Mar 28 2013
It has been a year since my first tour with the current version of Ascension climbing skins. The last pair of nylon skins from BD sported the tire tread pattern, Glidelite brand name, and lasted 5+ years before the glue went bad (serendipitously just one week after a rave review 😉 ) You can …
Jan 07 2013
Over the past three years I’ve had the opportunity to use two versions of BD Ascensions (Nylon), G3’s Alpinist (nylon), BCA’s Magic Carpet skins (nylon), GlideLite (nylon), Gecko (mohair), Clip-Skins (synthetic), Colltex (65/35 nylon/mohair), Pomoca (nylon), K2 (nylon), and La Sportiva (nylon). All were new within the last 3 years. Plus I’ve mixed in old …
Oct 24 2012
What are the results from the season opener? Fresh tracks, two face shots, a serendipitous meeting with friends, revelations with G3’s Onyx, some sweet tele turns with an attack of the nuns using the NTN Freedom binding, no trouble but an unexpected symptom with Ascension glue, the usual frosting with G3 Alpinists skins, and …
Apr 11 2012
So it was a revolutionary moment when Paul Ramer sent me a pair of his Assault Snowshoes – an oval shaped platter of stamped aluminum with cookie cutter edges. As usual I thought it was a kooky idea, but as with his Ramer Classic alpine touring bindings, their beauty was only visible after experiencing their performance.
Feb 15 2012
To the touch they appear mildly sticky, maybe half as sticky as “normal” glue, but when stuck to the base of your skis, especially when weighted, they hold as well as any other skin glue. The Gecko folks say it is a pressure sensitive adhesive so when you’re skinning, they hold tight and keep snow from creeping under.
Dec 21 2011
You have to be pretty particular, or simply have skis that are too thick at the tip to not like G3’s Alpinist Climbing Skins out of the box. The tip and tail kit are impressive, as is their welded attachment to the skin itself. And then there is the reduced thread count, laid-back weave of …
Dec 13 2011
After several years of simply hanging in there and offering the lowest priced climbing skin in the American market, BCA’s climbing skins were upgraded last season. They wouldn’t disclose who their new source was, but I can assure you that out of the box the new Magic Carpets are indeed an upgrade. How good of …
Recent Comments