🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1937@zehntel.UUCP> davel@zehntel.UUCP (David Longerbeam) writes:
>I am considering buying some backcountry equipment...  I have heard
>various arguments against some of the heavier touring bindings...
>
>My usage will be a lot of off trail, backcountry day-tripping,
>including a lot of screwing around on hills trying [:-)] to
>telemark...  Not sure about full-length edges -- hear they slow you down
>too much for touring, and I'm not LOOKING for ice.

Edges are no substitute for edging.  The narrower ski and more flexible
binding demand better technique.  Except for ice and hard-pack, plastic
does just as well as metal.  The important things to look for are flex
and side-cut.

Be sure to pick a ski with sufficient flex for a wax (or pattern) pocket.
Many of the high-priced telemark skis are useless for going uphill!  Look
for generous side-cut; it will make up for needing the stiffer flex.

For general back-country use, I think it is more important to save weight
then to have iron-maiden boots.  My Merrill/Saloman boots are torse enough
for telemarking, yet light enough to still have fun in tracks.

Generally speaking, you can get by with a lot of equipment and little
technique, or a lot of technique and very little equipment.  I hate to see
people go the easy route, getting expensive, heavy telemark equipment,
because the equipment covers a multitude of sins, and makes real learning
more difficult by masking the mechanics of skiing with hardware.

Sure, stick your feet in the high-tech plastic rear-entry quasi-downhill
boots, clamp them on the super-wide, reverse cambered downhill-by-any-other-
name boards, and you'll be able to telemark, but you won't know why, and
you'll feel pretty silly the first time someone on parallel-cut double
cambered racing skis passes you!

(Down!  Down!  Get off that soapbox!)  I've used the Karhus, they seem
like a good compromise ski, useful for both up and down.
-- 
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