Tried out the new AT gear today.
Not the most colorful kit.
Replacing my ‘wide’ ski, Wayback 106, with something a hair less wide, a Backland 100 (on the left) mostly for our upcoming trip to Europe in March. Blame @jmeb .
This is also a really light ski, 1424g, for a 188 cm long, 100mm wide ski!
Ihave it mounted with the ATK Crest 10. Shimmed the toe piece because the high ramp angle on those doesn’t work well for me.
Skied well today on a messy blue groomer, but will have put it in some more demanding terrain to really sus it out. The Wayback skied great for me: strong enough, but easy to slarve and picot, even in deeper funky snow and at slower speeds.
Then the Backland 85 UL. Replacing a Faction Agent 1.0. Same length and width, but much lighter. The Agents were quite heavy for a touring ski, and the 85 UL are some of the lightest.
Since I know have a bigger ski that isn’t quite so wide, and lighter than the Agent 1.0, I didn’t need a beefy ‘skinny ski’ in the touring quiver.
Not only saves a lot of weight, but all reports indicate a stronger edge hood too. And, a less curved up tail will be easier to naam in snow to keep them secure or build an anchor,
While I was at it, I swapped out the Crest bindings for the Haute Route’s(Well, BD Helio’s, losing the brakes and length compensation, but retaining the adjustable lateral and vertical release, length adjustment and crampon hooks.
Final piece of the upgrade was Backland Carbon boots (thanks @onenerdykid) Replacing my Dalbello Quantum Free boots.
Ironically, these (well the old version with the Boa) were in the running for my first new AT boots 2 years ago, because they fit my foot very well, and walked amazing. But, at the time I was worried they would be supportive enough, especially with my fairly wide skis. But since then I got the Quantum Free’s, found out they are not that stiff, and that was fine for me.
The Backlands fit me even better than the Quantums, ski the same, weigh a lot less and have a much shorter outsole (also because I had to size up in the Quantum’s, and because they are ISO 9523 compliant for Shift, Kingpin and frame bindings). But, the shorter sole walks better on rock, and strides a hair better on skis too. It might be for the best, because the delay got me an updated, much better liner (which I haven’t used yet, because I had Palau liners in my Quantum’s, already molded for me) and better buckles.
Combining Boots, skis and bindings (on the skinny skis), I saved 815 grams total for the wide set up, and 1325 grams for the narrow ski set up.
85UL‘s feel absolutely amazing on the up with those bindings and boots, it’s like sneakers!
And, on the descent they skied great too, easy to pivot and skid, but fun, lively carving with great bite too.
Not the most colorful kit.
Replacing my ‘wide’ ski, Wayback 106, with something a hair less wide, a Backland 100 (on the left) mostly for our upcoming trip to Europe in March. Blame @jmeb .
This is also a really light ski, 1424g, for a 188 cm long, 100mm wide ski!
Ihave it mounted with the ATK Crest 10. Shimmed the toe piece because the high ramp angle on those doesn’t work well for me.
Skied well today on a messy blue groomer, but will have put it in some more demanding terrain to really sus it out. The Wayback skied great for me: strong enough, but easy to slarve and picot, even in deeper funky snow and at slower speeds.
Then the Backland 85 UL. Replacing a Faction Agent 1.0. Same length and width, but much lighter. The Agents were quite heavy for a touring ski, and the 85 UL are some of the lightest.
Since I know have a bigger ski that isn’t quite so wide, and lighter than the Agent 1.0, I didn’t need a beefy ‘skinny ski’ in the touring quiver.
Not only saves a lot of weight, but all reports indicate a stronger edge hood too. And, a less curved up tail will be easier to naam in snow to keep them secure or build an anchor,
While I was at it, I swapped out the Crest bindings for the Haute Route’s(Well, BD Helio’s, losing the brakes and length compensation, but retaining the adjustable lateral and vertical release, length adjustment and crampon hooks.
Final piece of the upgrade was Backland Carbon boots (thanks @onenerdykid) Replacing my Dalbello Quantum Free boots.
Ironically, these (well the old version with the Boa) were in the running for my first new AT boots 2 years ago, because they fit my foot very well, and walked amazing. But, at the time I was worried they would be supportive enough, especially with my fairly wide skis. But since then I got the Quantum Free’s, found out they are not that stiff, and that was fine for me.
The Backlands fit me even better than the Quantums, ski the same, weigh a lot less and have a much shorter outsole (also because I had to size up in the Quantum’s, and because they are ISO 9523 compliant for Shift, Kingpin and frame bindings). But, the shorter sole walks better on rock, and strides a hair better on skis too. It might be for the best, because the delay got me an updated, much better liner (which I haven’t used yet, because I had Palau liners in my Quantum’s, already molded for me) and better buckles.
Combining Boots, skis and bindings (on the skinny skis), I saved 815 grams total for the wide set up, and 1325 grams for the narrow ski set up.
85UL‘s feel absolutely amazing on the up with those bindings and boots, it’s like sneakers!
And, on the descent they skied great too, easy to pivot and skid, but fun, lively carving with great bite too.
