For making alpine turns in powder, it makes a big difference whether you're on fat, rockered powder skis, or skinnier, straighter, old-fashioned skis. Unfortunately, powder skis tend to be heavy and far from ideal for uphill / cross-country travel.
Is skiing powder on skinny skis similarly difficult when making telemark turns? Or by moving the outside ski forward, can you somehow finesse the skis into the turn despite the fact that they've sunk into the snow and don't want to rotate?
I'd like to start backcountry skiing and I'm wondering if it's worth it to learn to ski telemark as a way of using a nordic touring setup (or similar) without sacrificing the fun on steep descents. I tend to stay out of the fall line and avoid the more extreme lines and still have fun, so I'm totally content with going slow and steady downhill if it means more easily accessing remote environments and untracked powder.
Is skiing powder on skinny skis similarly difficult when making telemark turns? Or by moving the outside ski forward, can you somehow finesse the skis into the turn despite the fact that they've sunk into the snow and don't want to rotate?
I'd like to start backcountry skiing and I'm wondering if it's worth it to learn to ski telemark as a way of using a nordic touring setup (or similar) without sacrificing the fun on steep descents. I tend to stay out of the fall line and avoid the more extreme lines and still have fun, so I'm totally content with going slow and steady downhill if it means more easily accessing remote environments and untracked powder.