Does anybody here work for black diamond? Can you ask your bosses to hire actual engineers going forward? This has got to be the dumbest way to design this loop on a skin. Needless to say, this is the last black diamond anything I will ever buy

Felt like the official site was making my eyes bleed, so I made a replacement.

All the usual things, favorites and preferences saved in the browser (no logins). NWS forecasts. Good mobile support. A few quality of life extras. Working on adding BC.

https://www.snotel.fyi/

See y'all out there 🤘

I’m also considering getting rustler 9 or 10s at 174cm. I’m 5’8” 180lbs.

anyone have experience with this boot? i'm looking for something to take on big vertical days in the alps with friends. paired with a few different lightweight skis in the 85-95 waist range. i normally take a skimo race setup in all conditions all season long but i need to slow down sometimes and perhaps enjoy the skiing side a bit more too. this boot sticks out to me because it's still pretty light, ROM seems great, and the width is a bit closer to what i'm used to in my pierre gignoux boots. thanks!

I'm getting all horny looking at this ski's specs but it ain't going on sale forever. Anyone been on it? Should I wait for it for my bc powder ski or just give up and get a qst x or hoji now

Hi everyone, i just got my first dedicated touring skis (moment wildcat tour 108) and now I’m trying to choose a binding for them. I found a good deal from a local ski shop on some marker alpinist 12s from 2022, but I’m a little lost on how to choose pin bindings since I’ve only ever had shifts. If I’m getting the alpinist 12, and the toe release value is not changeable, does that mean the toe has a fixed release value of 12? If that’s the case, i probably shouldn’t get these bindings as i am 6’2” 160lbs and definitely weigh too little for them.

I also understand I will have to buy a replacement “medium” u-spring for the heel lateral release since it comes with a “high” tension one. Besides this, is there any reason i shouldn’t get these bindings in terms of release?

Working out what skis to take to Japan for this coming season. I’ll be there the whole season, not just peak winter, so I’m struggling to decide which powder ski to buy.

I’m already taking my Armada Declivity 102s with Duke PTs. They’re pretty heavy, so they won’t be doing any long tours, more just the chopped-up or low snow days in the resort.

For the deep resort/touring ski I’m thinking the QST X with Hy Frees, probably an honest 50/50 split between resort and touring. I’m sure it’d be a good setup for about 80% of the tours I’ll do, mostly during peak season. But I’m worried that going into spring, or on certain tours like a Yotei summit, it might be a bit too pow-y and not quite enough ski.

So realistically, are you coming across suboptimal conditions in the Japan backcountry enough to worry about it and go for something more all-mountain? Or is it fine to get the QST X and just borrow something more suitable if I know I’m going on a spring mission, or jsut tough it out on the Xs?

Looking for a ski I can use for touring (powder/good snow), that will also do well for resort powder days. I either want to mount shifts or casts to them, as I already have both. So far I like the Noctas and whitewalkers.

Hello,

I'm a life long skier and I got the possibility to start touring this year, I've got all of my gears and AST is booked, except for the skis.

I'm running into this issue where I can't find skis my size. I'm 150cm, my regular downhill skis are also 150cm and I don't have much issue with that, but I was told for touring I should get shorter skis to help with learning the techniques.

Unfortunately it seems only a few youth backcountry skis are available under 150cm. There are more options above 150cm in the adult category, but then the skis will be longer than me and weight more.

Anyone in the same situation as me, what did you end up doing? Did you get a youth 140/145cm ski or did you bite the bullet and get a 154/156cm ski?

Thanks!

Long story short have a 2 week trip planned with a few extensive 1 to 2 day tours out in British Columbia in mid March. All necessary equipment has been aquired.

Problem has occured, while trying to train for it i overcooked it trail running and now ive got "posterior tibia tendinitis" in my right ankle according to the orthopedist I just saw, and im now barred from training for at least 2 months while I goto PT.

So essentially this has now whittled my training window down to 2 months, along with that all progress ive made is fucked.

Question here is, has anyone been in a similar scenario? Is 2 months gonna be enough to go from injury recovery to embarking on 7-10 mile 6,000 ft vert tours? If so whats the best way to expedite the training process after I'm all healed up? Is there any cardio i can do in the meantime that doesnt require use of my ankle?

Any advice is greatly appreciated

It is snowing in the Alps! We did our first off-pist turns on the glacier in Tryol and it was awesome to feel the flow again after a long hot summer. Are you also ready for the upcoming freeride saison? What`s about your equipment? Pls check everything before you go into backcountry! I love the feeling to ride in the powder with frieds. Do you?

Hey everyone!
I’m looking for recommendations for a new pair of all-mountain skis and would love to hear your opinions and personal experiences.
My stats and preferences:
Height: 200 cm (6’7”)
Weight: 95–100 kg (210–220 lbs)
Budget: Around $1,200 USD, including bindings
Waist width: Ideally around 95–105 mm
Ability: Very experienced and confident on groomed slopes, but much less experienced in freestyle and off-piste skiing.
I’m looking for a versatile pair of skis that will let me progress beyond groomed runs while still performing well on piste. I’d like something stable at higher speeds, with good edge hold and enough versatility for exploring off-piste terrain. I’m also interested in trying some basic freestyle skiing, small jumps, and possibly learning a few tricks, so I’d prefer something that isn’t completely focused on carving.
Given my height and weight, I’m also wondering which ski length and binding setup would make the most sense for me.
Which skis would you recommend? I’m particularly interested in models that offer a good balance of stability, versatility, and playfulness without sacrificing too much performance on groomers.
Any advice on specific models, recommended lengths, or bindings would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Title says it all! I'm turning 39 and getting into the sport.

I'm in great physical form, tall and heavy. Because I mostly have resort around me in Quebec / Canada, I went with a heavier sturdy setup allowing alot of down hill but to be honest, I mostly bought stuff I found on sale.

Duke Marker PT - Atomic backland boots - faction dancer 1 skis

If I like my winter I don't mind swapping my equipment next year.

So, what did you wish you knew when you started?

(Keep in mind I have a solid alpine ski background although I did not ski for the last ten years.)

So here's my breakdown. I'm a hardboot splitboarder and just got into tele last year as well. On the board Im 99% touring. Since Im new to tele Ill probably be spending 70/30 between resort and touring as Im gonna be skiing resort a lot to get the practice in.

They both felt great in my boots when I tried them on in store just now. They were pushing me on the espressos, Im just worried they may not hold up as long as the GFTs because of the foam.

What yall think?

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to get some public opinion about the boots I've been toying with this season. After three seasons of progressively higher-end yet still ill-fitting boots (Dynafit Vulcan, Dynafit Pro Tour, and Salomon MTN Summit, all 27.5), I finally decided to go to a bootfitter and see what they said. After going to two separate ones just to cross-reference and get a different opinion. They both said I had mid last with high splay, as well as high instep and a mid-low volume heel pocket and 26.5 MP. For reference, my time is spent 2/3 uphill and 1/3 downhill, along with semi-regular big slog traverses, and I was hoping to go back to something a bit beefier than the Salomon (1080g) but not all the way a beef boot.
I had initially expected to be fit into something higher volume, like a Dynafit, but was surprised when one put me into the Technica Decoy Pro and some Dalbello UL skimo one, and the second fitter put me into the Head Crux Pro as his favourite option for me, as well as the Atomic Backland XTD 120 and the new Scarpa F1 RS (this one he was concerned about instead maybe rubbing on the overlap construction). All of these tended to lean into the narrower side except for the Atomic, which kind of surprised me. What surprised me even more was how good some of them felt, especially the Crux Pro, which, despite being the narrowest, felt great (**In-store caveat**).

My main goal in writing this is 1) to see how the community feels about these options and if you're someone with similar feet, as well as large calves, or otherwise have any experience with these options, and have had the chance to try any of them for longer than 15 minutes in a store, how they felt, and 2) to see if my concern about swelling feet on long days is something I should take into more consideration when I'm thinking back to my in-store bootfitting experience and the snug fit. Obviously, I can sit and read all the reviews I want from outlets, but it's not always the same as the community consensus. I'd also mention that I'm not looking to take info from here over what the bootfitters said, more-so looking to add as much information as I can before I make a final decision on an 1100$+ invetsment

Thanks for taking the time

*edit; I did talk to the bootfitters about it and I left a big comment below explaining how that conversation had gone. Should've clarified this originally

Hey folks. Looking for thoughts / recommendations on a 120mm+ touring ski option. I’m based in the PNW and frankly do not want a ski this wide, but am trying to head out to Kyrgyzstan this winter and the guides literally will not take me out on anything less than 115mm. I have Deathwish Tours right now for my winter touring setup, which I’m very happy with. Feels a bit silly that 3mm is keeping me from making this trip happen, but I digress.

Part of me wants to just get a pair of 120mm Bents and call it a day given how comparatively cheap they are, but would love any additional thoughts or ideas.

Also - I have a pair of ATK Haute Routes sitting around that I’m starting to think might actually pair real nicely with a big fat pair of pontoons. Anybody ever put a really light binding on a fat ski? Feels like powder isn’t going to need as much beef.

Any experiences ordering direct from CAST? Reading conflicting messaging regarding taxes duties and more on their website.

In the checkout online, it says "CAST has you covered on all shipping, duties, tariffs, taxes, and fees on international orders."

But in the shipping terms in policies :"International shipments will be subject to applicable customs, tariffs, duties, and any required taxes (i.e., VAT). These costs will be your responsibility and are not included in our shipping charges"

Thanks!

Howdy fellow backcountry enthusiasts!

Lifelong snowboarder here, and beginner/low end intermediate skier (honest assessment). I’ve been splitboarding for several years now and have good mountain access.

Last year I started skiing here and there again due to having kids and it being a bad snow year so why not. It’s enjoyable but I do prefer snowboarding. I get out in the backcountry 30+ days, and about the same or more resort days.

My issue with splitboarding is the undulating terrain we have here in the mountain west. After a big day I want to die when I hit a flat, have to transition, sink waist deep, and then have to split ski out. It’s just really taxing which makes skiing more and more attractive but I love snowboarding powder.

Seriously considering skiing for resort fitness laps and backcountry touring, then snowboarding on powder/high avy danger inbounds days.

Is it a skill issue or does splitboarding just kinda suck on that terrain? I already tried hard boots and have no interest in hard boot splitboarding, at that point I’d rather just ski… Any input is much appreciated!! TIA
Just need a sanity check…

Edit: Have came to the conclusion I’m going to do both. When it’s a deep day that’s fairly straight forward going to split, when mountaineering, or adventure touring going to ski. Thanks for all the input everyone!

What tip loop hardware performs best and doesn't damage ski tips?

non-notch/hole options only, please.

Looking to upgrade to protect ski tips and would love self-centering.

How do dyneema loops hold up? Why have cable loops phased out?

(Skis: s/lab QST blanks)