XC Hiking? Salomon X-Adventure Series of Skis and Boots

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XC Hiking? Salomon X-Adventure Series of Skis and Boots

A category that has been around for some time but is only recently really getting attention from manufacturers is cross country hiking. Basically if you want to go hiking in the winter you can do that with snow shoes or you can do that with cross country skis. Depending on what ski you choose from the Salomon X-Adventure line you can lean more towards traditional cross country skiing or more towards a gliding winter hiking ski. McBike offers 3 main skis from the Salomon X-Adventure line.

XADV Freegrip

The XADV Freegrip is about as wide as a ski can get and still fit in machine groomed tracks. It is designed as a multi-purpose ski. For the skiier who spends some time in fields, lakes and rolling hills with unset tracks; the width offers good flotation in the powder. The XADV Freegrip also features a partial metal edge in the tip and tail section. This feature allows better control on rolling terrain and side slopes without a set track yet still keeps the skiis lighter than a full metal edge. For groomed trails the ski offers a non-wax grip pattern that provides a compromise of grip and glide.

XADV 69

The X-adventure 69 is wider than the free grip and features a full metal edge. It still does not have much sidecut and is not as wide as the XDAV 89 so it will offer better glide than the 89. This ski is designed for the skier who skis mostly flat and rolling terrain and often skis the same route. The home made track set is where the narrower ski with less sidecut will benifit from the increased glide. The construction is also lighter than the 89 and the skis are longer.

XADV 89

The Salomon XADV 89 is designed for the bushwalker. Where the trip is more about the adventure than a fitness cross country cruise. The skis are wider to offer the most float. They are also sized shorter than the other skiis in the line. This allows for much more manuverability in tight trees and for switch backs on steep ascents. These skis are not alpine touring gear designed for decending but the generous sidecut does make them more manuverable on the downhills allowing you some turning ability and more manuverability and stopping power.

You can pair any of these skis up with the XADV line of boots that offer a range of ankle support and flexibility depending on your needs.

Check out this video for a really thorough explaination of the different products available.