I saw a guy in Dynafit...

[randoskier]

Last year my wife and I were eating dinner in a Staskog (Norwegian Forest Service) cabin we had rented. It was in the middle of nowhere in Blafjella national park, it is 23km from the nearest trailhead.

We were surprised by a knock on the door around 20:00. It was a German guy with a really heavy pulk and he asked what cabin it was and if it was public. I said no I had rented it from Statskog and got the key before I left for our multi-day tour. It was blowing like crazy, a real blizzard and cold so we invited him in. It is a big cabin with two separate bunkrooms so we told him he could sleep in the other bunkroom.

I could not believe he had randonee skis with Dynafits and a alpine touring boot. The most astonishing thing was the distances he was covering in hard terrain and tough conditions. That day we had skied about 22 km and were beat, it took a long time and a lot of route finding pauses in not the greatest vizz and heavy snow. He had covered over 45km! But the BIGGEST mind-blower was that the previous year he had skied the NPL- that is the length of Norway from the southern tip to the northern tip (the Nordkapp the northern point of the European mainland), on the same randonee skis while pulling a heavily laden pulk. That is a 2500km ski, or 1554 miles. On this next trip he was visiting the areas he had missed on the NPL because of his previous trajectory,

Interesting guy, he is a reservist in the German Army Berg Jaeger (mountain troops). I have no idea why he used AT equipment, but he did not seem interested in all about trying Nordic gear. Somewhere i have pics of him setting off the next morning and he gave me his blog info (in German) which is well done.

This was the cabin- https://www.inatur.no/tilbud/50f81024e4b02488a6045a2e

[Rodbelan]

He sounds like an interesting exception... Imagine what he could do with lighter gear! But that's the way it is; some people prefer gear that they know well. «Better a devil that you know...»

[Transplantskier]

He sounds like an interesting exception... Imagine what he could do with lighter gear! But that's the way it is; some people prefer gear that they know well. «Better a devil that you know...»

If he was on a modern randonee setup then it's entirely possible that his gear was lighter than anything we ski.

Really imagine what we could do if the R&D that makes AT equipment so light trickled down to XCD gear.

[Lhartley]

Beyond the weight of the gear, is the pivot of the binding also a factor in efficiency? I was touring the other day on BD01 with flat camber skis and skins. It was slow going with skins so I removed them and tried in free pivot mode and was slipping really bad. I then locked down the toe so I was in tele mode and despite being on fully glide waxed skis i had the sensation of "grip".

[DG99]

Beyond the weight of the gear, is the pivot of the binding also a factor in efficiency? I was touring the other day on BD01 with flat camber skis and skins. It was slow going with skins so I removed them and tried in free pivot mode and was slipping really bad. I then locked down the toe so I was in tele mode and despite being on fully glide waxed skis i had the sensation of "grip".

I’m fine doing XC on a free pivot. Switchbacks, Scarpa boots, Vector BC fishscales. But I know a lot of people prefer some resistance like 3 pin or a bumper in front of their toe.

The biggest problem with AT is the expense.!! That’s overkill…. Also, can’t telemark.

AT can be just as light as nordic bc, true. But usually it’s heavier.

AT skis give up that bit of extra XC efficiency you get from high or double camber skis. Not a huge deal I think. But, a lot of times AT skiers only have full skins, no XC kick and glide efficiency there.

The most annoying thing is AT can’t telemark, which I’ve found is a problem beyond just aesthetics on low angle or mixed terrain and the like. You either are totally free pivot on AT which is sketchy downhill, or you are totally locked in which makes maneuvering in those conditions more awkward. To me, anyways.

[Lhartley]

I agree. In Kananaskis here in Alberta now that I've dabbled with the free heel this season I wouldn't want to be without it. For nearly every tour here you have a long rolling approach and it'll involve low angle dense trees that are a nightmare on AT gear at times. And nearly everyone here uses AT

[Capercaillie]

If you are pulling a heavy pulk with (I assume) full-length skins, AT skis probably make nice skishoes/ski-raquettes.

[TallGrass]

Anyone ever try grip/kick wax on AT skis?

[lowangle al]

Anyone ever try grip/kick wax on AT skis?

I've done it for years, no problems. (other than typical waxing problems)

[TallGrass]

Anyone ever try grip/kick wax on AT skis?

I've done it for years, no problems. (other than typical waxing problems)

That'd seem to alleviate some of the issue with non-gliding full-length skins.

Then again, many AT are going up steep enough where you need skins instead of wax, so either "just carry one system" and or "even if just training on XC terrain, get used to the setup you'll be using later."

Whatever makes one smile and gets them home safe, I guess.