Dump alpine gear?

Yeah, I've felt that same temptation, however I would be reluctant to switch over to AT at the areas, especially if you ski hard.

Backcountry bindings are not necessarily designed to handle some of the forces and stresses associated with moguls or fast speeds. A lot will depend upon your skiing style and the binding you choose. Certainly some of the newer bindings will handle more of the area conditions better than the older models.

AT boots in a downhill binding can also be a bit problematic because of the rocker built into the AT boot to aid in walking. Again, this will depend upon the boot model.

AT skiis are probably the best match for area riding. The softer boards will flap around a bit more at speed, but the two gear types are definitely merging - especially with the freeriding craze. Certainly todays AT skiis beat the old Hexcels.

If you were looking for advice, I'd check with a ski tech that you really trust before abandoning those high DIN bindings and crankin'.

Bill_G

This is a good topic. There's no single answer since everybody has different preferences for the kind of skiing they do on and off the lifts.

My preference is to use vastly different gear for lift skiing and backcountry skiing. I like to ski hard on the lifts (not necessarily fast) so I want sturdy gear. When I'm in the backcountry, I want to be mobile, and I don't care so much about blasting the downhills. My backcountry gear is too light and flimsy for the kind of lift skiing I like, and my lift skiing gear is too heavy for the backcountry.

On the other hand, when I'm skiing the lifts with my son (who is ten and not an agressive skier yet) I like skiing on my AT gear because it is so light and nimble. I enjoy myself more at his speed on that super light gear. Instead of being a limitation, the light gear makes slow-speed skiing more fun.

I just got my 1st full rando set-up early last season.  Garmont Dynamites, Dyna Fit comforts, and Rossi T3 skis.  I spent a bunch of days inbounds last year using my AT boots with my beefy alpine skis (with look bindings) and had no problems at all.  My Garmonts fit me well and seem to be a good fit with alpine bindings, although I never had them tested and probably should.  I felt fully stable and balanced on the mixed gear when it came to skiing hard inbounds.  I just couldn't trust the lightweight AT skis with the different style of resort skiing.

If anything, I think the inverse is probably true. Time spend on lighter, softer BC gear tends to make your alpine skiing more fundamentally sound in terms of body position and balance. You can't get away with outlandish back-seat or tip pressure moves for long.

I use "heavy" AT gear for pretty much all lift-served skiing because it's so much more comfortable and I don't ski as aggressively as I used to. If I were a fast power hucker type I don't think it would be adequate. Having a Fritschi/G-Ride setup as the heaviest rig I use makes it less of a shock to transition to a light Dynafit setup for touring; the alpine stuff has been sitting idle in my basement for the past 5 years or so.

Go for a quiver - you already have the start of one.

My .02 (and worth every penny) as an inveterate gear junkie is a vote for the ubiquitous quiver. I enjoy having gear that I can purpose to my inclinations and the conditions of the day. That said, several of the sets in the arsenal (except for those which really are set up for hard snow) have AT bindings and I can use my AT boots or alpine boots (again, depending upon what I think I'll be doing most of that day) as the AT bindings are so easy to adjust. Most of today's skis transition nicely from on to off piste pretty well, and if you have AT bindings it's much easier to make that shift. I don't ski super hard or fast on piste and avoid bumps in general, but haven't had any problems with prereleasing or releasing when necessary from Naxo or Dynafit bindings mounted on alpine skis.

It's fun to take a couple of different pairs of skis or even boots on a ski day and decide in the parking lot which to use. I also find I stay on top of my technique (what little of it there is) a little better by riding different skis and adjusting to their differences rather than getting completely accustomed to one pair. Of course, the boots must be properly fitted and the skis must be in tune which can be a hassle with multiple pairs.

I say the more the merrier!

I disagree.  Less is More.  Unless you are a alpine racer or a mountaineer who needs a easy and fast way down from the summit, the new AT gear is all you need--anywhere.