Alpine Trekker

[gapertimmy]

I know they weigh a ton, and are in no way a replacement for full AT ski package, but has anyone used a pair of these things before? I'd love to hear your thoughts......

thanks

 

[Lowell_Skoog]

I've used the SecuraFix, which predated the Alpine Trekker by a few years. The advantages and disadvantages are pretty much what you'd expect.

Advantages:

* Cheap (if you already have alpine gear).

* Light and compact (if you're already using alpine gear--like when traveling around to various ski areas, just bring one set of gear).

* High performance (you've got full-power alpine gear for the descent).

Disadvantages:

* Heavy (your alpine gear, not the trekkers).

* Cold (alpine boots typically have a "performance" fit).

* Clumsy (your foot is lifted an extra inch off the ski, and you get all the freedom of movement of alpine ski boots ;-).

My sense is that trekkers are not very useful in the Cascades. Either you're skiing very close to a ski area, in which case you can get there by sidestepping or walking, or you'd like to get farther out, in which case you'll really want lighter, more maneuverable gear. They might be useful to give you your first taste of backcountry skiing, but then again you might not get a very accurate impression of the sport.

If you're a good skier, the cheapest way to get started in backcountry skiing is to use mountaineering boots on an old pair of alpine skis. Silvretta bindings are about the only choice anymore for touring with mountain boots.

Lowell Skoog

lowell.skoog@alpenglow.org

[Ade]

The manufacturer has links to some reviews (you may have already seen these).

I'm interested in getting some backcountry ski gear this winter but the $1000 price tag is a bit off putting. Any other suggestions along these lines would be welcome. I'd like bindings that would fit a standard mountaineering boot for starters.

[snowleopard_x]

Ade - I'm where you are and just getting into this. From what I know Lowell is correct on Silvertta bindings. But they make several different kinds. The 404 were the type that fit boots best a few years ago, but now the 500's seem to be what works with all climbing boots. Silveretta also makes others, but they seem hit and miss for boots. The November issue of Couloir has an article on AT bindings.

For the cheapest prices go to www.barrabes.es or www.telemark-pyrenees.com or www.cham3s.com

These places are all Euro, speak English and will ship to the US and have great deals. Silveretta 500's go for about $150 there. If you do buy from them, thank them for selling to US customers, as Black Diamond (and a few others I believe) are trying to bully them into not selling anything to US customers. Just like they did to MEC. If you aren't sure of what you need, look for sales and buy local.

As to skis, if you're just looking to get in/up and then back/down, find a pair of the lightest used alpine you can afford/carry. They'll get the job done. A local used ski shop sells used skis for about $100-$200 on average. They also sell cheap skins for about $35. This cuts the package price down to $350 or so. 66% off from the $1,000 you noted.

If you have more money to burn, Tua, BD (who I no longer buy from) and others make AT skis that are specialized for this type of skiing. Lighter, more camber, etc.

Again, I am just getting into this and my advice comes from what others tell me and what I've read. Not from experience. Hope this helps.

[Ade]

I'm pretty sold on Silveretta bindings to fit my mountaineering boots.

Several companies seem to make a short approach ski. The Dynafit Tourlite Uphill for example is only 130cm long and weigh 4lb 8oz. They also have the added advantage of being considerably cheaper than a lot of other skis. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of ski in the Cascades? I would have thought they would work pretty well in heavy snow. They're supposed to be pretty popular in Europe. I only really want them for approaching routes, initially I wouldn't even be buying AT boots for them.

Ade

 

[Nick]

Mountaineering boots make poor ski boots. I have an idea for converting alpine gear for back country use. I don't know if anyone has ever tried this, but I used to do something similar to make sleds out of old alpine skiis. Here's the idea: Put your alpine boots in your pack for the uphill stretches and wear old leather double nordic boots (cheap, warm, comfortable) which you attatch to your alpine skiis by means of three pin bindings which are bolted to a strong peice of wood that has been shaped to lock into your alpine bindings. The disadvantages of this idea are that you don't have a good boot for climbing with crampons, and you have to change your boots as the terrain changes (and this might be impractical on traverses of steep or rolling terrain). I wonder if you could attatch a silvretta binding to an alpine binding by bolting the silvretta to a length of wood? In the end I am sure you'd be better off with dedicated Randonee or Tele gear. I was able to put together a set of randonee gear for half price by buying used and sale price stuff (boots first, then bindings, then skiis). You can put crampons on the randonee boots, and the ski boot liners fit in my plastic climbing boots, so I could carry just the plastic shells if I wanted both types of boot.

[Mike_Palmer]

The Trekkers are not very well suited to very long tours. If you have to go up and down in them it is like skiing in high heels. Silvretta 500's are the lightest set-up that work with a mountaineering boot.

A mountaineering boot is fine if you are using a short ski to just get in and out, but if you want any quality turns, you may want to invest in a AT boot. The most important part of the system is the boot for control. Put your money in the boot and use an old downhill ski. AT skis are lighter for backcountry, but downhill skis work fine. We have Scarpa Lasers for rent and K2 8611, and TUA Excalibur Plus skis with Silvretta 404's if you want to try them out.

Mike

Cascade Crags

[Colin]

Actually, silvretta 300's are lighter than the silvretta 500's, not to mention significantly less expensive. In my opinion, you are either going to go backcountry skiing, or you are going to use skis to approach a climb. So for approaching a winter climb I think that silvretta 300's mounted on a pair of fat 130's or 140's is definitely the way to go. Silvretta 300's do not have a sideways release mechanism, but if you are skiing in your climbing boots you probably won't put all that much torque on your legs anyway.

[Guest]

O.K., These comments are exactly why I hate being helped by any employee from REI, not to mention why most people get put off by walking into a specialty store. The fact of the matter is yes, Trekkers are not for touring on multi day high alpine routes, they are for somebody who has also got a few extra bucks to invest in decent skins. Your saying to yourself, 'what'? Thats right buy the best skins first and foremost and work backwards from there. If you can afford a tele set up- do it! or for that matter buy both the Silverretta 300's & 500's AT, might as well throw in the a pair of Fritchsi Dianimir's and then you've got all your bases covered. God knows its who has most the gear wins. I own a pair of Trekkers that I bought at a blow out sale for about $45, there great to throw in a backpack and poach some rope, pull of the highway- and head towards the heavens- save your $40 lift ticket for your weekend comsumption.

The trick is to readjust the straps on your boots, don't undo them all the way, just progressively loosen them more while working up towards your shin. Just know that if you can feel your heel lifting up and down inside your boot while skinning, then your old enough to say the word "blister". You might be amazed at the ground you can cover in these black plastic/ catapult looking contraptions.

If you use them enough you will of course realize that they suck for any use and are the equivalent of Medieval "Iron Maiden" Masochistic torture. While facing downhill you will have this strong urge to lob them over your left shoulder to a plummeting death down the slope of your opposite direction. I can guarantee you that if they made it back into your pack, then you will one day consider selling them to your best friend only so that you can have the pleasure of descending together down an unskied sternum deep run. O.K. I take that back it will not be for the pleasure of there company, it will be sadistic counseling (or shall I say redemption) in seeing them work twice as hard, sweat twice as much, and swear four times as much. How fucking stupid does somebody have to be to realize that they might as well advertise these things in black and white cartoon advertising ala Mad Magazine. (MY english is terrible! Sorry!)

 

 

[CascadeClimber]

From a person who spent a year trying to avoid spending the money on AT gear: Before you *buy* skis and bindings designed to be used with your plastic (or leather) mountaineering boots, *rent* the setup and spend a day lift skiing in it. Make sure that you don't just cruise the groomed runs- get into some of that lovely Cascade off-piste. I suspect that you'll come to the same conclusion that I did: Backcountry skiing in climbing boots is for sadists. This is fine if you are a sadist, but my motto is "No pain- no pain". After my experiment I searched out Dynafit boots and bindings on sale. Happy ever since.

-CC