Learning to Tele / and Tele Setup

[selkirk]

 

Hello All,

Seriously contemplating trying to learn to Tele this year and was wondering if anyone had words of wisdom on gear and/or learning. I'm reasonably proficient in Alpine already but am a bit bored with it lately. (mostly skiing moderate in bounds stuff with friends) Mrs. Selkirk starting learning Alpine last year, and after the initial hatefullness and being out of control quickly became addicted, but still has a long way to go in technique, so I though trying my hand at Tele. might be a good challenge.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

Oh, and a friend sent me this...

"k2 piste off telemark skis and rotefella chili release bindings (length is 178cm)"

and I'm about 5.10 and have been skiing 180's lately.

[motomagik]

Do it! I've only been on tele skis for the last couple seasons, but I love it and hopefully I will get better at it (eventually!)and never go back to alpine. It's also way more versatile for the backcountry... Just be prepared to put in the time on the bunny hill!

As for gear, I'm new to the whole thing but in my opinion it pays to go with shorter skis than your alpine stuff, they are way easier to handle! Also, if you plan to head off the lifts, make sure your bindings have risers, mine didn't at first and it sucked!

 

[ScottP]

Telemarktips.com has a pretty good section on lessons and tips, which includes video. There are also discussion forums that are actually pretty noob friendly.

[ericb]

Do it! I've only been on tele skis for the last couple seasons, but I love it and hopefully I will get better at it (eventually!)and never go back to alpine. It's also way more versatile for the backcountry... Just be prepared to put in the time on the bunny hill!

As for gear, I'm new to the whole thing but in my opinion it pays to go with shorter skis than your alpine stuff, they are way easier to handle! Also, if you plan to head off the lifts, make sure your bindings have risers, mine didn't at first and it sucked!

 

Way more versatile for the backcountry compared to....Randonee?

[cj001f]

telemark = license to suck

[JayB]

I almost got desperate enough to pick up tele-gear while exiled here in the East, but decided I'd rather ski switch, ride my snowboard switch, or hit the park whenever the boredom became intense enough to consider tele gear.

 

My advice to anyone who gets bored on alpine gear is to ski steeper lines at higher speeds.

[selkirk]

My advice to anyone who gets bored on alpine gear is to ski steeper lines at higher speeds.

 

I agree but the people I ski with are afraid of stuff that's steep, deep, or bumpy Not to mention Mrs. Selkirk was just barely getting off the Bunny Slopes last year.

 

Certainly not giving up the AT settup, but might dabble a bit in Tele so I have something challenging to do that isn't completely off on my own.

 

[cj001f]

why not snowboard? it's at least interesting.

[selkirk]

What, and become a board dork?

[letsroll]

Not sure how your relationship works. But I have an understading with the G-friend and other people I ski with that I will take off and ski faster and harder than they are ready for. Do this in advance and no problems so far. But I do ski a few runs with her. As for the tele I rented last year for a day and had a blast. Something new and hard to learn. I rented the stiffest boots that I could cram my foot into. Think it helped a lot. Gave me more edge controll. Shorter skis are the way to go, easier to controll. As for hitting the park, I only have AT gear and that cant be good for the long term.

[motomagik]

why not snowboard? it's at least interesting.

 

For real? Come on now. thats just silly.

[ericb]

Do it! I've only been on tele skis for the last couple seasons, but I love it and hopefully I will get better at it (eventually!)and never go back to alpine. It's also way more versatile for the backcountry... Just be prepared to put in the time on the bunny hill!

As for gear, I'm new to the whole thing but in my opinion it pays to go with shorter skis than your alpine stuff, they are way easier to handle! Also, if you plan to head off the lifts, make sure your bindings have risers, mine didn't at first and it sucked!

 

Way more versatile for the backcountry compared to....Randonee?

 

So guys....how would a tele set-up be more versatile in the BC than a nice light Dynafit AT rig? Rando boots take crampons easily for climbing, parity for weight, etc...I've never really toured/ski-mountaineered with a real tele rockstar, so not sure if tele is advantaged for certain types of extreme descents.

[cj001f]

why not snowboard? it's at least interesting.

 

For real? Come on now. thats just silly.

 

Big powder descents on a snowboard are a thing of beauty to watch.

 

for everything else its a shitty ugly tool usually ridden by shitty ugly tools.

 

 

telemark sucks for skiing; plenty of telemarkers are good enough to overcome its limitations. there's a good reason why tele disapeared

[motomagik]

why not snowboard? it's at least interesting.

 

For real? Come on now. thats just silly.

 

Big powder descents on a snowboard are a thing of beauty to watch.

 

for everything else its a shitty ugly tool usually ridden by shitty ugly tools.

 

 

Wow, them's fightin' words.

 

It all comes down to your opinion of beauty I guess, in my opinion an expert tele skier carving a big powder descent is just about the most amazing thing ever, and I have an enormous amount of respect for those who can do something so difficult with so much grace. just my opinion

[cj001f]

Wow, them's fightin' words.

 

It all comes down to your opinion of beauty I guess, in my opinion an expert tele skier carving a big powder descent is just about the most amazing thing ever, and I have an enormous amount of respect for those who can do something so difficult with so much grace. just my opinion

 

There's what, 3 expert tele skiiers in the world?

 

sure it's cool and pretty. Most people suck at it, and for a reason, it's a PITA.

[hefeweizen]

Free your heel and free your mind.

 

Fix the heel and fix the problem.

 

Just kidding Selkirk. I know what you're going through, I was having the same thoughts once. Sure it might seem new and different, but do you really want to intentionally handicap yourself? Be honest, tele skiing is a disadvantaged setup for travelling downhill on snow.

 

Skiing started as teleskiing, and now we have something better. We don't still drive around in model T's because it's harder do we?

 

Seriously though, get after it. Skiing with your wife is great and you're right, it's probably a good way to keep it interesting for you.

Edited September 21, 2007 by hefeweizen

[AlpineK]

From a local perspective in the NW Tele skiing was a rare thing till the 70s. My dad did a ton of backcountry skiing around here in the 50s and 60s and for the most part tele skiing was something for jumpers. Most everybody around the PNW had what is essentially an AT setup.

 

The rise in tele skiing is the fault of a bunch of fuckin hippies.

 

My dad has a cool collection of old AT skis in his basement.

[selkirk]

There's what, 3 expert tele skiiers in the world?

 

sure it's cool and pretty. Most people suck at it, and for a reason, it's a PITA.

 

The same could be said about offwidth climbing

 

And in Mrs. Selkirk and the friends don't mind if I ditch them for something steeper. But for me, half of getting out is enjoying the company. When I ski alone I tend to be a natural hermit.

 

Good Tele skiers are quite impressive though. Takes a lot of skill and strenght to make something that difficult look easy!

 

[Argus]

I was in the same situation you are being bored with alpine. I say go for it. If you can make it through the first couple weeks of awkwardness (and punishment), you're golden. To me the gracefulness of a tele turn doesn't even compare to skis or snowboarding. Plus, when you're skiing pow you get way deeper into it.

 

 

[dmarch]

Good Tele skiers are quite impressive though. Takes a lot of skill and strenght to make something that difficult look easy!

 

True nuff.

I've perfected the art of making tele skiing look much harder than it actually is!

[motomagik]

Good Tele skiers are quite impressive though. Takes a lot of skill and strenght to make something that difficult look easy!

 

True nuff.

I've perfected the art of making tele skiing look much harder than it actually is!

 

You and me both!

[G-spotter]

Free your heel and free your mind.

 

Fix the heel and fix the problem.

 

Seriously though, get after it. Skiing with your wife is great

 

Ya, I thought so too. Just how many cc.commers has she been skiing with anyway?

[mattp]

So guys....how would a tele set-up be more versatile in the BC than a nice light Dynafit AT rig? Rando boots take crampons easily for climbing, parity for weight, etc...I've never really toured/ski-mountaineered with a real tele rockstar, so not sure if tele is advantaged for certain types of extreme descents.

 

I think telemark skiing IS more versatile for general back country skiing, but for real up and down skiing (particularly the down part) AT is better.

 

The flexible sole of a telemark boot is an advantage when you have to walk anywhere, and the fact that with telemark bindings the tails of your skis pick up when you lift your foot are a great advantage when sidestepping over logs or crossing creeks. The ability to take short bits of downhill without switching the bindings is an advantage. With the flexible ball of your foot, telemark boots that are not monster knee high racing boots are all around more comfortable for touring.

 

AT gear is better for skiing real downhill steeps, though, and the releaseable bindings work better than release plate-mounted tele bindings.

 

Some climbers feel that AT boots are better when you take the skis off and want to climb technical terrain, but I've found I can climb water ice up to WI IV in telemark boots, and even easy mixed pitches just fine. I use rigid crampons and the toe extension presents no real problem.

 

If you want to pursue ski mountaineering and anything resembling extreme skiing, AT is better. If you want to pursue hill-and-dale scenic tours in the backcountry and are going to pursue downhill runs in that context, I'd go with tele.

[murraysovereign]

...do you really want to intentionally handicap yourself? Be honest, tele skiing is a disadvantaged setup for travelling downhill on snow.

 

Pfftt!! Telemarking is only a handicap or disadvantage for people who can't telemark.

 

By your logic, top-roping is superior to lead climbing. After all, lead climbing is harder and slower, so why bother? Hell, there's a perfectly good trail to the top - why don't you just walk up?

Edited September 21, 2007 by murraysovereign

[AlpineK]

Telemarking was big with the dirty hippies in the 70s and later. I tried it a few times when people told me how pure it was. I say why reinvent the wheel (so to speak)AT rules.

 

If I were to say one thing good about tele it would be that it's better than snowboarding.