Thanks for posting these videos, Tom! I've watched just about everything on your channel. I'm brand new to the sport and you've REALLY helped me learn about backcountry skiing and what equipment to buy. You're now my go-to and I look forward to more videos. Thanks a million!
Salve Tom, ti scrivo dall'Italia e ho bisogno della tua competenza ed esperienza per aiutarmi a scegliere lo scarpone più adatto perché devo rinnovare tutta la mia attrezzatura da backcountry. Pratico telemark in modo abbastanza semplice...ma da oltre 15 anni! Attualmente uso sci Salomon 90-60-70 molto sciancrati, scarponi Salomon attacco Salomon SSN. Vorrei passare ad Rottefella XP e ad uno sci Fischer con le stesse caratteristiche. Cosa mi consigli per sci e scarponi, perché sono solita bendare i talloni e ho i piedi molto sensibili. Le mie escursioni in genere prevedono sia lunghi percorsi in leggera ma continua salita , max 800-1000 mt dislivello e discese e risalite per circa 15-20 km. Esiste uno scarpone confortevole e leggero in peso? Grazie mille
Sembra che tu sia uno sciatore molto esperto e sono sicuro che sarai in grado di selezionare una buona combinazione di scarponi e sci. Mi piace il sistema di attacchi Xplore per il tipo di sci che descrivi (dislivelli di 1000 metri su 12 chilometri). Potrai sciare allo stesso modo con il sistema Xplore e con il tuo sistema SNS, con grande spinta e scorrevolezza, ma con ulteriore controllo in discesa grazie alla suola e ai flessori migliorati dello scarpone Xplore. Esistono diversi stivali Xplore tra cui scegliere. Hanno caratteristiche di calzata diverse ed è molto importante ottenere uno scarpone che funzioni bene con i tuoi piedi. Ho sciato solo 3 scarponi Xplore, l'Alpina Alaska XP, l'Alfa Vista e l'Alfa Free. Dei 3, l'Alaska XP era lo scarpone più morbido e offriva la migliore spinta e scivolata, l'Alfa Free era lo scarpone più rigido e offriva il miglior controllo in discesa e l'Alfa Vista era proprio nel mezzo per quanto riguarda spinta, scivolata e controllo in discesa. . Ci sono molti altri stivali da considerare, Rossignol XP 12, Alpina Pioneer, Alpina PI Tech, Fischer BCX Traverse, Alfa Skaget, Madshus Panorama Explorer, Crispi Futura e Lundhags Abiska rottefella.com/en_GB/xplore-partners -it La tua scelta potrebbe essere limitata agli scarponi disponibili nella tua zona, ma scegli uno scarpone più morbido se la spinta e la planata sono più importanti per te e uno scarpone più rigido se il controllo in discesa è ciò che stai cercando. Per quanto riguarda gli sci, l'Excursion 88 (88-68-78) è un'ottima scelta per i tour a lunga distanza. Lo Sbound 98 (98-69-88) è uno sci più morbido con più sciancratura. E' più facile da girare in fresca rispetto all'88, ma non è altrettanto vivace in pinneggiata e planata. Mia moglie scia l'88 come sci fuoripista, ma io scio il Traverse 78 quando sono in un tour fuoripista con kick and glide e il 98 quando il focus dell'uscita è una discesa moderata su buona neve. Spero che questo ti indichi la giusta direzione. Ci sono così tante scelte e diverse combinazioni da considerare, ma sono sicuro che troverai un ottimo sostituto per la tua configurazione attuale. It sounds like you are a very experienced skier and I'm sure you will be able to select a good boot and ski combination. I do like the Xplore binding system for the type of skiing you describe (1000 meter climbs over 12 kilometers) You will be able to ski in the same fashion with the Xplore system as with your SNS system, with great kick and glide, but with additional downhill control due to the improved Xplore boot sole and flexors. There are several different Xplore boots to choose from. They have different fit characteristics, and it is very important to get a boot that works well with your feet. I have only skied 3 Xplore boots, the Alpina Alaska XP, the Alfa Vista and the Alfa Free. Of the 3, the Alaska XP was the softest boot and offered the best kick and glide, the Alfa Free was the stiffest boot and offered the best downhill control and the Alfa Vista was right in the middle in regard to kick and glide and downhill control. There are several other boots to consider, the Rossignol XP 12, Alpina Pioneer, Alpina PI Tech, Fischer BCX Traverse, Alfa Skaget, Madshus Panorama Explorer, Crispi Futura, and Lundhags Abiska rottefella.com/en_GB/xplore-partners-en Your choice may be limited to what boots are available in your area but pick a softer boot if kick and glide is most important to you and a stiffer boot if downhill control is what you are seeking. In regard to skis, the Excursion 88 (88-68-78) is great choice for long distance tours. The Sbound 98 (98-69-88) is a softer ski with more sidecut. It is easier to turn in powder than the 88 but is not as lively for kick and glide. My wife skis the 88 as her off trail ski but I ski the Traverse 78 when I'm on an off-trail kick and glide tour and the 98 when the focus of the outing is moderate downhill in good snow. I hope this will point you in the right direction. There are so many choices and different combinations to consider but I'm sure you find a great replacement for your current setup.
I Tom. enjoying your videos and learning a lot. I've been using Rossi bc80 skis with NNNs. I want to get Fischer 98 or Altai Kom and considering 3 pin bindings for better turning and slightly steeper terrain. what's the difference between the bindings on you 98s vs 125s, please? thank you.
The Rottefella Telemark binding will accept a duckbill thickness as thin as 12 mm and the Voile Telemark is designed for duckbill thickness down to 14. Both of these bindings worked fine with all of the boots that I have had in recent years but for the very thick plastic boot duckbills, it was easier to clamp the Voile as opposed to the Rottefella. Rottefella sells two 3 pin bindings, one with and one without a hardwire cable, and Voile sells four versions with various combinations of cables, hardwires, risers and heel elevators. In recent years I have moved on from skiing 3 pin leather boots to the Xplore system, mainly because I rarely skied leathers with a cable or hardwire and I find that the Xplore system works better for me. I think the main reason for choosing 3 pin over the Xplore system would be for the versatility to ski with a cable and for those who want the option to ski either leather or plastic boots on the same ski.
Wish there were more reviews like yours. Do you have enough support in the "softer" Fischer OTX-5 Boot on the Fischer Traverse 78? You speak to the limitations and advantage of each combination. Would the NNN-BC/Fischer OTX-5 Boot combination be enough to handle the 98's on slightly rolling terrain. You mention "trending toward a wider ski" and I'm curious to know if you would lean toward a Traverse or S-bound 112 if flats and rolling terrain were the only locations you'd be skiing. Or are the hills to be the most appealing aspect of the sport?
The Fischer OTX-5 boot is great for rolling terrain and soft snow. I would not pair it with a ski wider than the 78. It takes more finesse to carve turns on the OTX-5 as it doesn't have as much lateral support as the heavier boots. 10 years ago, I would have considered a ski like the Traverse 78, a wide XC ski, and paired it with a beefier boot. Back then, I used a much narrower ski for groomed trails and gentle off trail use. Currently, the 98's are my go-to ski for most off trail backcountry skiing. I'll use the 125's after a huge dump of powder when I need the extra flotation. My transition to wider skis and stiffer boots for off trail use is fairly recent. I still use the Traverse 78's and the OTX-5 on packed trails and on more gentle rolling terrain. The choice between the Traverse, Excursion 88, S-Bound 98 and 112 would depend on how much deep powder that you encounter. As you pointed out, the wider the ski, the beefier the boot required to control the ski. Here is a link to my playlist of videos where I'm skiing on the Traverse 78's with the Fischer OTX-5 boots. ua-cam.com/play/PLSbEbRoGC_hpx3ooFLYcN4w3R-JIQBhOd.html
I bushwack with Rossi BC 125's x 185 cm and you need a ski that wide in deep powder for sure. Not good on cambered ski-doo trails but I use the same boot/binder set-up on your 78's. Wish the Fischer's were available when I bought them. I use skinnier Madshus like your 78's when there is a crust with few inches of powder and I do a longer trip . Great video's!
Fischer dropped the S-Bound 125's from their lineup this year, but they still sell the 112's. I've been trending more and more toward wider skis as time goes on for off trail skiing. Hope you are having a great winter and thanks for watching.
@@tomm9850 I got my skis today but it says skins not included. I should have known to ask but it didn't say that on the Backcountry website, not even on Fischer's website. They don't even have a product listing for them. I'm pissed I was so looking forward to a long ski tomorrow, the conditions are epic....
The SBound skis climb very well without the easy skins, especially on warm wet snow. The skins are mostly useful on icy trails and boilerplate. Its that time of year when many ski shops have sold out all their inventory, so you might have to wait until next year to find a pair. Give them a try without skins and report back how well they worked for you.
@@tomm9850 You're absolutely right, they climb great! I'm 5'11 150 lbs and got the longest skis at 189cm. I like the length for max float and crossing creeks and such where span helps. Mounted my BC NNN bindings on the balance point, works great. I've had ski set-ups where it's hard to lift the tips up over logs and such because the bindings were slightly to the rear.
Hi Tom! I have a pair of excursion 88s. I love them and am interested in the s-bound 125s. However, I’m not having the best of luck finding any of these wider Nordic skis with the waxless pattern. Reí and Fischer don’t seem to sell the the wider skis. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Fischer dropped the Sbound 125's from their Adventure ski line a few years ago. The widest ski in their adventure line now is the Sbound 112. Most of the off trail skis for this season sold out in early December. I don't know if there will be any restocking this winter. I did see a used pair of Sbound 112's put up for sale on Telemarktalk.com. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4570
Hi Tom, what a great video for somebody who is confused about boots-skis pairing. Could you comment, what is the difference between Fischer Transnordic 75 and Fischer 675 boots?
The Transnordic 75 is Fischer's newest beefy off trail boot. They also make an NNNBC version and next year they will have an Xplore version as well. I have not skied the Transnordic 75, but I did ski and wear out a couple pairs of the BCX 675. I really liked the 675's, they just were not very durable, and would only last a couple of seasons for me. The 675's and the Transnordics are very different in design. If I was in the market for a new 75 mm boot, I think they would be worth a shot if I could get a good fit, but at this point, I'd be more interested in next year's Xplore version of the boot. There are several users over on the telemark talk forum who are skiing the boot this season and they should be a great resource. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4350
I notice the Voile website mentions that the Hyper V6 BC isn't recommend for tele bindings. You and your Switchback setup seems to be working out well. Is Voile concerned with the added leverage created by the Tele stance causing pull out of the binding mounting hardware / binding?
Only Voile can give you a truthful answer as to why they no longer warrant their hyper skis if used with tele bindings. This came about in the Spring of 2019 after I had bought mine. I emailed them and they replied that a few telemark bindings had pulled out of their hyper skis and they wanted to error on the side of caution. They had not had any problems with AT bindings on their hyper skis or with telemark bindings on their regular skis. I've been watching mine closely, and so far, no issues on either my Objectives with the Traverse binding or my Hyper V6's with the switchback X2 bindings. I'm a fairly conservative skier and probably won't ever put my skis and bindings to the ultimate test, so I'm comfortable with my setup (after the fact). If you are a heavy, powerful skier that pushes the limit, you should probably heed their warning. I'm willing to stick with these skis because they ski so well for me.
Tom, if you could only pick one ski for all your skiing , what would you chose? Thanks in advance (in case you see and respond to this comment at some point)
That would be hard for me because I ski everything from flat XC tours to steep mountain terrain, and that hits the two ends of my quiver (Traverse 78's for off trail level tours, and the V6's for steep and deep downhill). If I limited myself to just skiing off trail rolling terrain (no groomed tracks), the Fischer Traverse 78's or the Alpina Discovery 80's would be a good choice. I just posted a video this week discussing the 78's and 80's. If my main focus was touring for turns, or what some call XCD (Cross Country Downhill) I would pick an XC ski like the Sbound 98. The Excursion 88 fills the gap between the 78 and the 98, and that is the ski my wife prefers for backcountry off trail XC skiing. The bottom line is that the best ski for a one ski quiver would depend on the type of skiing and terrain that one most enjoys skiing.
I am thinking of adding a pair of Åsnes Gamme 54 BC Skis to my quiver. It is 68 mm wide and can fit in the 70 mm wide groomed resort tracks. It is reviewed to be good for breaking trail and downhill turns in untracked snow. It would take the place of my in track skis. My quiver would be then simplified to three skis. The 68mm wide tipped Åsnes Gamme 54 BC and the 97 wide tipped Falketind 62, I would mount them with Vollie 3 pin bindings. My boots would be the Alpha Greenlands and my Scarpa T3’s . I only ski steep and deep powder inbounds in ski areas on Rossingnol Soul 7’s alpine skis. My question is would be are the Alpha Greenlands too stiff to glide well on the Gamme 54’s?
If you have an XC racing background, you would probably find the Greendlands too bulky for fast track skiing. For slow recreational track skiing, they are fine. Most people would probably pick an NN boot and binding for track skiing. The binding is a bit narrower and the boots are lighter and more flexible. One of the reasons that 75 mm bindings fell out of favor for track skiing is that the wings on the binding can cause a bit more drag if they come into contact with the side of a narrow freshly groomed track.
Hi Tom. I was ready to pull the trigger on a pair of Voile hyper v6 bc skis when they posted the tele mount warning. I just spoke with the Voile rep who said they have no plans to issue a new tele friendly model. I am considering getting a pair anyway and risking it. How has it worked out for you? Any issues with your binding pulling out of the ski?
It's disappointing to hear that Voile has no plans to beef up the mounting plate for tele mounts, so I guess that if you want to be safe you will have to go with the regular V6's or pick another brand. Voile probably can't figure out a way to beef up the Hyper series of skis without adding weight. That might hurt their sales to AT skiers, which is probably their biggest market. My setup is already much heavier than my AT skiing friends, so I plan to stick with the Hyper V6's. I don't see any evidence of fatigue after one season. In my size, 173, there is a 1 lb weight difference between the V6's and the Hyper V6's. I'll post a video if anything changes.
Thanks for watching. You will enjoy XC and backcountry skiing. I ski a lot of forest roads, and even though they are heavily used by snowmobiles in my area, they are a lot of fun, especially after a fresh snowfall on top of the snowmobile tracks.
I use the Traverse 78's with the Fischer Offtrack 5 BC for most forest service roads. I bump up to the S-Bound 98's and the Rosignol BC X-12 if I need extra flotation due to deep snow or if I plan to hit some of the hills and trails that connect to the road.
@@tomm9850 Tom, thanks for the great video! I noticed that you are using Traverse 78 at size 179. Please, can you tell, what is your weight? I am 178 cm tall, and have weight 74 kg (164 lbs) I would like to buy Traverse 78 for similar conditions - forest roads, open areas, small hills, mostly ungroomed snow. What do you think, is it more appropriate to get size 179 (as officially recommended by Fisher) or try 189 size?
Hi Tom, what are your thoughts mounting a reg. switchback (not x2) on the 98"s with the T4 boot? Thinking about this set-up for mild rolling hills and kick/glide. I love my T4"s and don't want an extra expense of another boot. Do you think that set up is too heavy for the 98? Thanks
I haven't tried this combination, but I did try the T4's on the 98's with a 3 pin Voile binding, just to see what that combination would be like. I also skied for several years with the Switchback X2 and T4's on the Sbound 125's. There is no reason why this combination wouldn't work, but for me, I prefer a softer boot and lighter binding on the 98's for skiing mild hills and for kick and glide. Are you already using the T4's on a beefier/downhill oriented ski? The reason I ask, is that if you already have a downhill focused setup, I would suggest thinking about a lighter boot/binding combo for the 98. While you won't have the downhill control with a light setup as you would with the T4's, it would be a lot more efficient with the 98's for kick/glide and ample for mild downhill / rolling hills. The approximate weight of T4's and the Switchback is 8.5 lbs and the switchback costs $310. The approximate weight of the NNNBC Magnum and Alpina Alaska is 5.2 lbs costing $340. If you went with a 3 pin as opposed to the NNNBC on the 98's, you could use either a soft boot or the T4's depending on the day and conditions. That was my thinking at the time I set up my 98's, but in reality, if the terrain calls for plastic boots, I tend to ski a more downhill focused ski. I'm currently using the Rossignol BC X-12 boot with my 98's. I like the boot, but its not a fan favorite over on the www.telemarktalk.com/ forum. I haven't skied the Alpina Alaska's but many feel that the NNNBC version of this boot is perfect for the kind of skiing you describe. Some users have complained about the durability of the BC X-12 and others have said that they prefer a stiffer sole, like those found on welted leather boots. I can't speak to the durability as I haven't skied them multiple seasons yet. They sure are a bargain right now if you can find a pair in your size. I suspect that it is the end of the line for this boot.
Thanks Tom for your prompt response and yes I'm skiing the T4 with my old Super Stinx for downhill. I was the guy commenting on your other video when you were describing the t2 s versus the T4 s, and once again I'm trying to get a setup that does it all but I'm seeing it just isn't the most practical choice. I think I will look into a softer boot with the 98's. My wife and I have traditional cross country gear but we want a metal edge to get out of the tracks. I thought the 98's would be a good choice with my t4s but interesting how are you did the weight comparison. That's quite the difference in weight. we are leaving for Colorado in a few weeks and I'm going to stop in some of the gear shops and hopefully get a good setup. Thanks again for your advice and your videos are awesome, very, very informative!
That's a great price! Let us know what combination of boots and bindings you are using and how well you like them once you have had the opportunity to ski on them..
I just ordered my first nnn boots i should of ordered nnn bc for my ungroomed land im planning on skiing, do u have any subjections for a good off trail xc ski with nnn bindings thats relatively inexpensive
It may be difficult to find a new pair of skis this season. Most of the ski shops and on line stores are sold out of their off trail XC skis this season. I can't really suggest a ski for you without knowing more about the type of skiing and terrain you intend to ski, but I'm a big fan of the Fischer Line of Adventure skis. Between my wife and I, we ski the Traverse 78, Excursion 88, and SBound 98. www.fischersports.com/us_en/nordic/ski/adventure In general terms, in regards to the Fischer Adventure Ski line, a narrow ski is best suited for firmer snow and gentle terrain, their mid width skis are best suited for soft snow and moderate terrain, and their widest skis are designed for deep snow and more difficult terrain. It is always a good idea to get some local advice, especially if you have a shop that specializes in XC skiing. Most of the nnn boots would not be beefy enough for the wider end of Fischer's line of skis, but would be just fine on the narrow end and for gentle terrain.
Hi Tom! First of congrats for the channel - great stuff! They are helpfull regarding gear choice and also technique and it's nice to see common minded people who enjoy the outdoor. So - I'm an advanced xc skier and mountaneer. In the past I used also to alpine ski a lot.. Somehow I found myself fantasizing about backcountry 😊 and as a starter would kindly ask you for an advice. So my question is - what ski should I buy? I bought a pair of ALPINA ALASKA shoes with BC Magnum bindings. I will probably use the gear more on hard surfaces, crusty or wet snow conditions in the woods than in realy soft deep powder. I intend to do long tours, but also have some fun downhill. I am 190cm 83 kg and am choosing between Fischer S-Bound 98 and 112. Is there realy a big difference in XC walking uphill between them? I'm not sure about the height as well - the 189cm should be problably better for me but i'm not sure on how I will perform in thighter turns in dense forests (maybe the 179 is better?). Any suggestion would be of great help and much apreciated. Looking forward for your new BC videos!! Tnx and greetings from Slovenia
I'm betting that you already have a pretty good idea regarding ski choice due to your XC and Alpine experience. The Sbound 98 and the 112 are designed to fill the gap between XC and downhill. As such, they compromise on both the kick and glide end of XC skiing, and the agility and control of a dedicated downhill ski. Steep icy conditions can really be a challenge with soft boots and XCD skis, but they are tons of fun on moderate slopes in soft snow. For the Alpina Alaska boot on NNNBC, I'd probably pick the 98 over the 112 for everything except very deep soft snow. Be sure to include the weight of all the gear, clothing and boots when looking at Fischer's recommended ski size chart. At your height, you might be more comfortable on 189's. The grip with the traction pattern is very good on these skis, but it is handy to have the easy skin for steeper climbs and for traction on hard ice. Making quick tight turns with these skis and soft boots takes lots of skill and practice, so don't get discouraged on your first few outings. i don't think that most people would really notice the difference in the ease of turning ability between the 179 and the 189 cm lengths. If you haven't already, head on over to Telemarktalk.com There are lots of experienced skiers with lots of different opinions regarding equipment. A good resource for sure. At any rate, thanks for tuning in and let me know how it goes this winter.
I recently found a pair of Traverse 78s on sale, any reason for going with NNNBC over 3 pin on those? I'm still trying to decide on a binding/boot choice
The NNNBC vs 3 pin debate is alive and well over on the telemark talk forum www.telemarktalk.com Lots of very strong opinions on both sides. Here are just a few of my thoughts: NNNBC advantages: easier to get into and out of, no left or right ski; less drag on a groomed ski trail (the 78's are too wide for groomed trails); no boot / binding squeak that some 3 pin combinations produce. 3 pin advantages: Can use a plastic boot like the Scarpa T4 on one day, and ski with a lighter soft boot when conditions warrant; some 3 pin bindings have an optional cable or hard wire for downhill runs; 3 pin bindings offer a heel riser option for skinning uphill. The two binding do ski differently, but both are great bindings. The NNNBC proponents say it is all about the boot, not the binding. It would be fun to ski the same boot, in both an NNNBC and 3 pin version, on identical skis, on the same day for a more critical comparison. Or for even more fun, one setup on one foot and the other on the other foot. I do like the combination of the Traverse 78 and the NNNBC binding. I use it with a very soft and flexible boot (Fischer Offtrack 5). Its great for fast cruising on the flats and rolling terrain. If you plan to use your setup for more challenging terrain, then you should probably go with a beefier boot.
All the skis in this video have a traction pattern, which some call "waxless" skis. I do wax all of these skis for glide ua-cam.com/video/K7U7JfB1U3w/v-deo.html
The 125's served me well for many years but I no longer have them. They found a new home in the Black Hills of South Dakota where I hope they live on for many more seasons.
Thanks Tom your video help me a lot ! I still did not figure out wich kind of pole i will get. Are your adjustable pole the same leight than normal cross country ski pole ? I'm thinking of these www.mec.ca/fr/product/6010-875/B%C3%A2tons-en-aluminium-VIA. I'm 6'0 .
An adjustable pole is the right choice for backcountry skiing. I'm not familiar with the Bâtons en aluminium VIA de G3, but it looks like a good choice and similar to the ones I use (K2 Lockjaw Carbon). I usually set my pole at around 135 cm for uphill and flat skiing, then shorten the pole to 125 cm for long downhill runs. (I'm about 173 cm tall) It is also great to have a lower grip section for use on the uphill pole for steep side hill traverses and powder baskets for soft snow. I have a different set of poles for track skiing. They are of fixed length (155 cm), have a cinch strap, and small angled baskets. The poles are very different in design and used for power transfer whereas my backcountry poles are primarily used for balance.
For me, tele is a work in progress and I'm not sure I'll ever be skilled enough to use it all the time. I love it when the conditions are right and avoid it when I know I can't make it work. :)
Hi Tom, what do you plan on skiing for the 2019/2020 ski season? I just ordered a pair of Summit Cone Vagabonds by the Fey Bros with 22 Designs Axl bindings. I decided to try a stiffer more active binding this year compared to my Voile Hardwires on my Voile Hypervector Bcs. Last season, I found it quite difficult making tele turns on steeper terrain and really had to crank down on the cartridges to stiffen things up. Im 190lbs so a stiffer binding should help a ton. I will make sure to post up review comparisons. I like how the Axl has 3 positions you can tune for stiffness. Ive got too many skis and will soon have 8 pair in my quiver! Be sure to check out telemarkdowns new site.Their new line of skis are fairly reasonable priced and seem to have shorter turn radius then most BC skis Ive seen. aspinockwoods.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fplus-plus-2020-binding-clone-for-skis-8344c539-035a-454b-b24e-8bb77d0b47cc
Just a couple of minor changes for me this year. I've dropped the 3 pin/S-Bound 125's and replaced them with a 3 pin/Voile Objective BC for use on moderate terrain with lightweight boots. I've also dropped the Fischer OCX 5 boots that I use with the Traverse skis and added Alfa Skarvet NNNBC boots. The Skarvets's offer more support and I look forward to testing this setup on rolling terrain. I have one season under my belt using the Voile Hyper V6 BC/Voile Switchback X2/ Scarpa T2 setup, and I'm very happy with this combination. I've never skied the Axl bindings, but I've been curious about 22 Design's new NTN Lynx binding. I'm hoping that someone will come out with a new lightweight NTN telemark boot, something less than 6 lbs a pair. If so, I might give that combination a try. Thanks for the link to the Summit Cone Vagabonds. I've not heard of them before, but they sound interesting. Be sure to post your experience after skiing them, especially since you have the Voile skis as a comparison. Look forward to hearing from you.
@@tomm9850 I’m probably older than you and I used to use that stuff but even then I still paralleled. Once the tech revolution hit I went all in. I still have a set of rossignol bc 90s that I bought those new alpina Alaska duckbill boots with to walk around in the woods with the dog. I’d like to get some shorter wider waxless skis that would float a little better but can’t see that anybody is making them.
What about Altai Hoks in 145 cm with 3-pin 75 mm bindings for your Alpina Alaska 75 mm boots? That is a playfull set-up for exactly that kind of roaming around the woods.
@@Norsology I've not had a chance to examine or ski the Hoks, but I did take a quick look at their web site. It looks like an interesting ski. Are you skiing them?
Thanks again Tom, great info once again. Hope you’re enjoying your summer
I do enjoy the "off season". Thanks for tuning in and I hope you are having the same.
Thanks for posting these videos, Tom! I've watched just about everything on your channel. I'm brand new to the sport and you've REALLY helped me learn about backcountry skiing and what equipment to buy. You're now my go-to and I look forward to more videos. Thanks a million!
Thanks so much for the kind words and I'm glad you are enjoying this amazing sport.
Salve Tom, ti scrivo dall'Italia e ho bisogno della tua competenza ed esperienza per aiutarmi a scegliere lo scarpone più adatto perché devo rinnovare tutta la mia attrezzatura da backcountry. Pratico telemark in modo abbastanza semplice...ma da oltre 15 anni! Attualmente uso sci Salomon 90-60-70 molto sciancrati, scarponi Salomon attacco Salomon SSN. Vorrei passare ad Rottefella XP e ad uno sci Fischer con le stesse caratteristiche. Cosa mi consigli per sci e scarponi, perché sono solita bendare i talloni e ho i piedi molto sensibili. Le mie escursioni in genere prevedono sia lunghi percorsi in leggera ma continua salita , max 800-1000 mt dislivello e discese e risalite per circa 15-20 km. Esiste uno scarpone confortevole e leggero in peso? Grazie mille
Sembra che tu sia uno sciatore molto esperto e sono sicuro che sarai in grado di selezionare una buona combinazione di scarponi e sci. Mi piace il sistema di attacchi Xplore per il tipo di sci che descrivi (dislivelli di 1000 metri su 12 chilometri). Potrai sciare allo stesso modo con il sistema Xplore e con il tuo sistema SNS, con grande spinta e scorrevolezza, ma con ulteriore controllo in discesa grazie alla suola e ai flessori migliorati dello scarpone Xplore. Esistono diversi stivali Xplore tra cui scegliere. Hanno caratteristiche di calzata diverse ed è molto importante ottenere uno scarpone che funzioni bene con i tuoi piedi. Ho sciato solo 3 scarponi Xplore, l'Alpina Alaska XP, l'Alfa Vista e l'Alfa Free. Dei 3, l'Alaska XP era lo scarpone più morbido e offriva la migliore spinta e scivolata, l'Alfa Free era lo scarpone più rigido e offriva il miglior controllo in discesa e l'Alfa Vista era proprio nel mezzo per quanto riguarda spinta, scivolata e controllo in discesa. . Ci sono molti altri stivali da considerare, Rossignol XP 12, Alpina Pioneer, Alpina PI Tech, Fischer BCX Traverse, Alfa Skaget, Madshus Panorama Explorer, Crispi Futura e Lundhags Abiska rottefella.com/en_GB/xplore-partners -it La tua scelta potrebbe essere limitata agli scarponi disponibili nella tua zona, ma scegli uno scarpone più morbido se la spinta e la planata sono più importanti per te e uno scarpone più rigido se il controllo in discesa è ciò che stai cercando. Per quanto riguarda gli sci, l'Excursion 88 (88-68-78) è un'ottima scelta per i tour a lunga distanza. Lo Sbound 98 (98-69-88) è uno sci più morbido con più sciancratura. E' più facile da girare in fresca rispetto all'88, ma non è altrettanto vivace in pinneggiata e planata. Mia moglie scia l'88 come sci fuoripista, ma io scio il Traverse 78 quando sono in un tour fuoripista con kick and glide e il 98 quando il focus dell'uscita è una discesa moderata su buona neve. Spero che questo ti indichi la giusta direzione. Ci sono così tante scelte e diverse combinazioni da considerare, ma sono sicuro che troverai un ottimo sostituto per la tua configurazione attuale.
It sounds like you are a very experienced skier and I'm sure you will be able to select a good boot and ski combination. I do like the Xplore binding system for the type of skiing you describe (1000 meter climbs over 12 kilometers) You will be able to ski in the same fashion with the Xplore system as with your SNS system, with great kick and glide, but with additional downhill control due to the improved Xplore boot sole and flexors. There are several different Xplore boots to choose from. They have different fit characteristics, and it is very important to get a boot that works well with your feet. I have only skied 3 Xplore boots, the Alpina Alaska XP, the Alfa Vista and the Alfa Free. Of the 3, the Alaska XP was the softest boot and offered the best kick and glide, the Alfa Free was the stiffest boot and offered the best downhill control and the Alfa Vista was right in the middle in regard to kick and glide and downhill control. There are several other boots to consider, the Rossignol XP 12, Alpina Pioneer, Alpina PI Tech, Fischer BCX Traverse, Alfa Skaget, Madshus Panorama Explorer, Crispi Futura, and Lundhags Abiska rottefella.com/en_GB/xplore-partners-en Your choice may be limited to what boots are available in your area but pick a softer boot if kick and glide is most important to you and a stiffer boot if downhill control is what you are seeking. In regard to skis, the Excursion 88 (88-68-78) is great choice for long distance tours. The Sbound 98 (98-69-88) is a softer ski with more sidecut. It is easier to turn in powder than the 88 but is not as lively for kick and glide. My wife skis the 88 as her off trail ski but I ski the Traverse 78 when I'm on an off-trail kick and glide tour and the 98 when the focus of the outing is moderate downhill in good snow. I hope this will point you in the right direction. There are so many choices and different combinations to consider but I'm sure you find a great replacement for your current setup.
Grazie davvero, anche per la sollecitudine! Buona neve a tutti
I Tom. enjoying your videos and learning a lot. I've been using Rossi bc80 skis with NNNs. I want to get Fischer 98 or Altai Kom and considering 3 pin bindings for better turning and slightly steeper terrain. what's the difference between the bindings on you 98s vs 125s, please? thank you.
The Rottefella Telemark binding will accept a duckbill thickness as thin as 12 mm and the Voile Telemark is designed for duckbill thickness down to 14. Both of these bindings worked fine with all of the boots that I have had in recent years but for the very thick plastic boot duckbills, it was easier to clamp the Voile as opposed to the Rottefella. Rottefella sells two 3 pin bindings, one with and one without a hardwire cable, and Voile sells four versions with various combinations of cables, hardwires, risers and heel elevators. In recent years I have moved on from skiing 3 pin leather boots to the Xplore system, mainly because I rarely skied leathers with a cable or hardwire and I find that the Xplore system works better for me. I think the main reason for choosing 3 pin over the Xplore system would be for the versatility to ski with a cable and for those who want the option to ski either leather or plastic boots on the same ski.
many thanks for your reply!@@tomm9850
Wish there were more reviews like yours. Do you have enough support in the "softer" Fischer OTX-5 Boot on the Fischer Traverse 78?
You speak to the limitations and advantage of each combination. Would the NNN-BC/Fischer OTX-5 Boot combination be enough to handle the 98's on slightly rolling terrain. You mention "trending toward a wider ski" and I'm curious to know if you would lean toward a Traverse or S-bound 112 if flats and rolling terrain were the only locations you'd be skiing. Or are the hills to be the most appealing aspect of the sport?
The Fischer OTX-5 boot is great for rolling terrain and soft snow. I would not pair it with a ski wider than the 78. It takes more finesse to carve turns on the OTX-5 as it doesn't have as much lateral support as the heavier boots. 10 years ago, I would have considered a ski like the Traverse 78, a wide XC ski, and paired it with a beefier boot. Back then, I used a much narrower ski for groomed trails and gentle off trail use. Currently, the 98's are my go-to ski for most off trail backcountry skiing. I'll use the 125's after a huge dump of powder when I need the extra flotation. My transition to wider skis and stiffer boots for off trail use is fairly recent. I still use the Traverse 78's and the OTX-5 on packed trails and on more gentle rolling terrain. The choice between the Traverse, Excursion 88, S-Bound 98 and 112 would depend on how much deep powder that you encounter. As you pointed out, the wider the ski, the beefier the boot required to control the ski. Here is a link to my playlist of videos where I'm skiing on the Traverse 78's with the Fischer OTX-5 boots. ua-cam.com/play/PLSbEbRoGC_hpx3ooFLYcN4w3R-JIQBhOd.html
Nice kit and very well explained!
I bushwack with Rossi BC 125's x 185 cm and you need a ski that wide in deep powder for sure. Not good on cambered ski-doo trails but I use the same boot/binder set-up on your 78's.
Wish the Fischer's were available when I bought them. I use skinnier Madshus like your 78's when there is a crust with few inches of powder and I do a longer trip . Great video's!
Fischer dropped the S-Bound 125's from their lineup this year, but they still sell the 112's. I've been trending more and more toward wider skis as time goes on for off trail skiing. Hope you are having a great winter and thanks for watching.
@@tomm9850 I got my skis today but it says skins not included. I should have known to ask but it didn't say that on the Backcountry website, not even on Fischer's website. They don't even have a product listing for them. I'm pissed I was so looking forward to a long ski tomorrow, the conditions are epic....
The SBound skis climb very well without the easy skins, especially on warm wet snow. The skins are mostly useful on icy trails and boilerplate. Its that time of year when many ski shops have sold out all their inventory, so you might have to wait until next year to find a pair. Give them a try without skins and report back how well they worked for you.
@@tomm9850 You're absolutely right, they climb great! I'm 5'11 150 lbs and got the longest skis at 189cm. I like the length for max float and crossing creeks and such where span helps. Mounted my BC NNN bindings on the balance point, works great. I've had ski set-ups where it's hard to lift the tips up over logs and such because the bindings were slightly to the rear.
Fantastic.
Hi Tom! I have a pair of excursion 88s. I love them and am interested in the s-bound 125s. However, I’m not having the best of luck finding any of these wider Nordic skis with the waxless pattern. Reí and Fischer don’t seem to sell the the wider skis. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Fischer dropped the Sbound 125's from their Adventure ski line a few years ago. The widest ski in their adventure line now is the Sbound 112. Most of the off trail skis for this season sold out in early December. I don't know if there will be any restocking this winter. I did see a used pair of Sbound 112's put up for sale on Telemarktalk.com. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4570
Hi Tom, what a great video for somebody who is confused about boots-skis pairing. Could you comment, what is the difference between Fischer Transnordic 75 and Fischer 675 boots?
The Transnordic 75 is Fischer's newest beefy off trail boot. They also make an NNNBC version and next year they will have an Xplore version as well. I have not skied the Transnordic 75, but I did ski and wear out a couple pairs of the BCX 675. I really liked the 675's, they just were not very durable, and would only last a couple of seasons for me. The 675's and the Transnordics are very different in design. If I was in the market for a new 75 mm boot, I think they would be worth a shot if I could get a good fit, but at this point, I'd be more interested in next year's Xplore version of the boot. There are several users over on the telemark talk forum who are skiing the boot this season and they should be a great resource. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4350
I notice the Voile website mentions that the Hyper V6 BC isn't recommend for tele bindings. You and your Switchback setup seems to be working out well. Is Voile concerned with the added leverage created by the Tele stance causing pull out of the binding mounting hardware / binding?
Only Voile can give you a truthful answer as to why they no longer warrant their hyper skis if used with tele bindings. This came about in the Spring of 2019 after I had bought mine. I emailed them and they replied that a few telemark bindings had pulled out of their hyper skis and they wanted to error on the side of caution. They had not had any problems with AT bindings on their hyper skis or with telemark bindings on their regular skis. I've been watching mine closely, and so far, no issues on either my Objectives with the Traverse binding or my Hyper V6's with the switchback X2 bindings. I'm a fairly conservative skier and probably won't ever put my skis and bindings to the ultimate test, so I'm comfortable with my setup (after the fact). If you are a heavy, powerful skier that pushes the limit, you should probably heed their warning. I'm willing to stick with these skis because they ski so well for me.
Tom, if you could only pick one ski for all your skiing , what would you chose? Thanks in advance (in case you see and respond to this comment at some point)
That would be hard for me because I ski everything from flat XC tours to steep mountain terrain, and that hits the two ends of my quiver (Traverse 78's for off trail level tours, and the V6's for steep and deep downhill). If I limited myself to just skiing off trail rolling terrain (no groomed tracks), the Fischer Traverse 78's or the Alpina Discovery 80's would be a good choice. I just posted a video this week discussing the 78's and 80's. If my main focus was touring for turns, or what some call XCD (Cross Country Downhill) I would pick an XC ski like the Sbound 98. The Excursion 88 fills the gap between the 78 and the 98, and that is the ski my wife prefers for backcountry off trail XC skiing. The bottom line is that the best ski for a one ski quiver would depend on the type of skiing and terrain that one most enjoys skiing.
I am thinking of adding a pair of Åsnes Gamme 54 BC Skis to my quiver. It is 68 mm wide and can fit in the 70 mm wide groomed resort tracks. It is reviewed to be good for breaking trail and downhill turns in untracked snow. It would take the place of my in track skis. My quiver would be then simplified to three skis. The 68mm wide tipped Åsnes Gamme 54 BC and the 97 wide tipped Falketind 62, I would mount them with Vollie 3 pin bindings. My boots would be the Alpha Greenlands and my Scarpa T3’s . I only ski steep and deep powder inbounds in ski areas on Rossingnol Soul 7’s alpine skis. My question is would be are the Alpha Greenlands too stiff to glide well on the Gamme 54’s?
If you have an XC racing background, you would probably find the Greendlands too bulky for fast track skiing. For slow recreational track skiing, they are fine. Most people would probably pick an NN boot and binding for track skiing. The binding is a bit narrower and the boots are lighter and more flexible. One of the reasons that 75 mm bindings fell out of favor for track skiing is that the wings on the binding can cause a bit more drag if they come into contact with the side of a narrow freshly groomed track.
Hi Tom. I was ready to pull the trigger on a pair of Voile hyper v6 bc skis when they posted the tele mount warning. I just spoke with the Voile rep who said they have no plans to issue a new tele friendly model. I am considering getting a pair anyway and risking it. How has it worked out for you? Any issues with your binding pulling out of the ski?
It's disappointing to hear that Voile has no plans to beef up the mounting plate for tele mounts, so I guess that if you want to be safe you will have to go with the regular V6's or pick another brand. Voile probably can't figure out a way to beef up the Hyper series of skis without adding weight. That might hurt their sales to AT skiers, which is probably their biggest market. My setup is already much heavier than my AT skiing friends, so I plan to stick with the Hyper V6's. I don't see any evidence of fatigue after one season. In my size, 173, there is a 1 lb weight difference between the V6's and the Hyper V6's. I'll post a video if anything changes.
This was such a helpful video! Thanks for sharing this, Tom. Great content
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a lot, Tom, for this video. It well clarifies things for me.
Thanks for the feedback. Hope you are having a great winter.
Thanks for the explanations! I'm getting into skiing this year (untracked forest roads, maybe rolling hills) and your demonstrations helped a lot!
Thanks for watching. You will enjoy XC and backcountry skiing. I ski a lot of forest roads, and even though they are heavily used by snowmobiles in my area, they are a lot of fun, especially after a fresh snowfall on top of the snowmobile tracks.
@@tomm9850 for the forest road scenario, which ski and boot do you usually end up using? I assume the 78 (w/ BC5) or 98 (w/ BCX 6)?
I use the Traverse 78's with the Fischer Offtrack 5 BC for most forest service roads. I bump up to the S-Bound 98's and the Rosignol BC X-12 if I need extra flotation due to deep snow or if I plan to hit some of the hills and trails that connect to the road.
@@tomm9850 nice, thanks Tom!
@@tomm9850 Tom, thanks for the great video! I noticed that you are using Traverse 78 at size 179. Please, can you tell, what is your weight? I am 178 cm tall, and have weight 74 kg (164 lbs) I would like to buy Traverse 78 for similar conditions - forest roads, open areas, small hills, mostly ungroomed snow. What do you think, is it more appropriate to get size 179 (as officially recommended by Fisher) or try 189 size?
Hi Tom, what are your thoughts mounting a reg. switchback (not x2) on the 98"s with the T4 boot? Thinking about this set-up for mild rolling hills and kick/glide. I love my T4"s and don't want an extra expense of another boot. Do you think that set up is too heavy for the 98? Thanks
I haven't tried this combination, but I did try the T4's on the 98's with a 3 pin Voile binding, just to see what that combination would be like. I also skied for several years with the Switchback X2 and T4's on the Sbound 125's. There is no reason why this combination wouldn't work, but for me, I prefer a softer boot and lighter binding on the 98's for skiing mild hills and for kick and glide. Are you already using the T4's on a beefier/downhill oriented ski? The reason I ask, is that if you already have a downhill focused setup, I would suggest thinking about a lighter boot/binding combo for the 98. While you won't have the downhill control with a light setup as you would with the T4's, it would be a lot more efficient with the 98's for kick/glide and ample for mild downhill / rolling hills. The approximate weight of T4's and the Switchback is 8.5 lbs and the switchback costs $310. The approximate weight of the NNNBC Magnum and Alpina Alaska is 5.2 lbs costing $340. If you went with a 3 pin as opposed to the NNNBC on the 98's, you could use either a soft boot or the T4's depending on the day and conditions. That was my thinking at the time I set up my 98's, but in reality, if the terrain calls for plastic boots, I tend to ski a more downhill focused ski. I'm currently using the Rossignol BC X-12 boot with my 98's. I like the boot, but its not a fan favorite over on the www.telemarktalk.com/ forum. I haven't skied the Alpina Alaska's but many feel that the NNNBC version of this boot is perfect for the kind of skiing you describe. Some users have complained about the durability of the BC X-12 and others have said that they prefer a stiffer sole, like those found on welted leather boots. I can't speak to the durability as I haven't skied them multiple seasons yet. They sure are a bargain right now if you can find a pair in your size. I suspect that it is the end of the line for this boot.
Thanks Tom for your prompt response and yes I'm skiing the T4 with my old Super Stinx for downhill. I was the guy commenting on your other video when you were describing the t2 s versus the T4 s, and once again I'm trying to get a setup that does it all but I'm seeing it just isn't the most practical choice. I think I will look into a softer boot with the 98's. My wife and I have traditional cross country gear but we want a metal edge to get out of the tracks. I thought the 98's would be a good choice with my t4s but interesting how are you did the weight comparison. That's quite the difference in weight. we are leaving for Colorado in a few weeks and I'm going to stop in some of the gear shops and hopefully get a good setup. Thanks again for your advice and your videos are awesome, very, very informative!
Great videos and review. Did you have the Bc magnum on your Traverse 78 or the regular Bc?
Thanks for sharing very interesting.
I have the BC Magnum on the Traverse 78
Backcountry just shipped my S-Bound 112's. On sale to boot, $301 incl shipped to Canada. I hope spring doesn't come too early!
That's a great price! Let us know what combination of boots and bindings you are using and how well you like them once you have had the opportunity to ski on them..
I just ordered my first nnn boots i should of ordered nnn bc for my ungroomed land im planning on skiing, do u have any subjections for a good off trail xc ski with nnn bindings thats relatively inexpensive
It may be difficult to find a new pair of skis this season. Most of the ski shops and on line stores are sold out of their off trail XC skis this season. I can't really suggest a ski for you without knowing more about the type of skiing and terrain you intend to ski, but I'm a big fan of the Fischer Line of Adventure skis. Between my wife and I, we ski the Traverse 78, Excursion 88, and SBound 98.
www.fischersports.com/us_en/nordic/ski/adventure
In general terms, in regards to the Fischer Adventure Ski line, a narrow ski is best suited for firmer snow and gentle terrain, their mid width skis are best suited for soft snow and moderate terrain, and their widest skis are designed for deep snow and more difficult terrain. It is always a good idea to get some local advice, especially if you have a shop that specializes in XC skiing. Most of the nnn boots would not be beefy enough for the wider end of Fischer's line of skis, but would be just fine on the narrow end and for gentle terrain.
Great Video! I'm interested in Backcountry Skiing. This Helped me alot!
Finally gave me a reasonable understanding of what I want to do, thanks
Thanks for watching and have a great ski season.
Hi Tom! First of congrats for the channel - great stuff! They
are helpfull regarding gear choice and also technique and it's nice to see common
minded people who enjoy the outdoor. So - I'm an advanced xc skier and mountaneer.
In the past I used also to alpine ski a lot.. Somehow I found myself
fantasizing about backcountry 😊 and as a starter would kindly ask you for an
advice. So my question is - what ski should I buy? I bought a pair of ALPINA ALASKA shoes with BC
Magnum bindings. I will probably use the gear more on hard surfaces, crusty or
wet snow conditions in the woods than in realy soft deep powder. I intend to do
long tours, but also have some fun downhill. I am 190cm 83 kg and am choosing
between Fischer S-Bound 98 and 112. Is there realy a big difference in XC
walking uphill between them? I'm not sure about the height as well - the 189cm
should be problably better for me but i'm not sure on how I will perform in
thighter turns in dense forests (maybe the 179 is better?). Any suggestion
would be of great help and much apreciated. Looking forward for your new BC
videos!! Tnx and greetings from Slovenia
I'm betting that you already have a pretty good idea regarding ski choice due to your XC and Alpine experience. The Sbound 98 and the 112 are designed to fill the gap between XC and downhill. As such, they compromise on both the kick and glide end of XC skiing, and the agility and control of a dedicated downhill ski. Steep icy conditions can really be a challenge with soft boots and XCD skis, but they are tons of fun on moderate slopes in soft snow. For the Alpina Alaska boot on NNNBC, I'd probably pick the 98 over the 112 for everything except very deep soft snow. Be sure to include the weight of all the gear, clothing and boots when looking at Fischer's recommended ski size chart. At your height, you might be more comfortable on 189's. The grip with the traction pattern is very good on these skis, but it is handy to have the easy skin for steeper climbs and for traction on hard ice. Making quick tight turns with these skis and soft boots takes lots of skill and practice, so don't get discouraged on your first few outings. i don't think that most people would really notice the difference in the ease of turning ability between the 179 and the 189 cm lengths. If you haven't already, head on over to Telemarktalk.com There are lots of experienced skiers with lots of different opinions regarding equipment. A good resource for sure. At any rate, thanks for tuning in and let me know how it goes this winter.
@@tomm9850 will go for sbound 98 189. Tnx again for advice and great content!
The 98's and leather boots are my favorite XCD combination for moderate terrain in good snow. Hope you have a great ski season.
Tom,
Nothing more refreshing to see the skis lined up in the order of width.
I recently found a pair of Traverse 78s on sale, any reason for going with NNNBC over 3 pin on those? I'm still trying to decide on a binding/boot choice
The NNNBC vs 3 pin debate is alive and well over on the telemark talk forum www.telemarktalk.com Lots of very strong opinions on both sides. Here are just a few of my thoughts:
NNNBC advantages: easier to get into and out of, no left or right ski; less drag on a groomed ski trail (the 78's are too wide for groomed trails); no boot / binding squeak that some 3 pin combinations produce.
3 pin advantages: Can use a plastic boot like the Scarpa T4 on one day, and ski with a lighter soft boot when conditions warrant; some 3 pin bindings have an optional cable or hard wire for downhill runs; 3 pin bindings offer a heel riser option for skinning uphill.
The two binding do ski differently, but both are great bindings. The NNNBC proponents say it is all about the boot, not the binding. It would be fun to ski the same boot, in both an NNNBC and 3 pin version, on identical skis, on the same day for a more critical comparison. Or for even more fun, one setup on one foot and the other on the other foot.
I do like the combination of the Traverse 78 and the NNNBC binding. I use it with a very soft and flexible boot (Fischer Offtrack 5). Its great for fast cruising on the flats and rolling terrain. If you plan to use your setup for more challenging terrain, then you should probably go with a beefier boot.
@@tomm9850 Thanks!
Respect!
Did you say wax or wax less? I’d be curious.
All the skis in this video have a traction pattern, which some call "waxless" skis. I do wax all of these skis for glide ua-cam.com/video/K7U7JfB1U3w/v-deo.html
Super merytorycznie!
Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback. dobrej zimy
Tom...anytime you want to part with those 125's...let me know...I can't find them anywhere...
The 125's served me well for many years but I no longer have them. They found a new home in the Black Hills of South Dakota where I hope they live on for many more seasons.
Thanks Tom your video help me a lot ! I still did not figure out wich kind of pole i will get. Are your adjustable pole the same leight than normal cross country ski pole ? I'm thinking of these www.mec.ca/fr/product/6010-875/B%C3%A2tons-en-aluminium-VIA. I'm 6'0 .
An adjustable pole is the right choice for backcountry skiing. I'm not familiar with the Bâtons en aluminium VIA de G3, but it looks like a good choice and similar to the ones I use (K2 Lockjaw Carbon). I usually set my pole at around 135 cm for uphill and flat skiing, then shorten the pole to 125 cm for long downhill runs. (I'm about 173 cm tall) It is also great to have a lower grip section for use on the uphill pole for steep side hill traverses and powder baskets for soft snow. I have a different set of poles for track skiing. They are of fixed length (155 cm), have a cinch strap, and small angled baskets. The poles are very different in design and used for power transfer whereas my backcountry poles are primarily used for balance.
Nice skis and great overview. Those don't look like tele turns in the videos though!
For me, tele is a work in progress and I'm not sure I'll ever be skilled enough to use it all the time. I love it when the conditions are right and avoid it when I know I can't make it work. :)
I hear you! I'm grateful for alpine turns when the going gets tough.
Hi Tom, what do you plan on skiing for the 2019/2020 ski season? I just ordered a pair of Summit Cone Vagabonds by the Fey Bros with 22 Designs Axl bindings. I decided to try a stiffer more active binding this year compared to my Voile Hardwires on my Voile Hypervector Bcs. Last season, I found it quite difficult making tele turns on steeper terrain and really had to crank down on the cartridges to stiffen things up. Im 190lbs so a stiffer binding should help a ton. I will make sure to post up review comparisons. I like how the Axl has 3 positions you can tune for stiffness. Ive got too many skis and will soon have 8 pair in my quiver! Be sure to check out telemarkdowns new site.Their new line of skis are fairly reasonable priced and seem to have shorter turn radius then most BC skis Ive seen. aspinockwoods.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fplus-plus-2020-binding-clone-for-skis-8344c539-035a-454b-b24e-8bb77d0b47cc
Just a couple of minor changes for me this year. I've dropped the 3 pin/S-Bound 125's and replaced them with a 3 pin/Voile Objective BC for use on moderate terrain with lightweight boots. I've also dropped the Fischer OCX 5 boots that I use with the Traverse skis and added Alfa Skarvet NNNBC boots. The Skarvets's offer more support and I look forward to testing this setup on rolling terrain. I have one season under my belt using the Voile Hyper V6 BC/Voile Switchback X2/ Scarpa T2 setup, and I'm very happy with this combination. I've never skied the Axl bindings, but I've been curious about 22 Design's new NTN Lynx binding. I'm hoping that someone will come out with a new lightweight NTN telemark boot, something less than 6 lbs a pair. If so, I might give that combination a try.
Thanks for the link to the Summit Cone Vagabonds. I've not heard of them before, but they sound interesting. Be sure to post your experience after skiing them, especially since you have the Voile skis as a comparison. Look forward to hearing from you.
And folks he’s doing it all on 3 pin style gear. In this day and age that is amazing.
You know what they say about old dogs. :)
@@tomm9850
I’m probably older than you and I used to use that stuff but even then I still paralleled. Once the tech revolution hit I went all in. I still have a set of rossignol bc 90s that I bought those new alpina Alaska duckbill boots with to walk around in the woods with the dog. I’d like to get some shorter wider waxless skis that would float a little better but can’t see that anybody is making them.
What about Altai Hoks in 145 cm with 3-pin 75 mm bindings for your Alpina Alaska 75 mm boots? That is a playfull set-up for exactly that kind of roaming around the woods.
@@Norsology I've not had a chance to examine or ski the Hoks, but I did take a quick look at their web site. It looks like an interesting ski. Are you skiing them?
@@Norsology
Never heard of them. Looking at the website it might be. A reasonable dog walking ski. Thanks
People actually still telemark? I thought AT and splitboard took over the multiverse.
A small but dedicated bunch of misfits in a sea of backcountry skiers and splitboarders. :)
Bravo!