Jul 22 2011

Mammut buys SnowPulse

Mammut Sports Group has bought SnowPulse. It appears the partnership first seen in the USA last January at the Outdoor Retailer Show as a Mammut branded airbag pack with SnowPulse technology has become a full fledged acquisition.

From their press release:
Snowpulse represents a valuable addition to its portfolio, giving Mammut access to leading technology in the avalanche airbag market. Besides being the first company to seriously compete with ABS, the original avalanche airbag pack company, SnowPulse has developed R.A.S. technology which allows allows the entire airbag and inflation bottle to be removed and used in another compatible pack, or simply removed altogether to maximize pack volume. With the addition of airbag pack technology to Barryvox avalanche transceivers Mammut strengthens its standing as a market leader in avalanche safety equipment.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 17 2011

The Sierra High Route – Panoramic Magic

Part of the reason it took me so long to get around to doing the Sierra High Route was a simple misunderstanding of what the trip was about. Mostly I did it because I knew it was a classic for a reason, but frankly, I couldn’t wrap my head around what it was.

They weren't all good, but "some of the turns were magnificent..."

They weren’t all good, but “some of the turns were magnificent…”

Indeed, to traverse the Sierra Nevada and feel its breadth and width and depth seems a magnificent undertaking. Having finally done it, I concur, it is indeed magnificent. Some of the turns were even magnificent, but that isn’t why you will appreciate this tour if you ever do it.

My perception that there wouldn’t be that many good turns to be had completely missed the mark for why you should do this tour. That’s not to say we didn’t experience some awesome turns along the way, but it wasn’t like doing laps on a powder day in the backcountry. Those were fleeting moments of downhill hedonism that simply added to the real reward of the Sierra High Route.

Just what is it that justifies lugging a turn compromising heavy pack for hours on end to cross the Sierra? Simply put, it is to immerse yourself in the grandeur of one of God’s finest creations, the Sierra Nevada.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 15 2011

Ortovox sold to Deuter parent

Deuter’s parent company, Schwan-Stabilo, has purchased Ortovox. Finally, after more than ten years of looking for a buyer, Ortovox founder, Gerald Kampel can retire.

According to Marcus Peterson, the US sales manager, “Gerald went with Schwan-Stabelo for their track record of leaving companies alone.”

Schwan-Stabilo is a half-billion dollar holding company with business holdings in cosmetics, office and art supplies, and the outdoors via Deuter backpacks. The acquisition of Ortovox strengthens their presence in the outdoors market with a brand that is synonymous with avalanche safety.

Christian Schneidermeier will remain managing director of Ortovox, with four product managers overseeing the key product lines of avalanche transceivers, backpacks, shovels and probes, and clothing.

© 2011

 

Jul 11 2011

Review: Wonder Warmers heat pack

Finally, a technology I chanced upon over 20 years ago has made it to the consumer market. It is a reusable heat pack called Wonder Warmers.

The Pros

Click that metal tab and the wonder begins as liquid turns to solid and the reaction produces heat.

Wonder Warmers is a chemical in a pouch that creates heat when the liquid becomes a solid. It uses a metal disk that you click to trigger the chemical reaction causing it to crystalize.

Depending on the size pouch you have the heat lasts for over an hour and can reach 130° F (54° C) when new. After several cycles of use the useful heat output
diminishes to 20 minutes, as does the initial maximum temperature. 110° F (43° C) is a more realistic temperature over time, and easier on your skin.

To use it again, throw the crystallized pouch in a pot of boiling water and in about 15 minutes or less the crystals will melt, forming the original liquid that is ready to react with a click of the metal disk inside.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 06 2011

Profile: Steve Barnett – Telemark Prophet

We’re in the middle of talking skis and tele and tours and gear and the state of the art back in the day compared to now when Steve unequivocally declares, shifting his voice for emphasis, “I’m not kidding, that’s probably the best backcountry ski ever!” 
 

Steve Barnett rips Sierran powder on Matterhorn Peak, 1993.

Steve Barnett should know. He’s been telemark skiing since the late 70s when Nordic skiing had its last boom; prehistoric for today’s generation. In that time he’s skied a pretty fair range of skis, from the toothpicks of the time, to the obese planks of the new millenium.
 
At the time he was a math major at Harvard. On a visit to Colorado he became intrigued with the idea of heading off into the wilderness on skis. So he rented a pair and took off.  The simplicity and adventure of it all simply buried a hook in his heart and changed the course of his life. 
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 02 2011

Tahoe Turns in July 2011

That negative stuff I was saying about Tahoe snow conditions not being reliable for spring may usually be true, but right now I’m here to tell you about how amazing the ski conditions are for Summer 2011.

Plenty of snow in Tahoe for July. South side of Castle Peak shown.

Ordinarily there wouldn’t be any skiing in Tahoe once the calendar said it was summer. But the Ten-11 season was a whopper, so we not only have lots of snow still up in the mountains around Tahoe (as well as much of the Sierra and Mt. Shasta) but the quality is good too.

The problem with spring skiing in Tahoe is the snow usually gets mushy early, and stays mushy until it has all melted away. But this year there was so much snow that when it finally turned to summer, it did melt and consolidate but now what remains is as consolidated as any perfect spring melt-freeze snowpack you’ll ever experience. The difference is, it is soooo consolidated that it won’t mush out.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jun 28 2011

Review: Black Diamond’s Seeker

For Black Diamond, the Seeker is the most touring friendly telemark boot in their line. It is not, an unfriendly touring boot, but it is more of a small big boot, than a big small boot. By that I mean it is optimized more for turning than for the earning. So while it certainly is the most touring friendly of BD’s tele boot line, if your emphasis is for touring this boot is a bit oversized, particularly on long tours.

BD's Seeker • MSRP: $639
A small (3 buckles) Big (~ 9 lbs./pr) boot.

It packs a lot of power for downhill control thanks to the extra muscle provided by the BOA lacing system on the liner. There’s a lot of overlapping layers of plastic on the cuff too, further adding to the muscle of this boot.

Some folks will automatically discount the power of this boot because it only has one buckle on the cuff. In most situations I’m inclined to view a fourth buckle as a mental crutch, but that’s because I don’t venture into the realm that requires it much either. Regardless, the Seeker delivers more than enough power to drive skis with a stocky 100mm plus waist width, even obese planks if you’re under the lifts. Backcountrywise I can’t imagine why anyone would pair these boots with anything wider than 110mm underfoot, but again, that’s the bias of an old leatherneck.
Keep making backcountry turns