March 11, 2000


What type of backcountry skis should I get?

Your Gearness, I am ready to move beyond the X-country skis that I have been using for years. The winter areas that I play in have steep hills with obstacles like large boulders and trees. I need some skis that I can steer around the hard spots on the steep slopes but still use to glide across the flatlands and climb hills. What type of backcountry skis will replace my X-country skis? Any recommendation for a binding to go with my new skis?

— Fred, Kodiak, Alaska

So, do you want just a good backcountry ski, or a full-on telemark setup? For steep terrain and lots of turns, the latter might be what you need. Something like a pair of Black Diamond Arc Demons ($385) and Scarpa Terminator Two boots ($425). A setup like that would give you some real turning power, along with enough flex for touring.

Still, that is a pretty serious setup, when maybe what you want is more of an '"exploring'" ski/boot combo that will take you off the groomed trails and into the backcountry. For this type of setup, I'd start with something like a set of Karhu 10th Mountain skis ($250). These are excellent skis for backcountry use with a little telemarking thrown in -- good flex, excellent float, no-wax base for easy climbing, and metal edges. A good boot/binding combination would be the Trak XCD Double ($300) and Voile 3-pins ($40). This is a classic Nordic setup -- very rugged, and with pretty good turning capability. If the XCD seems like too much boot, and it might, step down a notch to a Trak's Express ($150). Still a good boot, but more flex than the Double. Stay away from the Salomon-type bindings that have a single horizontal pin. They're great for track touring, but don't give you the solid connection to the ski that you need for backcountry travel.

You should be able to find some good buys on this stuff right now, so shop around.