Backcountry XC Vs Alpine Touring Skiing. Comparing AT and Cross Country Downhill.

what width of xc ski do u recommend for PNW backcountry?

Enjoyed the video, thanks!!

Nice explanation for the advantages of XCD equipment! Most of the people I see on AT setups really would be better off without them... slogging up and down trails with full skins in heavy plastic boots. That said, you've probably heard this already but the advantage of AT for downhill is not the lack of scales or the full skins, it's the locked heel with release mechanism (NNN-BC bindings do not release, ever). Plenty of XCD skis have smooth bases, because grip wax nearly always climbs better than scales with the notable exception of warm conditions... perhaps you have those on the West Coast :) And Voilé makes AT skis with scales!

Great stuff! This is exactly where I am. Currently own the Rossignol BC65 which works great in my area where we have some tracks groomed for classic XC but also a lot of BC. Much of it is too steep for a XC ski but much of it isn't and his point about approaching it gradually and safely makes a lot of sense. I think I'll get a set of wider XC skis for fresh snow days and work on getting better at skiing before I jump into AT.

One point he failed to make is the additional training necessary for Alpine Touring, namely, avalanche and rescue. Oh, and adding the cost of a decent beacon and rescue gear brings the AT rig up to the $1,800-$2,000 range. Add in a flotation vest. Backcountry extraction. Etc...

O, I see a beautiful lady showed her nice technique. I like your video. Good work. Could you please intro more about your XC gear and more other XC gear?

Thanks for the video.. I am think about getting into skiing particularly XC. Would you mind sending me a link to the skies, boots and bindings you use for the XC setting shown in the video? Or what item numbers they are on skatepro.

Thanks

I live in the same area as you and just started this sport last year and going to Trillium lake and heading away from the crowds.. I have the Salomon Escape Outpath 64 and they didn't seem to "float" well on the deep snow. I read your comments and you like the 88 width for this area, what are your thoughts about the Fischer S Bound 98 or 112? I have no experience so I appreciate any thoughts you have. Thanks in advance.

Good video! To me this is sort of comparing two separate sports. Quite similar but not really comparable. Almost like comparing mtb and road cycling. Both rad but for completely different reasons

Good video. Like you I have both. I ski in the east with no descents above treelike. No doubt going down steeper hills I prefer my AT gear--more control for sure on steep, narrow, wooded trails, but I always prefer going uphill with my backcountry nordic skis with full length skins--way lighter and it feels like it takes half the energy. It is a bit of a coin flip
which each tour to decide which setup to take. Thanks again!

really appreciate this juxtaposition, not a lot of people out there talking about this!

Good video. Just a few points of contention. You can get full and half skins (synthetic or mohair) for XC skis as well. You can get XC skis that are smooth and are meant to have kick wax rather than waxless (ie scales). You can get super light AT skis today that weigh as little as the BC XC or even lighter. I would say that it depends on what you like to do and where you live. If you have rolling terrain where you go up and down allot (ie lots of transitions) and not very steep inclines, then the BC XC skis are great, plus they are more fun on these decents because it takes skill to ride downhill without being locked in. But if you are going up mountains of 500m or more, with maybe inclines above 30% and you do not have mad tellemark turn skills, then go for the AT.

Great breakdown and explanation 👏👏. I really want AT for full control downhill. But honestly I like my cross country skate skiis the most. And the back country skis looks like the best mixture of both worlds 👏🤗

Any chance you can list out the xc setup you have here?

I have scoured the web and you are the only person who seems to have covered this question. Thank you! I’m looking for the most versatile ski set-up possible because my family and I are always switching back and forth between skiing on groomed classic and skate ski trails and at downhill resorts. The downhill resorts are in Ontario so they aren’t challenging. The runs never exceed 35% gradient and a mile long. I just ski for fun and so I can hang out with my kids so I was thinking of getting a pair of bc xc skis to use in all scenarios. Would this work?

Found this helpful. Helped make my decision. Thanks!

You're comparing apples to oranges. Backcountry here in Alps is very different to backcountry in say Norway. I cannot even imagine using the "backcountry XC" skis on the trails I normally go to.I would not be able to climb the trails as they get really steep and I would break both of my legs (in the better case) going down.
Fox "xc" we have classic and skate skiing trails, that's where you use the other setup.

Ty. Out of curiosity what is the ski on the left (the one that was like $500) and did those have a metal edge because I am looking to get back into the sport and I’m looking for primarily backcountry skis that have the metal edge.

The skis on the left look like the ideal set up that I would want to start with, especially if they have a nice glide factor to them. I only want to go in the park off the trails, make my own. I’m not gonna be in any tracks, so I like to explore. That seems like a really good set up for me.

Nice tips! We were looking for some suggestions about XC vs AT. Your video helps a lot!

So my recent purchase: Fischer Outbound 98 w/ fish scales $390.
Alpina Alaska boots $370. Rotafella
NNN BC manual bindings $80
After tax and all I spent $800. as I recall. Couldn't be happier. Boots fit like a glove.

Great explanation of pros and cons of AT vs backcountry nordic skiing. As somebody who likes long hikes through more mellow terrain I also ended up using BC nordic more often.

Thank you, this is so useful!

What jacket are you wearing?

I have been back country skiing for about 5 years, and I would say that the AT setup like shown here is basically for big mountain powder skiing, like one climb up and then full descent. Anything other type of backcountry, especially rolling terrain the fishscale patterned ski is what is needed. You can still put a skin on them if need be but otherwise you need something that you can climb and descend without having to stop and put on skins. In my experience I found the fish scales to be better than an integrated skin because these do not glide well. Some of the ski shoe companies make these, I would stay away from them completely unless you are doing that as an alternative to snowshoeing. Also, I started off on a BC Nordic binding with a Nordic boot and switched over to a 3 pin binding and a plastic tele boot. I found this to be a better setup for turning and controlling speed. It may not be necessary on gentle rolling terrain, but if you're skiing snow shoe trails or in steep and deep areas, this setup provides better control. Long treks though on gentle terrain, a BC Nordic setup is fine. In my 3rd year I put a light AT binding on a BC Nordic fish scale ski and used a plastic AT boot with a 70degree range of motion. This is still one of my favourite setups because I can cover a lot of distance but also have a bit more control when faced with challenging terrain. I am not a great tele skier but it does help to know how to do a tele turn. Backcountry skiing is a great sport! It is great listening to people's opinions on gear. No one in my area knows anything about the sport, so I had to learn a lot by trial and error. Great video, thanks for sharing!