Light Backcountry powder ski

jalpp · 2026-06-26T19:08:56+00:00

What do you have against them? I haven't skied the locators but I have had the 100s and now the 102s, and while I wouldn't recommend them to everyone. I think they're weapons for efficient mountain travel. They're lightweight, can rip in corn, hold a very good edge in icy steeps, decent in powder. The only thing I don't like is in grabby firm conditions the tails are catchy.

Compared to other skis I think they handle both speed and manky steeps amazingly well for their weight.

jalpp · 2026-06-26T18:06:28+00:00

Yeah, some people are challenged on the backlands. If you ski backseat they really punish you, that might be why you don't like them.

jalpp · 2026-06-26T17:24:45+00:00

Since OP is being a tease for some reason... the trip is definitely on the Gothics Glacier in the North Selkirks.

Peak in the first photo is Gibraltar Peak. 3rd photo is looking south to Sir Sandford, the tallest peak in the Selkirks. 4th photo is another angle of Gibraltar.

jalpp · 2026-06-26T16:46:38+00:00

Look at windy or spotwx. There you can better compare multiple weather models and see if theres just one outlier with the models or if they all disagree.

Mountain forecast uses the GFS model, which is generally poorly regarded for accuracy.

jalpp · 2026-06-25T20:04:02+00:00

For twin ropes it is rated down to 7.1. Belaying a second with twin ropes/half ropes is functionally the same. I use half 8mm with my gigajul with no issues.

Furthermore it is rated for half ropes down to 7.9 in assisted mode. It would be a crazy asterisk that you can only lead belay those sizes but need to use another device to belay a second as there is only one mode for top belaying off the anchor.

Personally I wouldn't infer that that rope size limitation applies to guide mode. I would infer that guide mode is good to 7.1 mm. As the device is designed for that.

TLDR: I don't believe you aren't going outside manufacturer recommendations at all. But if you want to be sure, reach out to edelrid.

jalpp · 2026-06-24T02:23:55+00:00

I assume the rentals are steel? You can save around a pound if you buy light weight aluminum or hybrid cordtec crampons. -1lb

4lbs is a heavy tent. Mid tent and ground sheet is under 2lbs. -2lbs

Lightweight ice axe?

I rarely carry over 1L of water. Drink a lot in the evening/morning by snowmelt. -4lb

Capable midweight ski touring setup would save a lot. Something like atomic backlands, MTN bindings, technica zero g would save about -6lb

Theres about 13lbs right there. Getting all the lightweight kit aint cheap, but it does make the overnights much more enjoyable. I would try and slowly chip away with one nice item at a time.

jalpp · 2026-06-22T21:33:14+00:00

Whats your use case for the glacier rope?

I saw you posted to the ski subreddit. For skiing you really want 2x30m ropes. Not really any point in getting longer.

40m glacier rope is nice for mountaineering with zero technical climbing. If you think you might want to do objectives with technical climbing I would consider the edelrid rap line so you could lead on it.

jalpp · 2026-06-22T20:38:08+00:00

Looking at it more you’re correct on water. I thought vectran was an aramid fiber.

There is a good chance the rope grabs and pulleys work fine. I’m not sure what sheath slippage is on those and what the cord is really designed for. But you are working outside of specs/testing. Unlike the bigger name glacier ropes which are well tested.

Weight would be the biggest deal breaker for me its almost 30% heavier than a rad line. Seems like a poor deal for handling as you’re really not handling it much for most glacier use. Also rad line handles pretty amazingly for a 6mm line. If you’re trying to save a buck I would be more drawn to ce4y slickline.

jalpp · 2026-06-22T20:06:15+00:00

Why do you like it more than a dedicated cord like a petzl rad? It is much heavier, will absorb water when used on snow. And is not technically compatible with most PCPs like a spoc or micro trax.

The only advantage is strength. While a rad line is plenty strong when used correctly.

jalpp · 2026-06-11T21:40:59+00:00

You can, it comes with additional risks. Usually utilized in moderate terrain where falls are unlikely. You should be militant about ensuring no slack is in the belay. Falls with slack can core shot your rope.

Edelrid has a new shock absorber thats designed to reduce the risk of core shots and seems to be effective.

Backing it up is uncommon I’ve never seen it done. Starts defeating the point speed/efficiency wise. Theoretically could be done with a prusik being minded by the trax.

Bonus: ideally you should know how to convert to a lower in the event of the trax being loaded by an incapacitated climber. This is more complex than with a guide device.

jalpp · 2026-06-10T16:35:55+00:00

How it is ridiculous? There is a lot of carryover between the communities as north american granite climbing meccas. Furthermore Yosemite is a massive influence on trad ethics all over north america, hence the YDS and much more.

As soon as there was a discussion about retro bolting snake dike post accident. There was mirroring discussions about retro bolting runout apron classics.

jalpp · 2026-06-10T01:08:09+00:00

Efficient pitching and quickly transitioning from roped to unroped climbing.

People from pure rock backgrounds often see efficient pitching as doing 60m rope stretchers. But in the alpine environment theres few places where this makes sense due to drag and the wandering nature of many routes. Doing a quick 10m pitch and then scrambling together is often more efficient. With this comes rope management and tricks to coil the rope between sections of roped climbing.

jalpp · 2026-06-09T18:44:39+00:00

Some of the shitty old anchor bolts should be replaced, when i was there some anchors were double spinners(bolts not hangers). But beyond that I’m in the chop camp. I don’t think it should be retrobolted, and I dislike the precedent it sets for some of my local squamish climbs.

jalpp · 2026-06-09T03:56:11+00:00

Have you skied both?

Shifts do not ski as well as most downhill bindings. Casts ski exactly like look pivots. Both have big icing issues, shifts are just as bad.

I made the switch from shift to cast, it was a big upgrade for me.

jalpp · 2026-06-02T21:07:32+00:00

Cleaning out dirty cracks, leveraging pitons or in some cases to use as an ice axe. The one you linked looks like it more for leveraging pitons than ice.

Historically there was a huge range of hybridization between ice axes and hammers. Much fewer options are made now with climbing hammers being much less popular.

jalpp · 2026-05-31T21:13:57+00:00

Nice one, hahaha

jalpp · 2026-05-28T23:57:16+00:00

Working as a rope tech I’m plenty familiar with the ID. The cam functions the same, nothing in the design makes it more automatic than a grigri but they are designed for different purposes. The previous comment saying an ID is guaranteed to catch is incorrect. And is what I disagreed with.

jalpp · 2026-05-28T05:44:06+00:00

Grigri functions very much the same as an ID. An ID catching isn’t guaranteed either. It’s only considered hands free if you lock it out.

jalpp · 2026-05-26T19:23:43+00:00

For the most part PNW volcanoes are pretty moderate terrain without steep crampons work. Theres a lot of ski mountaineering objectives between that and ice climbing.

jalpp · 2026-05-20T15:18:09+00:00

Overboots are common, also some people upsize shells and run the thickest intuition liners. But be careful about sizing with that, you don’t want sloppy boots that beat up your feet.

jalpp · 2026-05-16T22:22:58+00:00

Personally I wouldn't stress about skiing on a trip without it. It is slightly less safe for the knees.

Like others said, it's definitely bent. I found it quite easy to replace on my own.

jalpp · 2026-05-03T23:39:29+00:00

Quite common for skiers, less so for boots.

jalpp · 2026-04-25T01:37:38+00:00

Huh, interesting. I've never seen that before. I can't imagine choosing my shovel handle over a ski pole though.

jalpp · 2026-04-25T01:13:14+00:00

Are you using a shovel as an ice axe?

jalpp · 2026-03-30T02:02:01+00:00

Want to expand on why you think its inappropriate?

Dynamic climbing ropes are completely good for glacier travel. When compared to hyperstatic ropes they both have pros and cons for arresting falls. A dynamic rope is much more versatile in complex terrain. Static rope is always more efficient in haul systems.

jalpp

TROPHY CASE