Minimum viable gear for resort uphill

[magoldbe]

EDIT: sorry I put this in the wrong forum and can't seem to delete it

I mostly ski rolling terrain in parks and forests in PA/NJ/MD and I have exactly one set-up:

Madshus epoch (68mm waist, waxless patterned base)
Rottefella super 3 w/ removable cable
Scarpa t4s

A new friend invited me to do uphill/downhill laps at a small resort - this is basically just a little hill in Pennsylvania with 170' vertical. They only let you use a specific blue/green run for uphilling for a couple hours before they open in the morning. It's called Roundtop, if you've heard of it

I want to try it out, but idk if I'll like this style of skiing, so I don't want to invest in new gear upfront. What do you think is the minimal additional gear I'd need to make this do-able? Climbing skins and leashes? Any skin recs for these skis? I'm a decent tele skier, but haven't been to a resort in over a decade.

I don't mind if it's non-optimal, so long as it's doable and safe. I'll get more appropriate gear if I decide to make it a regular thing.

[CwmRaider]

I've done this type of skiing occasionally. I think leashes and full skins would get you going. I ski without leashes but I understand that they are mandatory on resorts in the US.
For downhill your gear is just fine, I go on much lighter duty gear than T4s, and have fun. Just dont make high speed your priority.
Regarding full length skins - can you borrow any? For this use synthetic should be fine, you'll have poor glide but are not going much distance on the flats with them anyways.
I am surprised how much lift tickets cost there, it is twice the price of our local hill in Norway which has 450m vertical.
Enjoy

[Peter P]

I have Rabb 68s with Xplore bindings and Alfa Free boots and used this setup for the past couple of years to uphill at Steamboat in Colorado. It's a little different than your situation - 2,100 ft of climbing on blue runs. Your setup should be fine, but you'll need skins and leashes. Should definitely meet your requirement of "doable and safe". I built my owns skins (Pomoca Climb Pro S-Glide) from parts from Skimo.co. A full coverage climbing skin will ensure you're not slipping backwards in icy conditions.

If you can find Xplore-branded leashes from Rotte they come with a neat little cleat you can screw onto the top of the ski to attach the leash, if your bindings don't have a convenient spot.

If you're climbing on a blue your calves and achilles tendons will appreciate a heel riser you can flip up.

My issue definitely isn't getting up, it's getting down. My downhill skills are limited so I stick to a green cat track on the way down. I broke bad this year and bought an AT setup to open up the downhill runs I can ski.

[lowangle al]

I've skied Round Top, it's a fun place. You will need leashes, but string or shoe laces should do. Skins will be a big help but if you don't have them yet you could still give it a try. You don't have make it to the top of the mountain, just to the top of the green run would be nice. I don't know the route of the up track, but I remember a nice long green run on the right side of the resort that would be worthwhile on it's own. You could go with what you have and ski down when the climbing gets too steep.

[Capercaillie]

Skiing the Madshus XCD skis at the resort is a trend in Japan:



If scales don't work (no reason not to try), you can get US military surplus Ascension skins for $20USD on eBay. They are really nice skins and you can use them on any XCD skis up to 210cm long. I really like mine.

I use tent cord with little utility carabiners for leashes on my resort XCD setup.

[Lhartley]

Looks like they size them down a bit, be nice to hear rhe translation. I used my m78s at the resort before I put tele bindings on all my AT stuff, honestly wasn't as bad as reputed

[fisheater]

You can apply kick wax to scales, and beyond towards the tip . I have now 3 scaled skis, up 2 from where I was at this time last year. I have dealt with a more XC oriented ski for a few years. I would apply Swix White polar over the entire base including the scales and cork in. I have applied warmer wax over the scales and extended the wax pocket forward. I was definitely able to obtain more grip than without using the kick wax.

[lowangle al]

Round Top actually has 600 feet of vertical. I had to check, I knew it had to be more than 170'. My friend was a patroller there. There was a small group of telemarkers there too.

[mca80]

What you have will work fine for downhill. If they require leashes, as Al suggested use a shoelace or string. You can purchase surplus Black Diamond/Ascension full length skins from amzn for 25 or 30 usd which will make the uphill far, far easier than relying on the scales and wax, though if it's a mild enough slope the latter will work. Assuming you have string lying around, your maximum total investment in this should be no more than 30 bucks.