The TGR Skinny Ski Ski Tourers' Refuge Thread

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Originally Posted by plugboots

Agree. The Asolo Factory had that cord cuff-tightening system that seemed good, but slipped about half way down a run according to a trusted source. Too bad, because the fit was great.
This seems like the year that the boot manufacturers copied/figured out the 1 kg boot. I bought the Scarpa, F1 LT and am happy.

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Ya the cord thing always seened to be a no go for me. Part of the reason i like the new one is the traditional buckles

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Originally Posted by alive

If you ever make it to Kelowna, I have a pair of 27.5 you can check out... Asolo factory version. Looks like same shells and entirely different buckles/walk mode which would make for an amazing boot.

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Thank you, unfortunately im out east for the forseeable future. I guess im just weary of them turning out to be high volume. Seems like a number of companies have trended that way. I have a semi narrow foot. I did have to do a fair punch to my tlt 6's but lupo c ti, vulcan and now hoji free are fine out of the box. Id rather punch than look to take up volume. 25/25.5's all of them

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Those new svelte black factions that are mostly reverse look rad. Anyone tried them out?

I talked to JBO at skimo co and he said he really liked em but didn't get a lot of detail. He liked em enough to bring in the full line to his store. I begged him to let me try em when he had a pair last spring but was unsuccessful.

The Factions look sweet they also had me looking at the Ski Tran Neve. Does anyone have time on these? I tend to like long radius stable skis but I’m looking for something that will work on long technical days; so I like the shape and weight of these.

I'm ready to go light this season. Spent the last few seasons in Hawx XTD 130s with a 2 ski BC quiver (Line Vision 108 and MTN Explore 95). Both skis mounted with 350g bindings. I don't feel held back at all on the down for the kind of skiing I do in the BC, but living in the PNW, most of my days are big, so I do feel held back on the up.

My question is, how much lighter can I go as a 6'2 190lbs skier in the PNW? I read a lot of blogs and threads about people getting along well with race+ boots, race bindings, and 1000g skis, but it seems like they are smaller and skiing in softer conditions than we have in WA.

I was thinking about something along the lines of Zero G Peak, Helio 200, and Backland 85 UL for spring. Unsure if the Zero G Peak would work on a 105+ ski for mid winter here though. Thoughts?

In Utah I play with ~1000g skis all the time but in the PNW I prefer my 1300g+ skis because you will almost always end up skiing at least some challenging snow, and I trust my beefier skis more on steep, firm, glaciated terrain. They are also way more fun on volcanoes where the terrain lets you go as fast as your skis will allow. I guess in Utah the majority of my skiing is either trees or couloirs where I'm mostly making smaller, controlled turns in predictable snow and littler skis work fine for that. The PNW has more big beautiful faces where it's nice to be able to charge and make big turns even if the snow isn't perfect, and a heavier ski works better for that. My perspective is that of an average skier with above average fitness, so if you're a stronger skier but not as fit then probably just ignore what I'm saying.

So last year I picked up a skimo pack and really enjoyed it when I went to Europe for both lifts and touring (brought my airbag, but the snowpack was super stable when I was there.). Anyways, the pack came with an insulated water holder attached to the shoulder strap. I have not used it yet and any tips would be appreciated. What collapsible bottles work best? Do I need a straw? Does it stay secure on the down? Thanks

I prefer using bike bottles but they don't work very well in cold temps because the nozzle will eventually freeze. I've used Specialized, Camelbak and Poler insulated bottles and the nozzle will eventually ice up in all of them. Works well in warmer temps though.

anyone skied fischer transalp 88s? Have eyes on a pair for sale locally, looking for something for spring touring duty. They seem like decent all arounders with pretty low weight

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Originally Posted by gman321

I was thinking about something along the lines of Zero G Peak, Helio 200, and Backland 85 UL for spring. Unsure if the Zero G Peak would work on a 105+ ski for mid winter here though. Thoughts?

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I used the Zero G Peak Carbon with Zero G 105's for a few days last spring and summer and the combination seemed well matched, but it depends on the skier - everyone has their own idea of how much ski you can drive with a 1k boot. The Peak Carbon is the stiffest boot in this category, but there are plenty of people who won't find it adequate for challenging snow/wider skis. The process of figuring out how light you can go is very personal and takes some time to figure out, which can make for some expensive mistakes.

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Originally Posted by plugboots

Agree. The Asolo Factory had that cord cuff-tightening system that seemed good, but slipped about half way down a run according to a trusted source. Too bad, because the fit was great.

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Once I got the cord adjustment right, it was fine and didn't really slip (not nearly as much as the Alien RS, anyway). It was the knock-off Boa dial that couldn't stay tight for more than about 1,000 vert of skiing. It looks like they may have found the right combination of features from the Quantum Asolo Factory and the Quantum Free 130 with the new Quantum Evo, though.

Quantum EVO. I guess they got the name right, eh Greg?

Thread drift warning!

But for those of you here who are into skimo racing, or at least skimo curious, would appreciate any feedback on this:
https://tinyurl.com/SkimoRaceGearGuide
... which although focused on Northeastern racing, should still be of relevance to racers elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by gman321

I'm ready to go light this season. Spent the last few seasons in Hawx XTD 130s with a 2 ski BC quiver (Line Vision 108 and MTN Explore 95). Both skis mounted with 350g bindings. I don't feel held back at all on the down for the kind of skiing I do in the BC, but living in the PNW, most of my days are big, so I do feel held back on the up.

My question is, how much lighter can I go as a 6'2 190lbs skier in the PNW? I read a lot of blogs and threads about people getting along well with race+ boots, race bindings, and 1000g skis, but it seems like they are smaller and skiing in softer conditions than we have in WA.

I was thinking about something along the lines of Zero G Peak, Helio 200, and Backland 85 UL for spring. Unsure if the Zero G Peak would work on a 105+ ski for mid winter here though. Thoughts?

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are you a Blister member? Paul Forward is your size , skis in Girdwood , AK , so maritime snow, and uses the 1kg class boots, and lightweight bindings, extensively.
Might be worth the membership to read his stuff on the Zero G Peak and other first look posts.

I like Blister a lot but I don't think their takes on lightweight touring gear are very informative. I would feel confident on any binding at 190lbs, my personal preference is for the Trab Vario mounted race style but the ATK's are quire solid as well. I had a lateral release at the heel on the Gara Titan that I didn't really want but most other race bindings have much stiffer heel pieces. For skis, the Backland UL are on the softer side so you might want to look at stiffer options like the Trab Magico of Zero G 85. You can ski powder in any boots on any skis here in Utah, but in the PNW where you can encounter ice and mank even on pow days you could run into trouble in spots with little boots. Any boot that has a proper buckle closure would probably be fine for you, and you would probably be fine on cable-closure boots too.

Looking for a new liner for my work boots. Atomic Backland Carbons, putting 15+ miles a week of skinning (plus the downhills) in on them from Thanksgiving through April. Blew through the factory liners in a season, got the Palau Tour light PRO EVO last season. Liked them but they packed out pretty fast too and started to give me pain on my medial maleolus for the last month of the season. No blisters just rubbing and pain. I'm looking for something with maybe a little more volume because my right foot is 1/2 a size smaller than my left but I don't know what the next step up is from the Palau's I have. Intution Pro Tour? But what volume? Weight and comfort while skinning are the priority here but I understand more volume/foam means more weight/stiffness.

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Originally Posted by Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo

Looking for a new liner for my work boots. Atomic Backland Carbons, putting 15+ miles a week of skinning (plus the downhills) in on them from Thanksgiving through April. Blew through the factory liners in a season, got the Palau Tour light PRO EVO last season. Liked them but they packed out pretty fast too and started to give me pain on my medial maleolus for the last month of the season. No blisters just rubbing and pain. I'm looking for something with maybe a little more volume because my right foot is 1/2 a size smaller than my left but I don't know what the next step up is from the Palau's I have. Intution Pro Tour? But what volume? Weight and comfort while skinning are the priority here but I understand more volume/foam means more weight/stiffness.

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Palau All Track Power liners are their thickest, and they were hard to find in the US until recently when skimo started selling them. They are 10mm thick, much more robust than their other liners. Intuition are another option but in my opinion they don't walk nearly as well as Palau.

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Originally Posted by Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo

Looking for a new liner for my work boots. Atomic Backland Carbons, putting 15+ miles a week of skinning (plus the downhills) in on them from Thanksgiving through April.

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I put Tecnica ZGTP liners in my Backland Carbons and they worked really well. So if you can find a pair of those on the cheap from someone who put intuitions in theirs?

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Originally Posted by Tjaardbreeuwer

are you a Blister member? Paul Forward is your size , skis in Girdwood , AK , so maritime snow, and uses the 1kg class boots, and lightweight bindings, extensively.
Might be worth the membership to read his stuff on the Zero G Peak and other first look posts.

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Thanks for the tip. I generally find Blister overly downhill oriented when it comes to touring gear (they rarely review or ski race+ bindings or <1300g skis), but I'll check out Paul's reviews!

While I’ve fought off adding a lighter weight couloir ski to the quiver, this crazy ski really has me tempted!

https://us.factionskis.com/products/...micro-ski-2023

Flat camber (which I love), tip tail rocker, sub 1300 grams. I guess closest to the old bmt 94 (which I never skied)? Enough side cut to hold an edge, and more flat than reverse camber. Super easy turn initiation and must do relatively well in funky snow. Hmmmm.

There’s a 99 waist version too that still stays sub 1500 in a 183.

The skinny la machines are very interesting. They could be sort of a BMT 94 successor, but the BMT had a straighter sidecut and a magically damp carbon construction. I hope the Factions will ski similarly. I am more interested in the 99mm than the 91mm La Machine because it has a straighter sidecut.

Is it stupid to use skimo race poles in the backcountry? I would still use my batons for booting and steeper skiing. I am trying to eek out any advantage I can get while my fitness catches up... I haven't ever used skimo race poles but these weigh 65g each which is outrageously light, I'm tempted https://www.atkbindings.com/en/prodo...sories/br01-2/

I would probably add some tape so I could choke up on the descents

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Is it stupid to use skimo race poles in the backcountry? I would still use my batons for booting and steeper skiing. I am trying to eek out any advantage I can get while my fitness catches up... I haven't ever used skimo race poles but these weigh 65g each which is outrageously light, I'm tempted https://www.atkbindings.com/en/prodo...sories/br01-2/

I would probably add some tape so I could choke up on the descents

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Depends, how much do you care about broken poles? And how much extra efficiency will 50g save you? You gonna get an extra 10ft of vert because of that?

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Back to la machine… I prefer longer radius too but I’m also trying to figure out a mid radius/no camber ski and how it would behave. Can’t think of any current or prior skis with that profile. You’d have easy turn initiation and a tail you could easily break loose and bring around (I’d think), but also some more edgehold and carve-ability when you dig it in. Unlike say a raven which feels like you’re just on your boot edge in steep hard snow. Again, I’m thinking tight steep spaces for this. My prior was a ZG85 and it just felt too hooky and catchy - but was traditional shape and mount point.
But I like that 99 one too. Just have that spot pretty covered in the quiver.

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Is it stupid to use skimo race poles in the backcountry? I would still use my batons for booting and steeper skiing. I am trying to eek out any advantage I can get while my fitness catches up... I haven't ever used skimo race poles but these weigh 65g each which is outrageously light, I'm tempted https://www.atkbindings.com/en/prodo...sories/br01-2/

I would probably add some tape so I could choke up on the descents

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Even I don't use my skimo race poles in the backcountry!

Need I write anything else to be even more convincing?

Okay, fine ...

Some of the lightest adjustable poles now are barely any heavier than fixed-length nordic-derived skimo race poles.
Whereas my skimo pole model's nordic straps/grips, lighter weight, and lesser deflection are all advantages that pretty much disappear on skinning up anything other than groomers or firm corn.

Here's my current favorite for spring & summer:
https://skimo.co/black-diamond-alpine-carbon-cork-poles
https://skimo.co/black-diamond-alpin...pet-attachment

Here's my favorite for winter -- whoah, review is from eight years ago, and still in nearly new condition:
https://skimo.co/komperdell-c2-carbon-pole