UKC

Has anyone used 'grip tape' (grip wax which you apply a bit like sellotape)? I used it a few times last year on a pair of waxable skis & was quite impressed but for 2 days running now its started fine on pisted snow thats refrozen overnight & been OK as the surface thawed a bit but then close to helpless once the snow got very soft (almost slush in places) around 1- 2 O'clock. My partner's waxless skis seemed fine but unfortunately I didn't bring a pair of waxless skis with me.

Does grip tape not work with wet snow/slush ? - the box suggest to +5°

Guess I'll hire some fishscale skis tomorrow

In reply to Doug:

I've used it for years on my skis but can't remember skiing in snow as warm as you're talking about. IIRC the keen skiers in Finland reckon one application is good for 500 kms, so I suspect its just your super wet snow that's causing the problem. Klister in the afternoons maybe?

In reply to TobyA:
Don't think I've ever got any thing like 500 k & have found that it wears out quicker when the snow is very icy (maybe more common in the Alps/Pyrenees than Finland ?). Started using grip tape to avoid the mess that goes with klister, especially as klister as an aerosol spray seems to have disappeared from French shops.

Anyone, today I hired some skating skis plus boots, something I've been meaning to do for years & had a good, if short, day out (short as the weathers rapidly getting bad & my legs & lungs found trying to skate uphill hard work). Now thinking that I might even buy some skating gear as my old track skis are ancient and boots starting to fall apart (after 'only' 20 years !)

In reply to Doug:


Skate style up hill is the hardest thing in the world I reckon. When I used to use a heart beat monitor it got over 200 once doing that!

In reply to TobyA: Totally agree about the workout going uphill being really tough! Love the skate/freestyle skis because there isn't the faff with waxes (apart from glide wax), and you don't get the drag from fishscales on classics...