ADVICE: First pair of approach/touring skis

I’m looking to buy my first set of approach/touring skis, but know absolutely nothing about the topic. I grew up in Michigan resort skiing, but always rented. A friend of a friend is trying selling these and I was hoping to get some opinions. For reference, I’m 5’9, 175lbs, and wear a 8.5/9.

The skis: 177cm Karhu Spires with medium Naxo NX21 at bindings. The seller said they haven't been tuned in a couple of years.

Any opinions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks in 

I have some skins that should work on those. PM me if you're interested.

Naxos are junk.  They are notorious for breaking and you won't be able to get replacement parts these days.  Those skis are certainly outdated as well.  

If you are looking for a beater pair of skis to approach ice climbs, then I suppose they will work.  If you plan on doing any actual skiing - hard pass.  

If you pay triple digits for this setup you are getting completely ripped off. I would offer a 6 pack of good beer for that setup.  You're doing your friend a favor by saving him a trip to the dump.

Don't! Outdated frame bindings

Pass as the binding is old and no longer made:

https://www.wildsnow.com/bindings/naxo-bindings-backcountry/naxo-ski-binding-faq/

Pretty sure those bindings won’t work with mountaineering boots. 

Hey, thanks for all the input everyone, I really appreciate it. I definitely passed on them.

I think I’m going to stick to my snowshoes this season then get a dedicated AT setup when spring sales come around.

^ What kind of boots are you wearing or do you want to wear?

I’m trying to decide between at boots and my mountaineering boots. I love the idea of not bringing two sets of boots on a climb, but it seems the only option for bindings if I want to wear mountaineering boots are used silvrettas. 

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/glidelite-147-trek-skis-w-bind/

Similar to the BD skis above, Altai Skis make "Hoks" and "Kōms", which have universal bindings, and integrated skins and a fish scale base, respectively . You can demo Altai skis in WA state:
https://altaiskis.com/faqs/
https://altaiskis.com/try/

https://skishoeing.com/

There are tradeoffs involved. I see it as a personal decision based on terrain, skiing skill level, the type of boots you want to use, and climbing objectives. AT skis perform better on the downhill, as the skins are removeable, plus AT boots have more control and a better boot/binding interface. Dedicated mountain boots climb better than AT boots, but don't ski as well with universal bindings. Integrated skis and skins with universal bindings are much cheaper than AT setups. Some people do climb lower grade ice and long alpine routes in Dynafit TLT5 or similar AT boots. Pretty cool that we have these options!

Michael, what are you trying to use these things for?  Are you approaching PNW alpine moderates, or are you trying to access some heinous overhung mixed line?  Is the terrain simple low angle rolling terrain, or is it sustained uphill all the way to your objective?  What is the season and location?

The right tool for the job is highly dependent on where, when, and how you're using it; while there is some helpful advice above, it's really difficult to know if it's applicable to you without knowing what your goals are.

As a fellow PNW person, I rarely wear mountaineering boots on local climbing objectives in winter, and generally just climb in ski boots.  But on the flip side, I climb almost exclusively in mountaineering boots if I am on a trip where the focus is steeper ice and mixed (like a trip to any of the various popular ice crag locations, such as Hyalite, The Whites, or Ouray).  XC skis may also be a viable tool IF the terrain and conditions are appropriate.  It's all about the right tool(s) for the job.

Decide on approach or touring for your AT skis. If you're an avid skier, you'll want setups for both. Stay under 99 mm underfoot. Stay under 170 cm in length for most mountaineering objectives, and even quite a bit of touring. Use mohair/nylon or full mohair skins.

what modern binding works with mountaineering boots???? 

and your expertise is?   the go to used to be  slyvertta 500s but there must be something still on the market that works???? 

Hey everybody, thanks for all of the feedback, I really appreciate it, it helped out a ton. I’m going to be doing mostly winter ski approaches to moderate snow/ice routes here in the cascades. At least for the foreseeable future. I’m not trying to do any real ski mountaineering; I’ll strictly be using the skis to approach climbs and possibly on beginner to moderate runs at the resort with the kiddos.

So I went ahead and decided upon a touring setup for the skis and bindings. 160cm Dynafit Seven Summits youngsters (115-81-101) with Dynafit ST Rotation 7 bindings. Again I’m 5’9 175 for reference. I got the complete setup for about half off.

For the boots, I just put in an offer for a pair of like new Scarpa F1’s. Admittedly I think there are better options, particularly the F1 LT’s, but these have good reviews and are within my price range. They also apparently climb pretty well and should accept my Grivel g22 plus’.

I was pretty hesitant about buying the youth set up, but the kid they were originally bought for is actually a bit bigger than me, and I spoke to dynafit and they said they should work great for me. I would love to hear opinions. Is this a good set up for a new guy?

Thanks again for all the help!

Have you put your feet in a pair of f1s yet? I like mine (for touring, haven’t climbed with them) and they seem like an appropriate boot for your application but if your foot doesn’t like them they’re going to ruin your day.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

what modern binding works with mountaineering boots???? 

Interested to know too !?!

Other than “Universal bindings” there are no commercially made “modern” bindings that work with mountaineering boots. Silvrettas are the best bet and they are no longer in production.

If your setup doesn't work out, check out Pro Ski in North Bend for bootfitting and general advice. Give them a call and maybe setup an appointment if you want a bootfitting. AT towards ski mountaineering is like a subset of a subset of skiing (not even getting into geographic difference), and getting really specific local advice can save a lot of time, headaches, and money in the long run.

Michael V wrote:

Hey everybody, thanks for all of the feedback, I really appreciate it, it helped out a ton. I’m going to be doing mostly winter ski approaches to moderate snow/ice routes here in the cascades. At least for the foreseeable future. I’m not trying to do any real ski mountaineering; I’ll strictly be using the skis to approach climbs and possibly on beginner to moderate runs at the resort with the kiddos.

So I went ahead and decided upon a touring setup for the skis and bindings. 160cm Dynafit Seven Summits youngsters (115-81-101) with Dynafit ST Rotation 7 bindings. Again I’m 5’9 175 for reference. I got the complete setup for about half off.

For the boots, I just put in an offer for a pair of like new Scarpa F1’s. Admittedly I think there are better options, particularly the F1 LT’s, but these have good reviews and are within my price range. They also apparently climb pretty well and should accept my Grivel g22 plus’.

I was pretty hesitant about buying the youth set up, but the kid they were originally bought for is actually a bit bigger than me, and I spoke to dynafit and they said they should work great for me. I would love to hear opinions. Is this a good set up for a new guy?

Thanks again for all the help!

I think you might find the skis a bit short and narrow, once you get off a beaten track.  They will probably be fine on packed trails and groomers, but you’ll probably want something wider and longer for unconsolidated, wild snow.  

Kids skis may be softer / less rigid than adult skis, for a given length.  Stiffer skis are easier to control, when you are carrying a heavy pack full of climbing gear.