The Escape 68 from Salomon is designed for skiers who prefer exploration and adventure, rather than following the path of a groomed trail. Salomon builds these skis with a wood core, full length metal edges, and a fish scale grip system that provides plenty of kick even for steep uphills. Although the 68 mm tip width is technically narrow enough to fit into groomed classic tracks, we don’t necessarily recommend it, as you’re not going to get very good efficiency out of this ski in that scenario. Will it work? Sure, and it’s perfectly fine if you’re going to do that once in a while, but the highlight of the Escape 68 Outback is their performance off trail.
If your idea of a fun day on XC skis involves finding your own trails, exploring new terrain, and in general just going on a little bit of an adventure, you’ll love these skis. At under $300, they are also an excellent value and will have you out there breaking trail while keeping some money in your pocket. From an alpine ski perspective, 68 mm is pretty wide, but with their lightweight feel and Salomon’s new tip shape, you actually get some pretty good float out of these skis.
CONSTRUCTION
Fish Scale Grip
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Jeff Neagle had the opportunity to do some testing on the Escape 68 Outback and really enjoyed it. “If I had to choose, I’d probably go with these over the Escape 60.” Jeff was lucky enough to test both the 60 and 68 in the Escape line. “In my opinion, the 68 mm width works better in a ski like this, and personally if I’m choosing something with metal edges, I don’t really care how it performs in groomed tracks. I’m sure there are other skiers who wouldn’t mind, but for me I prefer the increased soft snow performance of this width over the ability to fit into groomed classic tracks.” That’s definitely something to consider if you’re deciding between different widths in the Escape line. If you want to be able to ski in groomed classic tracks, you’ll want to get either the 60 or 64, but if you care more about off trail performance, this 68 may be the way to go. “It has an excellent feel in un-groomed snow. Between the fish scales and the metal edges, you have plenty of grip, and in my opinion it would be a confidence-inspiring ski for any level skier.”
For those that like to explore on their XC skis, the Escape 68 Outback is a really good choice. There are obviously wider XC skis to consider as well, but for a lot of skiers, 68 mm is plenty wide and will provide all the float and stability you need to enjoy softer snow conditions and untracked terrain.
