Hey Dave, I've been watching all your YT posts over the last 6 months which have helped me enormously in rediscovering some alpine skills that I've lost over the years and, more importantly, learn tons of new up-to-the-minute info on all things related to ski mountaineering. This was in preparation for last week's ski touring mission in Austria with my two sons, both now better skiers and alpinists than I ever was! Your content is outstanding, and it has been sooo helpful to me. Many, many thanks, and please keep it up. hat tip, Sir!
Nice stuff! I got tired of collapsible poles breaking so now i just use resort poles with bike tape 😅. Am looking for something like a movable grip like some ice tools have, but for the poles, so i have something to grip when i invert them for short/easy snow climbs Ski wise ive been eyeing those QST echos for the same purposes so glad to hear they do that job well. My "default ski" right now is the Salomon MTN Carbon 96, since i am usually in variable snow and end up bootpacking a good amount, but when I'm on more straightforward missions with decent snow I'd like a more skiing-focused option. Also swapped to atk bindings this year after too many plastic things breaking on me with other styles. Couldn't be happier
I am a leash man. Brakes don’t hold a ski on a steep firm slope. You are probably tired, maybe have cold hands, when transitioning, so leashes really help. You can fasten both skis together for security. If you ski avalanche terrain, have a break free connection.
Hey Dave, thanks for sharing your ski quiver! Thumbs up and immediate like for the mentioned suggestion regarding skin attachment notch on QST 106 Echo. This is exactly what I told Salomon but unfortunately, nothing is done so far.
I just switched from 2015 Line Sir Francis Bacon to Blizzard Hustle 10 in the longest length. Both paired with a Shift 13. Happy with those so far. Roughly 400g per ski lighter now. But i find the base speed to get them turning well is higher than the SFB, but those already were generally faster than the average guy in a guided touring group.
Poles. Prefer adjustable, otherwise you ski down with your hand down the pole and they are awkward/ unbalanced. Ok for short stretches. If I use a fixed pole, I tape at a lower position. One thing I now have is a Black Diamond Whippet head. Definitely a must have on a slope too steep/ firm to stop . Wrist loops, absolutely agree. You can’t do a pole arrest with them. (Amazing how many videos you see of folk sliding down slopes, not knowing they could pole arrest) One thing I do have is a light elastic leash, tied about 1/3 the way down the pole with a loop around your wrist. When you stop you can let go, if you take a slide, your pole is not left back up the hill. And of course you can’t drop it and lose it down the slope.
I got a pair or Armada Locator 96 for my long day/couloir ski. I just wrapped up a hut tour in the Adamello area and the skis were great on the high alpine terrain, wind buffed fresh snow, corn, ice, and back country moguls. Looking forward to getting them out for some long spring tours in AK this spring. Might be something worth considering instead of the enforcer.
I see a lot of freeride skiers going for the rustler 10 rather than the 11 just because it has a bit more stability for its size. Personally i like the 10. Eitherway love to see the ruslter in your quiver!
Forgive me if you know this stuff already but I saw an opportunity to help one of my favorite outdoor lunatics with something and I couldn't resist. I spent a lot of time learning about edge angles, ski geometry, and how they affect ski performance because I had the exact same problem you have. Since you cant really change your ski geometry/profile/camber/etc. the most tunable features are the edge angles. All else equal, a flatter and more neutral base angle is going to make your ski grab easier and hold your edge more than if your base angle were higher. Small differences make a big difference. The wider the ski the flatter you want your base angle for the same about of grabbiness. To get your skis to release a little earlier, increase the base angle. The up side is that this is very easy to do...but it much harder to undo, so you have take it easy. Swix sells a consumer market edge profiler with adjustments for the side and base angles. I found that 0.75 degrees off of flat on skis over 110 with low camber is a good compromise. If your skis are more traditionally cambered I would probably guess over 1 degree is going to be where you land. As for the side angle, I mostly sharpen mine to whatever gets me closest to a 89 degree compound edge angle (side + base) which I find is sharp enough to hold a carve on hard pack while being durable enough to last. Anyway, sorry for the essay. Thanks for your insights. I am big fan.
Thank you actually! Yes this is almost my next topic for nerding out on. I’ve generally been running all my skis at at 1deg bevel. Something I want to play around with more. Thanks for your insights!
Faction Agent 3 is an excellent all Mt and powder ski 106 underfoot I have it in 183 and 177. Agent 4 is the best powder ski I have been on 116 underfoot mine are 185 the Pow Collab has fun graphics and weighs just 3.5 kg
Dave, nice, this is helpful. Are you about 180cm tall? Maybe a bit less? You're also lean. I'm just comparing to myself, and maybe what I like and should or should not be skiing. I'm always looking and learning. Thanks man!
16:30 instead of the Nordica Enforcer 94 - try the Blizzard ZeroG 105, with a ATK Freeraider binding: super stable and consistent in steep couloirs, and great float once the couloir is in your rear mirrors and you sail down the powder cone. Just one very crucial thing: put the binding on the second more progressive mount point at +1.5 cm from the recommended traditionnal mount point which is rather far back (i e. on the newer models Blizzard does indicate both mount points, just take the left mount point more towards the tip). This will change the experience on this ski entirely and make it a lot more playful and surfy yet with the same stability in creepy steep terrain.
I ride a 2 year old set of the ZeroG 105s on the G3 ZED12, and I love love love them. With the forward mount you recommended, they’re playful, stable, and handle a mixture of conditions spectacularly. They’re my favorite touring ski I’ve ever tried by a country mile. Plus at 6’6” being able to get them in anything close enough to long enough mattered.
Thanks for sharing your quiver! As flatlander, I cannot defend having a ski quiver like you but I'd like to upgrade my allround ski. I am currently using the Atomic Backland 85, which barely floats very well, flaps around a lot and feels horrible when the snow gets less than ideal. As I am generally not the speed determining factor on the uphill, I was looking into the Hagan Boost 94 to replace them. What do you think? What would be your recommendation for one quiver skis? I was also looking into the Hagan Core 92, but am really not sure.
I love the Blizzard ZeroG 105 or smaller as a versatile one-ski quiver. Light, runs adequately on hard stuff, well on powder, GREAT on corn… it’s an excellent versatile ski.
Great video, Dave! I got some of my clothing and bindings because of your videos and really happy with the outcome! Looking forward to seeing what skis you end up on.
One ski to rule them all? (Mine is Atomic Backland UL78. So light, holds an edge very well. But obviously not the best in powder, and you can’t throw sideways so comfortably…all are a compromise.)
Hmm, I don’t think that would work. Dave says the Enforcer Unlimited is his firm snow, big day ski. The QST 98 is way more soft snow oriented than the Enforcer 94. And probably heavier too?
Great video as always! Have you ever tried the day maker touring setup? Thinking of getting it just for short tours when I still want to use my alpine boots. Edit: also just noticed the drill holder made from an old boot: genius!
I’ve not used it but I’ve seen people faffing around with them and honestly unless you are doing something very easy and short I would just get a hybrid binding like the shift or cast system.
Great video ! Great quiver for any type of skiing / snow What do think are the main differences between the ATK Freeraider and the standard Raider ? Does the heel drivers make that much of a difference ?
The difference is in the release values and the Freeride spacer. You can retro fit the Freeride spacer on the raider though and it’s about the same thing.
You ski in Chamonix, what about the local pride - Blackcrows? Very happy with main. I demoed the rustler and was very disappointed with them, for me it felt like they don't have teeth or backbone.
Dynastar would be a better way to support local industry as they're manufactured 15mins away from Cham, whereas Atomic make Black Crows skis in Austria & China.
@@DaveSearle yeah blackcrows have their style, it's for everybody. Very legitimate. Otherwise they are more on the freesking box, not really sure how you prefer to ski when you are not guiding
@@WhimsHealthJourney - The M-Free's not bad, but yes Black Crows prob shades Dynastar's range on looks. If you notice the skis on your feet a minute after setting off down the slope...
Interesting vid! I also had the prerelease problem with ATK FR14. ATK told me to closen up heel gap to 2 mm. Is yours still at 4mm? Still have to test if the problem happens again. I ski them with ripstick black 106, so sort of comparable setup as echo 106 I guess
I spoke to ATK about this and this is something they only recommend in certain situations on a case by case basis. I still have mine set at 4mm and no problems now I’ve cranked the release value up.
0:15 Is that a Subaru Crosstrek / XV? Always curious why Subaru has not gained popularity in Europe (in mountain towns specifically). Its relatively inexpensive, relatively reliable, size-wise, its relatively compatible with European roads, and with a very competent AWD system, but its seems no one cares. In a US ski area, the car park would be 40%+ Subarus, and if you are in Vermont, maybe 60%+ Also - you ... tow with it? Anything other than a skate board or perhaps a children's bicycle would be quite a struggle, I imagine.
Yeah it’s a XV. I kinda like for the reasons you’ve listed but because they aren’t that popular the servicing costs seem a bit higher. I rarely if ever need the AWD and this is a diesel engine which is just not that good compared to its petrol counterpart. The Ephev version looks good and I would get one of those if that was an option for me (no plans to upgrade at this stage unfortunately…) the toe ball is for a Thule epos bike rack which is about the best bike rack you can get in Europe at the moment since we don’t have the square tube hitch mounts that you have in the USA (they aren’t legal). Never tried pulling a trailer with this car but I’m sure it wouldn’t be much fun.
Hey Dave, I've been watching all your YT posts over the last 6 months which have helped me enormously in rediscovering some alpine skills that I've lost over the years and, more importantly, learn tons of new up-to-the-minute info on all things related to ski mountaineering. This was in preparation for last week's ski touring mission in Austria with my two sons, both now better skiers and alpinists than I ever was! Your content is outstanding, and it has been sooo helpful to me. Many, many thanks, and please keep it up. hat tip, Sir!
Thanks for the kind words Jeremy! Glad you have found it interesting and informative!
14:46 Try the Scott Sea 108 (new launch for season 2024/25) - similar shape as the Salomon Echo 106, equally stable but a lot more playful
Nice stuff! I got tired of collapsible poles breaking so now i just use resort poles with bike tape 😅. Am looking for something like a movable grip like some ice tools have, but for the poles, so i have something to grip when i invert them for short/easy snow climbs
Ski wise ive been eyeing those QST echos for the same purposes so glad to hear they do that job well. My "default ski" right now is the Salomon MTN Carbon 96, since i am usually in variable snow and end up bootpacking a good amount, but when I'm on more straightforward missions with decent snow I'd like a more skiing-focused option.
Also swapped to atk bindings this year after too many plastic things breaking on me with other styles. Couldn't be happier
I am a leash man. Brakes don’t hold a ski on a steep firm slope.
You are probably tired, maybe have cold hands, when transitioning, so leashes really help. You can fasten both skis together for security.
If you ski avalanche terrain, have a break free connection.
Hey Dave, thanks for sharing your ski quiver! Thumbs up and immediate like for the mentioned suggestion regarding skin attachment notch on QST 106 Echo. This is exactly what I told Salomon but unfortunately, nothing is done so far.
I just switched from 2015 Line Sir Francis Bacon to Blizzard Hustle 10 in the longest length. Both paired with a Shift 13.
Happy with those so far. Roughly 400g per ski lighter now. But i find the base speed to get them turning well is higher than the SFB, but those already were generally faster than the average guy in a guided touring group.
Poles.
Prefer adjustable, otherwise you ski down with your hand down the pole and they are awkward/ unbalanced. Ok for short stretches. If I use a fixed pole, I tape at a lower position.
One thing I now have is a Black Diamond Whippet head. Definitely a must have on a slope too steep/ firm to stop .
Wrist loops, absolutely agree. You can’t do a pole arrest with them. (Amazing how many videos you see of folk sliding down slopes, not knowing they could pole arrest)
One thing I do have is a light elastic leash, tied about 1/3 the way down the pole with a loop around your wrist. When you stop you can let go, if you take a slide, your pole is not left back up the hill. And of course you can’t drop it and lose it down the slope.
I got a pair or Armada Locator 96 for my long day/couloir ski. I just wrapped up a hut tour in the Adamello area and the skis were great on the high alpine terrain, wind buffed fresh snow, corn, ice, and back country moguls. Looking forward to getting them out for some long spring tours in AK this spring. Might be something worth considering instead of the enforcer.
Thanks for sharing!
One issue with the ATK Bindings is that the brakes are too thin and if you loose a ski, especially a wider ski they do not catch/bite in the snow.
I see a lot of freeride skiers going for the rustler 10 rather than the 11 just because it has a bit more stability for its size. Personally i like the 10. Eitherway love to see the ruslter in your quiver!
Not tried the rustler 10 but would like too!
great to learn about those atk toe adjustment plates. that will solve a couple problems for me on some Swiss-cheese skis.
🙌
Forgive me if you know this stuff already but I saw an opportunity to help one of my favorite outdoor lunatics with something and I couldn't resist.
I spent a lot of time learning about edge angles, ski geometry, and how they affect ski performance because I had the exact same problem you have. Since you cant really change your ski geometry/profile/camber/etc. the most tunable features are the edge angles. All else equal, a flatter and more neutral base angle is going to make your ski grab easier and hold your edge more than if your base angle were higher. Small differences make a big difference. The wider the ski the flatter you want your base angle for the same about of grabbiness. To get your skis to release a little earlier, increase the base angle. The up side is that this is very easy to do...but it much harder to undo, so you have take it easy. Swix sells a consumer market edge profiler with adjustments for the side and base angles. I found that 0.75 degrees off of flat on skis over 110 with low camber is a good compromise. If your skis are more traditionally cambered I would probably guess over 1 degree is going to be where you land. As for the side angle, I mostly sharpen mine to whatever gets me closest to a 89 degree compound edge angle (side + base) which I find is sharp enough to hold a carve on hard pack while being durable enough to last.
Anyway, sorry for the essay. Thanks for your insights. I am big fan.
Thank you actually! Yes this is almost my next topic for nerding out on. I’ve generally been running all my skis at at 1deg bevel. Something I want to play around with more. Thanks for your insights!
Faction Agent 3 is an excellent all Mt and powder ski 106 underfoot I have it in 183 and 177. Agent 4 is the best powder ski I have been on 116 underfoot mine are 185 the Pow Collab has fun graphics and weighs just 3.5 kg
Thanks men for the amazing video ❤
Once again, the absolute chad chin on the cat.
😂
With that many skis, most must last a long time.
Do you buy new, sell / pass on used ones when you see something, must have, shiny and new?
Dave, nice, this is helpful. Are you about 180cm tall? Maybe a bit less? You're also lean. I'm just comparing to myself, and maybe what I like and should or should not be skiing. I'm always looking and learning. Thanks man!
16:30 instead of the Nordica Enforcer 94 - try the Blizzard ZeroG 105, with a ATK Freeraider binding: super stable and consistent in steep couloirs, and great float once the couloir is in your rear mirrors and you sail down the powder cone. Just one very crucial thing: put the binding on the second more progressive mount point at +1.5 cm from the recommended traditionnal mount point which is rather far back (i e. on the newer models Blizzard does indicate both mount points, just take the left mount point more towards the tip). This will change the experience on this ski entirely and make it a lot more playful and surfy yet with the same stability in creepy steep terrain.
I ride a 2 year old set of the ZeroG 105s on the G3 ZED12, and I love love love them. With the forward mount you recommended, they’re playful, stable, and handle a mixture of conditions spectacularly. They’re my favorite touring ski I’ve ever tried by a country mile. Plus at 6’6” being able to get them in anything close enough to long enough mattered.
That cat is a furry version of Ron Perlman. Love it!
🤣😂🤣
Thanks for sharing your quiver!
As flatlander, I cannot defend having a ski quiver like you but I'd like to upgrade my allround ski.
I am currently using the Atomic Backland 85, which barely floats very well, flaps around a lot and feels horrible when the snow gets less than ideal.
As I am generally not the speed determining factor on the uphill, I was looking into the Hagan Boost 94 to replace them. What do you think? What would be your recommendation for one quiver skis? I was also looking into the Hagan Core 92, but am really not sure.
I’m not very familiar with the Hagen skis but I seems like they are focused on lightweight rather than versatility.
I love the Blizzard ZeroG 105 or smaller as a versatile one-ski quiver. Light, runs adequately on hard stuff, well on powder, GREAT on corn… it’s an excellent versatile ski.
@@DaveSearle you got any recommendations regarding underfoot width for the alps? 85 seems too slim.
Great video, Dave! I got some of my clothing and bindings because of your videos and really happy with the outcome!
Looking forward to seeing what skis you end up on.
Thanks Chris!
One ski to rule them all?
(Mine is Atomic Backland UL78. So light, holds an edge very well. But obviously not the best in powder, and you can’t throw sideways so comfortably…all are a compromise.)
Love the RAB apparel...why don't you ski for Salomon anymore?
It’s a bit of a story but I basically wasn’t getting what I wanted out of the relationship.
Have you tried the Salomon QST 98 as a candidate to replace your Nordica Enforcer 94?
Hmm, I don’t think that would work. Dave says the Enforcer Unlimited is his firm snow, big day ski. The QST 98 is way more soft snow oriented than the Enforcer 94. And probably heavier too?
Great video as always! Have you ever tried the day maker touring setup? Thinking of getting it just for short tours when I still want to use my alpine boots.
Edit: also just noticed the drill holder made from an old boot: genius!
I’ve not used it but I’ve seen people faffing around with them and honestly unless you are doing something very easy and short I would just get a hybrid binding like the shift or cast system.
Not worth the money. Not worth it even if youre getting paid to use em.
pomoca pinks with black diamond tips and tail would be the best skin imo
You could probably make that with off the roll skins.
Great video ! Great quiver for any type of skiing / snow
What do think are the main differences between the ATK Freeraider and the standard Raider ? Does the heel drivers make that much of a difference ?
The difference is in the release values and the Freeride spacer. You can retro fit the Freeride spacer on the raider though and it’s about the same thing.
You ski in Chamonix, what about the local pride - Blackcrows? Very happy with main.
I demoed the rustler and was very disappointed with them, for me it felt like they don't have teeth or backbone.
Dynastar would be a better way to support local industry as they're manufactured 15mins away from Cham, whereas Atomic make Black Crows skis in Austria & China.
Black crows haven’t really appealed to me tbh. I’m sure they make good skis though.
@@Benzknees but dynaster don't make pretty skis.. well at least in my opinion
@@DaveSearle yeah blackcrows have their style, it's for everybody. Very legitimate. Otherwise they are more on the freesking box, not really sure how you prefer to ski when you are not guiding
@@WhimsHealthJourney - The M-Free's not bad, but yes Black Crows prob shades Dynastar's range on looks. If you notice the skis on your feet a minute after setting off down the slope...
Black crows should sponsor you!! ;)
Nice thought…
Where the FIS ski at? Can’t have a dream quiver without at least one pair of FIS ski.😉
It’s true. It’s fair from my dream quiver. I will have to rectify… more skis!
Interesting vid! I also had the prerelease problem with ATK FR14. ATK told me to closen up heel gap to 2 mm. Is yours still at 4mm? Still have to test if the problem happens again. I ski them with ripstick black 106, so sort of comparable setup as echo 106 I guess
I spoke to ATK about this and this is something they only recommend in certain situations on a case by case basis. I still have mine set at 4mm and no problems now I’ve cranked the release value up.
Thanks for all the great content!
Do you ski all your skis on the manufacturers recommended line?
More or less yes!
The rustler 11 you use for hard charging on powder days and the odd short tour?
Yeah but I wish they were longer!
what size QST Blanks do you ski? 186? Also, mind sharing your height and weight? thanks.
Yes I ski the 186cm and I’m 180cm and 70kg but I almost always have a bag on so more like 75-80kg
Interesting that u ride the blanks with the atk evo 15. What boots do you use for them?
Zero g tour pro! Much fun!
@@DaveSearle alrighty! And u like the combo with the blanks i assume? Just wondering since the blanks are in quite different weight spec
With the ATK binding, don't the brake pad & plastic boot supports stop the rear binding from releasing laterally at the correct DIN?
Nope, they have. sliders on them. Also it’s not din. It’s a release setting.
very beautiful cat 😺
Yes he is!
0:15 Is that a Subaru Crosstrek / XV? Always curious why Subaru has not gained popularity in Europe (in mountain towns specifically). Its relatively inexpensive, relatively reliable, size-wise, its relatively compatible with European roads, and with a very competent AWD system, but its seems no one cares. In a US ski area, the car park would be 40%+ Subarus, and if you are in Vermont, maybe 60%+ Also - you ... tow with it? Anything other than a skate board or perhaps a children's bicycle would be quite a struggle, I imagine.
Yeah it’s a XV. I kinda like for the reasons you’ve listed but because they aren’t that popular the servicing costs seem a bit higher. I rarely if ever need the AWD and this is a diesel engine which is just not that good compared to its petrol counterpart. The Ephev version looks good and I would get one of those if that was an option for me (no plans to upgrade at this stage unfortunately…) the toe ball is for a Thule epos bike rack which is about the best bike rack you can get in Europe at the moment since we don’t have the square tube hitch mounts that you have in the USA (they aren’t legal). Never tried pulling a trailer with this car but I’m sure it wouldn’t be much fun.
do you have any experiences with the atomic backland series? particularily the wider ones (100mm/107mm)?
No experience with their skis.
What are you thinking for your new steep colouir skis? Have you tried out Majesty Superwolf?
I haven’t, maybe I should? I’ve got some faction la machine 2 coming which I have high hopes for!
Cat is made for the camera.
He is!
your cat is a chad
I’ll tell him you said that.
He said it’s better to be a chad than a dweeb. 🤷🏼♂️
The rustler skis short as hell
Agreed!
Try Black Crows. I use the Camox with Kingpins. It's the most fun you can have. Period.
higher microphone volume please
Good feedback thanks!