I recently bought new coltex skins for my 184 volkl mantra skis and would like a little advice before I cut them. The skin size is 120mm width versus the ski which 131mm at the tip (98mm waist), the chap in the shop said it will be fine but I wanted a second opinion! Second question, are these skis, mounted with freerides going to be too heavy for multi day tours?

If your skins are 120mm and your skis are 130mm you’ll have 5mm either side at the tips, which will be fine. Cut the waist/tails so that just the metal edges show.

Owen and your dealer are spot on. What matters for climbing grip is the section under foot, you just need to leave the edges clear plus maybe a mm of base (no more), so trim along the edges, move skin over leaving just over 2 edge widths and retrim. You’ll only have a small section at the shovel where the base is showing.

Multiday tours? Depends on how much vertical you are doing and how much weight you are carrying on your back. I don’t see why you couldn’t do 1000-1200 meters / day at 300m/h climbing without killing yourself. You may even climb to a refuge, leave some gear and do a short tour from the refuge to add some vertical for the day. I know some guys who are doing this at the end of Feb, they are only doing 600-800m / day between refuges but will then tour from the refuge when they arrive if conditions permit (not too warm etc).

The issue is always who you ski with, if you are trying to keep up with lycra clad weight weenies it will be hard.

Thanks for the response, just double checked my post and realised a typo, the skins are 110mm rather than 120mm, I guess the underfoot section will still be covered edge to edge but less so further up, but not a problem?

Although the friends I ski with are keen on Lycra clad summer persuits I’m pleased to say it hasn’t made an appearance in winter yet, hopefully i’ll be fine keeping up (i can always pop a rock or two into the bottom of my brothers pack if needs be).

smac - 13 February 2012 11:43 PM

… (i can always pop a rock or two into the bottom of my brothers pack if needs be).

The tricky part is that a rock attached to the feet is different from a rock in the pack. That is, it uses different muscles. So it requires different training stimulus.

If you’re going to do a ski tour, you’re going to be climbing with lots more weight on your feet than normal dryland walking or running. So as the time of the ski tour approaches, you need to train specifically with more weight on your feet. Which typically means if you live near snow to do some climbing up with your actual skis+boots+bindings+skins on your feet. Or if you don’t live near snow, than practice with ankle-weights on your feet - (likely even better if find a steep hill, or stairs).

Same principle as if you’re going to be carrying a heavy backpack for a multi-day trip, you do better if you prepare for it by training carrying a pack with weights or water in it.

I tour with heavier skis + boots + binding, but because I train ahead for it with ankle weight, I’m faster climbing up on skis than lots of people who paid extra for fancy lighter skis, but didn’t train specifically.

Ken

P.S. Getting serious about acclimatization to reduced CO2 pressure at altitude also makes a difference for some trips.

KenR - 14 February 2012 04:55 AM

I tour with heavier skis + boots + binding, but because I train ahead for it with ankle weight, I’m faster climbing up on skis than lots of people who paid extra for fancy lighter skis, but didn’t train specifically.

Like me

Regarding the 110mm skins, as long as you have around a meter close to the edge around the mid ski this should be ok and the thinner skins will be lighter.