Re: TR: Ski day trips near Tahoe, ski reviews and questions.
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:21 am
I haven't skied the Vector skis yet, but I have been eyeing them! There is a good chance I will replace my current waxless skis with them when the time comes. That said, the width is a bit of overkill for spring touring on corn. A wider ski not only adds weight, but the wider skins are heavier as well. But for transitional snow, powder and crud the wide ski is preferable. The dimensions of the Vector are similar to that of my all-around backcountry ski that is 97cm under foot.
As for the Dynafit binding being "futzy", my inference is this; I don't like the fact I have to take my skis completely off to go from downhill mode to touring mode. With a full pack on this means taking my pack off, taking both skis off, turning the binding, put the skis and pack back on etc. With the tele setup I get to the bottom of a hill and ski away!
One can, and I do, ski down easy slopes in good snow in touring mode, but it is not recommended by the manufacturer. A fall with only the toe piece engaged can break the binding or pull it out of the ski.
It should be noted that there are other AT bindings that don't require removing the ski to transition from downhill to tour, but they are significantly heavier.
This is why I only use my Dynafits for ski mountaineering where it's up all morning and down all afternoon. BUT, I ski with many people that use the Dynafit for touring, so it's really a personal preference. As I mentioned earlier, I can ski each setup downhill with equal confidence so I prefer the transition efficiency of the tele setup for touring. For those the feel more comfortable downhill with the heel locked, then AT by all means makes sense.
Regarding ski crampons. I take them on all my winter tours, I have never taken them on a spring tour (though there have been times I wished I had). I have crampons for both my tele and my AT setups. I find ski crampons the most useful for "dust on crust" situations. If the snow is really firm I prefer booting. In spring touring the snow is regularly supportive and if I need crampons it's usually due to getting on the slope to early. But as I say, there are exceptions.
Also, ski cramponing takes practice; kick turning on a firm 45° slope with a full pack can be harrowing and a fall much worse! Booting with crampons is much more secure.
As for the Dynafit binding being "futzy", my inference is this; I don't like the fact I have to take my skis completely off to go from downhill mode to touring mode. With a full pack on this means taking my pack off, taking both skis off, turning the binding, put the skis and pack back on etc. With the tele setup I get to the bottom of a hill and ski away!
One can, and I do, ski down easy slopes in good snow in touring mode, but it is not recommended by the manufacturer. A fall with only the toe piece engaged can break the binding or pull it out of the ski.
It should be noted that there are other AT bindings that don't require removing the ski to transition from downhill to tour, but they are significantly heavier.
This is why I only use my Dynafits for ski mountaineering where it's up all morning and down all afternoon. BUT, I ski with many people that use the Dynafit for touring, so it's really a personal preference. As I mentioned earlier, I can ski each setup downhill with equal confidence so I prefer the transition efficiency of the tele setup for touring. For those the feel more comfortable downhill with the heel locked, then AT by all means makes sense.
Regarding ski crampons. I take them on all my winter tours, I have never taken them on a spring tour (though there have been times I wished I had). I have crampons for both my tele and my AT setups. I find ski crampons the most useful for "dust on crust" situations. If the snow is really firm I prefer booting. In spring touring the snow is regularly supportive and if I need crampons it's usually due to getting on the slope to early. But as I say, there are exceptions.
Also, ski cramponing takes practice; kick turning on a firm 45° slope with a full pack can be harrowing and a fall much worse! Booting with crampons is much more secure.