This article covers a hodge-podge of cool new ski touring / ski mountaineering related kit. From crampons to transceivers to gloves and shovels, Winter OR & Snow Show 2018 had a lot of eye candy for the skiers! BCA Tracker S Transceiver: BCA is adding to their transceiver line with the introduction of the new Tracker S. Basically a stripped down version of the Tracker … Continue reading Winter OR 2018: Ski Gear
Not only did OR move to Denver this year, it also joined forces with the Snow Show. As you can expect this combined show was bigger with much more of a ski/ride feel than Winter OR typically does. With the larger show my available walk-around-and-drink-beer time was curtailed as I found myself running from meeting to meeting trying to catch up with everyone. But with … Continue reading Winter OR 2018: Ski Boots & Bindings
By utilizing innovative new fabric technologies and manufacturing processes companies like Patagonia, RAB, Mountain Equipment, Outdoor Research, Adidas and Mammut had some really cool new pieces to show off at the OR Show this year. Now this is just a short list of the highlights. If you have a question about a piece not included shoot me a message. Patagonia Capilene Air Baselayers: By taking … Continue reading Winter OR 2018: Apparel
I’ve been testing Osprey’s Kamber 32 for over a year now on a variety of ski trips in all kinds of conditions over BC and Alberta and this well designed pack has proven to be a worthy companion. Well featured, durable and comfortable it quickly became my go-to ski touring pack. And like a lot of pieces that I really like, I found myself using … Continue reading Long-Term Review: Osprey Kamber 32
The Icefall Down Jacket from Helly Hansen has been around for quite a while. And while it’s undergone some small changes and improvements over this time the core jacket remains the same. Quite a testament to it’s versatility and popularity. But what’s contributed to this ongoing success? Only one way to find out: take it into mountains for some use and abuse. So that’s what … Continue reading Review: Helly Hansen Icefall Down Jacket
Beal has really been setting the standard for superlight and safe climbing ropes lately and the new(ish) Gully is no exception. Amazingly light and dry the Gully half/twin ropes excel at alpine and ice climbing. The biggest selling feature for me is the Unicore technology that bonds the sheath to the core and in doing so drastically increases safety (not to mention durability). After a … Continue reading First Look Review: Beal Gully Half/Twin Ropes
I’m constantly amazed at the number of new belay devices that come onto the market each year. And I’m not talking about knock-offs (though there’s lots of those as well) but rather true innovation! Belay devices must get the creative juices flowing in R&D departments or just call to be reinvented. One such innovative and new(ish) device is the Click-Up from Climbing Technology. This assisted … Continue reading Review: Click-Up Belay Device
Looking for some ideas on what to get that avid backcountry skier on your list? We’ve got you covered! While in past we’ve only issued Christmas gift guides for climbers. This year we decided to include some ideas on what to get the avid skier on your list as well. So, in no particular order, here are 5 great gift ideas followed by a bonus … Continue reading Backcountry Skiers Christmas Gift Guide 2017
Another year seems to have flown by and the holiday season’s approaching once again. If you’ve got a hard-to-shop-for climber in the family don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this first installment of the guide we’ll look at 10 great ideas for smaller “stocking stuffer” type gift options. Basically cool stuff that will cost less than $100. The next installment will cover some bigger … Continue reading Climbers Christmas Guide 2017: Stocking Stuffers
Since its release, Petzl’s GriGri has been the standard against which all other assisted braking belay devices are compared. With the release of the new GriGri+, Petzl has once again set the bar a little higher. By utilizing their expertise in both recreational climbing and industrial / rope access Petzl was able to improve both the safety and performance of the GriGri+. And while there … Continue reading Review: Petzl GriGri+
