Which skis to bring to Greenland?

**StuntCok** · 04-22-2007, 06:12 PM

It is the end of the season here in Japan and I realise my quiver is in a state of disrepair. I am off to Greenland for a week of helisking and possible touring and am not sure what to bring. The conditions, according to our guide, should be "European Alps in Spring" which pretty much means we could get powder, corn, ice, slush or a mix of all of the above. I figure I need 2 skis, one with touring bindings for the down days, and one all condition ski. Here are my options.

190 Gotamas (with Naxos)- These are my touring skis and are pretty much going. I am reluctant to reley on them solely, however, because there is no ski tech out where I am going and helisking could be hard on the bindings, even just bashing them about in the heli-basket.

188 Bros (currently unmounted)- This would be my first choice for either but I planned to put touring bindings on them for next year. I could quickly throw Naxos on them and go but I don't have any skins for them and it is too late to get any here. I could through Alpine bindings on them (I have spare p18s and 916s) but then I would have to remount them for touring next year and I am not keen to drill too many holes in them.

ARGs (with Dukes)- I managed to rip the 916 heal piece off these a couple of weeks back and they are currently in the shop being remounted with Dukes. While these would be the ideal choice if I knew it was going to be blower pow, I don't want to be skiing ice with them...

130 Prophets (P14s)- I have only skied 4 runs with in these before breaking the bindings (they are warrantied now). As such, I am reluctant to bring a ski to Greenland that I am not even sure I like how it skis.

188 Stoekli Snake BCs (P14s) - My favorite all mountain ski, their only weakness is the 88mm waist, which may be a bit thin if we do get waist deap pow...

**gamma** · 04-22-2007, 07:28 PM

ARG (cmon, time to sack up!!!)

then

188 Stocklis or 188 bros

**nick > jesus** · 04-22-2007, 07:40 PM

gots and args

**jerr** · 04-22-2007, 08:12 PM

^^^^sounds like a good combo. Got skins for the ARG's? Order some over the phone and have them couriered to where-ever you're staying in GL. By the way your guide isn't a dude called nick is it?

**StuntCok** · 04-22-2007, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by jerr

^^^^sounds like a good combo. Got skins for the ARG's? Order some over the phone and have them couriered to where-ever you're staying in GL. By the way your guide isn't a dude called nick is it?

No skins for the ARGs... Where can I order some? My guide is named Hans and he is from Verbier.

**focus** · 04-22-2007, 09:25 PM

Only bring the stocklis....

guarantees you deep pow.

**elchupanebre4** · 04-22-2007, 10:08 PM

Might be something too much work but I'd Swap the binders out on the Goats to the 916's, and then mount the Bro's for touring, plus you could trim down the Gotama's skins to fit the Bro's and be set.

**StuntCok** · 04-22-2007, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by elchupanebre4

Might be something too much work but I'd Swap the binders out on the Goats to the 916's, and then mount the Bro's for touring, plus you could trim down the Gotama's skins to fit the Bro's and be set.

I thought about that but the Gots are 04 models and had alpine bindings once before (markers, no less). I don't think I can redrill for a third time, but I don't know, can I? Are the marker binding print very different from the 916s?

**GBB** · 04-22-2007, 10:41 PM

I think you would be fine on a third mount as long as the holes aren't overlapping eachother.

**hop** · 04-22-2007, 11:54 PM

Gots and ARG's.

If you ski ice on a heli ski trip then your guide sucks and you need your money back. There's no excuse... you should be able to find something soft and those ARG's will kill corn/windbuff/pow/anything soft.

**freak** · 04-23-2007, 03:42 AM

Originally Posted by nick > jesus

gots and args

freak~[

&

]

**jerr** · 04-23-2007, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by StuntCok

No skins for the ARGs... Where can I order some?

I'd just use 130mm skins. You'll have about 2.5mm over the max width, at the most, which is pretty ok. There was a US company who was doing email order only stuff for cheap/ish but the address is on my other computer, sorry.

**jerr** · 04-23-2007, 05:20 AM

Stop the press! ...found it. There's a thread about these guys somewhere to. There are other places to get 130mm skins but these guys seem pretty interesting. From what I understand they are a group of friends who wanted to make some cool skins at affordable rates. No idea how good they are.

https://www.climbingskinsdirect.com/

Although I'm not sure if the clips will fit the ARG's blunt nose? I guess that is why they say necessity is the mother of all invention. Credit cards help too.

**skinnyskier** · 04-23-2007, 08:30 AM

Gotamas and Stockli-

An 88mm ski should be plenty for slush and hardpack.

**marshalolson** · 04-23-2007, 08:32 AM

gotama's with naxos clearly make the most sense, with the snakes (or mount the bros) as a backup ski

**nexus** · 04-24-2007, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by StuntCok

188 Stoekli Snake BCs (P14s) - My favorite all mountain ski

i think you just said it yourself...

**mountain_man** · 04-24-2007, 02:14 AM

Gots and mount up the bros with s916's.
Or swap bindings and trim skins which would probably make the most sense as you already want the bros for touring and theres quite a bit of overlap between Gots mounted AT (105mm) and Bros mounted AT (99mm). However it is up to you maybe you can try to contact someone at the Heli company to get a feel for current conditions?

**cj001f** · 04-24-2007, 02:21 PM

the ones that say "I take it up the ass for my client"

**StuntCok** · 04-24-2007, 06:11 PM

OK, I couldn't stand the thought of not having the ARGs so they are coming. They can also double as my touring ski as they are mounted with Dukes (the lightness of the skis kinda offsets the weight of the binding). I will bring the Stoeklis as my all moutain ski. Now I need to buy skins and get them cut quick. Does anyone know anywhere in Europe that could cut skins to fit a ARG and have them couriered to Copenhagen by Sunday?

**teosickrider** · 04-25-2007, 10:02 AM

You could try sport-conrad.com or ski-bilek.com...

**hemas** · 04-25-2007, 10:13 AM

Also Tele-Pyrenees should be able to set that straight... Just call 'em before hand to make sure they can do it.

**450rider** · 05-08-2008, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by jerr

I'd just use 130mm skins. You'll have about 2.5mm over the max width, at the most, which is pretty ok. There was a US company who was doing email order only stuff for cheap/ish but the address is on my other computer, sorry.

ya ive got black diamond 130s for my hellbents and they worked fine