Jonathan S

Gender

Male

Height

5' 8"

Weight

145 lbs

Shoe Size

US 9.00

Skier Type

Type III+ - Expert

Ski Frequency:

100+ days / year

Website

nerandorace.blogspot.com/

My Skiing

I grew up skiing at a small local NY hill (where Max Taam also first skied!) and eventually was an NCAA alpine race coach for (too) many years, although my SL & GS skis now get almost no use, and I even sold my SG & DH skis.
Since 1999, I've become increasingly into self-propelled skiing, and for fourteen years now I've been averaging over half a million vertical feet for earned turns each season, with 600,000 over the most recent six years.
Given the fickle NE natural snowpack for backcountry powder, I often train at local ski areas and organize a multiple-venue skimo race series.
But my favorite time of year is when the wx and avy danger clears up for long 10k+ multiple-ravine tours in our Presidentials range, plus of course late spring and summer PNW volcano trips.
The best ski tours though are out our back door for xc w/ my wife & our daughter!

My Gear

Boots, sz27.0 Stratos V, sz42 Alien 3.0, sz26 PG/RC1, reviewed @ www.tinyurl.com/StratosV
Ski, all w/ race bindings (Plum, Dynafit, rebranded ATK, incl. some ISMF-banned Dynafit toes + Plum heels combos):
La Sportiva Nano 172 (deep unconsolidated snow)
Dynafit Denali 168 (winter powder, more versatile than Nano)
Volkl VTA 88 Lite 170 (winter ski mountaineering)
Dynafit Cho Oyu 166 (mixed days of compacted ski trails & glades-- impulse buy!)
Trab Magico 164 (spring ski mountaineering)
Dynastar Mythic Vertical 162 (could be used for almost anything, 87mm + crazy lightness -- even tho was an impulse buy!)
Movement Big Fish-X 160 (late-spring & summer ski mountaineering)
Hagan Ultra 65 (fixed mount for V & 3.0), X-Race (ditto), pre-rocker X-Race (setting courses & loaners)
Fischer Verticalp (fixed mount for V & 3.0, crit-style races, or anything else where skiing performance doesn't matter)
Movement Logic-X 169 (rock skis, still light, but no rocker)

Recent Posts

I’ve previously used a few generations of all-alu CAMP crampon models, plus the Petzl Leopard. So far I’ve used the DNA on a size 27.0 La Sportiva Stratos V. Just one outing, but with two fairly extended crampon climbs, one quite steep but with fairly soft snow, and one only moderate steep but with very firm conditions. Strengths: 1. Easy tool-less adjustment, with micro fine-tuning. 2. Excellent packability. 3. Fit stayed tight and secure in the field. Drawbacks: 1. Pricey compared to the competition. ...

Position #3 is physically possible. But the binding might not be designed to have the boot heel repeatedly coming down on this part of the binding. And heel elevator height from that position is barely any different from #2.

Updating this old review since I noticed a reference to durability in a more recent review. I have been using the 600ml version since, hmm, well, looks like the 2017-18 season. I average over 600,000' vertical each season, and use this design for all training, racing, and touring except in the late spring and summer (when I use a bike-style bottle for easier refills at water sources). I have two of these in the quiver, but both are still like new, no durability problems, with the exception of the squishy...

Whoah, how old is this review of mine? I'm now heading into my seventh year of racing on this model of skin, and still my overall favorite, after having used 100% mohair skins from Atomic, BD, CAMP, Contour, Dynafit, Hagan, Kohla, and Pomoca. Glide is the usual skimo speediness, grip is as good as anything that narrow and fast can be, durability is fine (for a consumable), yet glue has the edge on anything I've tried while still allowing for good handling in a panicked hypoxic state. But price is ... the ch...

Overall: Five Stars for a nice update to the predecessor ARVA Ultra shovel. The weight isn't significantly different from the first generation (out of three generations) that I had of the Ultra, but still the lightest metal-bladed shovel. (Perhaps the lightest shovel overall given that the plastic competition has apparently been discontinued?) And now the design has gone neckless (not necklace!) for significantly improved packability (in your suitably diminutive pack). The shaft is a bit longer than m...