This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
Rolling terrain in Vermont. Primarily XC focused with some downhill. NNN BC. I'm 70.25kg empty and 180cm
We are of similar height- but, I am significantly heavier at 81kg.
I am on the 205cm- LOVE it.
The 195cm might be enough for you at your weight- especially in steep terrain.
I am looking for a ski to use with the Alico Ski March, but probably not these.
What are you looking at to pair with the Ski March? The Ingstad would be good with the Ski March- I would think.
What are you looking at to pair with the Ski March? The Ingstad would be good with the Ski March- I would think.
Well, I want to start telemarking and see how much I like it. So I don't neccesarily want to drill 3 holes in the Ingstad if its the perfect backcountry XC ski for me.
I might find whatever skis I can to learn telemark turns. I will also be trying with NNN BC boots. But lets just consider Asnes for a minute. Isn't the Nansen the best touring for turns in Vermont ski? Aren't the FT62 and Raab more mountain/resort oriented? Wait for the Sverdup to come out? Neptune has the Nansen in 195cm, but I'm not sure if thats the size for me.
Right now, I think the Ingstad is going to be what I thought the Transnordic 66 would be (perfect backcountry ski), and the 66 will come out when things are right for the offtrack Crown base.
Last edited by John Dee on Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
What are you looking at to pair with the Ski March? The Ingstad would be good with the Ski March- I would think.
Well, I want to start telemarking and see how much I like it. So I don't neccesarily want to drill 3 holes in the Ingstad if it might be the perfect backcountry XC ski for me.
I might find whatever skis I can to learn telemark turns. I will also be trying with NNN BC boots. But lets just consider Asnes for a minute. Isn't the Nansen the best touring for turns in Vermont ski? Aren't the FT62 and Raab more mountain/resort oriented? Wait for the Sverdup to come out? Neptune has the Nansen in 195cm, but I'm not sure if thats the size for me.
Right now, I think the Ingstad is going to be what I thought the Transnordic 66 would be (perfect backcountry ski), and the 66 will come out when things are right for the offtrack Crown base.
"Turning" with XC skis is very relative and takes good technique. Neither Nansen or Ingstad is going to turn like the FT62 or Rabb or whatever else downhill ski. When we describe how a XC ski turns it's in relation to other XC skis, not downhill skis which are actually designed to turn. Turning a XC ski sucks.
Ingstad turns slightly easier than the Nansen. But still sucks compared to the FT62 which turns way way easier than the Ingstad.
With every step you'll lose XC ability, mostly from Ingstad to FT62 which is more a ski than a XC ski
If you want to learn downhill telemark skiing that's another thing entirely. You can do it on Ingstad and NNNBC and you'll be stronger for it in the long run but it's going to be a long learning curve. Do you have access to a mountain so you can ride the lift and practice all day?
Are you putting a lot of carts in front of horses? It seems so. I mean this in a friendly way.
I have had a Ski March boot for a number of years, and I really like it. It is a powerful boot, and it really limits the use of my T-4. I prefer the kick and glide of my Ski March by far over the T-4, however the T-4 is more powerful.
That being said as much as I like the kick and glide of the Ski March it does not compare to my Alaska BC or Alaska 75. However if you want the flex of a leather boot, and power the Ski March is the ticket. I ski my Voile 3-pins on the first click when kicking along. When the downhill gets challenging I click it down tighter.
"Turning" with XC skis is very relative and takes good technique. Neither Nansen or Ingstad is going to turn like the FT62 or Rabb or whatever else downhill ski. When we describe how a XC ski turns it's in relation to other XC skis, not downhill skis which are actually designed to turn. Turning a XC ski sucks.
Ingstad turns slightly easier than the Nansen. But still sucks compared to the FT62 which turns way way easier than the Ingstad.
With every step you'll lose XC ability, mostly from Ingstad to FT62 which is more a ski than a XC ski
If you want to learn downhill telemark skiing that's another thing entirely. You can do it on Ingstad and NNNBC and you'll be stronger for it in the long run but it's going to be a long learning curve. Do you have access to a mountain so you can ride the lift and practice all day?
Are you putting a lot of carts in front of horses? It seems so. I mean this in a friendly way.
I think that part of this response is because I said learn to telemark. Probably, I should have said to learn telemark turning. So it may be a detour, but it seems like a very educational one. I'm a little confused because I thought that a good 75mm boot with a Nansen or E109 could get you the sweet nectar of telemarking. It seems like if you were doing it all day you would want the easiest turning ski, but I didn't think it was night and day like "Turning a XC ski sucks".
If by putting the cart before the horse you mean buying the Ski March, then maybe. They were cheap so I just bought them. If you mean buying so many skis its because they all come from one place in the Czech Republic and the world is all screwed up.
I have had a Ski March boot for a number of years, and I really like it. It is a powerful boot, and it really limits the use of my T-4. I prefer the kick and glide of my Ski March by far over the T-4, however the T-4 is more powerful.
That being said as much as I like the kick and glide of the Ski March it does not compare to my Alaska BC or Alaska 75. However if you want the flex of a leather boot, and power the Ski March is the ticket. I ski my Voile 3-pins on the first click when kicking along. When the downhill gets challenging I click it down tighter.
I didn't realize that you loosen 3 pin bindings. Are you really supposed to do that?
The Ski Marches may be stiff for me in the long run. If they even fit or work. They look a tad longer than my other boots, and on my shorter foot they look to be creasing right at the bottom laces. Maybe I will end up with a classic Asolo or Merrell boot.
With a good 3 pin leather boot and a compliant ski you’ll be able to learn telemark like everyone used to before plastic boots and powerful bindings appeared. I would spend your money on good XC skis and enjoy those for what they are, and then find a more budget downhill oriented ski to learn the telemark turn and taste some of that sweet sweet nectar before you start dropping $$$ on skis like the Rabb.
Ideally a good ski to look for would be a Madshus Epoch (Panorama 68) or a Fischer Boundless (really nice) but even an intermediate downhill ski from the late 90s to early 2000s would pair well. Like the original Rossignol Bandit X. Shorter lengths will make things easier, initially. There are tons of skis in this category. Tua, etc. A junk store find at $10 could be the ticket! Keep the waist around 62-70mm for nice match with a leather.
I learned with Crispi Antarctic and Fischer Outtabounds, a high double cambered ski and it was WORK, but I did it. I’m just trying to save you energy, money, and time on this quest. You can certainly learn on your 66s too… but it’s going to be a curve, that’s all.
Based upon my experience, and I came to the backcountry from resort skiing.
An E-99 class ski and an Alaska class boot, suitable for trail skiing on twisty trails. With the caveat that horse trails tend to have long straight downhills, with tight switchbacks. I don’t think horse trails make good ski trails.
If you want to make turns down the fall line. Examples in my neck of the woods, power line cuts, the odd open hillside, two track roads going down hill, and glades open enough to ski. For those types of downhills a Ski March and a Falketind or a S-98/S-112 type ski.
As a former ski instructor (alpine) becoming a proficient skier takes time going downhill, and technique. It is a lot easier to learn on groomed snow and heavy equipment.
I believe you’re in Vermont. I think fire roads at a pitch that suits your ability, your Ski March boots, and a turning type ski will suit you fine. The above skis along with Madshus and Alpina skis in that class turn nicely.
For less steep terrain, where you can step turn and wedge turn around corners. Where you can wedge stop when required. An E-99 class ski is a lot of fun. I have a lot of terrain that I just fly up and down rolling hills. Some of the trails I ski are worn in by mountain bikes and I carve around banked down hill turns.
That is why I personally believe the best quiver of two skis is an E-99 class ski and a S-98 class ski. One ski that goes fast down the trail, but is maneuverable. The other ski slides along, but turns easily.
A Nansen type ski, or a Ingstad type ski definitely offer performance attributes in conditions over a E-99 type ski. Some would say a Nansen type ski covers a wider array of conditions. However all these skis are geared to kick and glide performance not turns in the fall line. The opposite is true for the S-98 class skis.
I have had a Ski March boot for a number of years, and I really like it. It is a powerful boot, and it really limits the use of my T-4. I prefer the kick and glide of my Ski March by far over the T-4, however the T-4 is more powerful.
That being said as much as I like the kick and glide of the Ski March it does not compare to my Alaska BC or Alaska 75. However if you want the flex of a leather boot, and power the Ski March is the ticket. I ski my Voile 3-pins on the first click when kicking along. When the downhill gets challenging I click it down tighter.
I didn't realize that you loosen 3 pin bindings. Are you really supposed to do that?
The Ski Marches may be stiff for me in the long run. If they even fit or work. They look a tad longer than my other boots, and on my shorter foot they look to be creasing right at the bottom laces. Maybe I will end up with a classic Asolo or Merrell boot.
There are 3 “clicks” on my Voile 3-pin bindings. Click #1 is good for kick and glide on the Ski March, and allows for better striding. When using my Alaska 75 boot, I need to be on “click” #2 for kick and glide, and “click” #3 isn’t really quite secure enough for really pushing the downhills. I just received some Smile Plates. I plan on putting them on the Alaska 75 to reinforce the pin holes. I will router them to fit into the sole, but I don’t believe I will go full depth. I will seat them fully in the sole, but will also gain a small amount of depth for the bail clamp.
What are you looking at to pair with the Ski March? The Ingstad would be good with the Ski March- I would think.
Well, I want to start telemarking and see how much I like it. So I don't neccesarily want to drill 3 holes in the Ingstad if its the perfect backcountry XC ski for me.
The Ingstad is my favourite XC ski- it is not the ski I use the most though- I use my Gamme/E99 as my everyday touring ski.
But lets just consider Asnes for a minute. Isn't the Nansen the best touring for turns in Vermont ski? Aren't the FT62 and Raab more mountain/resort oriented? Wait for the Sverdup to come out? Neptune has the Nansen in 195cm, but I'm not sure if thats the size for me.
I don't think that I would describe any of Asnes' "fjellskis" as "touring-for-turns" skis...The Nansen clearly seems to be the most verastile of the lineup- but I would rather have both and Ingstad and a Gamme 54 than just a Nansen. It remains to be seen whether the Sverdrup hits the mark for everyone. I am sure that Sverdrup will be a more efficient XC ski than the Nansen- and if Crister claims that they are as good or better downhill than the Nansen, then I believe it. BUT- with increasingly extreme winter temperature and precipitation fluctuations- I am dealing with more and more refrozen snow and breakable crust. It sounds like the Sverdrup is going to have significant tip-shovel rocker (i.e. like the Ingstad)- which SUCKS when breaking trail in breakable ice and crud.
Don't get me wrong- I would love to try the Sverdrup, (and the Nansen) but I don't think it would be as versatile as the Nansen in my local backcountry context.
Right now, I think the Ingstad is going to be what I thought the Transnordic 66 would be (perfect backcountry ski), and the 66 will come out when things are right for the offtrack Crown base.
Why do you think that the Ingstad is more the "perfect" ski than the TN66? Do you have a lot of deep cold snow and steep terrain that you want to tour in?
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
