What ski after the Åsnes Gamme?

[lilcliffy]

So far I am using the Alaska boots nnnbc which I like but off course not against getting some Scarpa T4 or similar to drive more downhill ski like the Falkentind or Rabb.
I am quit often up north as my family is from Harstad so Ingstad would be nice for family skitur around Hinnøya. I am not a maniac of efficiency while touring, I like to see things, take breaks etc.
The Rabb for more offroad scenario would be very nice!

I can verify that the Alaska BC boot is a great boot for a ski like the Rabb 68.
I also have NNNBC on the Annum/M78- while I can drive this ski with the Alaska BC on soft snow- I do not find that the Alaska BC has enough support to hold the 78mm Annum/M78 on edge, on hardpack/bolier plate-
HOWEVER- the Annum/M78 is very poor on hardpack/bolierplate/ice-
I also have the T4- which is more than enough support to hold a 78mm ski on edge on hardpack- but, the Annum/M78 is not torsionally-rigid enough.
The Rabb is more torsionally-rigid than the M78, but it too is tuned for soft snow, with significant rocker and taper- it has a very short effective edge.
The Rabb has a much shorter turn radius thant the M78- and its rockered shovel offers better dowhill performance in deep snow, depsite the extra width of the M78.

[Charlynor]

Hi,

The rabb 68 is definitively a beautiful ski, no doubt!
I am not planning to go a slopes with my futures ski, or very rarely!
I saw some madshus m68 previous generation for 199€ in Germany. Would that be a good option?
I think you had them back in a days.

[lilcliffy]

I am not planning to go a slopes with my futures ski, or very rarely!

Oh- ok- so, I think that it is not clear on what you are looking for...
If you are not looking to ski "slopes"- why are you considering downhill-oriented touring skis?
You mention two skis in your OP- Altai Kom (downhill ski); Madshus M78 (downhill-oriented; soft snow touring ski)-
why are you considering these skis?

I saw some madshus m68 previous generation for 199€ in Germany. Would that be a good option?
I think you had them back in a days.

The Madshus M68 is very similar to the Asnes Rabb 68- and the Madshus M78.
We have the original design of both the M68 and the M78- in a number of lengths and over may years. They are certainly "easy to turn"; but they offer little stability on hard/icy snow.
The M68/M78 are very soft and round-flexing-
I personally find the M68 to completely unstable at my weight of 84kg- I pesonally much prefer the M78. Lighter skiers in my ski clan love the M68. I personally hate both the M68/M78 on hardpack/boilerplate. These skis can be great on soft snow. The Karhu/Madshus XCD line (ie M62/M68/M78) have always been an excellent value- therefore, we have quite a few of them available for young, growing skiers in my family and extended ski clan.

[lilcliffy]

Another question-
If dowhnill performance is not what you are looking for-
what is it about the Gamme ski that you find wanting? What are you looking for that the Gamme ski does not provide?

[Charlynor]

By slopes I meant slopes from the ski resort. Definitely looking for downhill performance and breaking trail in the hilly forest of Norway

I am 72kg with boots and ski outfit and without pack.

[fisheater]

Okay, you have a Gamme, I have one and I really like it.My touring for turns ski is the Falketind Xplore at 196 cm for my 87 kilos. I find it supportive in soft snow, and the kick and glide is more than acceptable for a ski that turns so well downhill.
I thought Lilcliffy was going to try an FT X this year, so maybe he compare it to the Rabb. I am not skiing overly tight trees, but I do cover ground. For me I wouldn’t want this ski shorter at my weight. I’m also old, and spent many years on 204/205 cm downhill all mountain skis. I’m quite comfortable turning a 196 cm ski.
Now I have a new ski to ski at the lift served hill, it’s a 177 cm. It sure seems short on the carpet!

[lilcliffy]

By slopes I meant slopes from the ski resort. Definitely looking for downhill performance and breaking trail in the hilly forest of Norway

I am 72kg with boots and ski outfit and without pack.

Ok- got it!

Are you wanting a waxless-scaled base?

As far as the "M68"- are you looking at these?
A) https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/product ... n-set.html
or
B) https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/product ... a-m68.html

Ski "A" above is the temporary redesign of the M68/Epoch/XCD 10th Mtn→ reports suggest this ski has a rockered shovel...And it has a smooth wax base with Madshus' kicker skin insert.

Ski "B"- by all reports- has returned to the original Epoch/XCD 10th Mtn design- without a rockered shovel; and with the Omnitrack scaled base.

The Omnitrack scale design is very good, but it is tuned for XC skiing- it does not offer the climbing grip of some other designs (eg Fischer's Offtrack Crown insert on the Fischer 112/98/88/78). You will need grip wax and/or skins to do any serious and dependable climbing with the M68/M78 Ominitrack (ie ski "B" above).

The 68mm waist on the Asnes Rabb, Madshus M68, and Fischer S-Bound 98 (ie "68"- Fischer's naming of skis by their shovel-width is annoying...) is ideal for your Alaska-class boot. I find the 78mm of the M78 + Alaska-class boot wonderful in ideal soft snow (or corn snow)- but, it is a bit much width underfoot to drive with the Alaska-class boot on less-ideal snow. (However the M78 kinda sucks on hard/icy/crud anyway- so it is kinda moot).

The Madshus XCD line are always value-priced- and definitely worth trying! You are considerably lighter than me and might find the M68 more suitable than myself.

I have been eyeing those redesigned M68 (ski "A" above) for years.

Are you wanting a waxless-scaled base?
.........
Back to your OP- if you are considering something as wide as the Kom (excellent ski!)- then you definitely want to move to a 75mm Telemark touring binding (eg 3pin + cable/hardwire) so that you can use a proper Telemark touring boot.

[lilcliffy]

I thought Lilcliffy was going to try an FT X this year, so maybe he compare it to the Rabb.

Yes! I have been out on the 196 FTX62 a few times this season.
Once the snow gets deep enough I am going to rigorously test the 196 FTX62 against the 205/195 Ingstad; 180 Rabb 68; 188 Storetind.

As I expected- the FTX offers a tighter turn radius over the Ingstad- but the Ingstad breaks trail and tracks more efficiently.

The Rabb is a better downhill ski than the FTX- I have not used the FTX enough to compare/contrast their touring efficiency.
Also- I may well end up putting Xplore on my Storetind by then end of the season...The 188 Storetind at this point seems to offer better touring efficiency than the 196 FTX...The 196 FTX has a tighter turn radius than the 188 Storetind...
Other than the Ingstad vs FTX- perhaps the most interesing touring vs turning test would be a 188 Rabb vs 196 FTX...
Regardless- for my local touring-for-turns pursuits (with a BC/XP/NN boot)- the 180 Rabb is the best of the bunch.
My primary interest in the FTX is to consider it for my distance oriented tours in deep soft snow and steep terrain (the Ingstad is the ski I have been using in this context).
.........
Back to the OP- if your goal is a downhill-focused ski- using a BC/XP/NN boot (like your Alaska)- then my recommendations would be:
- Asnes Rabb 68
- Fischer S-Bound 98
- Madshus M68

The Rabb is the more torsionally-stable of the three.

[Charlynor]

I can get a storetind 188 with scarpa t4 for 200$. Does this sound like a good deal?

[lilcliffy]

@Charlynor
Wow! Great deal!
Love that ski!
The Storetind is stiff and noticeably cambered however- more cambered than the current Rabb- closest to a ski like the Ingstad BC (ie more cambered than a Nansen).
The 188 Storetind could be too much for a light skier...