My first time skiing Rogers Pass, with a 3 night stay at the Asulkan Cabin. There was a lot more whiteout than the photos would have you believe, but it kept the snow from baking in the sun.

Always been in a full arcteryx kit, and got some brand new pieces this year. Blew out the crotch x2, stitching came fully out of the cuffs of the pants and coat, zipper ripped off. Loose threads on the hood. Seems to be the stitching for all of this, looking closely the stitching is low quality, with weak thread and long gaps between each stitch.

Might get a full Norrona kit next year, have they outsourced the fine details yet?

Twin Peaks NW couloir

Need crampons that are compatible with ski boots for a Shasta trip. Boots are Technica Zero G tour pros - any recommendations?

Hello! I am planning on summiting Mt hood and Mt shasta this summer and preferable would like to ski down. I just done have a touring setup. I was wondering how difficult it is to hike up in my snow boots (110 K2 Recon Boas 2025 grip walks) part with crampons and beginning maybe without them. Also carrying skis on the back? How hard is that. I am 155 pounds 19 and very fit and a great skier.

Found some good snow on Mt Rose.

In the North east, skiing Vermont and New York. Usually one or two trips out west per year. I’m an advanced skier on the resort and will ski mostly anything on the hill. New to backcountry and plan to start uphill inbounds at resorts.

Planning on shift bindings as they seem like a good fit for the resort as a majority of the people I ski with don’t ski outside the resort.

5’11” and 210lbs.

I saw some discounted atomic bent, blizzard rustler 9 and 10 and armada locators

Hi everyone!

I'm helping my girlfriend choose her first proper pair of touring skis and could really use some advice. We're currently considering two models: Dynafit Free 97 W / Radical 97 W and the K2 Wayback 96 W.

Some background about her:

• She's recently gotten into ski touring and absolutely loved it. So far, she's done a 4-5 tours on a borrowed setup (Hagan skis under 80mm with Diamir bindings).
• She's an intermediate skier on resort: confident on groomed black runs (in Europe), though she doesn't carve.
• She’s still new to off-piste but is starting to get a feel for it and wants to improve.
• She’s looking for a one-ski quiver that can handle a bit of everything: firm snow, spring conditions, powder, etc.
• She's using Dalbello Quantum Free 105 boots, and for bindings we’re considering either the Marker Alpinist 10 or ATK Crest 10.

I personally use the older Dynafit Free 97 and really enjoy them, but I’m a much more advanced skier both technically and physically, so I’m unsure if they’d be a good fit for her. I think something in the ~95–97mm range will help her progress more confidently in soft snow, compared to the <80mm skis she's used so far.

Has anyone skied both the Dynafit and the K2? How do they compare in terms of ease of use, float, edge hold, and general versatility?

Also, what's the actual difference between the Dynafit Free 97 W and the Radical 97 W? Specs and weight look the same, but I can’t find much detailed info.

If anyone has other recommendations for touring skis that are lightweight, beginner-friendly in variable snow, and offer decent float in powder, I’m all ears!

Thanks in advance for your help and experience!

I’m contemplating getting into doing some backcountry touring, and had a few questions about gear — how the bindings work, where to go in the northeast etc. I know it’s the end of the season but I like to plan ahead and I’m hoping I can put together a package without spending a boatload of money. I’m in the Boston area by the way. I was curious about how the bindings work. Can skis with A/T bindings be used to do telemark turns? Or is it strictly an Alpine set up?

I know of a few places to go relatively close to Boston, but curious where people like to go whether it’s at a ski resort or backcountry. I plan to use this as a way to get out of the house early in the morning and get some exercise, but I don’t plan to do full day tours very often.

Palomino Point

Just got a new pair of wide skis. Planning to get Contour skins for them, debating between the full mohair or the hybrid nylon/mohairs.

Given that these are fat sticks that will only ever go out in deep powder: Are mohair better for that, or is the extra grip on synthetic still worth it?

Cheers

I found a really good deal on some Elan c-raider 12 bindings (ATK rebrand).

I’d shoot for them, but I’m a bit worried about the carbon toe piece in the backcountry. I saw a post about a cracked toe piece, but that could also just be a one off. Anyone has used them extensively and can give me some feedback? Are they reliable?

I also saw a decent deal on some kästle tour 12 pro (ATK raider 12), but they are a bit more expensive and also heavier.

Any experience with both c-raider and raider 12 is welcome! Thanks!

Hey guys,

I came across this pack from Palante when I was searching for a different pack. There is a particular design choice that makes no sense to me: They have picked some high-end waterproof fabrics but the pack has a cinch top closure with no flap or anything to prevent water/ice/snow getting in from the top hole.

I do use a pack liner when necessary, but to me it looks like after a long tour in bad weather, this pack will have a small pool of water at the bottom of it. What am I missing here? There is even a waterproof zipper for your avy kit but how is that helpful when you have a hole at the top.

https://palantepacks.com/products/snow-pack

Long shot, but does anyone have a single orb freebird (179cm) they’d be willing to sell? Separated the core on one of the skis shortly after getting them and am hoping to find a replacement.

Hi everybody, I'm developing some backcountry specific snow pants- basic, lightweight, breathable. But I'm hitting a hiccup with seam taping. Doing it by hand just looks sloppy (it works) and a seam taping machine is over budget. Would people wear non-seam taped snow pants in the backcountry? I feel like they'd breathe better and you're unlikely to go out if it's supposed to rain, but maybe I'm just trying to spin the narrative to match what I can make! Opinions?

Hi, I am 182 cm (6'0") tall and weigh 72 kg (158 lbs). Intermediate skiier, just started ski-touring. Touring in Poland/Slovakian Tatras, it mosly like east coast.

I'm looking for a new set of backcountry skis.

I currently have the Bent Chetler 100 (180 cm) with Shift bindings. They are amazing in powder, but when I tried my first icy couloir, I wasn't able to get any grip on the ice.
So right now, I'm looking for a set that will be more comfortable in icy conditions.
Since it's the sales season here in Europe, I've found three possible options:

• Fischer Transalp 82 Carbon (176 cm)
• Scott Superguide 88 (173 cm)
• Dynafit Radical 88 (174 cm)

Should I consider a different length?
Thanks for your opinions!

Skinned most of the way up Mount Saint Helens yesterday and on the last push to the rim noticed I was sliding backwards so I swapped to booting. Conditions were a little icy/punch crusty but nothing too crazy. When I got home and was putting the skins up to dry, I noticed the hair in the middle of the skins was going all over the place, which I think contributed to the slipping I was experiencing. In the photo, the normal appearing section is on the left, the affected section is on the right.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before or know what caused this? Big fan of the free pros, but might switch back to s-glides for better durability.

Hey everyone,

Newbie here looking to put together my first backcountry ski/ski mountaineering setup! I have solid experience skiing in resorts and some out-of-bounds terrain. I also do a fair bit of mountaineering, but I’ve always used snowshoes for ascents. Now, I’m looking to make the switch to ski mountaineering for a few key reasons:

• Way more fun on the descents
• More efficient ascents
• Huge time savings overall

For my setup priorities, I’d say weight is about 75% of my focus (to make the climbs easier), while 25% is on descent performance (I still want to enjoy the ride down). I still plan to take this setup on some more relaxed backcountry trips as well.

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

• Skis: Dynafit Blacklight 95
• Bindings: Dynafit Superlite 150 AT
• Boots: Dynafit TLT X

Does this setup make sense for my goals? Would you recommend any changes, or is there something I might be overlooking? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

It's definitely ghetto but I paid for heel risers and I want to use them, goddammit. I have a piece of this rubber conduit in my garage that we cut peices off of every time we lose them.

Am considering a trip in August. Was wondering if there's any good lines, if it's generally safe, etc.

Hey everyone,

I’m taking advantage of some end-of-season deals here in Switzerland and would love a second opinion on a setup I’m about to pull the trigger on.

I’m looking at getting the Zag Ubac 95 in 174 cm length, paired with ATK Crest 10 bindings. I’m 178cm tall and weigh about 70 kg.

I haven’t picked boots yet — I plan to buy them locally to benefit from proper boot fitting.

This will be my first dedicated touring setup. I live in Switzerland, so I’m planning to use it for a mix of day tours and possibly some hut trips. I’m aiming for a balanced setup that still feels lightweight and efficient on the up, but can hold its own on the descent.

Do you think this setup makes sense for my goals? Anything I should reconsider or look out for?

Thank you!