Burliest AT setup

[Damian Sanders]

5 lb, 10 oz is what I have written down per ski on the axiom, so 11.25 lbs per pair.

[leroy jenkins]

shirk I do believe he said you ski like a pussy

No, I just said his bindings are pussies, in thier own right.

I actually really want an AT setup, just for going out and peakbagging/crossing lines off the to do list, but saying you can rip on AT bindings day after day and be confident in your equipment is just silly.

[flip]

Maybe I'm a small short pussy, but I never had a problem skiing on freerides once I got the forward lean dialed. They stood up to decent sized drops on crappy snow often with backseat landings... one finally broke in it's 3rd season, but BD replaced it promptly.

Now I'm on Dynafits and expect once I get some forward lean dialed they'll do the trick too.

[shirk]

If I was standing on top of a steep exposed line that I knew I would be taking at speed, maybe with an air or two, I would piss my pants if I knew I had to do it on completly plastic glorified cross country bindings.

No, I just said his bindings are pussies, in thier own right.

I actually really want an AT setup, just for going out and peakbagging/crossing lines off the to do list, but saying you can rip on AT bindings day after day and be confident in your equipment is just silly.

If you go back and read my comment it was about doing FULL DAY TOURS with trekkers. Also last I checked Dynafits were not made of plastic, but maybe you know something I don't. I'll refer to all the TR's by guys like Trackhead and Powstash about ripping day after day and being confident in Dynafits.

Feel free to come up to WB and join in on a tour to some gnar terrain with trekkers and you might not think too highly of them.

[BigDumbRedhead]

I've got Silvretta 555's mounted on original Big Daddies. It's an odd feeling combo at speed on snow that isn't great. Can't huck much over 10 feet either, but they're light and great for mellow pow skiing.

[navigator]

[QUOTE=shirk;968807]Lee and I ran into a Blackcomb patroler on Pattisonon this tour, he was skiing 183 Head 103's freerides and alpine boots. He said teh extra weight was well worth it for the decent. So there are other guys running the burlier set up in big mountains.

i have the 103's as well but with naxo 01 bindings. i would like to step up to the naxo 21 binding as i feel that im being held back by my bindings and the drop lock and higher din would help on the 21's. its a heavy setup, no matter how you do it but the pay off is on the on the decent. the biggest problem is the amount of effort it takes to get anywhere with a heavy rig and having the energy to control it on the way down. its good to have a beefy touring setup but dont have it as your only back country ski, you will appreciate your lighter gear after your first tour on your big skis. my biggest problem is the amount of effort it takes to run my skis(there is no cruising or slow speeds, only full throttle) after i have just climbed a ridge, peak, etc. etc. hope this helps, personally i would stay with your sickbirds

[kidwoo]

saying you can rip on AT bindings day after day and be confident in your equipment is just silly.

Thank god I'm Master Suxxor and ripping never imposes itself on my skiing.

[upallnight]

...saying you can rip on AT bindings day after day and be confident in your equipment is just silly.

making blanket statements is what is just silly.

your statement is spoken like someone who can't do the above, therefore assumes it must be true for everyone. some folks here may rip on AT gear, inbounds, every day.

i've been on AT gear full-time for the last 10 years, probably at least 100 days/year.

do the math.

i'm not saying that *you* wouldn't destroy such gear immediately, but don't assume what's true for you is true for everyone else. others reading this thread take what is said here as gospel, and these generic statements serve no purpose.

[upallnight]

Maybe I'm a small short pussy, but I never had a problem skiing on freerides once I got the forward lean dialed. They stood up to decent sized drops on crappy snow often with backseat landings... one finally broke in it's 3rd season, but BD replaced it promptly.

Now I'm on Dynafits and expect once I get some forward lean dialed they'll do the trick too.

flip--simply getting used to a neutral delta is actually not such a big deal -- then you won't have to do any AT mods and be just fine.

the fritsch mod everyone talks about (removing the toe shim) results in, at best, a 0.5* difference (i think it may actually be 0.3*), which is pretty hard to detect.

i think one's mental state has a far greater impact on their ability in AT gear. if you focus on "what's missing" from alpine gear, you'll feel like it is less capable.

it's more an issue of "what's different" vs. "what's wrong."

just my opinion, though and probably (apparently) different from most of the energy on the board (primarily lift-served + sidecountry, from the majority of the posts and advice we see in all threads). i just want information out there to be accurate and people to be open-minded so that they are inspired to explore further--and get good information when they do.

[LeeLau]

UAN - you're wasting your breath. We must be imagining things

[Krash]

My new setup;

191cm Movement Goliaths (135-108-124)
Fritschi Freeride ('05/'06)
Salomon Course X2 Lab boots

Ski/binding 14.7lbs
Boots ?

[upallnight]

UAN - you're wasting your breath. We must be imagining things

you're probably right. i just see so many easily-influenced folks roll through here, and they will tend to listen to the loudest voices. if there isn't even a counterpoint posted, then it's much less likely for someone to give the stuff a try and formulate their own opinion.

if only the level of posting could match the experience level with the gear...

*sigh*

[upallnight]

My new setup;

191cm Movement Goliaths (135-108-124)
Fritschi Freeride ('05/'06)
Salomon Course X2 Lab boots

Ski/binding 14.7lbs
Boots ?

are you going for the 'heaviest 'AT' setup" award??

i think the dude who posted some great october shots from the current creek area may have you beat -- spats + alpine bindings + trekkers + alpine boots.

[Sphinx]

No way - everybody, randonee gear sucks. You can't ski on it. Get Trekkers, alpine bindings, massive skis, and lead boots, you've have a blast.

















And there will be more freshiez for me.

[jfost]

are you going for the 'heaviest 'AT' setup" award??

i think the dude who posted some great october shots from the current creek area may have you beat -- spats + alpine bindings + trekkers + alpine boots.

UAN/Lee,

Can you put out a range of weights for AT ski/binding combos?

Dynafit TLT's are 2lbs. w/ brakes - a light ski = 5lbs... 7lbs... ??? I guess I really don't know the range of commonly available ski weights!!! FR's are around 5lbs. correct!?!

[cj001f]

Here's some measured on my scale:
187 Crossbow+TLT = 9.2 lbs/pair
194 Arno Adam + Freeride = 14.2 lbs/ pair
193 original big daddy + plate + Axial 140s = 21 lbs/pair

[LeeLau]

Approx weight -

Atomic 9:22 with Dynafit TLT and brakes 9.8lbs
Kneissl Tanker with Fritschi Free ride 15.1 lbs

I'll just keep posting this every now and then i suppose

I ski Diarmir 2's, gray/yellow FRs and have extensive time on the Freeride white toe pieces and about 2 days on the Freeride Plus in groomers and hardpack and powder. I'm also 165 lbs.

Maybe its because Im not big, maybe its because every ski on hardpack feels like ass compared to my Atomic SX 11 with Atomic dh boots setup. Maybe its because I think my knees and ankles have more flex then any wiggle in the binding. Heck maybe I just don't know how to ski. Pick one.

I'm going to give you an unpopular opinion personal to ME.

For medium-sized people who mostly tour and don't huck big (ie ski like pussies), the "slop" in Freerides, and the insta-tele problems aren't problems.

[upallnight]

UAN/Lee,

Can you put out a range of weights for AT ski/binding combos?

Dynafit TLT's are 2lbs. w/ brakes - a light ski = 5lbs... 7lbs... ??? I guess I really don't know the range of commonly available ski weights!!! FR's are around 5lbs. correct!?!

well, any ski can be an "AT" ski....

here's some info i posted in another thread a few months back:

* 5.4# - Dynafit D712 (170cm)
* 8.2# - Volkl Explosiv (Buddha 03-04 180cm)
* 8.2# - Salomon Pocket Rocket (185cm)
* 9.2# - Volkl G40 Pro (190cm)
* 9.2# - Volkl Gotamas ('05-06 190cm)
* 9.4# - K2 Seth Vicious ('05-06 179cm)
* 11.8# - Volant Spatulas (186cm)

[jfost]

cool, thanks guys - that is actually quite interesting to see the #'s all laid out - it seems that the diffs are about 5lbs/pair between a "light" and "heavy" setup... all relative I know compared to the size of skier. This is reminiscient of roadies and their saving of grams here and there with ultralight bar tape and such, only saving 5lbs on your feet = you know the rest... (I'm ack. that 5 lbs. is HUGE on the feet - like unsprung weight on a car)

cj - holy buckets BD set = 21lbs?!? Add a pair of trekkers and you're off to the races!!!

i'm only 165# so I am def. not sweating my FR's - haven't noticed any slop yet on my 2 jong tours... and looks like the PR robotnik is actually on the lighter side of the scale, I'm happy about that - we'll see how the rest goes.

UAN - you're on Mtn. time no? You truly are U.A.N.!!!! get to bed already!

[upallnight]

PR robotnik is actually on the lighter side of the scale, I'm happy about that - we'll see how the rest goes.

PR + fritschi (diamir 2) went with me on quite a number of tours, including some lines on denali.

that combo is quite fine, esp for the BC & when softer snow prevails. gets knocked around in heavier stuff, but that's to be expected.

it's a pretty versatile combo and it's quite light for it's size.

overall, a fun setup, though most around here will tell you it's not "core" enough. heavy guys beating it up on firm snow will spell disaster for any foam core ski after around 35 days.

[flip]

flip--simply getting used to a neutral delta is actually not such a big deal -- then you won't have to do any AT mods and be just fine.

I skied my fritschis for 3 seasons stock before putting a 1/4" lifter under the heels. Made an immediate, huge difference. I have really inflexible ankles, so I just can't get my weight forward enough to initiate turns without some ramp. Believe me I've tried.

I skied all last season on the Dynafits, and they didn't hold me back. But, it takes all of 20 minutes and 8 new screws to put the 1/4" under the heel-piece, and I definitely ski better with them. May as well.

[ulty_guy]

* 8.2# - Volkl Explosiv (Buddha 03-04 180cm)
* 8.2# - Salomon Pocket Rocket (185cm)

that surprises me.

[skinnyskier]

After five seasons in the BC, I have almost never seen anyone moving fast on a big setup. I know maggots will swear up and down that they can skin fast (say over 2000'/h) or very fast (say, 3000'/h) on 20+ pounds of gear and that's great. You guys are in rare company out there. What I see are guys on guide-width, R-EX width, and Havoc-width skis hauling ass up and down. Its not rare in a popular spot to pass guys on big gear on the way in and then lap them once or twice. If you're fit enough to move that fast on big gear, more power to you.

[marshalolson]

re: ^^^

i can say for sure that i can move prolly 20% faster on AT gear and *reasonable* skis. for sure.

for what alot of people do here, my setup would make me want to gouge my eyes out.

but what i end up skiing in colorado is either
1. skinning up a drainage, get onto a ridge line and ascend/traverse for a while, till you drop.
2. switchbacking some trees for a 1000 feet.

[Damian Sanders]

After five seasons in the BC, I have almost never seen anyone moving fast on a big setup. I know maggots will swear up and down that they can skin fast (say over 2000'/h) or very fast (say, 3000'/h) on 20+ pounds of gear and that's great. You guys are in rare company out there. What I see are guys on guide-width, R-EX width, and Havoc-width skis hauling ass up and down. Its not rare in a popular spot to pass guys on big gear on the way in and then lap them once or twice. If you're fit enough to move that fast on big gear, more power to you.

If I'm in a hurry to get up the hill, I'll ride the chairlift......