"upgrade" to pins?
- Cannatonic
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:07 pm
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
Big article in "Backcountry" magazine this month about the guys who blazed the trail in the eastern Sierra in the 70's and 80's, establishing some of the alpine high-traverse routes.
In case you don't get this magazine I can summarize - most of the guys used Kharhu 207 or 210 XCD-GT skis with 3-pin bindings, no cables, and Asolo Extreme leather boots. These were basically cross-country skis with edges and little more width and less camber. They climbed and skiied to 14,000 feet for weeks in this gear. The bindings weren't even like today's super tele or Mountaineer, they were the old-style ones with flimsy bales.
Today we have Asnes making several different types of this ski, and we have improved Super Tele 3-pins, the only thing we don't have is the selection of boots. No more full lines of leathers from Asolo, Andrews, Alico, and Merrell, just a few stragglers.
In case you don't get this magazine I can summarize - most of the guys used Kharhu 207 or 210 XCD-GT skis with 3-pin bindings, no cables, and Asolo Extreme leather boots. These were basically cross-country skis with edges and little more width and less camber. They climbed and skiied to 14,000 feet for weeks in this gear. The bindings weren't even like today's super tele or Mountaineer, they were the old-style ones with flimsy bales.
Today we have Asnes making several different types of this ski, and we have improved Super Tele 3-pins, the only thing we don't have is the selection of boots. No more full lines of leathers from Asolo, Andrews, Alico, and Merrell, just a few stragglers.
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
- lowangle al
- Posts: 2741
- Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
- Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
- Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
- Favorite Skis: powder skis
- Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
T-$ did you know there are bindings with 2 pins? They are the latest, and some say the greatest technological achievement in tele gear. I haven't tried it though.
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
oh great al, thanks for making it even more complicated!! haha, actually, yes, i had heard about these. i thought they were older tech that had mostly gone away though. didn't realize it was something new. i need to start checking the dates of all this stuff i am reading.
and whats with size 5 mens boots on ebay?? seriously, who has size 5 feet? are these all kids boots? and how come there is hardly nothing in real sized feet? i don't get it
and whats with size 5 mens boots on ebay?? seriously, who has size 5 feet? are these all kids boots? and how come there is hardly nothing in real sized feet? i don't get it
- phoenix
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:44 pm
- Location: Northern VT
- Ski style: My own
- Favorite Skis: Varies,I've had many favorites
- Favorite boots: Excursions, T1's
- Occupation: I'm occupied
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
Cannatonic wrote: "Big article in "Backcountry" magazine this month about the guys who blazed the trail in the eastern Sierra in the 70's and 80's, establishing some of the alpine high-traverse routes."
Sounds like a great article about Tom Carter and Allan Bard a couple decades ago; I probably read it in Couloir. I was inspired by reading about those guys.
Rest in Peace, brother Allan.
Sounds like a great article about Tom Carter and Allan Bard a couple decades ago; I probably read it in Couloir. I was inspired by reading about those guys.
Rest in Peace, brother Allan.
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
yeah, and sad to hear of warren miller's passing. and what happened to steve barnett? anyways,
so here's the upgraded to pins craigslist special! my "blue run" setup!! hahahah, we'll see how it goes. i think i said elsewhere that they were black ice, but they are actually called "revolution ice". haven't looked anything up about them, but just got the bindings off. anybody want some marker bindings??
i think it'll be fun! hope to have some T2's in my possession next weekend. this might be a fun toy altogether! it'd be nice to have them for telefest, at least to try them out. if all comes together as planned, will be around a $150 rig. i'm ok with that since i only plan on using them a couple times per year. might be fun to take in the backcountry though, just to see how they handle.
so here's the upgraded to pins craigslist special! my "blue run" setup!! hahahah, we'll see how it goes. i think i said elsewhere that they were black ice, but they are actually called "revolution ice". haven't looked anything up about them, but just got the bindings off. anybody want some marker bindings??
i think it'll be fun! hope to have some T2's in my possession next weekend. this might be a fun toy altogether! it'd be nice to have them for telefest, at least to try them out. if all comes together as planned, will be around a $150 rig. i'm ok with that since i only plan on using them a couple times per year. might be fun to take in the backcountry though, just to see how they handle.
- Cannatonic
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:07 pm
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
exactly - it talks about them pioneering the "Red Line" haute route through the Sierras. It's actually one of the better articles in Backcountry I've seen in an while.phoenix wrote:Cannatonic wrote: "Big article in "Backcountry" magazine this month about the guys who blazed the trail in the eastern Sierra in the 70's and 80's, establishing some of the alpine high-traverse routes."
Sounds like a great article about Tom Carter and Allan Bard a couple decades ago; I probably read it in Couloir. I was inspired by reading about those guys.
Rest in Peace, brother Allan.
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
Cannatonic:
Thanks for mentioning the article about early trail blazers (nordic downhill); will definitely check it out. I have to confess I still use three-pins with no cables. But I don't have the skill level that Allan Bard or the other legends of the 70's and 80's had.
Thanks for mentioning the article about early trail blazers (nordic downhill); will definitely check it out. I have to confess I still use three-pins with no cables. But I don't have the skill level that Allan Bard or the other legends of the 70's and 80's had.
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
man, that was a nice little article. i like the line, "from the athletically gifted to the athletically inclined" in regards to what plastic boots did to crazy descents going free heel. it'd be pretty cool to be able to ski there one day...
- lilcliffy
- Posts: 4114
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- Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
- Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
- Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
TTS?lowangle al wrote:T-$ did you know there are bindings with 2 pins? They are the latest, and some say the greatest technological achievement in tele gear. I haven't tried it though.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
- lowangle al
- Posts: 2741
- Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
- Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
- Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
- Favorite Skis: powder skis
- Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.
Re: "upgrade" to pins?
I think so, it's not NTN is it?lilcliffy wrote:TTS?lowangle al wrote:T-$ did you know there are bindings with 2 pins? They are the latest, and some say the greatest technological achievement in tele gear. I haven't tried it though.