Skis
I love ski hikes and often go on short and long trips. Thanks to my work at Sport-Marathon and many friends who are skiers, I've tried a lot of skis and I'm ready to share my experience.
I've been on:
Asnes Norway: Nansen 190, Ingstad 185, Amundsen 187 and 207.
Fisher Austria: Transnordic66 Crown 195, E66 205, Traverse 186, Excursion88 189, Sbound98 179, Sbound112 189,
Sporten Czech Republic: Ranger 160, 170, 180, Expedition 180, 190, Free Walk 120.
Altai Skis USA: Hok 145
Homemade Russia: hunting 150
Skis differ in their geometry, the choice of which depends on the snow cover and terrain, usually depending on the region. They can be divided into 3 types of skis.
First of all, skis differ in their geometry
length, width, geometry, the choice will depend on the tasks and use of skis.
Basically, we divide them into 3 types.
Narrow - for flat terrain.
For example: Asnes: Amundsen, Borg Ousland, Gamma.
Fisher: Transnordic 66, Outback 68, Adventure 62, Spider 62.
All-round - skis are a compromise, good in most conditions.
For example: Asnes: Nansen, Ingstad. Fisher: Traverse, Excursion
Wide - designed for steep terrain, frequent descents, deep snow.
For example: Asnes: Falketind 62, Rab 68. Fisher: Sbound 98, 112.
If you also love ski hikes, join one of the winter hikes in the Kola Peninsula that I organize. We will explore beautiful corners of the north and test our strength on new routes.
Narrow skis
For flat terrain: central Russia, Moscow region hikes or flat Arctic regions like Chukotka, Indigirka, North and South Poles. Narrow, straight skis have a directional geometry and go straight steadily, not requiring the user to steer the skis. It's a pleasant feeling, allowing all the strength to be used for acceleration, which allows you to move quickly, as if on rails. They behave well on compacted snow, a prepared track or snowmobile tracks. Average geometry example Asnes Amundsen 67-57-62.
Pros. High directional stability. High speed of movement on straight sections. Due to the weakly expressed geometry, they hold well on the traverse on hard snow, the entire length of the ski, reliably gripping the edge. Narrow, less material used, and therefore lightweight. Significantly less load on the legs, average weight of a pair of skis example Fisher Transnordic 1.860 grams.
Cons. Due to the weakly expressed geometry, they do not turn on descents. It is necessary to "shift" like cross-country skis in the direction of the turn, descents where it is not possible to go straight become somewhat of an obstacle, you have to go down with a plow or zigzag.
As a rule, they are taken longer than all-round and wide skis, which makes it more difficult to move through dense forest, where there are bushes, branches, and the line of movement constantly winds.
All-round skis
There is nothing universal, so it's better to have several types of skis. If this is not possible, then you can find a compromise in this type of all-round, narrow skis with a wide nose. Thanks to the increase in the width of the nose by ~10mm, the ski floats better in deep snow, and the more pronounced geometry already allows laying small arcs and turning on descents. It would seem that just 10mm, but they give a noticeable increase in handling and buoyancy of the ski. Average geometry example Fisher Traverse 78-61-69.
Pros. Universal. They still hold up well on straight and flat sections, doing it slightly worse than narrow and straight ones, forcing you to slightly control the direction of the ski in motion, but much more stable than wide skis. In the snow, they float better than straight ones, but noticeably worse than wide ones. They give the opportunity to turn.
Cons. Universality is the ability to pass in different conditions, but never be the best. Such is the price) Average weight of a pair of skis example Asnes Nansen 2.025 grams.
Wide skis
Designed for mid-mountain and high-mountain areas, they handle well on descents. Using Fisher Sbound 112, I experienced slight flashes of alpine skiing. The geometry requires going down another hill. They float well in the snow, due to the larger area in some conditions, they slightly better hold on the snow, but not always. With the experience I have now, I can't say that it's better to break trail in them, because they are much heavier, and the width is not magical and most often you fall through to the hard layer of snow, regardless of the width of the ski. Average geometry example Fisher Sbound98 98-69-88.
Pros. They handle well, making short arcs. Although in tourism the main task is not to get hurt on the descent, but with the right amount of experience, they allow you to make beautiful descents. If there is a notch, they hold better on the ascent than narrow and all-round ones, due to the large area of the notch. They float better in the snow. As a rule, they are taken shorter, about the height, which adds maneuverability in the forest.
Cons. Due to the shorter length and increased width, they have a larger sliding surface, which on straight sections, on a snowmobile track or on crust, will significantly reduce speed. Due to the ярко выраженной геометрии and shorter length, they yaw on straight sections, significant efforts must be made for directional stability. As a rule, they do not have camber, there is a flat surface under the bindings, in combination with the factors described above, you will go slower, rather than slide. Average weight of a pair of skis example Asnes Rabb 2.360 grams. It's noticeably harder to climb the stairs sideways in deep snow, a lot of snow falls on a wide ski and each movement takes more effort. They are unstable when traversing on compacted slopes, as the edge only grips with the nose and tail, and the narrow waist does not hold, they often slip down the slope.
Choosing the length of skis
The length of the skis is determined based on the height and weight of the user. Manufacturers provide a table to help, but it is only a guide, as many factors need to be taken into account. Skiing skills, terrain, weight, packing and individual needs/habits are factors that influence the choice of length.
Length guidelines for skis:
- Narrow straight + 20 cm to height.
- All-round +10 - +15 cm to height.
- Wide to height
Skis have camber, unlike cross-country skis, for touring skis there is no great need to pay attention to it. Camber makes it standard in most cases, the core under the binding is hard, and the nose and tail are soft, which allows you to move better in the snow.
They are designed so that when you move the ski forward, the notch under the binding does not touch and does not create additional friction. This will reduce the effort and wear of the camus.
The stiffness of the central part can be different, my experience says that it is important to choose the right length.
The general principles of selection are as follows:
- Beginners will often find it easier with shorter skis.
- Moving over rough terrain requires shorter skis than in open spaces and mountains.
- If a person is lighter than average, consider shorter skis, and vice versa if they are heavier.
- If you walk with a heavy backpack, the skis should be a little longer. If you use skis with heavy pulkas, the same principle applies, but the load on the camber under the bindings is not as strong as with a backpack. If you make a mistake and take skis that are too long, or for example take off your backpack, you may not be able to compress the camber under the bindings and the skis will slip without gripping with the notch.
Follow social networks to see more ski hikes.
Skiing opens up new horizons, allowing you to move across frozen lakes or swamps, cross rivers, and see nature in a completely different state. If you are already an experienced summer hiker, winter tourism offers a whole new set of emotions that are worth experiencing on a trek.
Brands of touring ski manufacturers
Asnes, Norway. When choosing any gear, it's important to remember that each brand makes equipment for its own region and customer. Understanding this, we can immediately notice the features of the brand and make the right choice of gear. For example, Norway's northern location results in the dominance of narrow and long skis for Arctic conditions. We immediately understand that Arctic zones are characterized by compacted snow, so all BackCountry skis have a full edge at the toe for overcoming ice ridges. Many models are without grooves, allowing for the use of waxes, which enables quick movement across the tundra. A distinctive feature is the steep glide, making the skis fast. They have the highest durability since they are used for autonomous crossing of the pole. There is a huge range of skis, including those without edges, for hiking with a dog to avoid damaging their paws. They are very beautiful. The most interesting models in my opinion are Nansen and Ingstad.
Fisher, Austria. The most famous ski brand in Russia, and the sbound model is almost a household name, which is funny, because it's not ideal for many tasks. I can note the large area of the Offtrack Crown groove, probably 35% larger than Asnes, which really holds well, especially on wide models. There is a short, quick-release camus Easy Skin, like Asnes. I've heard feedback that with heavy use, the edge comes off, whether it's an isolated defect or a more widespread problem, it's hard to judge. The Fishers within my field of vision, which is about 5 models, have no problems. The most interesting models in my opinion are Transnordic 66 Offtrack Crown, Traverse, Excursion, Sbound 98.
Sporten, Czech Republic. I used the skis very actively while developing the Sport Marathon Tourism School project. There were 18 pairs of Sporten Ranger and Expedition of all sizes. The quality of the skis is an order of magnitude lower than Fisher, and two orders of magnitude lower than Asnes. This can also be understood from the fact that the skis are twice as cheap as the equivalent from Fisher. The price of ~180 Euros, in my opinion, is adequate. The edge dulls quickly, forcing frequent sharpening and wear of the ski's ресурс. The outer braid of the ski scratches easily and loses its aesthetic appearance. The shape of the ski models is straight and as simple as possible, as are the materials used. It's worth mentioning that their Outlander universal bindings are complete garbage)) The glide is slower than Fisher. Despite the listed shortcomings, they are justified by the lower price, so on a limited budget, they can be taken for несложные hikes up to 7 days. But I wouldn't recommend them to friends, cheap is expensive twice. The most interesting models in my opinion are Forester 60-50-55.
Madshus, Norway. One model in the touring ski section Panorama with different geometries 62, 68, 78. And with integrated camus T55, T50, Fjelltech M44, M50. The skis are occasionally found on Avito and in reviews.
Rossingol, France. One model Backcountry Positrack with geometry 65, 80, 100. There are no warm boots with BC standards, the experience with other equipment from the brand is not very positive.
Hagan, Austria. Has only one ski in the lineup BackCountry — Offtrace 68-60-65. Only one acquaintance had the previous model X-trace, but it was changed, an integrated camus was added, usually this is done for rental models or for an ordinary user for light day hikes, the model may be interesting in the absence of alternatives for any reason. Much more famous and relevant are the Hagan universal bindings, which are actually very well made.
Alpina, Slovenia. Little known in Russia, there is one model from the touring line of Discovery skis with different geometries 68, 80, 102. Without camber, i.e. flat. There is practically no information on the official site, I found only general blah-blah on the forums) There is no quick-release camus, only the use of a full-length camus on the ski is possible. It seems that they are not of much interest, unlike the Alpina boot line, including the new standard Rottefella Xplore.
Watch videos about touring skis to understand all aspects наглядно:
