\or windaffected snow

Have a nice trip, and bring a few books....

[hoarhey]

I remember reading on Jess McMillan blog that she took 2 pairs of skis down to LL.
Think they were goats and kuros.

I think covert skied 120's down there (don't know what his second pair was).
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ighlight=lenas

I have skied in Chile a fair bit, never LL, but would think that something in the 95-110 range would be good for harder conditions.

I would definitely bring two pairs down there, even more so for a potentially epic place like LL.

[hutash]

Bro 188 and Lhasa pows. Both with Dukes if you plan to tour, both with something like a solly 918 if you don't. That way you have spare parts built in.

I love my Bro 183's because they are so versatile (but I am not as big as you), but the Lhasa's are damn fun in the pow, (not that the 183's are bad, it is just the Lhasa's are better.)

[Patches]

If you only bring one pair make sure you'll enjoy them on FIRM windchalk, 'cause chances are you will be skiing a lot of it. Many TRs here notwithstanding, Lenas isn't a powder paradise.

120s would be too wide (for me anyway) in Lenas 80%+ of the time. I might take mine down this year but would be surprised to get much use out of them.

Oh, I have a pair of 184 Stockli DP Pros down there in very good condition I am selling, w/ bindings. $350. Anyone interested, PM me, though I need to get down there and make sure they didn't get pilfered over the summer (should know by early August).

[shasti]

Thanks for the advice. Also I dunno if it was clear that I will be in LL all season. Therefore the ski choice is pretty important.

Anyways it's looking like 2 skis will be a better call, not just for added flexibility of skiing, but also incase I break one.

The windchalk stuff seems to call for regular camber, but I am sure that SOMETIMES you want a wide ski down there. So maybe Goliath and 120 ? Or Explosiv and EHP ? Price is a BIT of an issue for the ~120mm ski since I have to buy it.....

[StroupSkier]

Similar question since I'll likely be headed down this year, but if I was brining one pair of skis with Dukes(186lahsas), would anyone suggest bringing a second pair with dynafits?

Are any of the tours long enough to warrant bringing a light weight setup, or would I be screwing myself if something happened to the Lahsa/Duke setup and needed something to ski hardpack.

[JeffreyJim]

Just go get an EHP and take your sploders/Goliathes. You'll be happy no matter what, after all, you're skiing in July/August!

[ulty_guy]

yeah, i think i'm going to be lucky enough to have this same dilema for the month of august (never skied SA). i also want to hit some touring/peak bagging out there as well, here's my possible choices...

nordica blowers 185 w/ 997s- my go to ski in cham this year, great ski, works for me on anything soft and flat hard snow
dynastar mythic riders 184 with freerides- new entry, great allrounder, used it for some big tours, but they ain't light (i've got a spare freeride that i can bring with me in case i break one
coreupt ray's (legend pros ) 184, new, not mounted yet, but i have some dukes- don't have much time on them, but i liked the lp's
blizzard free pro w/ dyanfits 178- fairly beefy, 88mm underfoot, but i hate the downhill feel of my radiums, too much forward lean

i've kinda broken it down into 2 choices, the blowers/mythics if i'm hoping for good snow, lp's/blizzards if it's gonna be dry.

thoughts?

[djc]

Similar question since I'll likely be headed down this year, but if I was brining one pair of skis with Dukes(186lahsas), would anyone suggest bringing a second pair with dynafits?

Are any of the tours long enough to warrant bringing a light weight setup, or would I be screwing myself if something happened to the Lahsa/Duke setup and needed something to ski hardpack.

I'm spending a week in Portillo and have the exact same question. Planning on bring Lhasas/Dukes and Verdicts/Dynafits... unless the collective thinks the Verdicts aren't necessary....

[Skidog]

If you are bringing any skis with DUKES on them i'd definitely bring some extra AFD's...

[PowTron]

Lib Tech Pow Recurves 188: Ultimate one-ski quiver.

Seriously. Obviously they ski really well in powder, but then the magnetraction makes them stupid fun on hardpack. I'm not kidding. They carve like race skis on groomers. Put some dukes on them. Boom. Problem solved.

Booyah...I don't have recurves, but even the POWS I have in 187 with Dukes are quickly becoming my one ski. 117mm waist feels like nothing with Magnetraction.

Next year, I see some Recurves in the 191 in my future, and I may attempt the oh so rare "quiver of one".

[Daywalker]

Booyah...I don't have recurves, but even the POWS I have in 187 with Dukes are quickly becoming my one ski. 117mm waist feels like nothing with Magnetraction.

Next year, I see some Recurves in the 191 in my future, and I may attempt the oh so rare "quiver of one".

I'll believe when I see it (or maybe ski it...)

[comish]

Bring 2 pair. I busted a pair of Fritschi's in LL and there is nothing you can do once down there. Glad I had a 2nd pair even though I didn't enjoy skiing the skinnier skis in the pow we had. There is also a market for used gear down there so if you have something older that still works that you wouldn't mind selling consider bringing it because its really really hard for locals, pisteros, etc to get decent gear down there. Can't tell you how many offers I had one my stuff while down there and kinda wished I had brought something I wouldn't have minded selling.

Also 2nd the comment about bring something you are happy ripping hard wind buff on is very important. The wind nukes there, and in many cases killing the pow so you want something you would be happy skiing wind buff. I'm talking Mammoth style, really smooth, but rather hard wind buff. Fall and you slide a loong way hard windbuff. The pow is also more than likely going to be thicker, heavier maritime type of snow if that influences your choices at all, not continental blower.

If it was me, I would bring a traditional sidecut pow ski ala 115-120mm pow ski and an LP. Even on a pow run, its likely you will find some sorta hard wind packed snow. What 2 pairs of skis would you bring to Mammoth or Tahoe and thats your answer.

Dukes or some kinda touring binding would be very very useful there as well since once of the following things happens with some regularity: Marte is blown down, Marte is buried, The Marte dudes are having a mate so can't be bothered to run Marte, Marte is blown down, Volcano (2nd best lift IMO) gets taken out by Avi (happened to us), Marte is blown down, etc. leaving you with few options but your own legs.

Pray to the Marte gods. I have spend a total of something like 20 days in LL and only skied Marte something like 1 full days and 2 half days. I also got somewhere around 15 feet of snow in those 20 days on 2 separate trips.

Referencing the best lift in the world thread, Marte is definitely up there. To me it even rivals the terrain accessed by the Grandes Montes tram in Cham (obviously not the full vert top to bottom, but pretty similar to the vert of the tram itself), and blows things like KT away. Only problem is the damn thing just never runs. 4000 foot couloirs, touring endlessly in many directions. I'm getting stoked just thinking about it. Oh yeah, then there is this as well

[JeffreyJim]

BTW, When are you going Shasti? If I get the chance to go, I'll be bringing my EHPs and Goats down.

[PowTron]

I'll believe when I see it (or maybe ski it...)

Well, even though my knee is wrecked, you are more then welcome to grab them on your way out or back into denver this weekend and try them out. Just don't hit anything and coreshot my Lib's, you gaper...

I should be good to ski by the end of next week, though.


EDIT: and to double up on the chick factor, S. American broads are frigin hot...and pretty damn "free" with their sexuality; or so I have heard.

[llyon]

Lenas is one of the few places that the longest stiffest ski you can find is actually justified. Think 190+, 110ish, stiff as fuck. Basically whatever ski you prefer for going very very fast in carton, plata, and argentine grooming.

[shasti]

Ok then, Goliath it is. Now EHP, CRJ, Bibby, or Lhasa, or 120 for pow........and why ?

Just so you Lib-Techers know, a close buddy of mine has drank the kool-aid and said it was good. I plan to get on his set of 191 recurves this week and then hopefully I will know if it is the sort of kool-aid I like. i keep hearing great things.

I will be there from late June through the season's close JJ.

Also if any body is reading this and is going down this season, please shoot me a PM if you have any ideas on housing. I will be with my girl, and we are down to share a more chill residence in LL if possible. Hoping to keep the price lower than higher. See thread in hook up

[deeppo]

Lib Tech Pow Recurves 188: Ultimate one-ski quiver.

Seriously. Obviously they ski really well in powder, but then the magnetraction makes them stupid fun on hardpack. I'm not kidding. They carve like race skis on groomers. Put some dukes on them. Boom. Problem solved.

I have some that I might sell if anyone is interested. Mounted with small dukes
deeppo

[kellywy]

Ok then, Goliath it is. Now EHP, CRJ, Bibby, or Lhasa, or 120 for pow........and why ?

Just so you Lib-Techers know, a close buddy of mine has drank the kool-aid and said it was good. I plan to get on his set of 191 recurves this week and then hopefully I will know if it is the sort of kool-aid I like. i keep hearing great things.

I will be there from late June through the season's close JJ.

Also if any body is reading this and is going down this season, please shoot me a PM if you have any ideas on housing. I will be with my girl, and we are down to share a more chill residence in LL if possible. Hoping to keep the price lower than higher. See thread in hook up

Goliath will be perfect for the hardpack, placka, and the best corn skiing you might ever find. For you pow ski choice I would take the cheapest choice for big turns and speed. The rock down there is brutal and when it snows you will not be able to see the sharks. The traverses out of the lowlands can be pretty bare also. The ski techs (one shop) are pretty decent at fixing core shots and damage but they grind the shit out of the skis, taking away a lot of the skis life.

Have fun, impossible not to..

[shasti]

So anybody have a pair of 120s, EHPs, Lhasas, Bibbys or CRJs they can part with ? now that I know what I want I am in the market

[skier666]

190 Moment Ruby should be on your list. It carves, it slays pow, its 112mm underfoot, its fairly stiff, its got a twin.....and I think they are selling some for cheap. PM Melee.