T4's or Alpha Free

[Nickster]

Hello Hive mind, I am hoping to get a little help from those of you who have used both of these systems. Or heck I don't care, just share your opinion. Okay, I ski a lot, all sorts of skiing about five days a week sometimes more. The last
tele setup I used to do resort and big mountain backcountry tele with was T1's, Hammerheads and various downhill skis. About ten years ago I went to the dark side and started using an AT setup for steep stuff and light nordic for easy stuff. Then I stepped farther into the alpine world and now have a bunch of downhill skis and go to the resort 3-4 times a week. To complement this I also now use a NNNBC set up with Alpina Alaska's on Fischer Outbound 98's . I mostly really like this set up for its easy of use and challenge on more moderate angles (keeping me out of avalanche terrain when I ski alone) But... I miss having the power on hard snow and pretty deep powder. I have been thinking about getting either the explore system with Alpha free boots or Scarpa T4's with the voile switchback X2. I would use them on something like the Voile Endeavor BC. I know they are pretty different set ups. I have to pick one, I can't afford two complete set ups right now. Would the Explore bindings have enough control to put the ski on edge when it is hard? Is the T4 -switchback light enough to have fun on the way up? For those of you that ski the Colorado front range, think Arapaho Lakes or Bald mountain off Caribou. Thanks for your thoughts.

[fisheater]

I have seen a few guys mount an Xplore binding on an Objective. None of those guys bragged about great hard snow performance. They mostly talked about how nice it was in ideal conditions.
T-4 can handle an Objective nicely. I ski a T-4 with a mid 80 mm underfoot ski, that is a beefier ski than Objective, maybe the Endeavor would be a closer comparison. The T-4 is a nice match for that class of ski.

[Stephen]

I haven’t skied the T4, but I have skied the Free on the Voile Objective in soft snow, which works great.
If hard snow is a requirement, I would go with the T4.
The Free is a great boot, but I don’t think stiff enough to effectively and comfortably edge that wide of a ski on hard snow.

[telerat]

I have the Alfa Free that I use with Asnes Falketind 62 XP, as well as Scarpa T2x and TX with wider skis. My wife has the Excursion that she loves with her Blizzard ZeroG 85W when conditions are not icy. I have not tried the T4.

My suggestion for Voile Endeavour BC would be Scarpa T2 eco/x/similar with Switchback as you get much more support with little extra weight. Alternatively Voile Transit with next year's Scarpa TX Pro. T4 is an alternative, perhaps with Hardwire 3-pin, if you prioritize a bit flatter terrain and more covering distance.

Alfa Free with the hard flexor on Fischer S-Bound 98 or a similar ski (Asnes Falketind/Rabb or Madshus M68) would be a significant downhill upgrade from your Alpina Alaska on NNN-BC. The Free does not fit all feet well, so try before you buy. I was very skeptical as it bore down on my toes when I tested it in a shop and while I also felt that when skiing, it did not hurt my feet. Its fits narrower than other Alfa Xplore boots. Crispi Futura Pro/CXP(not regular CX) could also be an alternative. Alpina unfortunately does not seem to have a good alternative to Free/Futura.

Edit to clarify post and remove assumption of boot fit.

[Tom M]

I skied two generations of the T4's for at least a decade on wide XC skis, some were mounted with just a simple 3 pin, others were 3 pins with cables and hardwires, as well as downhill skis with the switchback X2. The T4 offers great support, but my feet suffered with blister problems that I just could not solve. I'm now skiing the T2 Eco / Switchback X2 on a set of Voile Hyper V6's. For me, the T2's make my feet happy. It is my go-to downhill setup when conditions and terrain warrant. I also ski the Alfa Free and have 4 skis with the Xplore binding (Traverse 78, S-Bound 98, Voile Objective, and Voile Hypervector) to pair them with. The T4/Switchback and the Free/Xplore combos are so different that it is hard to know which one is right for you. Since you are already well equipped with AT gear, maybe that should be your go-to setup for dicey conditions. An Xplore system on a downhill focused ski like the Voile Objective fills the gap nicely between your NNNBC 98 setup and your AT setup. Leave the Xplore setup at home and take your AT gear when needed, take your NNNBC setup when the focus is XC and you are skiing with other cross-country skiers, and the Xplore Objective when you want to hone your freeheel downhill skills. If you misjudge the conditions and end up on a dicey slope with the Xplore system, you can always survival ski it, but you might be surprised how capable the Free / Objective combo is.



and a very old video from 2017. My camera gear has improved along with my ski gear since then

[Nickster]

Thank you all for the responses! It is that gap I am looking to fill. While the AT stuff is powerful, it is also fiddly, what with taking skins on and off switching the bindings around, etc.. My NNN set up is low fiddle and great on backcountry xc, but lacks edge control on the hard and is difficult for me in tight trees and steeper deep snow. I am now leaning towards the explore system. Keep your responses coming. Thanks!

[JohnSKepler]

I've used the T4 and the Free with the Objective and the FT62.

I prefer the T4 and I even managed to make some inserts that prevent the Free from making blisters on my heel.

My initial boot with both skis was the Free with the Xplore binding. This year I branched into other bindings and found a used set of T4 for $45. I was skeptical that the T4 would tour as well as the Free but... it does, and it is a lot better downhill. Plus, you never have to switch out bumpers. If you're looking for more control just add a cable and you get as much activity as you could want.

I'm not certain I'll be using the Free much anymore since I prefer the Alaska XP with my Xplore-mounted narrower skis like the Gamme 54, Rossignol BC65 and BC80.

Downsides to the 3-pin, there's always downsides: if you are in any appreciable amount of snow transitions can be a pain. Getting the pins clear and the holes clear, and the boot back into the binding without snow falling into it... it ain't easy. The step in feature of the Xplore is far, far better in that respect. And the T4 is a little heavier than the Free. If I was never doing anything steeper than 10-15 degrees I'd probably go with the weight-savings of the Free. It's a great boot, it just flexes in the wrong place.

All that said, I recently put a Transit binding on the Objective and skied it with an older F1 with the bellows. It was better than the T4 with the added convenience of a step-in bindings. I probably won't use the T4 with the Objective again though I think the Transit/F1 might be a bit too much for the FT62. Only one way to find out. I should be done with the FT62 binding plates tomorrow. Maybe test the FT62 with the Transit this weekend???

I never cease to be amazed how much you can get done when everyone else is watching TV...

[telerat]

Are you after more power and/or float on deep snow days? Alfa Free or similar on both your S-Bound 98 and a pair of Endeavor or Objective sounds a bit like what you are after, and exactly what Tom M uses. Use the SB98 on hard(er) snow days and Endeavour/Objective on soft snow days. Se his Youtube-channel for more info. Link to his discussion on his current quiver:

This weekend I skied my Free/Falketind 62 with short/kicker skins on 10-14 degrees and my TX/Meidjo/88mm waist alpine ski with full skins on 14-20 degrees, with a section of 25 degrees on the descent. It was mostly 4-6" of soft snow over a firm/hard base, but also some places with more and a few small sections of hard snow/ice. Both days were great, and I would not have chosen gear differently.

Alfa Free and Xplore weighs in at 805+230 = 1035 grams, while T4 and Rottefella 75mm with Cable, plates and 50mm riser weighs in at about 1340+580 ~= 1900 grams (all weights per foot). Add 100 grams for Switchback X2. Ski will of course come in addition, so the relative difference will be smaller. T4 will be both more supportive and also noticeably warmer if that matters. I would not ski it with a pure 3-pin binding. A used Scarpa F3/F1 with bellows and Voile Transit also sounds like a good option if you can get that. If you can wait until next year, the TX Pro could also be a good alternative.

[fisheater]

I have an Asnes Tindan 86, mounted Voile 3-pin Hardwire. I can ski well in nice powder with my Alico UK surplus Ski March boot. However in most conditions the T-4 is a far better match.
I wouldn’t consider leather as the only driver of a mid-80’s underfoot ski. I am currently experimenting with the Transit TTS binding on another ski. I’m not sure yet if I would switch the Tindan to TTS. I have an F-1 boot, so I’m good with that. We will need to see how the new TX-P performs next year.

[Nickster]

Awesome information! Does anyone know where you can try on the Alpha Free near the front range(Fort Collins to Denver) in Colorado? I am wary of toe pinch and would like to try them on before purchase. I live pretty rural, but close to skiing, so getting to retailers is a least an hour. I know how Scarpa's fit. As I side note, I went to the resort this morning on my old tele gear, first time in a few years, so fun, even though the conditions were firm.