Newbie looking for some gear selection help

[Jesse]

Hi all,

Just recently became aware that XCD was a thing after stumbling across this website while researching xc skiing and am very much intigued. I had started with the intent of getting in to BC XC skiing for the fitness and exploration aspect but after reading about xcd I think this is the type of skiing for me(good chance I'll look for a used classic XC set up afterwards so stay tuned for me to post and ask questions about that too).

So as a background, I've never skied a day in my life, used to snowboard back in the day(and always bemoaned the lack of versatility, which admittedly has improved with advent of split boards) but have since moved on to ice climbing, rock climbing, and getting started in mountaineering. So given my lack of skiing past I expect a steep learning curve. I'm looking for something that will allow me to cover some ground through variable terrain and explore anywhere I want to go, given that I live in the foothills of B.C.'s North East Rockies I am definitely looking more towards the "xcD" spectrum of things because most of our back country has no cross country trails, mostly all unplowed/maintained FSR's, snowmobile trails, with lots of options for alpine terrain (though access can be difficult, but that is half the appeal), as well as sub alpine meadows and likely some gladed areas as well if a person knows where to look.

So that said, let me tell you what my limited knowledge has steered me towards and then you can all let me know just how misguided I am : )

I am somewhat taken with the G3 Findr xcd skis and have the opportunity to get some at a good price(initial thoughts are the 86's to kind of straddle that line between glide and float). Though I want a do everything ski, I realize that there are always compromises and to that end I'm leaning more towards a bigger ski for lowish angle mountain skiing, though I plan to use them anywhere there is enough snow. It seems they might be a decent ski on hardpack (we get quite a bit of windblown crusty snow) due to being somewhat stiff. No intention of resort skiing at all, left that behind me when I moved from Whistler in my younger days, ideally I just want to cruise and do some touring and make some turns whenever they are available.

To me, it sounds like a 3-pin set up for the extra control is more ideal than a NNNBC or STSBC binding for what I want to do. That, with the Scarpa T4's is the binding/boot combo I was thinking of for a lightish back country touring set up, with enough power to control the skis on harder conditions, with added bonus that I think I can fit my crampons to the boots should I find some remote ice I want to climb without having to pack my mountaineering boots.

So, those are my initial thoughts, sorry for the novel but I figured if I was going to ask for advice that too much info is preferable to too little.....so please let me know just how far off base I am, and thanks for any advice offered.

Jesse

[phoenix]

Welcome Jesse. Long story short, I think you're pretty accurate with your gear inclinations. I haven't skied the G3's, but they're certainly the right category ski. And I'd pair them with the same sort of boot, and a three pin - although a light, flexible cable would work also if you wanted a little more downhill control. While not too common, I find the TeleBulldog "Spike" 3-pins a superior 3-pin... and of course more expensive than others. Next choice would be the Voile Mountaineers; I'd skip the Rottefella's for your needs.
I'm skiing the Objective's with Excursions and pins here in the hills and mountains of northern Vermont, and finding it a wonderfully balanced and versatile set up.

Your climbing and riding background should speed up the learning curve, too. Enjoy!

[Jesse]

Thanks for the feedback, I was thinking the Voile 3-pin mountaineer type binding with the removable cable would work well, just throw the cable on for the longer descents but otherwise keep them in my pack. They are also available at MEC and pretty cheap too at $129 CDN pesos.

Definitely looking forward to having something fun to do in winter when I can't find a climbing partner, should really open access to a lot of areas that I wouldn't otherwise see in the winter too, there is definitely a limit to how far I want to snowshoe in a day(apparently somewhere around 20km if past history is any indication, lol) and unlike snowshoes, on skis I can enjoy the downhill and still get the satisfaction from working hard on the up, plus potentially cover way more ground, all wins in my book, except for the inevitable many face plants that are sure to be experienced while learning.

[phoenix]

Yup, the 3pin-cables are fine. As I recall, if the heelpiece is mounted correctly, you don't even need to remove the cables, they clip under the tail of the heelpiece.