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Alpine Touring Set-Up Advice?

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ugh, the one bummer here is going to be trying to find AT boots that fit my extrememely narrow feet, and I imagine fit is even more important for the uphill. I'm not encouraged by the fact that touring lasts only seem to go down to 97mm.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@SallyCat dont panic yet, despite descriptions of “101 lasts” you’ll find that some brands are quite narrow. I thought I might have trouble as well but my LV 97 last technica foot is very happy in a scarpa 101 last. There is some discussion of this in the Whats your set up? AT/ Backcountry thread. A custom footbed may also help.....

Uphill, boots are loosened at the cuff and ankle. Some people also loosen the toe - it all depends on what’s comfortable/ what works for you and your specific style of boot. The fit for me is still all about the downhill.
 

pinto

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah, it's a different thing than using a dedicated downhill boot. You need a little more wiggle room when you're going up, or it will really hurt. And then, you don't really spend that much time going down, comparatively speaking, so that precise fit isn't as necessary.

That said, manufacturers are making quite a few narrower boots that work pretty well for everything. Lange and Tecnica both have low-volume AT boots; I have owned three different ones that I've used exclusively for the past three seasons, resort as well as AT. No, it isn't quite the same as using a perfectly setup race boot, but it's not bad. And if they are dedicated AT boots, it's even easier, IMO.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've developed a sort of ad hoc strategy of acquiring AT equipment a one piece at a time as I happen across dirt cheap deals. I bought a super cheap pair of AT boots (K2 Pinnacles), an absolutely dirt cheap pair of new-but-old skis (Fisher KOA 98). Neither is ideal (the boots are heavy, the KOAs are probably too soft) but both will be perfectly adequate to get started. All that remains is skins and bindings.

I'm actually considering saving up for the Salomon S/Lab Shift bindings. Sounds crazy to put something so high-end on old make-do gear. But if I pursue backcountry skiing, I can always upgrade my boots and skis and remount the Shifts. Even frame bindings aren't cheap so if I'm going to shell out, investing in a solid, DIN-safe and versatile set of bindings feels like it might be worthwhile in the longer term. Still thinking that over, though.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get my battered body in shape for an active winter.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@SallyCat sounds like you are on your way to being fully set up :smile: curious if your din is 6+? I think that is one of the limiting factors of the shift?
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Completed my set-up today and took the boots into the shop to have insoles made and the liner molded. I spent the summer trawling the web for cheap stuff and finally put all the pieces together for less than it would have cost to buy a used set-up and boots.

Skis: Fisher KOA 98
Boots: K2 Pinnacle 110
Bindings: Marker Duke frame bindings
Skins: Pomoca Climb 2.0

Toral paid for everything: $600

Nothing on the list is ideal, but it will get me started!

Spent a big chunk of time in the shop looking at and talking about the really nice equipment that's available if I like touring and want to continue on with it. Evidently there are lots of people around here who like to skin-and-ski the resorts at night, which sounds very cool.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Congrats on the set-up! It looks sweet and amazingly economical. I have a former colleague who lives about 20 minutes from Sugarbush; he used to skin in the morning and always arrived at work in the best mood!
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Congrats on the set-up! It looks sweet and amazingly economical. I have a former colleague who lives about 20 minutes from Sugarbush; he used to skin in the morning and always arrived at work in the best mood!

That's awesome! I live partway up Mt. Ascutney and literally across the street from the Ascutney Trails mtb network. Pretty much everything about living here puts me in a great mood! I was even super happy to pay my property taxes today!:yahoo:
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ok, I'm having a change of heart about the Fisher KOAs. They are much softer than I expected and I'm holding off on having them mounted.

Any recommendations for a ski with a 98mm-ish waist that would be better for skiing ungroomed piste and then getting into trees a bit? This would be on snow that is probably going to vary from soft powder to crusty. I could go wider, but 98s would let me keep the skins I currently have.

Would twin-tips be helpful or should I avoid them?

Here's what I'm thinking so far:

Volkl 90eight
Blizzard Samba or Black Pearl 98
Black Crows Camox Freeboard
Armada Tracer 98

Thanks!
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Imho-
I didn't like the 90eight. But there is love for them from others.

I haven't been on the new Samba, but I own older version which is a lot different.

I have a ton of love for both the tracer and the camox freebird. Your decision will most likely depend on your bindings and future goals.

The tracer is a bit heavier than the camox fb. The camox fb is a dedicated tour ski.
The tracer may fare a bit better on the groomers /icy crust. It may be a better fit with a frame binding. If you were going lighter and went with a pin binding or I guess the shift and wanted to get into a lighter set up eventually with dedicated at boots I would get the camox fb. If you want a ski that may better with your alpine boots and a frame binding I would go with the tracer.

My mid season driver is the camox birdie the womans version of the camox fb. I have toured on the camox fb and they are just as fun. I did extensive demo of the Trace (same as tracer) and loved it's crud busting abilites - a very fun ski !!!! It's also a ski you could re mount with alpine bindings at a later date and have a super fun all mountain ski. Imho the tracer may be better in the "crust" and is confidence inspiring in crapy snow. The camox has more of a soft snow bias but certainly can handle the crap as well.

I hope that helps ?
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
One more for your list to consider: 4FRNT Hoji. Comes in men’s and women’s versions. Too long for me to ski but it looks like a lot of fun.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just back from the Pico ski swap with a dirt-cheap pair of Dynastar Cham 97s. They are stiff, have a lot of tip rocker, and have never been mounted. They should be fine-for-now fine. And if they suck, it’s not much of a sunk cost.

I'm keeping this list of recommendations, though, for when I have the money to get the set-up I really want.

In true Vermont fashion, I bartered the KOAs for a season’s worth of half-price Killington tickets.
 
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SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Looks like I'll be testing out my AT set-up tomorrow at work. My boss sent me an inter-office calendar request to attend "Powder Day Fun" during the snowstorm. I guess that means that skinning and skiing our little hill is mandatory, so what're you gonna do? :becky: .
 

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