Alpine Touring

Bnass

New member
Hi All,

I am needing some help and have always been able to find on here.

I am an ex racer and now powder hound. I am currently skiing Salomon 130 boots on a pair of ON3P Billygoats which are awesome for powder days. I have started to do lots of boot hiking and me feet are really not liking my such stiff boots and my back is hating my heavy skis.

I have been thinking about getting a Ski touring set up so it is more versatile for me but don't have much knowledge in this area so please help. do you think it is worth m doing a Ski touring set up (skis, bindings and boots)?

if you think it is a good idea can you please suggest some gear i should look at:

Ski: i am an aggressive skiier so would be looking for something light for carrying or skinning but be very premium on the descents, i was thinking for a ski that will float in powder but also be responsive so no fatter that 112mm

Binding: i am wanting something very similar to a regular binding but be able to tour in so was thinking GS Ion or Dynafit radical 2

Boots: I am wanting a boot that is really good to walk in but then when I do up to ski in will still be stiff like my regular 130 boot. I have a broad foot so need something with room

I am looking forward to hearing what advice you have for me

Thank you

Brent
 
My main touring/powder setup consists of Dalbello lupo AX's, Kingpin 13's and Armada JJ Zero's. I have alpine soles on the lupos and use them all season with FKS 180's on my park skis and they're the best answer to the "do it all" boot I have found. The JJ's are great in powder, and handle surprisingly well on groomers and slush, but like any wide ski, not the best for handling. Only thing I'd change would be going for the CAST system, because I have a lot of inbounds days on my pow skis, and the kingpins will probably break or rip my knees apart eventually. I've ejected from them once when I took a cliff landing too hard into not enough powder and tomahawked, and they ejected as needed.

My lupos claim to have a 120 flex, but I like a stiff boot and will probably get the next stiffer tongues, which claim to give the boot a 130 flex.

I am a fan of quiver killers, and use them to swap my kingers to my black diamond helio 105's for longer tours. I will probably quiver killer a pair of beaters for early season powder too.
 
I’ve been in the same stance as you, found a good deal on some g3 ions but decided to hold off and purchase the shift over a g3 due to the tour binding feel with them and cast system due to the high dins required and cast being less cumbersome (having to switch out bindings and carry bindings). Overall either would be the best possible choices
 
If you want a binding that's most similar to alpine but that you can tour in the salomon/atomic shift is the only way to go. skis the same as a warden/griffon/attack etc and tours with pins. Downhill on something like a G3 Ion or kingpin will never feel the same (and are more expensive), and similarly CAST would probably be more expensive and you have to carry around and swap out different toe pieces which is inconvenient.

As for super fun pow skis with some lower weight, my choice would be Faction CT 4.0 or Atomic Bentchetler 120 (2019)
 
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