School me on AT skis/bindings

[Steve]

Thanks for the encouragement. Slim these are not “Free” Rangers. Just Rangers.

 

[charlier]

As so many people are, I'm thinking of buying a setup to do uphill laps at my local hill.

What is the basic scoop on bindings/boots? Are there a few different standards?...

Responding to the OP.
After reading your post and the responses, I have a few thoughts and comments. I was curious if the “uphill skiing” is for staying in shape, getting a few runs in before the area opens (if allowed by the ski area), or eventually expanding to a full-on touring set up.

Expanding on your thoughts for uphill laps at your local ski area. Where do you ski and can you describe you ski style, and your height and weight. All of the this helps give you a better understanding on what you are looking for.

 

[Steve]

I will be skiing at Wachusett. I’m 68, 175lbs, 5’ 8, advanced but not expert PSIA Instructor.

1 lap before lifts open. Exercise, enjoyment. May with time do it more if it feels good.

Will then ski another dozen lift served runs.

 

[charlier]

I will be skiing at Wachusett. I’m 68, 175lbs, 5’ 8, advanced but not expert PSIA Instructor.

1 lap before lifts open. Exercise, enjoyment. May with time do it more if it feels good.

Will then ski another dozen lift served runs.

I suggest trying to put together an inexpensive second ski/boot set up. For exercise, enjoyment, and one lap, light weight gear is not necessary. Getting a bit more specific, what brand and model of alpine boots do you use and do the boots fit you well for alpine skiing. One question on skiing, are you comfortable making kick turns on moderate slopes - mostly for skinning up. I think that we can come up with a solution without spending a lot of money - although purchasing ski boots online is always an issue for correct sizing.

 

[Steve]

There’s only 20 or so posts in the thread and I answer your questions there. Boots fit me great. I have purchased everything already.

 

[Slim]

@Steve , from the pictures, it looks like the shell on those is the same as on the Free Ranger, so that should walk fine. The liners you have might be a bit less flexiblebut it should still be quite doable.

 

[Noodler]

So @Steve please report back. Have you been doing your 1 lap before the lifts open? How's it working out?

 

[Steve]

It’s been going well. Boots and bindings working great. We love it.

 

[Steve]

More time to write now. The frame bindings for the 600-1000 vertical feet on groomed trails seem perfectly fine. I don't find that I lift my heel up that much, it's more of a pushing forward off the other heel movement. I've watched others, younger and better fit, pass us on the uphill often and they do tend to lift their feet and even the skis up more. My understanding is that it should be more of a slide than a step and that's working for me.

So in that case the weight of the gear seems a lot less impactful. Lighter boots and bindings (and even skis) would clearly be a lot easier for the folks I see pass us all the time. With my style it just doesn't seem that I'm lifting all that weight up much.

Thoughts?

 

[Slim]

My understanding is that it should be more of a slide than a step and that's working for me.
So in that case the weight of the gear seems a lot less impactful. Lighter boots and bindings (and even skis) would clearly be a lot easier for the folks I see pass us all the time. With my style it just doesn't seem that I'm lifting all that weight up much.

Thoughts?

Frame or tech bindings, with both the ski should stay on the snow, but your heel should come up. That is the weight you are lifting with a frame binding: the connecting frame and binding heel unit.

There is nothing that makes it impossible to ski big tours with frame bindings. A friend of mine only bought new boots and skis with tech bindings this year, he has been skiing big multi-way tours in the Alps for over 10 years on heavy boots and frame bindings.

Think of it in biking terms: all the famous mountain passes were ridden on bikes weighing twice as much as the current Tour de France race bikes.

That said, lighter gear, and better striding boots, are certainly easier.

I can not really say what the difference feels like, because besides the switch from frame to tech bindings, the skis I mounted them on are much lighter too. So, the fact that it was much easier on my snee set up is only very partly down to tech vs frame binding differences.

 

[Primoz]

@Slim true. I did plenty of tours on my Rossi Super RD and Marker Duke, including tours with 20km and 3000m of ascend. It's possible, but thing is, it feels much much nicer to do that same tour on Soul7 mounted with Dynafit Speed Turn But for something that would take me 300m of ascend I wouldn't worry at all, not to mention most of frame bindings ski better then pin bindings does.