The thrill of skiing off-piste into the great white wilderness is what the Alps offer best. Ungroomed slopes give the exhilaration which the tailored ones do not. Documentaries often show skiers and snowboarders descending huge mountains swiftly, jumping off the edge of a cliff, and disappearing into the powdery white.

The good news is that the Alps offer something for everyone.  While more advanced ski mountaineers can head for bigger lines,  people with little backcountry touring experience  – can also ski  ungroomed slopes. So, if you plan to visit a European alpine country anytime soon, read on!

Minimizing the Risks

Make sure to consider these to minimize the risks on your new adventure:

1. Consider the conditions of the slope. Is the snow stable? This article by Ski Club should help you determine the stability of the snowpack. You can also refer to authoritative weather forecast sites, especially for skiers and snowboarders, to determine the conditions of the slope.
2. Hire a guide. A good guide will know the slopes and how they respond to varying weather . We have recommended specific guides for each of the locations mentioned further in this article.
3. Carry an avalanche transceiver and a . Try to opt in for avalanche training to be able to use these tools properly and ride powder safely.
4. Always ski with at least one partner in case you might need some help.

Backcountry Slopes in the Alps

Here’s a roundup of the best off-piste slopes that should be on your off-piste skiing bucket list.

Chamonix

Chamonix is situated on the border between Switzerland and Italy at the base of Mont Blanc. It provides access to incredible off-piste skiing in every weather condition. Chamonix offers a huge variety of terrain due to consistent snowfalls and multiple skiing areas, from couloirs to glaciers.

Booking a guide is recommended to help choose a safe course. It will cost an average of $408 for a group of four.

The Vallee Blanche

The Vallee Blanche is a must for adventurous and confident skiers. It offers every type of skiing you would ever want- steep, powder, ice, and couloir. The slope is a 23 km (14 miles) decent with a 2800m (9200 feet) vertical drop back to Chamonix. The route is not technically difficult provided the visibility remains good. You can finish the run at the railway terminus or ski your way back to Les Planards in Chamonix. The only catch is that you need to be physically fit to be able to ski for such a long time.

Les Grands Montets
With an altitude of 3300 m (10,800 feet) Les Grands Montets guarantees quality snow throughout the year. Skiing from the top is every skier’s dream. The route provides a vertical drops of 2000 m (6500 feet) to Argentiere.

Tignes

Image source: Mustania.com

Built in the in Vanoise National Park located in southeastern France, Tignes is the resort that offers world-class backcountry terrain. The resort boasts of nine natural and ungroomed pistes.

Booking a guide is recommended to help choose a safe course. It will cost an average of $475 for a group of six.

Guerlain Chicherit
A backcountry veteran, Guerlain Chicherit is responsible for the discovery of many off-piste descents of Tignes. The most challenging route, therefore, is named after him.

The run starts 980 feet (300 meters) after the Pramecou slope. Running along the ski line will help you find fresh snow. The run follows the Col des Ves chairlift.

Le Couloir du Chardonnet
The classic Couloir du Chardonnet is well-known for its steep powder couloir. It is accessible from the Grattalu chair and drops down to the Grand Huit chair. There is a bit of climb that needs to be done from the chair to the start of the run. The route carries the risk of avalanche in heavy snow.

Mickey’s Ears
The challenging off-piste route is for the advanced skiers and is accessible from the Toviere lift. The start of the run is a 30-minute walk from the list. The couloir is so named because of mouse-like antennas at the top.

The couloir is as steep as 48 degrees, making the drop one hell of an adrenaline-pumping adventure. You can organize a heli pick-up after you ski all the way down to the lake.

Les 3 Vallees

Spanning over 373 miles (600 kilometers) of pistes across 8 resorts, Les 3 Vallees is the biggest ski area in the Alps. Some of the best runs can be made in Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens.

Booking a guide is recommended to help choose a safe course. It will cost an average of $435 for a group of two.

Courchevel

1. Saulire- Taking the Saulire car gives you access to steep couloirs of up to 40 degrees on either side. The snow here stays fresh due to its northern exposure.
2. Creux Noirs- Hiking from the top of the Creux Noirs chairlift gives you access to a host of off-piste routes. Drop off from the left to absorb the thrill of a 600 m (2000 feet)vertical drop.

Meribel-Val Thorens

1. Olympique Express-The Olympic chair from Meribel will take you up to Roc de Fer to access gentle off-piste The descent is not very steep and is ideal for first-time off-piste skiers. The route is a mixture of powder fields and forest.

Image source: valthornes.com

2. Mont du Vallon- The cable car in Van Thorens takes you up to 2952 m (9685 feet) to the top of the summit. The route down gives you access to powder-filled valleys with a vertical drop of 850 m (2788 feet), back to the lift./li>

Jon is a member of the marketing team at Morzine Prestige and loves to see people find their ideal holiday home or a property that is a good investment for the future. He understands that buying a property abroad can be nerve-wracking and wants to share tips and best practice to make that process run smoothly. The multi-lingual team at Morzine Prestige are also on-hand to support you further. Meet Jon at Morzine Prestige to get more idea about Morzine Apartments for Sale.

The post Where to Find the Best Off-Piste Skiing in the Alps appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

Back when I was growing up, camping and hiking used to be a lot more challenging than it is today. One of the reasons is that hiking trails are far better maintained nowadays, but it is also because of the fact that technology has significantly evolved in the past two decades, and now we have access to a wide array of gadgets that can make spending time in the wilderness much easier and much less of a hassle.

I was extremely skeptical about most of these gadgets until I saw how useful some of them were first-hand, and these days there is no chance that I would leave for a big hike without bringing these five things with me.

1. Solar Charger

Fact: Phone batteries tend to die pretty fast. Even faster if you tend to use your device a lot, and this has always been a problem when you’re out in the wilderness and your phone runs out of juice. I can think of at least three scenarios where I was separated from a person in my group and failed to contact them, either because my phone battery had died, or theirs had.

A while back, I used to carry multiple batteries for my phone so I could just swap it out when the first one dies, but this is basically useless if you’re out in the woods for more than, say, seven days (and even then you have to be conservative with your battery power). Then a friend suggested that I order a solar charger for my phone, which actually made a lot of sense; the sun is an endless supply of energy, and with the right tools you can harness it anywhere. Nowadays, there’s not a chance that you’ll catch me with my Smartphone off during a hike, because it’s always charged. My personal favorite is the Nekteck Solar Charger, it’s never failed to keep my Nexus working with just an hour or two under the sun per day (then again, I am sparingly conservative with my battery, I don’t get the phone out unless I really need to).

2. Pressure Shower

I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person that takes at least one shower a day, more often two. So when I’m out in the woods and getting super dirty, all that grime collecting beneath my fingers and the dust and dirt that basically gets everywhere is something that becomes really annoying really fast. For this reason, I basically never leave for a hike without my pressure shower, that allows me to stay squeaky clean even in the filthiest of situations.

A good pressure shower will run you about $150 at most, and they’re built to last a lifetime, so it’s a really small investment that can make your life infinitely easier, especially if you’re a clean freak like yours truly. When empty, this kind of shower will weigh up to a mere 2 lbs and it can pack down to 6 x 9 in. so you can easily fit it into your backpack, but when filled up it can hold up to three gallons of water, which is more than enough for any reasonably lengthy shower.

3. Portable Water Filter

Getting fresh water during a long hike used to be a big problem when I was younger, especially during the summer. No matter how much we used to bring, we’d almost always go through our fresh water supply at about 70 percent of the entire road. Fortunately, most of us knew that getting fresh water from a nearby creek is something that you can do pretty easily. All you need is a piece of gauze to filter out any large pollutants in the water, and then you simply boil it to kill any harmful pathogen inside.

These days, though, it’s definitely safer and easier if you just get yourself a  water filter to do this job for you. There are UV filters that can treat your water and make it safe to drink in mere seconds, so that’s something that you should definitely look into if you like to go on long hikes. Just keep in mind that these filter require batteries in order to function, so you need to bring quite a few spares with you if you’re going to use it constantly. Trust me, you don’t want to be stuck without a water filter and no fresh water, especially if you’re hiking during the summer.

Alternatively, if you need to purify large volumes of water, you might want to look into a pump water filter as well, as most UV filters can’t really handle large quantities of water at once.

4. LED Headlamp

Most people tend to forget that you’ll sometimes have to wander away from your campfire in the middle of the night. They also forget that there are no street lights out in the wilderness, and that basically your only natural source of illumination is your campfire and the moon – that is, unless you pack some artificial light.

I learned the importance of this firsthand when a friend of mine had wandered away from the camp at night and gotten lost, so I had to go and retrieve him. Fortunately he had a flashlight with him, but I did not so I had to keep my lighter on the whole time just so I could see where I was going and not trip over a root or something. Eventually I saw the light from his torch and we safely returned home, but I never made the mistake of going out into the woods without some battery-powered illumination again. My personal choice is an LED headlamp, because a) they’re really bright, b) the light itself disperses to a really large area compared to an incandescent lightbulb, and c) your hands remain free at all times since the lamp is located on your head.

Additionally, the efficiency of LED technology far exceeds both incandescent and luminescent bulbs, so your batteries will last much longer and you won’t have to bring as many spares as you usually would. If you like going on really long hikes, it might be a good idea to invest in a solar powered headlamp as well. I find that the Hybridlight Headlamp works really well, although I’ve only had the opportunity to use it once or twice and do not own one personally.

5. Dedicated GPS Device

For years, I used to insist on using nothing but a map and compass to keep track of my position in the wilderness, until my sister basically begged me to give her GPS device a chance. The reason behind my partially justifiable prejudice was that I really don’t like to trust a device that becomes useless once the batteries run out, and you have no means of replacing them. However, I was really pleasantly surprised at the battery life of her device, and getting back to our trail was a breeze when you have the help of a device that literally tells you where you need to go.

Note that I’m still an advocate of having a map and compass with you anyway because they can’t die on you like any sophisticated piece of technology can, but I’m far less partial towards this than I was before.

A side note from 14erskiers – we highly recommend a personal locator tied with a GPS such as the Garmin inReach (formerly Delorme inReach).

That about covers all the basic gadgets that I highly recommend everyone should have when they’re out in the wild, as they can really make your life infinitely easier. Being away from civilization doesn’t always mean being absolutely separated from technology, as technology is exactly what made it possible for a creature as frail as a human to be able to survive in virtually any conditions. It’s time to pack up your gadgets and head out into the great unknown, and I wish you the best of luck in doing so!

A 32 years old adventurer and writer, Tyler Michaelson’s main hobbies include time outside, writing, calisthenics and TV shows. He’s a part-time blogger at http://www.prosurvivalist.com

The post Top 5 Gadgets for Long Hikes appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

–Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

These days, we rarely go a few minutes without being interrupted, but there’s one place where you can still find true quiet–the trail. No matter what the season, there’s fantastic hiking across the U.S.A. The following tips will help you plan your hike so you can get the most out of exploring our national landscape.

Winter Hiking

Some folks might not think of winter as the ideal season for hiking, but there are some great locations to get out and explore even when the air’s got a bite. Coastal trails and arid places like the Marufo Vega Trail in Big Bend National Park are ideal winter hikes.

Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia is an example of a good location for shaking off the winter chill with your family while hiking some of the South’s most beautiful protected seashore.

On cooler hikes, like those you may encounter during the winter, versatile fleece outerwear is a great way to stay warm without feeling heavy. Dress in layers to account for a range of temperatures, and make sure your arsenal includes a good rain jacket.

Spring Hikes

Spring is a great time to get out and shake off the dust, and hiking is a great way to get moving. While higher elevations can be treacherous at this time, spring is the right time for exploring desert areas before the heat of summer.

Zion National Park in Utah might be too hot to trek during the summer, but it’s a great spot for a springtime hike. The five-and-a-half miles of rugged red rocks and winding trails will keep you on your toes. Expect warm, sunny weather at Zion during springtime with cool mornings and evenings with average highs in the upper 70s.

Hikers should take preparedness seriously. Dressing in layers safeguards you against the elements. First, be sure to keep your feet dry and protected with good, rugged boots. Some additional gear that could come in handy include thermals, lightweight pants and shirts, and a breathable rain jacket.

Summer Hiking

Long summer days are meant for the outdoors. Good, clear weather and longer periods of daylight make for good hiking. Because of the heat, it’s important to find trails with some shade.

Acadia National Park in Maine is a great option because not only does it offer hiking in wooded areas, it’s also coastal, so you can make your way to the waterfront and cool off in the bay.

Acadia is ideal for hiking from late spring all the way to early fall. In July, the average highs are in the mid-70s and lows in the upper-50s. During summer, one thing you want in your backpack is some good insect repellent to fight off the mosquitoes, deer flies and black flies. The Bay of Fundy lies between the park and Nova Scotia often making this hike windy and wet, so dress in layers and remember to bring rain gear and extra socks.

Fall Hiking

While autumn is the best time to head to the mountains to see the leaves turn shades of red, yellow and brown, it’s also a great time for a hike through one of America’s great natural wonders.

Okay, we saved the best for last. The Grand Canyon is a bucket list item for every dedicated hiker. Other than the Appalachian Trail, this is one of the most revered hiking challenges in the country. Few places capture the spirit of America like the rugged terrain of the Grand Canyon.

With 28 miles of rugged terrain, the Grand Canyon is not to be taken lightly. Although not an exhaustive list, some of the things you’ll need to bring are hiking boots, a wide-brimmed hat, shell jacket, leather gloves, socks, sunscreen, thermals, lightweight pants and shirts.

When to Hike

The best time to hike is whenever you can press the pause button. Bring your friends, your family, or just yourself. So, step off the beaten path into the moment and explore!

You can find these and other great hiking gear at a high-quality retailers like Carhartt or .

The post Best Hikes for Any Time of Year appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

Skiing trips aren’t renowned for being the most affordable holidays it’s possible to take, but then again, they needn’t be the most expensive holidays either.

There are a number of expenses to factor in when creating a budget for a skiing holiday, and even though there are many excellent package deals available which are remarkably affordable, there are still many additional expenses to take note of.

This requires you to plan well ahead, time your skiing holiday well and plan for ever eventuality that could arise, and there are often a few.

Planning your trip
Not only should start planning your trip with plenty of time to spare but you must also take into account a variety of factors including location, timing and insurance, the latter something that no one can afford to go without.

Location – Look to Eastern Europe
Whilst many travellers naturally look at taking their skiing holidays in France or Switzerland, the most traditional destinations, there’s actually every reason why they should instead be looking to the East and therefore Bulgaria, Romania and other Eastern European countries.

If you’re after a bargain, all-in skiing holiday that includes practically everything you’ll need for a fun-filled holiday in the snow; this is where you should be looking.

Self-catering accommodation – Stock up and you’re good to go
There are three notable benefits to self-catering accommodation.

Firstly, self-catering accommodation is more affordable than hotels. Secondly, it’s generally more spacious and you can easily stay together even when holidaying as a large group. Finally, you can stock up on food, beer, wine and all the goodies you need from a local supermarket and you’re good to go.

This will help you to manage your skiing holiday funds and make the overall cost of your holiday more affordable.

Timing is everything
Timing really is everything regarding ski holidays and among the best bits advice to take note of is to avoid peak weeks.

According to Andy Sturt, the founder of chalet operator VIP Ski and its managing director, tour operators have been experiencing a significant decline in business and as a result, they’re cashing in on peak weeks. “The equation is this: New Year, Christmas and half-terms are X, the rest of the season are half X. People skiing at half-terms subsidise people skiing at other times.”

Therefore, when planning a skiing trip this winter, avoid Christmas, the New Year and school breaks and book at another time. This will significantly reduce the overall cost of your skiing holiday and provide you with more funds for your trip.

Furthermore, you can also source cheaper deals at the beginning or the end of the season when the slopes aren’t at their best. If you’re a real skiing enthusiast this might not be ideal, but for rookies who are looking for fun on the slopes and aren’t interested in world-class pistes this could prove to be the perfect time for a low-cost holiday skiing.

Planning for surprises
There are likely to be a few ‘surprises’ that you’ll need to plan for on your skiing holiday, which could be anything from finding the right bag for putting your skis on the plane, deciding to eat at more expensive restaurants than you’d originally planned to and being confronted with higher than expected prices upon arrival at your ski resort.

To reduce your ‘unplanned surprises fund’, borrow a ski bag from friends if possible. Consider purchasing or renting equipment or clothes to avoid excessive airline bag fees. Limit expensive meals to just a few, if any. In relation, you should also check transportation prices. You won’t be able to bypass buying tickets for flights but you can choose between riding a train and hiring a car. The latter is definitely a better choice though as not all resorts are easily accessible if you stick to trains, buses, and other modes of public commute alone.

The greater your understanding of the costs involved and the possible surprises awaiting you the more affordable you can render your next skiing holiday.

It IS possible to have an affordable ski trip in Europe!

Author bio:
Trekwear is a UK-based retailer of quality ski wear, outdoor clothing, and camping equipment.

The post Managing Your Skiing Trip Funds – Looking for an Affordable Skiing Trip in Europe? appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

Lars, Silas, and their close friend Ryan Hawks began looking for a way to improve on the current state of alpine touring binding technology some eight years ago. They knew that they wanted to combine the ability to release the heel and pivot off the toe for touring with a no-compromise binding: something that would allow them to ski big, fast, committing lines far outside the boundaries of ski resorts. Their first attempt was a long metal plate that sat on the ski to which they would mount a traditional alpine race binding. The plate could be locked or released at the heel, allowing for a slightly awkward but functional uphill stride. Unsatisfied with the stride and weight of the system, they moved to the first prototype of the system they will take to production in the fall.

The Si&I system instead relies on a low-tech touring toe-piece (for this year the only option is a Dynafit Radical toe) to deliver the walk mechanism. This means far greater walking efficiency by way of a perfectly-placed pivot point and greatly reduced stride weight, as the heavy heel piece stays on the ski. Cast accomplishes this by mounting a metal housing to the ski where the toe piece would be, and mounting both the Dynafit Radical toe and the alpine binding toe to metal slider plates. Thus, when you want to go up you slide the Dynafit toe into the housing and lock it in place with a simple side-to-side click, much like a gun safety, and to ski you remove the Dynafit toe and replace it with the alpine toe. The binding heel piece is mounted on a small riser plate to account for the stack height added to the toe by the housing and slider plate (7mm) to keep the ramp angle of the binding from changing. Incorporated into the heel riser plate is the heel lift mechanism, a set of two pole-activated metal bars that give the user the option of flat, 7º or 14º heel lift while touring.

I spent the entire 2012-2013 season skiing on a prototype of the Si&I system. To give some background, I have been ski touring since the ‘05-’06 season, when I lived in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah and toured in the Wasatch on my days off. I had been dabbling in telemark skiing that season, and began my backcountry adventures on tele bindings (22 designs Hammerhead). I quickly realized the limitations involved with having to fight the spring on a tele binding with every step and traded my tele gear for a set of Dynafit Comforts and Scarpa Magic boots. I skied Dynafits in the backcountry for the next 4 seasons, in Vermont, Utah, and Colorado, but while I loved the efficient pivot point, light weight, and ease of use, I never felt comfortable enough in the bindings to really let loose and ski hard in the backcountry. My second year here in Crested Butte I traded everything I had for the new Marker Duke bindings and a pair of the heaviest, burliest touring boots I could find (Black Diamond Factor 130). This setup opened up a new world to me, one where I could ski fast, hit cliffs, and take chances outside of the comfort of a ski area, but as I began to explore this new world I finally realized where my true priorities lay. I ditched first the Factors, then the Dukes in favor of race-stiff, plastic soled alpine boots (no walk mode) and Backcountry Access’ first and only offering to the touring binding market, the Alpine Trekker. I found I was perfectly willing to lug around all that extra weight and discomfort (no walk mode!!??!) for the opportunity to ski anything, anywhere, anytime on my preferred Look P18 bindings and Tecnica R9.8 boots.

So that’s me, and how I came to be interested in Lars and Silas’ project. I ran into them skiing the prototypes in Chile in 2011, and immediately begged them to let me try a prototype. Though the prototypes that I have are still a little rough around the edges, I was immediately impressed with how well they worked for my touring style.

Pros:
– Light. Well, light compared to Alpine Trekkers, which add a pound or more to each foot while hiking and make you fight a return spring with each step and then sit clumsily and heavily in your pack while you’re trying to ski, and light compared to Dukes, which are lighter than the prototypes I have been skiing, but require you to lift nearly the entire weight of the binding with each step. My prototypes, including the 2550g Look P18 binding, weigh approximately 3700g. That is a lot. That is heavier than Salomon STH 16 Steels, which are the heaviest binding available, and not even in the same realm as Dynafit Radical FTs, which weigh only 599g for a pair. However, I found that the Cast prototypes had a significantly lighter feel on my foot than the Dukes. Part of this is because when you tour, the heavy alpine toe sits in your pack and the lighter Dynafit Radical toe is on the ski, greatly reducing the weight that you are pulling up the hill with each step. The other major factor is that with the Cast system you are lifting only the weight of your ski boot, as the only attachment is via the tech inserts in the boot toe.

– Look P18. Whether or not they are necessary for all of the skiing I do, or even any of the skiing I do, I always feel better with these on my feet. They have a rigid and secure interface with both the ski and the boot, they have a ton of elastic travel allowing them to let your boot most of the way out of the ski in a fall and still snap it back in if the force causing the release disappears, and their vertical toe release and rotating heel allow for release in almost any direction. In short, they keep you firmly attached to your skis when you want to stay that way, and let you go when needed. Skiing P18s makes me far less nervous in the backcountry that I will blow my knee from a ski not releasing or that a ski will come off at an inopportune moment and cause an unnecessary fall. There is a reason current P18s are functionally identical to bindings that Look was making in the ‘80s: they just work.

– Stability. When touring uphill on the Si&I the boot to ski interface is the tightest one on the market. It feels exactly as rigid as using a low tech toe piece mounted directly to the ski. The only difference is the additional 7mm stack height. Similarly, skiing in the system feels just as rigid and powerful as does a P18 mounted straight to the ski. I found the weight difference noticeable, which I will cover in the “Cons” section below.

– Confidence. The bottom line for me while touring on the Si&I was that I always had my favorite skis, boots, and bindings between me and the snow, and that felt good.

Cons:
– Heavy. I know I said they were light before, but that was when I was skinning. When skiing, boot packing with the skis on my pack or riding the chairlift I found the added weight of the system very noticeable. I thought that the additional weight of the toe housing and toe plate made my skis feel much heavier and more cumbersome, harder to spin or reposition in the air, less lively, and occasionally painful on my knees while riding chairs.

Luckily: much of this has been addressed in the production model. My prototypes added some 600g per foot to the weight of the P18, where the production model Si&I will add only 250g per foot while skiing and while touring it will decrease the weight on the ski by 142g. This was accomplished by making the housing much smaller and machining out material on the bottom of the slider plate and on the base of the housing. I have yet to ski the new model but I am hopeful that the weight reduction will minimize the issues I experienced.

– Slow. When I was on Dynafits, I could make a change-over in a matter of seconds. It was always nice to get to the top of a line and just rip skins and go, especially if it was cold and/or windy. On Dukes, I was so much happier with skiing performance that I was willing to spend sometimes upwards of 5 minutes carefully scraping every last bit of ice from the track system so that they would re-enter ski mode without breaking the all-important lever.
The Si&I prototype took me approximately as long as the Duke. On the prototypes the toe plates were held in place by a long hitch pin much like the ones found on splitboard bindings. Users have the options of removing the brakes from their bindings or using a rubber band or ski strap to secure them while in tour mode. I chose to use the thick, burly rubber bands that ski shops use to hold the brakes out of the way while tuning. This has been a major sticking point for many people on the system so let me make this very clear. THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL. I use the rubber bands to keep my skins nice and tidy in my pack, and when I put the skins on I put the bands on the brakes. It takes all of maybe 6 seconds for both skis, and is definitely the fastest part of the change-over process. I did occasionally end up with ice in the toe housing which caused the plate to stop, blocking the pin. This is annoying, but easier to fix than iced up Dukes. The only other issue with the change-over is that, on the prototypes at least, I had to keep track of P18 toes, Dynafit toes, pins, and rubber bands. Losing any of these things could turn a good day bad in a hurry. I never lost anything, but it was always on my mind.

Luckily: The pins, which were prone to bending and getting lost, are gone. The new model Si&I has a metal slider towards the front of the toe housing that clicks side to side, locking the plate in place to the right and freeing it to the left. This mechanism has a solid “thunk” of a click and is much more reassuring than the pins I used. This should also shave a fair amount of time and stress off the change-over process, as it is several seconds faster than the pin (even when the pin works perfectly) and impossible to lose.

– Must click out to change modes. There is unfortunately no way to switch from walk to ski or vice versa without taking off your pack, clicking out, and doing the whole change-over process. This can make rolling terrain or a long cross country ski after a descent more of a burden than with a binding that switches easily like the Salomon Guardian or Fritschi Freeride Pro.

– Boot Modification Requirement. Well, sort of. The only boot currently available that will work unmodified in the system is the new K2 Pinnacle line of touring boots. They feature both manufacturer installed tech inserts (Dynafit) and a sole compatible with DIN release standards. Another option is to use a touring boot with the sole ground down by 2mm to be the same thickness as a DIN standard sole. This season I used Tecnica Cochise 130 Pro boots with a little bit of grinding and felt that they released reliable and consistently, but I never had this confirmed at a ski shop. The no-compromise option, around which Cast designed the Si&I system, is to use their in-house boot modification. They grind out a bit of the boot sole, screw and epoxy in a set of tech inserts, and replace the ground out sole material with a race-style riser plate. I have not tested this boot modification, but it has been in use by Lars and Silas for two seasons. Hopefully, more companies will begin to offer a tech and DIN compatible sole option, especially for interchangeable soled touring boot options.

Bottom Line:
This system is not for everyone. It probably isn’t even for most people. But it is very nearly perfect for me. For whatever reason, I depend heavily on my equipment. Whether it is my skiing style, imperfect technique, typical line choice, or even just something in my head, I am unable to fully enjoy or appreciate a ski if I feel like I am fighting my equipment or worse, unable to depend on it to have my back. If I am not in P18s and a race-level alpine boot I do not feel comfortable skiing technical lines either inbounds or in the backcountry. For me, Dynafits are not an option because I simply do not feel like I can trust them to release when needed and only when needed. Compared to the other options available the Si&I system has a much lower stack height than the Marker Duke and Tyrolia Adrenaline, weighs less than the Salomon Guardian, and most importantly uses a proven binding platform that I trust implicitly. With the Si&I I found I was able to ski demanding, high speed, and technical lines both inbounds and in the backcountry, all on the exact same gear.

Painter, skier, and aspiring brewmaster Tom Runcie can be found on the slopes of Crested Butte and the surrounding backcountry. His website can be found here.

You’ll have to put your new bindings on something. Start shopping:

The post CAST Si&I Binding System Review appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

We only brought a small Colorado Trail Data Book, so details such as Princeton hot springs townsite was not known. We got a few things and chilled out before we found a campsite up the road at Chalk Creek. Good day with 66 miles on the bike!

The first climb/hike-a-bike on the day brought us to this beautiful view of Mt. Princeton.

After a dozen or so epic power climbs, we finally got to Mt. Shavano Trailhead. We met a solo Thru-biker and chatted with him for awhile. We then randomly stumbled upon these ninjas-in-training!

We finally hit HWY 50 and started our climb up Fooses trail just in time for more afternoon rain!

Riding the Monarch Crest before we both knew about this shack. We hung here until that particular storm passed.

It kept raining and we kept riding until Tank Seven Creek, the only water source after Marshall pass. We rode in the dark again but we found a nice campsite where there were two more thru-bikers on the trail. We chatted about Sargents Mesa and what to expect. A tough 46 miles completed on the day.

We couldn’t get over how amazing all the views were on this trip! But the dreaded Sargents Mesa lies ahead.

After another quick storm that dropped hail on us, we got to what we considered the easiest part of the Colorado Trail, HWY 114 to La Garita Wilderness.

La Garita Wilderness Detour was 55 miles of pretty easy road riding. Suns out, guns out!

This was by far the coldest night we would experience, waking up at 4:30am to get an early start on the San Juans. It was 30 degrees.

With our toes and fingers numb, the cold would continue until the sun came out. We finally finished our detour after climbing to Highway 149 and then up to Spring Creek Pass. There we got the best news of the trip, we asked some people about the weather report, they said that there was no rain in the forecast for the next week!!!!! Perfect timing, as we were about to head up to 13,000 feet and the highest point of the Colorado Trail.

The next day was one of our favorites! not only were we mountain biking above 12,000 feet most of the day but the views were like another planet!

After a long descent from Stony Pass, we took to the road again as Weminuche Wilderness detour would bring us into Silverton. We both got burgers at Black Bear Cafe, and then got some food to last us 2 more days! Spirits were high, Molas Pass here we come!

Molas Pass climb was pretty scary with a lack of shoulder but all smiles as we make it to the top!

We got to the saddle of the Molas/Bolam segment just as the sun is setting, we’re pumped. On the descent to Cascade Creek I got a tire puncture, luckily my Stan’s filled it right up. This and changing my front brake pads to the rear was the only true bike issues I had! We camped at Cascade Creek for the night!

we started the day with a decent climb then a downhill to Bolam Pass Road.

Blackhawk Pass. Here we met some folks on a hike! They gave us a whole bunch of food which was awesome as we were getting low on snacks.

Mountains started to turn into hills, we knew we were getting close. We still had one more major climb left up and over Indian ridge.

Taylor Lake, we camped here for our final night on the trail! Our ride and beer would be at Junction Creek trailhead around noon tomorrow.

Of course things were not so smooth that night! The wind was wicked strong and there was no protection. we had to anchor the tent with large boulders. every whip of the wind would wake us up! Oh and there was a cougar/coyote/something stalking us all night as I went out a few times to pee eyes would just stare at me from the bushes. Needless to say I only slept 4 hours!

This was my first bike-packing experience of any sort, and it surprisingly went very smooth. Weather was pretty bad the first half of the trip but storm or no storm we kept pushing on. The trails were in great shape, I was worried they would be ruined from the drought at the beginning of the summer, that was not the case! We brought just enough food and the timing from town to town was perfect. as far as bike issues went; mike needed to get new clips for his pedals in Leadville as his were very worn down, his rear tire stopped holding air as the Stan’s was all used up, he ended up putting a tube in for the last 21 miles. I just had a tire puncture and worn brake pads but we escaped any serious mechanical issues!
I could not have asked for a better partner. We had our up’s and down’s but we got along great, laughed a lot and were always together on the trail! The hardest part of this experience was mental. 500 Miles is a lot on a bike, my goal was to be in the present and try and just think about it one day at a time. My mind however had other thoughts, as it would fill my head with negativity. The key was to disallow those thoughts to take over my mood! All in all it was an amazing experience and we took our time, and truly enjoyed the beauty that the Colorado Trail had to offer! I might just try and test my luck on the Colorado Trail Race next year!

Check out all the photos Mike and I took here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24 year old 14erskiers guest writer Neil Beltchenko was born and raised in Libertyville, Illinois just outside of Chicago. He moved to Gunnison in January of 2008 to attend Western State College after going to school at Northern Michigan University. After graduating, Neil moved to Crested Butte in May of 2010 and purchased his first mountain bike at that time after renting one from Peak Sports. He has since started to dabble in bike races and plans on attempting the Arizona and Colorado trail races next year along with few endurance races. Neil also loves skiing, good food, and good beer.

Thinking of doing the CT next year? Start stocking up:

The post Guest TR: The Colorado Trail in 10 days (Part 2) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

The Colorado Trail. What an amazing experience! Beautiful vistas and Scary storms. Sweet singletrack, and horrible hike-a-bike sections. To put it simply, Mike Behrendt a college roommate down in Gunnison and a very good friend of mine, and myself decided to Bike the whole Colorado Trail in 10 days or so. I could go on and on about the highs and lows of my 10 day trip but to make it a bit more visual friendly, I’m going to explain this truly fantastic trip with pictures.

Here is my setup along with my Trek Fuel ex 9.8 is Revelate Design, Planet bike, and Osprey Bags. My Handlebar bag held my sleeping bag, down jacket, and extra layers. My Planet Bike Top tube bag, held my Spot device and snacks, Snickers, Cliff bars, Cliff Blocks, and some other random treats. In the Jerry Can (rear toptube bag) I held my Aqua Mira, Starbucks Via, Teas, Honeystinger waffles, and Justin’s peanut butter packs. My saddle bag held the tent, a medium size pot, stove, mug, food, and camp clothes. My Osprey Raptor held the rest, Including a 3 liter hydration pack, stuff sack full of random tools and essentials, snacks, and extra layers that were used often.

Once we finally got to Waterton Canyon trailhead at 3:00pm on August 28, we packed up, said our goodbyes and were on our bikes at 4:00pm. 500 miles here we come!

We got to the top of Waterton Canyon, and we were both surprised how difficult it was.

We climbed and descended a few times before we hit the Buffalo Creek Wildfire area of 1996. It was an eerie setting. To add to the eeriness we scared a family of bears, not once but we ended up cutting them off on the trail for a second time! We biked a bit further, found camp, chowed down dinner, and went to bed thinking of wildlife.

We woke up to this beautiful sunrise as we would throughout the whole trip. Some a bit earlier than others for the sake of trying to beat out storms. Early mornings meant very cold temps.

We stopped at the only creek that was running enough to collect water until Bailey! This was one of two times on the trip where water was scarce.

After some fun singletrack with moderate climbs and descents we needed to make a decision on which way we would detour around Lost Creek Wilderness. We had two options; one being the long 70 mile detour on forest roads, and the other being roughly 23 miles through Bailey and on HWY 285. We decided to take the latter. But it was not fun, after 18 wheelers flying by with little to no shoulder, we finally made it to the top of Kenosha pass.

We did a lot of standing around, enjoying every inch of the trail we could. We truly enjoyed the trail unlike the Colorado Trail Racers every July. We biked until the bottom of Georgia pass, made camp, had a fire, and shut our eyes.

After taking down camp, the climb up Georgia Pass was next. I was thinking it would be super difficult but, it wasn’t all that bad. Lots of roots and stumps, but that was a recurring theme throughout most of the high alpine sections. Here is the top of Georgia Pass, The descent was not fun as the very rocky sections were wet from the day before.

Georgia Pass, with storms building to the west. After a few more climbs, we started our descent to
Breckenridge.

After we got some food and essentials in Breckenridge we headed up the Gold Hill section of the trail. Little did we know this would be the worst section on the trail. It started to rain, and we made a shelter to stay warm and dry. We hung out for about 40 minutes until the rain let up.

The rain started again and the climb was steep and wet. We finally got to the top of the ridge in the dark, and descended with our headlamps on. We found a nice campsite a mile outside of Copper Mountain Resort. All of my belongings were wet and all I wanted to do was sleep. That’s what we did.

The next day we woke up wet and cold! we quickly got to the Conoco off I-70 and used the bathrooms, got some food, and sat in the sun until we were ready to go. We had another big climb up to Searle Pass, and once again a storm stood in our way. Lightning and thunder, we biked as fast as we could until we got to Kokomo Pass. What a relief as we knew we had a long downhill from here to Camp Hale.

Mike and I checked out the Camp Hale barracks, how cool. After a short bit of singletrack we got back on paved road again. The Holy Cross/Mount Massive Wilderness detour would bring us up and over Tennessee Pass and into Leadville. Here we stopped at Safeway to resupply on dinners and then headed to a burger place for a burger, fries, and milkshake! We biked to the Mt. Elbert trailhead and camped there for the night.

We started with a short climb the next day and then had one of the more fun descents on the trail down to Twin Lakes! The vistas were gorgeous and the riding was great! after a short but steep climb, Collegiate Peak Wilderness detour would bring us into Buena Vista.

Along with getting a dry bag and some groceries, this was my meal at Pancho’s in Buena Vista. Beef taco, double cheeseburger, onion rings, fries, and a milkshake……YUM! we left Buena Vista and climbed up Cottonwood pass and got back on the singletrack.

… Continue to Part 2

24 year old 14erskiers guest writer Neil Beltchenko was born and raised in Libertyville, Illinois just outside of Chicago. He moved to Gunnison in January of 2008 to attend Western State College after going to school at Northern Michigan University. After graduating, Neil moved to Crested Butte in May of 2010 and purchased his first mountain bike at that time after renting one from Peak Sports. He has since started to dabble in bike races and plans on attempting the Arizona and Colorado trail races next year along with few endurance races. Neil also loves skiing, good food, and good beer.

The post Guest TR: The Colorado Trail in 10 days (Part 1) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.