Asnes Gamme 54 or Amundsen

[lilcliffy]

All of my skiing is in the UP of Michigan in hilly terrain.

I have both the Gamme 54 BC and the current Amundsen BC-

- the Gamme 54 does have a shorter turn radius
- the Amundsen is more stable- especially in deep snow; crust; multilayered snow

However- the Gamme 54 does not have a short turn radius from a dowhhill perspective-
the turning benefits of the Gamme 54 vs Amundsen can really be only fully realized in open terrain-
if you are coming down steep and tight lines (ie woods trails and or glades)- you will need to use step/jump/striding turns with either of theses skis.

For example- in my local backcountry touring contexts- densely forested hilly terrain- I don't really see any benefit of the Gamme 54 over the Amudsen.

[tkarhu]

@lilcliffy For sure that is true, too! Do you get big dumps of snowfall where you ski? I have got the impression that you tend to prefer deep snow skis, for example Amundsen and Combat NATO.

For me, the Green Man Gammes (previous model) have worked well in ~30 cm powder.

[Manney]

That’s a good point @tkarhu. Was thinking about that when composing a reply to a member from Bozeman.

It’s not how much snow you get but how it arrives. An inch a day means consolidated snow… pretty much all the time. (The previous days’ snow will consolidate and the snow of the day will merely dust it.j

Nothing for a week or ten days, followed by a foot of snow will can translate into deep pow for two days, consolidated snow for 3-4 days, and wet cement for a few days if it is warm enough.

One is interior snow, the other is more coastal. The Great Lakes are all over the map.

[mca80]

Excellent points @Manney, and kinda why I was trying to figure out how to formulate the question to that guy re type of snow, and guide my response re the two skis he asked about with respect to his snow, having spent a total of 1 day in Bozeman area hiking in light snow myself but no skiing. Upper midwest with Superior lake effect can be all types indeed.

[Manney]

Yeah, it’s weird. It didn’t even come to mind at first… the discussion that followed got me thinking (which is rare on Monday). Started thinking about Sierra Cement and NE blizzards… how the snow is so different than the Midwest.

We get crazy stuff here too, but some years it’s just the relentless grind winter every day that can build the most consistent conditions. Never worry about floatation in those conditions.

Idk what New Brunswick Canada is like. Kinda like Maine, maybe? If so, would explain @lilcliffy’s reflex towards float tho.

[mca80]

My guess is big dumps from nor easters or whatnot, and lots of freeze thaw cycles based on what he has written before. So a big dump is a flag to high tail it out and get as much skiing done in good conditions.

All of this, and the new thread, bring to mind that much of this is a game of compromise. Snow conditions vary SO much based on age, humidity, wind and a million other factors that trying to find perfect gear for particular conditions isn't a task worth pursuing.

[lilcliffy]

@lilcliffy For sure that is true, too! Do you get big dumps of snowfall where you ski? I have got the impression that you tend to prefer deep snow skis, for example Amundsen and Combat NATO.

For me, the Green Man Gammes (previous model) have worked well in ~30 cm powder.

Yes- we do get big dumps of snow- we get coastal storms, but are far enough inland- and high-enough- that storms that produce heavy wet snow/ice/freezing rain in coastal NB/NS/ME- produce big snow events here. We are also far enough inland that we get western flows as well. It rains or snows almost every day of the year here in the Central Hills- in winter fresh snow almost every day, which consolidates- punctuated by big snow storms.

And I should say that I think the Gamme 54 is a superbly stable in deep snow- the Gamme 54 is a remarkably versatile BC-XC ski. I just think it is important for one to acknoweldge that one needs a lot of open terrain to truly take advantage of the extra sidecut and rocker that the Gamme has over the Amundsen. I do love cranking a wide-open turn on the Gamme when I get a chance (as I do on the Amundsen as well)- but, most of the time I am using step/striding/jump turns with both the Gamme, and the Amundsen.

I use both the Gamme and the Amundsen as distance-oriented trail skis in hlly terrain- constant transitions and steep, twisty descents.

If the snow is good for glade skiing- I take a more downhill-oriented ski.

I think that- at least below treeline- many reach for the Gamme over the Amundsen, because their geometry makes them "easier to turn"- when neither of them are "easy to turn" in steep tight terrain. And the Amundsen is even more stable; a better trail-breaker (especially in crust); and a more efficient XC ski in all conditions. The Amundsen is probably overlooked by some- when it perhaps shouldn't be.

If I was on a distance-oriented tour- above treeline- with loads of room to turn- I would definitely want the Gamme vs the Amundsen.

[YooperXC]

It looks like the Gamme will be the right choice to replace my E99's when the time comes.

Sport Albert has your Gamme in stock.

https://www.sportalbert.de/åsnes-backco ... 00_p.dpage

This is where I ordered mine from last year. Couldn’t find them anywhere else.

Been a great all around ski for me. I use them with Xplore bindings and Alpina Alaska XP.

Sportalbert has the Gamme in 200 cm and 210 cm, but at $500 without bindings is steep. I will attempt to use my E99 tours for this season since they are so similar to the Gammes. I am sure the bug will bite and I will purchase a pair this year, hoping to find them on sale.

[YooperXC]

@YooperXC at 182 pounds and carrying a daypack, water, layers and mittens etc, while on my 200 cm Gammes, I do often think about the 210. I have the earlier model Green Man ski and I did get it used. It does not have nearly even close to the camber of my brand new TN 66 Crown 205's. The TN66 appears to have more Nordic rocker. I haven't even mounted the 66's yet. The Gamme is a great ski as is and I can always shorten the wax pocket and or skin for more speed. The Gamme does seem to drag the pocket some and I do feel 205cm is a good sweet spot for me in a double camber ski. Hope this helps.
Why does your TN 66 Crown sit in the shed?

My second XC purchase was a 200 cm TN 66's that I found were slow due to drag. Sold them and purchased the 205 cm and at the same time I came across the used pair of E99's. I think the main reason the TN 66 205 cm sit in the shed is that the E99's are so much fun. I did a comparison between the two on a ski trip with my friend. We switched skis throughout the trip and it was clear that the E99 wax base had better glide than the TN 66. Grip was superior on the TN 66 in certain conditions, but applying Polar grip wax to the entire base (light coat) made the grip on the E99's similar to the waxless base of the TN 66, if not better. The TN 66 is still slow to me.

[YooperXC]

My suggestion is to weigh gear. Doing it individually invites error… weight scale errors are magnified at the low and high end.

Weigh self in skivvies (base weight). Then wear gear… base, mid, outer layer, socks, boots, gloves, ski pants, gaiters, beanie. Add poles, helmet, goggles. Record results.

Add pack, filling it with hardware normally taken, spare mitts etc. wax, scraper, gps or avi beacon or elt, tent, bag, plus filled water bladders/CamelBak. Record results. (Food varies by mission but anything packaged will include a very accurate indication of weight, allowing you to factor in this weight if you’re brushing up against the top of a BC ski length).

Now you have dry, mid, and full-up weight. Three benchmarks, the heaviest two used for ski selection and interpolation. Can add to these if your base weight changes.

Do this at the beginning of each season. Use it as a gear check day, so examine the condition of equipment before the ski season starts.

At my current birthday suit weight, plus clothing, boots, gear the 210 cm is a clear choice. For some reason I am always concerned with losing grip when choosing the next weight class of ski. I did this on my Excursion 88's (199 cm) and I am happy I did. I probably would have really liked the TN 66 if I chose the 210 cm.

All of my skiing is in the UP of Michigan in hilly terrain.

I have both the Gamme 54 BC and the current Amundsen BC-

- the Gamme 54 does have a shorter turn radius
- the Amundsen is more stable- especially in deep snow; crust; multilayered snow

However- the Gamme 54 does not have a short turn radius from a dowhhill perspective-
the turning benefits of the Gamme 54 vs Amundsen can really be only fully realized in open terrain-
if you are coming down steep and tight lines (ie woods trails and or glades)- you will need to use step/jump/striding turns with either of theses skis.

For example- in my local backcountry touring contexts- densely forested hilly terrain- I don't really see any benefit of the Gamme 54 over the Amudsen.

Now this is interesting.....Given that the Amundsen is more stable in deep snow; crust; multilayered snow it seems that the Amundsen has a slight advantage over the Gamme as a multiuse ski.

Crust and deep snow is common in the UP.