An all-mountain ski system to ease wallet pain

In a world of increasing specialization in ski gear, we found a few "do-it-all" products that work exceptionally well wherever you ski.

Some hard-core powder hounds claim you need a quiver of skis in your closet so you can match the snow conditions and terrain with a specific type of ski. Given the price of gear these days, that's not a reasonable plan for most of us.

Seattle-based Karhu (a division of K2) offers a line of telemark and alpine touring skis that fit the "quiver of one" model. We tested the Karhu Storm on some early-season snow days high on Mount Rainier, and more recently on the fresh powder at Crystal Mountain.

These wide skis proved to be masters at carving through soft snow, yet held a tight edge when speeding down crusty groomed runs, too. With a fairly stiff tail, and a nice side cut, the Storms responded quickly and efficiently in turns. With 96 mm underfoot (full profile is 128/96/117), the skis float through powder like ducks in water.

The Storm proved a great ski for downhillers who occasionally venture into the backcountry. For those who spend more time skinning up mountains, the Storm is available in a lighter backcountry version, the Storm BC. Using lighter carbon core materials, the BC version shaves about 10 ounces off the weight of each ski (for the 184 cm model). Available in three lengths (170, 177, 184 cm), the Storm sells for $529, while the Storm BC goes for $549. More information: www.karhuskico.com.

To make those skis as versatile as possible, we mounted them with alpine touring (AT) bindings. These types of bindings allow you to lock down your boot heel so you can ski traditional downhill style, but when you're climbing with skins, or traversing to out-of-bounds slopes, you can flip a lever to allow your heels to lift freely, providing a more efficient and comfortable stride.

There are lots of AT bindings on the market, but none we tested came close in all-around performance to the Fritschi Freeride Plus. The latest version of the popular binding features a maximum DIN setting of 12 so even the most aggressive big skiers will stay securely clicked in. The Freeride Plus works with both AT boots and standard Alpine DIN-approved boots.

The Freeride Plus provided superb edge control in aggressive downhill runs at Crystal, and also allowed great stride comfort when skinning up Mount Rainier. The binding is available in three sizes for perfect fit with your boots, and a pair sells for $439. Black Diamond Equipment, www.bdel.com, distributes Fritschi in the United States.