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The cold world of skimo & alpine climbing

The cold world of skimo & alpine climbing

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Skis and more skis.....

A ski for every need.  These are the keepers to date.  A couple not in the picture and  few more to add to the quiver yet.  And a few skis to be retired once that happens.  I'm obviously partial to lwt skis with a BC leaning.   But by no means am I only interested in ski mountaineering and "edged alpinism".  I like being lifted served as well as I do having the ability to easily travel any where in the mountains.  So you will see some extremes in my favorites.  Eventually everything pictured and listed will get a full review.  But if it is pictured or listed here...I think the performance within its genre is any where from above average to simply spectacular by comparison.



Current quiver list:

Dynafit Broad Peak 167cm x 74mm
*Dynafit Nanga Parbat 171cm x 80mm (not shown)
La Sportiva GTR 168cm x 82mm
*Dynafit Cho Oyu 174cm x 88mm (not shown)
La Sportiva Lo5 178cm x 95mm
*DPS 99 Pure 178 x 99mm (not shown)
Dynafit Huascara 177cm x 112mm
La Sportiva Hang5 178cm x 117mm
*Praxis GPO 182 x 116mm (not shown)
DPS 112 RPC 192cm x 115mm
Dynafit Huascaran 196cm x 115mm
*Praxis Protest 187cm x 128mm (not shown)
*DPS 138 Pure  192cm x 138mm (not shown)



Boots?  If your feet hurt skiing isn't all that much fun.   All these boots fit me well.  But some better than others to be sure.

Scarpa Maestrale RS
Dynafit One
Dynafit TLT 5 Performance
Dynafi TLT 5 Mountian
*Scarpa Alien 1.0 (not shown)
*Dynafit DyNA PDG (not shown)




Bindings?  From my perspective..the lighter the better on any tech bindings.
Dynafit, Plum and Trab mounted on my skis.  B&D top plates as well.(only Plum is not pictued here)


It has taken me 3 years to sort through  my skiing gear and come up with "everything" I wanted.  And three years to try and then reject a bunch of gear I didn't like for what ever reason.  More to come as to the why and the why not.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's quite a list, Dane. You have good taste in skis and bindings! I have a couple of the same pairs.

Am curious about your height and weight, if I may ask? I notice you have quite a length range up to 192cm.

Terry

Ian said...

Where did you end up mounting the bindings on the Lo5's? They look like you went further forward. I'm probably going 2cm forward on mine.

Dane said...

Hi Terry, Biggest ski I own currently is a 196 Huascaran. I sus to ski 207/210s bitd. I am currently 190# and 6'1. In bounds or powder I like a 190+ and 100+mm mid foot out to around 130mm or so. For everything else something shorter. I am finding the 177/185s very playfuil in the 115mm range and my current favorite skis in three totally different brands. Using the softer boots is a big reason for that I think.

Ian? I am +.5 cm over the numbers I gave you previous. For you I think that means +2.5 from your top sheet mount mark.

Dane said...

Terry, I forgot to add...really three different ski set ups shown. #1 The short 167/168 mountaineering skis. #2 The do "all sorts of things" mountaineering or lift served (weight dependant) in the 178 lengths and #3 the "big mountain/lift served" skis at 188+cm & 115mm+ skis.

Boots to match them of course for weight and support. Binding match in wieight. If you could see all the skis laid out at once the bindings alone (all tech bindings) would easily tell you how I have planned to use the ski. Race bindings on the lwts to Speed Radicals on my lift skis.

Likely you already figured all that out ;)

Unknown said...

In a prior post you showed the Black Diamond Aspect and they are now missing from your quiver. I didn't see a review and would like to know you view of the ski..

Dane said...

Hadn't done a review of the Aspect, sorry. My short take after skiing the Aspect for 3 seasons. Very light and very traditional ski by modern terms. Lots of side cut and little mass. I liked the ski but it did nothing exceptionally well, except be very light, in comparison to more modern ski designs. I originally bought the Aspect as a single quiver ski. I wouldn't do that today. Not sure off hand what ski I would suggest as a replacement, but the DPS 99 or the Lo5 come to mind if I was limited to one 100mm ski. I've grown to realise I am not a big fan of the 100mm underfoot skis. Certainly for what I use a ski for the Aspect is still a good ski....just not one I would use now.

Anonymous said...

Thanks very much for all the extra info Dane on ski length and bindings! I'm starting to use race bindings for touring as well. Its incredible how light some gear is, and how well it performs!

Terry

Ian said...

Unfortunately because of the existing binding placement I can't remount the bindings forward 2.5cm. The new holes in the front would be around 10mm apart. I can do 2cm though which is what I was planning.

Unknown said...

Dane,

Thanks againg for your insight. I am contemplating the Huscaran as my 'one' ski, maybe keep the Aspect as a early/late season ski..

Dane said...

Hey Greg, getting ready to do some skiing later today that should be a good effort/challenge for me. Trying to decide which ski to use and while writing a review at the same time. The short Huascaran is a contender in almost any choice of outings for me. I carried it on a boot pack into a steep slush decent last week. And wondering now if an added 21/2# (1.25# per ski) in over all weight from my Rando skis might well be worth the effort for the "easy" ride down tomorrow.

Interesting to me that the Aspect doesn't enter into that equation.

Lo said...

Hi Dane,
very nice quiver!

I see Radical heels with B&D red plates: are you going without heel lifter or the spindle has been machined somehow?
I'm curious cause I'm on the way to machine two new faces for the bushing on my spindles, one to have the lifter with pins facing backward and one symmetrical to the standard one to have both heelpieces facing outward on flat terrain removing that silly anti rotation pin...

Ciao

Dane said...

Funny you should ask ;) I've asked B&D to add a simple flip over pin cover. Something similar to the current race bindings. Fingers crossed. You might want to encourage B&D! Right now I am just using the old Speed heels and no lifter with B&Ds. And the Radicals...at the moment as just dh bindings.

B.Misztal said...

Dane - are you ever going to get around to posting a review of the DPS Wailer 99? Given your preference for the 112RPCs over the RPs, I wonder what your take on the 99 was?

Dane said...

100mm skis are still a mystery to me. The DPS 99 has to be one of the better ones and I like the profile and Pure Carbon version. But for me anyway....to date.....neither fish nor foul. 100mm under foot is likely a a resort/side country ski for me when the snow is hard. But if the snow is hard I likely won't be at a resort. I'll be in the back country. My Coastal snow pack tends to be pretty black and white for ski choices. I would be less critical if I lived in "real snow" country. Even the 99, which is one of the lightest isn't as light as my true mtn skis (GTR for example)or as versatile as something in the 110/115mm range. Speed touring or bad snow...super light skis or "grinders" like my Huascaran will be the choice. "Grinders" will eat any kind of snow with a smile still on your face. At $1300a pop now for the 99 Pure carbon version the 99 has a very limited appeal for my own use. The Lo5 is in similar terrain for me. I like them just can't find a place I don't prefer other skis. I seem to always want something lighter or wider or both. 100mm under foot is a wall flower in my quiver at the moment. But you can't fault the DPS Pure technology. Awesome ski for the most part once you understand what you are getting.

People seem to love or hate the 99. A few that have demo'ed the 99 Pure have complaints. Those that invested the $1200 previous (now $1300) seem to "love" them. I think the Hybrid version is better in everything but un-cut pow. But the Pure 99 is lighter. Which is why I bought them. Any of the bigger DPS Pure ski will ski un-cut pow better. A lot better.

All this typing makes me want to buy a pair of hybrid 99s :)