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One of
the big questions that
we hear from people
looking for a
ski to ride in the
backcountry with AT or
Randonee bindings is,
“if I am going to be
skiing with my heels
locked down, then why
don’t I just use an
alpine ski?” Well,
first, you can.
Second, we’ll explain
why you probably don’t
want to.
When you are traveling
under your own power,
weight becomes an
issue. AT skis are
significantly lighter
than alpine skis in
most cases. Advantage
number one! The reason
they are lighter
is that the ski
designers and
manufacturers don’t load
them up
with dampening materials
and stiffening materials
that are a
benefit to someone
riding on hard, groomed
snow. Don’t forget
that all these
enhancements for hard
snow cost money, making
most AT skis
considerably less
expensive than Alpine
skis.
Advantage number two!
Because the snow that
you are going to
encounter in the
backcountry is softer
than in the resort 90+
per cent of the
time, you’ll want your
ski to be softer
longitudinally. A
softer, more
even-flexing ski wants
to float on the snow
rather
than dive into it.
Doesn’t that have powder
skiing written all
over it?
And, as the AT ski is
not going to have as
much metal, carbon-fiber or plain old
fiberglass on board, it
is also not going to
be as torsionally stiff.
That is okay for a
couple of reasons:
first, you generally
will be in softer snow
that doesn’t
require as much force to
initiate your turn;
second, when on
hard snow, like
windblown or icy snow,
you will be skiing more
conservatively because
the consequences of
blowing it are so
much greater in the
backcountry than in the
resort. This means
you will be generating
far less of a twisting
force on the ski
in your turns and
needing less stiffening
materials in your ski
to counteract that
force.
Now, if you are an
aggressive skier skiing
steep, hard snow
possibly in a narrow
place (like a couloir)
and don’t mind the
consequences, then this
is the place to consider
a stouter AT
ski or an alpine ski; if
you are willing to carry
it to the
top!
Many skis in the
backcountry category are
appropriate for both
AT and Tele.
Manufacturers set up the
binding retention plates
in backcountry skis to
accommodate either
binding type. In
general, just as in
resort skiing, pick a
ski for AT skiing to
be a little stiffer than
the one for free heel
skiing. This is
because in most cases,
two legs pressing down
in concert with
each other (alpine
style) can apply more
force to the snow than
two offset legs (tele
style).
If you haven’t bought
skis for a while, be
aware that ski
lengths have come down
considerably. Europeans
have been skiing
shorter skis off-piste
for many years, much to
their benefit.
Ski length is primarily
determined by your
weight, and
secondarily determined
by your skiing ability.
An expert skier
will apply more force
through the ski to the
snow than an
intermediate skier, and
can ski a stiffer or
longer ski than an
intermediate of the same
weight. When choosing
skis, if you are
in the middle of the
recommended weight
range, then it’s simple
to just go with it. If
you are at the cusp on
the high or low
end, then consider your
ability and adjust up or
down a ski
length. As an example,
if you weigh 175 lbs.
and the
recommended weight range
of a 177cm ski you are
interested in
is 135-180 pounds and
you are a darn good
skier you may
consider going up a size
to the 181cm ski
(particularly if you
are going to be skiing
with a pack on most of
the time).
As with Alpine skis, AT
skis come in a variety
of shapes,
flexes and widths.
Choose one that fits
your ski tastes…wide
and soft for powder,
wide and stiff for big
mountain skiing,
stiff twin tips for
narrow couloirs, etc.
While not as large an
issue in AT as Tele,
consider the
compatibility of the ski
with the boot. The boots
we have
chosen will drive any of
our skis well, but there
are boots on
the market that are
lightweight racing boots
that would not be
appropriate for stiffer
or wider skis. |
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