UKH

I'm a ski virgin. I've never touched a ski. So currently looking into skis, bindings, boots is like looking into a complete other world! I just don't quite get it. Experienced arctic plodders, ice cap crossers, pole reachers - please advise!

So I have several trips in the pipeline both of which will require skis; Vatnajokull Ice Cap crossing, and a trip on Baffin Island. I have no interest in downhill, that may change but very unlikely. Currently skis are the neccesary tool to help me pull my pulk to the destination on mostly flat ground. From my research I've reached two models that seem to make sense to me, with some pros and cons for each.

1: Ice Trek Flexi Binding on wideish skis matched with Baffin/Sorels. This binding will take light and heavyweight boots depending on the trip, and seems pretty foolproof. On the other hand it's an expensive binding (compared with NNN bindings anyway) and I'm not totally convinced a bit of plastic flexing thousands of times in extreme cold is a particularly good idea. Obviously it works because lots of people seem to use it, but in my head it just seems like an obvious thing to stress fracture.

2: NNN BC binding on slightly skinnier skis with something like an Alfa Polar boot. It seems hard to find any super warm boots readily available with this binding (Alfa don't have a UK distributor), but perhaps more common with outfitters if I rented skis? For iceland with relatively warmish temperatures I could go more lightweight in the boot department but on Baffin it would be much tricker.

Also cross country waxless skis, skins, wax??? Waxless sounds like a great idea, I can't imagine any reason why I would take skins off so why not make it one less thing to worry about. But I'm sure there's pros and cons here too.

So much to think about, please help!!! What works for you?

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Look very carefully at the terrain. Anything remotely down hill with a pulk behind you will require a system that gives you more control than either of the options you have mentioned. 'Mostly flat' isn't all flat, and the accident potential and consequences could be high??

I ski NNN BC at times but would never pulk with it. And I can ski reasonably ok.

Your trips sound like you will be pulling a heavy load. Skins will work well for this and give the option for waxing for the easy days. I only use waxless for slush round the local golf course. Nasty things!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant: I have a friend staying with me who has done a bunch of touring, including a trip across greenland , pulling a pulk. I think she has an Alsnes ski, but recommended me to get a Fischer BCX99 and it's v similar to hers. I think she's on an NNN binding.
Her top tip is to screw the skins onto the ski as they won't be coming off.

**FWIW I'm on waxless skis, and very much enjoying not needing to faff around waxing.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

If you can't ski downhill then I would advise taking snowshoes with you to change into for downhill section (and crampons as well of course, but I assume you will have those). Skiing downhill on even a slight gradient will seem impossible to you without the pulk if you have never done it, with the pulk it will just be even more impossible unless you are in deep snow when you probably won't be able to move. And falling over and picking yourself up repeatedly is exhausting. I have done a reasonable amount of pulk hauling in the Arctic and am an OKish skier but it's not that easy - a week of downhill lessons would make a big difference to your ability.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Am I the only one who read the thread title as "Arctic puking"?

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

Snowshoes are probably a good call. I guess I just figured in snow where skis were necessary the sled would still need pulling on a gentle gradient, and on icier terrain I'd put on crampons - perhaps this was a bit naive.

Another question as someone recommended those Fischer skis; are skinnier skis less stable ie more prone to ankle roll? I feel like my ankles would need a stable platform.

Also what's so bad about waxless skis. Bad performance, poor grip when pulling weight..?

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
>> Also what's so bad about waxless skis. Bad performance, poor grip when pulling weight..?

Both. They are very good only in a very narrow range of snow conditions. I have always owned a pair, but they are only used as a last resort or for a 10minute spin at lunch time or of thing.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:


From experience its a mix of both, not enough friction up hill (conditions dependent) and too much friction down hill... They're the sort of thing the gooey eyed rosabloggere use to look good on instagram.

As others have said snowshoes are much easier with pulking, if you have never skied before and are not that much slower. They are also far more manoeuvrable as well. Again only issue is downhill, your pulk would probably end up over taking you, so depending on the gradient it can be smart to detach and send it down first... or even sit on it.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
I use 75mm duckbill lundhag boots with liners from plastic down hill boots, rottafella bindings and asnes skis. Baffin will be colder than Scandinavia where I pulk-pull so Sorrell or Baffin boots and icetreks sound good. Baffin make a 75mm boot which would mean you could use rottafella bindings which are bomb proof but I've never used them so couldn't comment on durability or size. I don't think lundhag make the 75mm boot anymore. If you go for lundhags, watch the sizing. Alfa also make a 75mm boots called polar advance which might be suitable as well as a range of less knarly fjellski boots.

I found NNN bindings had a tendency to freeze up. There pretty ubiquitous now though.
I think plastic ski boots (NNN or 75mm) would be painful after a while with a pulk.

Whichever boots you chose, go for vapour barrier socks. Needle sports do a good pair.

Oslosportslagen.no would be my outfitter of choice for Alfa, asnes etc. They knock off the (hefty Norwegian) tax and do good sale after new year.

Asnes skis take full length and short kicker skis. You'll need these with a heavy pulk outside of gentle down hills in perfect conditions. Wax or wax less won't give you the grip you need. The Amundsen model is the default expedition ski. They do wider models which would give you some float in deep snow and a bit more control. Take spare skins and check glue before you leave. Tents are not a good place to re glue skins. Some people screw and glue them but get advice from asnes as the screw hole could let moisture into the ski core.

I take snow shoes too. Mine have crampons which is useful in ice or on steep downhills where my skiing won't cut it. They're also good in melt conditions or where the snow is patchy. I'd take spare ski bindings (and pole) on a longer trip.

Braemar mountain sports are very helpful, as is snowsled

Sounds great, have fun.

In reply to afghanidan:

Incredibly helpful and detailed thankyou!!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

When pulling a pulk, I'd go for skins on your skis - you'll need all the friction you can get at times!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I've a few friends who've done the Vatnajokull Ice Cap crossing, they used a combination of Salomon SNS bindings and 75mm bindings. Skis were waxless Madshus skis and their short skins were rarely used on the uphill sections and never used on the downhill bits.

In reply to top cat:



Funny I've skied waxless from +temps to -30C in all snow conditions and whilst it's a bit slower on the glide this is more than compensated for by not having to fanny around with waxes. It's not uncommon to be asked what wax I'm using by skiers on waxed skis having trouble.

I've used Baffin Boot and Berwn Bindings, funnily pulling a sledge on Baffin and an alpine touring setup on the Patagonia ice cap. Pulling a sledge on any sort of downhill is not that much fun with any set up. I think if I was contemplating anyhing like you're doing, I'd go for a classic three pin bindings and double plastic light telemark boots - much more control than Baffin's and warmer than NNN-BC compatible boots.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Surprised there have been so few responses along the lines of - you should go and get some skiing lessons first!

Skiing to a basic standard isn't difficult but it is a learnt skill - in my opinion you'd be absolutely crazy to have your first experience of being on skis on a remote expedition. You might be dreadful at it, you might hate it, you might take to it like a fish to water but unless you try it first you won't know and having to switch between snow shoes, crampons and skis all the time because you can't ski is going to be frustrating, slow and tedious.

In reply to George Ormerod:

I'm sure that you can use them in just about any conditions, but it's rather like comparing a mounbtain bike with a road bike on smooth tarmac: both will get you from a A to B, but the ride will be totally different.

Of course if you hate waxing then fair enough. I enjoy the waxing, it is just another skill to get engrossed in and the pay off for a little effort makes it all worth while. It is much easier than it appears: we are not waxing for an Oympic race after all!. You have what you have with fishscales but you can have what you need with waxing: more/less/grippy/fast/nothing at all/skins.

The only dissadvantage is the extra bits n bobs you need to carry, but in the scheme of things it's not much.

In reply to Edradour:

Never fear! As soon as I get my setup it will be off to the nearest indoor ski slope for testing and professional sliding instruction!

Thanks for all your continued input, really giving me an education

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
Beware of going onto a indoor ski slope (note the word 'slope') with lightweight nordic gear - you can ski dry slopes on such gear but if you haven't skied before you'll struggle. And some centres seem reluctant to let you use such gear. Probably better to learn the basics (snow plough turns, kick turns etc) using alpine gear (hired from the ski centre) - once you have the technique you can transfer to other styles of ski/binding

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Waxing or waxless the problem you'll find is that the ski is designed with a bow or camber in it. The wax or the fish-scales sit on the bottom of the bow. When you put all your weight on one ski the wax/fish-scales gets pushed down into the snow so you can get just enough grip to push off onto your other ski. As your planning to pull a pulk you wont get enough grip and you'll find your skis sliding backwards instead of the pulk moving forwards.
Use skins on a ski with little or no camber, if you can't ski down leave the skins on you'll come down very slowly, maybe move the pulk so it's in front of you.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I would Recommend using 3 pin bindings such as the rottefella or voile with removable cable(bit more control on downhill ). On asnes amundsen or fischer e99 or 109 if you're worried about width of skis. Then a trap skin if the going is good or a full length skin if the sled is heavy or your not getting purchase. I would get waxing skis it's not that hard and you get far more glide done correctly. As for a boot both crispi and alfa make a great expedition boot. Don't forget poles i use black diamond traverse or you can't go wrong with a swix mountain pole. Instead of getting to an indoor slope. You should get up to the cairngorm plateau presuming we get some snow!
Probably easiest to get this all from either oslosportslager or telemark pyrenees.