4boards

My goal is mostly winter backcountry travel. Basically: snowshoeing sucks.

I want to keep hiking and camping through the winter. I already have all the other gear and have done a fair amount of winter backpacking and even some mountaineering. I want a setup I can grow into as I move into higher angle terrain, but I want it to be okay for random rambles in rolling terrain and cross country flats. I don't see myself doing too much intense downhill and don't care if I can "charge hard" or "send it" or whatever. I get that a "one size fits all" / "quiver killer" setup will come with trade-offs. I've basically narrowed it down to three options:

XCD - I suppose this will be better at the XC side, but comes with a limit on the terrain angle. I get the sense that most of the D in XCD is just "telemark on shitty skis", which from my understanding is harder than all the other options here if you aren't already a competent free-heel skier.

"Skishoes" - aka Hok Skis / OAC / Glidelites / Skinbased skis. This seems ideal in theory, especially in that they are intended as "less shitty snowshoes", but I think come with the same tradeoffs as XCD, just a lower barrier to entry and lower efficiency. Most reviews of these from experienced skiers say they suck, but I am not an experienced skier.

Ultralight AT setup - thinking a low tech binding on an touring ski with climbing focused ski boots. Again, the focus here is not so much on downhill as it is on "getting around the backcountry in winter", but I think such a setup probably has no upper limit on the angle or terrain it can be used in, limited only by my experience level. Drawbacks are this is obviously more expensive (though I found a pair of high end mountaineering ski boots at the local used gear shop for like, nothing, and they're relatively comfy) and might be overkill.

I live in the /out/ paradise of Northern Idaho. So the terrain is all over the place.

I have literally zero interest in resort skiing.

NFT

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