New Spring Skiing Setup
Not that there is any snow in the Wasatch to actually use them, but I just finished mounting, skinning and tuning my latest ski mountaineering ski set-up today and can’t wait to get out on it. If nothing else, it is a very sexy looking little rig in a 124/80/108 mm kind of way. I think there are about eight other people in the world who like this kind of ski (six Euros, one Canadian and one American), but I think they are a blast, especially for spring skiing and/or ski mountaineering.
Fully skinned-out with bindings (no brakes), they weigh in at 4kg/8.8lbs for the pair. This is for 168’s, and although that is far heavier than a racing set-up, it is pretty light for a touring ski.
I generally like 100% nylon skins, but in this case I went with the BD nylon/mohair mix as they have better glide and are lighter – both important considerations for long approaches and carrying skis on your back.
I drilled a tiny little 3/16″ tip holes in them, which I guess technically changes them from a “Stigma” to a “Stigmata” ski, but that is just skimantics. While you can’t really clip anything through such a small tip hole, it does give you the ability to pass a piece of accessory cord through it and create a tie-off point, so you could rig the skis up as a sled if need be.
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Help support StraightChuter.com and glide into spring with a pair of Black Diamond GlideLite Mohair Mix STS Climbing Skins from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…
Category: 02 Gear, Gear Reviews
I was on youtube just the other day and stumbled onto this video from 2009 with Mr. Glen Plake talking skinny ski. Made me think I should own something under 100mm waist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkvm-aM9B90
Quoting you from 2009, “On the mohair/nylon hybrids, I’ve tried two different brands of them and while they are billed as ”the best of both worlds” I personally thought they were the worst of both worlds. They don’t climb very well compared to nylons or glide well compared to mohair, which is frustrating.” http://straightchuter.com/?p=3532
Do you think BD has improved the mixed skin or just going with the weight savings? I have found that mohair glides the best in dry packed snow. Haven’t really tried them much in spring snow.
Just a little skinnier in the waist than my Waybacks, which are perfect in Sierra corn!
Hi Jerimy – For general Wasatch touring, I still vastly prefer 100% nylon skins as they seem to grip so well in a wide variety of conditions. Gliding isn’t a huge issue here as most of the approaches are so short. Probably most all-time favorite skin is a well used set of nylons as the sharp “edges” have been worn down, so they glide a bit better.
My earliest outings and opinions on hybrid skins were based on a pair of CollTex skins, which were truly awful. The new BD hybrids (and others as well) are getting better at balancing mix of gliding and climbing performance.
Still, nothing glides quite like a 100% pair of mohairs, or nothing climbs like 100% nylon. For these skis, I like the reduced weight and bulk of the hybrid skins. I’ve also tried the hybrids on wide skis (Megawatts), and while they did help reduce the weight/bulk, they are kind of fumbly to try and fold up as they have relatively little structure compared to old, stiff nylons.
Overall, I think the best choice of skins is very much a regional decision. Mohair makes sense in Europe but doesn’t work as well in the Wasatch, and visa-verse.
Why no biner-sized hole? Accessory cord seems like a fiddly addition to a clean system.
3/16″ is an elegant way to retain the spirit of a tip hole while retaining structural integrity. I’m just surprised that the ski’s not strong enough to support a larger hole, especially for some of today’s tiny biners.
Yes, I figure I can always drill it out if need be, but in the meantime I’m thinking a small hole might have less structural impact, yet still allow the shovel to be tied to. ?? We’ll see.
So how did these puppies ski? I’ve got the opportunity to buy a set. Will be mounting dynafits on them as well. Going to use them inbounds… groomers, bumps, side powder AND for the silly Skimo races at Brighton. Not really racing but exercise. Thoughts…