Rando Ski Gear
We asked 2014 North American ski-mountaineering champion John Gaston to weigh in on the perfect setup.
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Full-on race skis aren’t the way to go for anyone except high-level racers,” Gaston says. “The ‘one-step-wider’ category, which includes the Atomic Ultimate 78 ($900) is where it’s at. They ski much better on the way down, hold an edge in variable conditions, and still weigh around 1,000 grams.”
Uphilling footwear should be light and comfortable, with plenty of striding motion and enough stiffness for a reliable descent. The La Sportiva Syborg is an 800-gram boot with a really awesome walk-mode design for $750.
The Dynafit Speed Turn ($350), a cult favorite of ski mountaineers and ski-mo racers in Europe, is available for the first time in the U.S. this fall.
Brand-new this year, the Dynafit PDG Race Suit jacket ($200) is specifically designed for uphill movement, and the entire kit (jncluding pants) weighs less than 800 grams.
I routinely put in 10,000-vert days in my Strafe Outerwear Cham Pant ($375). It’s super light, breathes so well, and dries really quickly when you inevitably get wet.
Full-on race skis aren’t the way to go for anyone except high-level racers, Gaston says. The ‘one-step-wider’ category, which includes the Ski Trab Magico ($1,300) is where it’s at. They ski much better on the way down, hold an edge in variable conditions, and still weigh around 1,000 grams.
Uphilling footwear should be light and comfortable, with plenty of striding motion and enough stiffness for a reliable descent. The Scarpa Alien 1.0 ($1,799) and Scarpa Alien provides great durability relative to other light boots and enough power to ski real stuff.
The Hagan ZR Race ($480) weighs the same as Dynafit’s Low Tech Race binding but is more durable and has a stronger release tension.
Brand-new this year, the Dynafit PDG Race Suit pant ($180) is specifically designed for uphill movement, and the entire kit (including jacket) weighs less than 800 grams.
“I routinely put in 10,000-vert days in my Strafe Outerwear Cham Jacket ($425) and Cham Pant ($375; not pictured). They’re super light, breathe so well, and dry really quickly when you inevitably get wet.”