Alpine Touring Equipment

I'm currently looking to get new AT skis and bindings. For the skis, I'm debating between the Tua Mito Excaliber, Black Diamond Arc Angel, and Hagen TX Carbon. For the binding, I'm leaning toward the Silveretta EZ-Go. For ski terrain, I typically do a lot of deep power and crud, but also wind crust slopes. I prefer something that will do tight turns through heavy trees.

Also, what are your feelings about resort-style downhill skiing. Should I keep a pair of regular downhill skis just for skiing at the resorts, or should I ski at the resorts with my new AT skis.

Currently, I have Hagen AT skis and Rossignol Rebels for downhill. For my AT skis, I currently use the 404 bindings, but I actually broke the binding this past May.

Any thoughts?

Dave Stephens - Calgary

I use the following:

Arc Angel skis Diamir II Bindings Garmont GSM-SL boot

I'm pretty happy with this set up. The skis in particular are extremely nice. They work well in across a large variety of snow conditions. They are designed for powder and soft snow (where they excell), but they handle hard snow pretty well too. I raced GS gates on a NASTAR course for a whole day with my A/T gear last season and had no problems, even at the end of the day when the course got pretty icy. Of course, dedicated GS gear would have been better, but I had fun with the A/T stuff.

The Garmont boots are very light but still have adequate 'backbone' to drive my 190cm skis. Touring comfort and walking performance is very good with these boots too. Price is way less than Lasers.

The Diamir bindings are very convenient and seem to have good release characteristics. They are sligtly heavier than some of their competition. They are one of the A/T bindings with a releasable toe, and have a great climbing heel elevator and easy in and out.

I ski resorts as well as backcountry with this rig. I have a resort-only set up as well for hardpack cruising at speed, but the A/T rig is my choice for most days, whether in the backcountry or at a resort. It is a very versitile set up.

Kai

Right - so you want an all around ski like the rest of the world. Seems to me that short of a really soft vs really stiff ski - other factors weigh in much more - such as ski length, shaped vs non, boot fit, etc. I've never understood the marketing of skis.

If you want to thrash up a 1k ski package that probably offers no advantage at a resort...

I have an AT setup that I stopped using after I picked up an alpine setup from Play it Again sports. Frankly, there isn't any good back country skiing in Colorado. You really can't go anywhere interesting - it's either windblown talus, lame flats, or cols that I would rather ski with something much stiffer than one inherently gets with AT or Teli.

I'd probably sell them if anyone is interested - 1996 Atomic TourCap Light (orange - a classic all round AT ski) w/ Silveretta 404 bindings (old school serviceable - none of that plastic crap..). Maybe $350 or so. Excellent shape.

- Nate

<snip some of Dave's and some of Nate's>

Finally. Someone that speaks the truth. There is NO good backcountry in Colorado. So if you want to ski backcountry, go to Utah. Or California. Or Montana. Just DON'T come to Colorado.

except in Vail...

- Tom Moyer

Dude - I'm sure you think it's better than Kingston, or whatever that place you're from is...

If I'm going to bust my ass slogging around in the backcountry - I would like the effort to take me somewhere - way out with sustained favorable conditions above treeline. You don't get that here in CO, especially w/o abnormally high avi danger, crowds, snowmobiles, snow that resembles an overbaked cream puff, or some combination thereof - and that's a pretty well known fact for people that have actually gone skiing here. Most outings involve either a shuttle car, or slogging up some hill and coming back down it. There's not much touring to be done w/o waddling in the flats though trees, or fear of being run down by an intoxicated snowmobile rider doing 90. But hey, whatever turns your crank. I've been elsewhere, and the contrast was such that I'm not coming back.

- Nate

Good point. If you're going to bc ski in Colorado, you definitely should go to Vail.

You're way too late...everyone's already there.

BZZZZZZT...Sorry....Utah, avalanche capitol of the west...everybody knows that Colorado is the backcountry skiing capitol of the world (As well as the rock climbing capitol...)

The Rockrat...

Yep, all the mountains in Colorado are accessable from Vail. They've a roundabout to help handle the traffic.

Ed Huesers http://www.grandshelters.com

All lies! Utah is the best skiing on the PLANET!! Backcountry, front country, any country. The snow is always deep and always fluffy. They may have an occasionaly powder avalanche, but that's nothing to be scared of.....

And climbing?? Come on, LCC, American Fork(?), Indian Creek, etc, etc.

It's the outdoor Mecca! And to top it off they have fabulous beer!

-Mike 'Someday I'm gonna move me ta Utah' Watz-