I’ve been really impressed with all the amazing new (or redesigned) products coming from Petzl lately and the new Ride axe is no exception. While it was designed as a compact and lightweight ski mountaineering axe the Ride is also a very functional summer mountaineering tool. It works great on mountaineering and alpine objectives where portability and weight are critical regardless of the season. Features: Length: 45cm Weight: 280g … Continue reading Petzl RIDE Axe Review
The Tycane line of sunglasses by Adidas Eyewear have been specifically designed for climbing, skiing and mountaineering as well as for watersports. And while not necessarily a household name in eyewear, Adidas boasts a wide range of high quality, sport-specific and casual sunglasses with top notch optics. If you’re looking for a pair of glasses that will work for ski touring, climbing, glacier travel, mountaineering, … Continue reading Review: Adidas Tycane Pro Outdoor Sunglasses
The VIA Carbon pole from G3 is exactly what a ski touring or mountaineering pole should be. And while G3 may not yet have the brand recognition of some of the larger companies, when it comes to backcountry ski touring and mountaineering they’re on the cutting edge! I’ve been testing a few of their products this year so you can expect to see several reviews … Continue reading G3 VIA Carbon Ski Pole
Last year Petzl released the RAD (Rescue And Decent) system which is basically a lightweight rope kit. The idea is that skiers and mountaineers can take it with them into mountains to deal potential issues such as rappelling cliff bands, undertaking crevasse or cliff rescue and for roping up when crossing glaciers. While light-weight kits of this nature have been available to Guides for some time Petzl … Continue reading Petzl RAD Kit Review
When Arc’teryx released the Lithic Comp pant (well actually they’re technically bibs) last fall I was a bit skeptical as I’m not a big fan of bibs; I find that they tend to be hot on the up-track. However the promise offered by the combination of hardshell and shoftshell fabrics drew me in. The idea behind the pants is simple, waterproof breathable fabric where you need … Continue reading Review: Arc’teryx Lithic Comp pant
Black Diamond, like many companies that make avalanche rescue equipment, has an avalanche shovel that can be set-up either as a hoe or shovel. However, the elegant design of the BD Evac 7 make the conversion between the two modes simple and intuitive on a shovel that is still light and extremely effective at moving a lot of snow quickly. Before looking at this particular … Continue reading Review: Black Diamond Evac 7 Shovel
I’ve done a lot of pack reviews over the years though but traditionally focused on ice, rock or alpine oriented packs. This year I decided to take this expertise and apply it to a comparison review of some newer mid-size ski packs. I chose this size of pack as it’s so versatile: great for hut-based overnight trips, hut-to-hut ski tours, ski/snowboard mountaineering trips or even … Continue reading Comparison Review: Ski Packs
So your ice climb is a little off the beaten path. Literally, as no one else has yet beaten a path in! You put your head down and start to post hole through the rotten snow. After a few steps the crust is wearing at your shins, after a few hundred feet you’re starting to bleed. You’ll be down to the bone before getting anywhere … Continue reading Review: G3 Stinger Skis
