How do YOU approach in winter conditions?

[skyclimb]

silvetta's

[ashw_justin]

Splitboards are fun for doing laps, but if you're doing an approach to a mountain you're better off with an AT or tele setup. Saves taking the board apart, or putting it back together every time you get to a hill.

 

If you have stiff enough boots/bindings on the splitboard, you can ski down mellow terrain in skin mode.

 

The plastic boots I use for splitboarding work pretty well for ice climbing, too. Quite stiff, crampon-compatible, rubber sole, but a lower cuff and not too much forward lean angle.

[DavidHiers]

I've used only boot/showshoe to date, but I'm sorely tempted to try skis for the descent. I'm just a little worried about discovering a new crevasse on the way down!

[Chad_A]

Thanks for the valuable posts. It's been nice seeing the differing opinions.

 

One thing mentioned that I didn't think about is the weight. I imagine that randonee is the heaviest? Yes? No?

[Dru]

[Nick]

Light randonee gear is as light as light Tele gear. The lightest rando bindings, dynafit, are not compatible with mountaineering boots. Some of the lighter, more touring oriented, rando boots climb pretty well; they are fine for steep snow and easy ice. If I will be climbing something hard I will use mountaineering boots and ultra light snowshoes, especially for carry-overs. Skis are always the best choice if you need to cover a lot of snowy terrain. Nothing else can touch them for level ground and traversing. Wintertime days are so short that skis are often the only practical way to get to and from a climb in a day. Descending by moonlight on skis is great fun. My ski bindings don't work with mountaineering boots, so I am never tempted try skiing with them.

[ken4ord]

Splitboards are fun for doing laps, but if you're doing an approach to a mountain you're better off with an AT or tele setup. Saves taking the board apart, or putting it back together every time you get to a hill.

 

If you have stiff enough boots/bindings on the splitboard, you can ski down mellow terrain in skin mode.

 

The plastic boots I use for splitboarding work pretty well for ice climbing, too. Quite stiff, crampon-compatible, rubber sole, but a lower cuff and not too much forward lean angle.

 

I agree, I have a Split Board and it rocks. Good floatation, they climb really good with those big ass skins, it is pretty manageable put your board on your pack climb an ice route with it (within reason). The only downsides to Splits are; in hard pack conditions they have a bit of flex to them making them hard to edge and having to piece them together (not much of an issue once you get use to it though, now I can rearrange my board to whatever mode in the same time skier friends are dealing with their setup).

[ken4ord]

Splitboards are fun for doing laps, but if you're doing an approach to a mountain you're better off with an AT or tele setup. Saves taking the board apart, or putting it back together every time you get to a hill.

 

If you have stiff enough boots/bindings on the splitboard, you can ski down mellow terrain in skin mode.

 

The plastic boots I use for splitboarding work pretty well for ice climbing, too. Quite stiff, crampon-compatible, rubber sole, but a lower cuff and not too much forward lean angle.

 

I agree, I have a Split Board and it rocks. Good floatation, they climb really good with those big ass skins, it is pretty manageable put your board on your pack climb an ice route with it (within reason). The only downsides to Splits are; in hard pack conditions they have a bit of flex to them making them hard to edge and having to piece them together (not much of an issue once you get use to it though, now I can rearrange my board to whatever mode in the same time skier friends are dealing with their setup). Spits ski pretty decent, I have skied on pretty flat terrain with a 50lb sled behind me for 14 miles, downhill skiing with a split is sort of wobbly, but whats the point when you can ride downhill.

[iain]

So, iain, it is possible to ski reasonably with mtn boots? Or was it just a joke. That's how new I am to it! I have no idea. But I'm hoping to get an idea.

 

Absolutely, it is possible to ski in mtn boots like the Scarpa Inverno. If you are a confident, solid skier and put some practice time into using them, they are quite skiable and can even be fun. However, I would not go out on them if skiing was the goal. It isn't always "fun", but you get the benefits of skis. They are great for approaches to winter climbs, like the sisters, broken top, etc.

 

I have a set of silvretta 500's mounted on some light, short (165cm) skis. This seems to work well, as the Invernos' soft plastic and zero support make turning a little more challenging. If you get in the back seat on this setup you WILL be going down.

 

I would absolutely not recommend this as your first and only ski setup, unless you also like being beaten with a frozen haddock and having snowballs shoved down your pants.

 

You haven't skied until you ski invernos with a heavy pack in breakable crust w/crevasses below!

[Dru]

I skiied in a pair of Scarpa Freneys this spring

[j_b]

a versatile AT setup offers the best combination of compromise on the flats and slopes, range of footgear (tec. climbing to skiing), and "upswing potential" for fun. snowboards, split or not, kinda suck on the flats. tele does not offer the range of footwear, and AT is at least equal to all other modes in terms of enjoying travel time. the learning curve is greater for skiing but most people don't regret it.

[PaulB]

Is there some requirement for canadian skiers to have a faded one-piece suit in some heinous color? I went to Fairy Meadows a few years ago and it was like a standard-issue uniform.

Based on this, I would guess Euro before Canuck.

[iain]

That is a phenomenal website. I may have to make some contributions this season.

 

This is stuff I'm talking about:

 

[iain]

From the folks at ttips

 

[Dru]

lol isn't that extremo lol

[specialed]

 

Nice fagbag

[iain]

yer mom lol

[Dru]

[willstrickland]

I have a set of silvretta 500's mounted on some light, short (165cm) skis. This seems to work well, as the Invernos' soft plastic and zero support make turning a little more challenging.

 

I would absolutely not recommend this as your first and only ski setup, unless you also like being beaten with a frozen haddock and having snowballs shoved down your pants.

 

So Iain, do you also ski that set-up with an AT boot? I know you probably have a quiver, but what would be the drawback of having that set-up as your only skis if you have a stiff AT boot to pair it with for when you're not strictly using it to approach a climb?

 

I ask this because I have some 500s, and am looking for some boards at the local ski swaps. I will usually be riding, rather than skiing, at lift-served. But, I'd like to be able to bust out the skis once in a while to try to maintain some profeciency so that when I do approach on skis, I don't kill myself trying to ski them out in mtn boots.

[iain]

I don't have that many skis (compared to some fanatics out there) but I have my share:

Atomic R:ex 184/Fritschi Freerides

Atomic Guide Superlight 165/Silvretta 500s

Karhu Jak 190/Hammerheads

 

Yes, I have skied those 500's with some Scarpa Denalis, and it was fine. The 500s are great bindings, but I find that the release can't be set high enough to avoid prerelease in some situations, especially with the above boots which translate a lot of power to the ski. They are more susceptible to damage in crashes (I've chipped the carbon rods on them, and tore off the ski brakes). These are not defects. The bindings were not really designed for that stuff and they have been really reliable.

 

I think they are perfect for what you are doing with them.

[Chad_A]

From the folks at ttips

 

 

Slayer rules. Whatever that guy has, is okay by me.

 

I'm sure that it's going to be either Rando or a split board; after I rent the two of them, I'll know. First, though, I'm going to take Mountain Shop's advice, and "take an alpine skiing lesson, and rent some gear from them, in a package. Ski until you can't anymore. Then rent. At least, until you feel comfortable. Then make your final decision".

 

Probably end up being a split board, but you never know. Not going to be tele. My knees suck. Seems like it'd be pretty brutal on them.

[sk]

What about

 

"drive to gym, get out of car, walk in, change into climbing clothes, chalk hands, climb 10 laps on 10 routes, boulder, change back into street clothes, exit into pouring gray west coast winter day, get into car, drive to bar, drink"

that sounds totaly familure... have you been following me arround?

[sk]

please help muffy understand

 

 

what is the difference between AT and touring or mountaineering. I went shopping for bindings and i am now just confused.

[Dru]

all same like bolt clipping vs. sport climbing

[Geek_the_Greek]

randonnee = AT (alpine touring) = (to some people) ski mountaineering skis

 

ie a ski binding that allows a fixed toe/free heel mode for climbing uphill (like x-country) and a fixed heel mode for going downhill, just like lift skiing. They're expensive, used to be heavy and hard to find, now getting quite common and well-made. Some bindings (Silvrettas) can be used with plastic climbing boots, others can't. The lightest models (Dynafit) need their own special boots, but they're supposed to be good.

 

But what do I know - I'm a tele dood.