I could not resist the Asnes spring sale at Neptune last year - I went with the Gamme 54 - 210's - basically the Asnes version of the E99. (at some point in spring all the Asnes skis they have left go on sale). Comparing those two skis - the Gamme 54 camber is the same height off the ground, but the...

re: learning, all I can say is find some consolidated corn like the "youngster" in the photo above. That is where I was able to figure out how to tele turn on light gear. Still flailing in deep powder! As a lifetime alpine skier I found I had to force my legs into tele turn position before starting ...

I'd probably go with Sbound 88's and 78's. For me the simple 3-pin and lightweight boots setup isn't enough to control bigger skis, I have trouble rolling them up on edge, but I have weak foot bones. I've always needed more supportive boots. The 88's will be different with less camber, they should c...

this stuff works great on my Cripi Antarctic and Alico hiking boots…pretty far from being vegan though!

http://bootgrease.com

that's pretty funny, I read that Ute test also! They like Andrew Expedition above all others. The Alico Double from STP is similar, running $300 these days, wonderful quality and durability (if it fits you). These are heavy boots though. IMO all the Crispi boots are light enough to be used for gener...

I'm always surprised that Crispi Antarctic and Sydoplen are left out of these conversations - stiffer and more supportive than Alaska or BC1600 for sure. These two have the thicker, welted 75mm Vibram "real" telemark sole on them. The upper may not be as firm as the Svartsen, but the sole will have ...

I'm rocking the Swix Mountain poles this year and loving it! I have two pairs, both found for cheap by trolling around various sales & shops. These are way lighter than 2 or 3 section poles and heavier gauge than normal XC poles. For some reason I prefer these to my BD sectional poles, the extra len...

interesting discussion - just chiming in with my 2 cents - everything is the opposite with me. I spent about 20 years using NNNBC and just tried 3 pin last season and loved it. The last of my skis are getting the NNN's taken off this week. For me, kick & glide striding feels way better with Rottefel...

Crispi Antarctic/Rottefella Super Tele 3-pin, very light weight and comfortable, you'll be running up the hill.

binding 370g, boots 950g

don't get me wrong - I have two pairs of snowshoes and use them! I'm a snowboarder too and the board+snowshoes is basically what I use instead of an AT setup. Excellent for up & down with no approach. Absolutely for climbs snowshoes are great. But there aren't any climbs around here, just rolling hi...