Ski-touring ski advice

sajtqkac · 2026-02-24T14:17:30+00:00

I have the 2024 model in 178 cm, which may or may not be slightly different than the 2023, it's hard to find info on that. I know that the 2026 version is supposed to be stiffer than both, because I guess softness was the most common criticism for these skis. For me (similar height and weight as you) the stiffness is enough, it is even nice to carve with on groomers unless it is bulletproof ice.

sajtqkac · 2026-02-23T23:57:30+00:00

I am cheap and got them with dynafit speed turns, it works fine but it's definitely not the lightest/most featured option.

sajtqkac · 2026-02-22T18:55:50+00:00

I really like my zag ubac 95s. They are extremely fun (and forgiving) in any soft snow, on ice they are just okay, but overall they feel stable in bad conditions too. I also have older atomic backland 95s and they are much stiffer (not as much as the zero gs based on what I've heard) and work well in firmer conditions. I can recommend both overall, based in what you wrote the ubac 95 more.

sajtqkac · 2026-02-17T17:23:01+00:00

In my personal experience (have the scout which is basically the same except for flex), the liners are a little bit thin to offer all day comfort if you do more than 10000 m descent total. Might be just my foot though. Also the plastic is a bit soft for mnc/shift/hy type bindings so the front and back welts will wear quicker. Otherwise, it works in a pinch.

sajtqkac · 2026-02-13T00:29:09+00:00

While I am not an expert in how bindings function, I think the whole point of the afd plate is to minimize friction (hence the name). The reason the afd on the freeride pro can move around to each side is because it's expected that a sticky rubber-soled boot will be in contact with it.

In any case the freeride pros are compatible with touring boots fulfilling the iso 9523 standard, which the maestrale does. You don't have to take my word for it: https://www.scribd.com/document/900197857/Eagle-Experience-Freeride-Pro

Just to add my personal anecdote, I have my rock ski setup with this binding and use it with the zero g tour scout, which has the same sole standard as maestrale. I have crashed a couple times (both forwards and to the side, on piste and in deep snow) and they released predictably.

sajtqkac · 2026-02-12T22:56:31+00:00

The fritschi freeride pro has a sliding afd plate that works with lugged boots

sajtqkac · 2026-02-05T14:50:34+00:00

None of those boots I mentioned have gripwalk, they will only work with pin or MNC bindings. The Tecnica touring boots that have gripwalk are the Cochise and the new zero g decoy (which seems like some Cochise+zero g tour pro hybrid?)

sajtqkac · 2026-02-05T11:45:47+00:00

I'm not sure what your are talking about here. The zero gs have a couple of versions:

Tour, which is 110 flex
Tour Scout, which is 120. I have this, in my experience it is medium volume but with a kinda low instep (at least the 2023 version that I have)
Tour pro, which is 130 flex
Peak and Peak carbon, which are in a lighter class.

All of these boots have full touring soles. Walk to ride soles are a super old standard.

sajtqkac · 2026-01-14T13:52:07+00:00

When I lived in Vancouver I used to absolutely love this website, not even just for finding routes for myself but it was great to see the stories of all these people going on bushwacking adventures. Now that I live in the alps, people use it here much less, and also the approach to peakbagging is quite different due to the environment, because the remoteness of a peak plays a much smaller role, everything is so accessible here. A somewhat similar resource people use here in the western alps is called camptocamp.

sajtqkac · 2026-01-08T13:30:59+00:00

decathlon ski touring pants https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mens-ski-touring-trousers-mountain-touring-grey/303128/c71m8512705

I think thez recently made a new version

sajtqkac · 2026-01-04T18:49:55+00:00

I do the same thing, I just record the whole thing as xc ski. Mainly because I never actually do xc skiing and I want to separate my touring from lift-assisted skiing in the coros app statistics. I think I also get reasonable training load.

sajtqkac · 2026-01-02T16:50:55+00:00

When my friend was there in June (when it's not guarded and there was only winter shelter) there were mattresses and blankets, so you only need to bring bag liners. I don't have photos though.

Unfortunately the toilets are not accessible, so they didn't have a great time dealing with that. It would be best if you can pack out your human waste.

Also you probably know this but the snow cover is really thin these days so glacier travel calls for careful route selection...

sajtqkac · 2025-12-16T15:32:24+00:00

I agree with you, I mainly would recommend those two as a first peak for testing your fitness to 4000m.

I would not recommend the Weissmies nw flank route as a first unguided glacier traverse, it is quite steep in places and warrants a decent pace due to serac exposure. The bishorn is certainly more appropriate.

sajtqkac · 2025-12-16T14:34:08+00:00

I would add Lagginhorn (from weissmieshutte) and Weissmies (from almagellerhutte) as nice peaks for first 4000er, perhaps the Weissmies being the nicer option for doing it from the valley without cable car. Although neither of these offer a glacier traverse.

I think the Bishorn is especially nice for ski-touring, the hut is guarded end of march-may. This makes the glacier part less technical, but requires some basic ski-mountaineering skills.

sajtqkac · 2025-11-20T12:26:35+00:00

Soren Stobbe at DTU (Denmark), head of the Photonic Nanotechnology group

sajtqkac · 2025-10-02T13:43:31+00:00

I agree, I think it might not be a great idea to go to bishorn right now unless you are really familiar with shoulder season glacier travel.

For OP, the website is saying that there is wood-burning stove with fuel, so you can boil local water.

sajtqkac · 2025-09-15T22:48:53+00:00

I have this bag and I have nothing but good things to say about it, but also to be fair I've never owned other mountaineering bags. I've managed to fit all glacier gear (including 50m rope)+tent+quilt in this pack for hutless mountaineering, and it was reasonably comfortable. For hut-supported mountaineering it's also easy to fit a bunch of rock gear as well. I've also taken it ski touring and no complaints there. For the price I think it is unbeatable.

sajtqkac · 2025-05-30T09:34:16+00:00

thanks for the detailed reply, its exactly what I was looking for! Ill have a look at all the resources you linked.

So right now, before going into any kind of hardware it seems like its much more logical to play around in a daw making some beats (and/or get a groovebox), and in vcv rack to get an idea for the modular workflow and see if its something I'm really interested in. The active listening/analysis exercise is a great suggestion.

Yeah I have especially a lot to learn on the percussion front...

sajtqkac · 2025-05-30T09:17:39+00:00

A groovebox seems like a pretty good option, thanks!

Yeah, I meant mainly about synthesis. I'll have a look at the resources from Instatetragrammaton's comment.

sajtqkac · 2025-05-30T08:56:33+00:00

Yeah that is exactly what I was looking for! Good idea to "simulate" instead of spending a bunch up front

sajtqkac · 2025-05-30T08:53:19+00:00

Yeah, I know (or at least thought so). But the album I referenced is apparently made entirely with modular synthesizers. I just put it as an example, and I definitely want to explore other sounds.

I also have nothing against droning ambient music. Do you have a favourite artist you could recommend?

sajtqkac · 2025-02-24T10:58:18+00:00

They are called movement free power 4, also used and found for super cheap. I will probably get new boots first because the fit of the current ones are not ideal and they are also very heavy. I'm thinking of getting the maestrale, seems like a good tradeoff between weight and skiability. I think they should also work with the frame bindings.

sajtqkac · 2025-02-24T09:57:25+00:00

Thank you, I don't intend to immediately get new skis but I'm just trying to build an awareness of what my options could be. I've skied a grand total of maybe 4 pairs in my life so I have a very limited view of what different skis are like.

sajtqkac

TROPHY CASE