It was time to hang up my 8 yr old Ascension (Black Diamond) climbing skins as the plush was worn and prone to icing. They still climbed with aplomb and as with the case with most old skins, the glide was excellent. So it was with some apprehension that I changed brands - to a new pair of BCA Low Fats for the start of winter.

I immediately removed the annoying black tongues from the tip, which only retard trail breaking and sewed on a webbing tail attachment, which I have used with all my skins - and then set off walking.

After 6 weeks of use I'm regretting retiring my Ascensions. The BCA's use a pitiful adhesive that looses any stickiness below minus 10C and particular on multiple laps. The grip is fine but the glide is poor, granted, they are still relatively new and this may improve, and they have already iced up underfoot - on my 4th day!

I have applied some BD Gold Label Glue to the base to rectify the adhesion issue and I truly hope that the icing up was a rare, unavoidable occurrence. On the positive side, the weight saving is significant (150gms) and their handling/packability is first-rate, probably a bonus if you yo-yo tour and store skins inside your jacket. But where reliability and the capacity to remain unnoticeable is as important as grip and glide, the BCA's Low Fat's are failing.

For cold weather touring or brief walks from the lift, a warm mid layer is essential and yet it still must breath sufficiently to avoid that clammy, sweaty feeling. Despite the protests from the wool crowd, fleece is still the king of this category, and the best of which is the new R2 Pullover from Patagucci. I have owned the first generation of R2 and it is still my favorite mid layer for lift skiing but the improvements found in the 08 model warrant a new purchase. Firstly, the lighter R1 fleece at hem and wrist areas is clever and appreciated (bulkiness at waist-line was my only complaint with the original). The deep front zip is fine for dumping heat, a high chest pocket is preferable to the standard lower hand-warming pockets, which seem perennially hidden underneath the waist belt of a daypack. The styling on the Pullover is superb, as you'd expect from the Patagonia, and with a new woven plush with greater warmth, and at scant 346gm, it simply cannot be beat for warmth/ weight/ breathability.

The Dream List returns for a harmless few moments of gear rating and critiquing. So much about ski touring equipment depends on the style of touring what you're doing and location, that asserting a 'best of' is probably rather meaningless. Nevertheless, if money weren't important, what would I really want under my feet and on my body. Several items need explanations, maybe all of them do - its a work in progress.

This is an alpine touring dream list, for places far from lifts, and its from my (a guy) perspective.

Reviewed: Dec 06

Taken with permission from:  http://kootenayskier.wordpress.com/

Firstly, some background to place this initial review of the 183cm 2005/6 Head Super Mojos in context. I’m 183cm, 75kg, an athletic expert skier, 38 years old, and I ski at Red Mountain BC. My regular skis have been 190cm Volkl Explosives, and 190cm Salomon AK Rockets. I purchased 183cm Volkl Gotamas last season, but found them too soft and unstable at speed, so immediately sold them. I’d narrowed down what I wanted in a ski: 98-105 mm waist, med-stiff flex, traditional wood/metal/ sidewall construction (for dampness and durability), not too much side-cut, and no twin-tip. Although I didn’t have an opportunity to demo them, the Super-Mojos best fit the bill, and I went with the 183cm because I was told that the 193cm was an un-turnable beast of a ski.

I’ve had a few days on them now, in early season mixed snow conditions, difficult fresh and cut-up snow. Despite the challenging skiing, I’m enjoying the skis and I expect I’ll appreciate them even more when the conditions get better and I regain peak skiing fitness.

They are stable, providing a welcome solid platform when arcing a turn through any terrain or snow. They float well in deep snow, not quite as well as skis with a larger softer shovel (like the Fischer Wateas) but with any significant speed you’re staying on top. On firmer snow they carve like a pair of Super G race skis, stiff and damp and certain. Being only 183cm, they’re pleasantly maneuverable through the bumps and trees, certainly not quick edge to edge, but not grabby or ponderous either. They reward traditional, technical dynamic technique, there’s no rolling your ankles and just letting the side-cut do the work. I’ve had moderate success smearing them through tight spots, but the snow has been funky so I’ll reserve judgment.

The skis limitations are whenever things get slow, where the weight and stiffness start to feel like an encumbrance. Conversely, they excel at speed through heavy and variable snow, railing through the junk. I’ll post again when I get to try them the full range of snow conditions.

Reviewed: Jan 07

I was after a new waterproof for the foul weather days at the resort, as my old jacket was too heavy and stiff. The Rain Shadow is billed as a fundamental, ultra-light waterproof and its simple, yet stylish design had instant appeal. The jacket is fantastically light, a mere 370 gms, is supple and provides full coverage for lift skiing. The cut is on the roomy side - a result of its intended audience (trekkers) and balloons slightly around the waist. There are 3 pockets (enough), the hood is voluminous, but is made to fit over a helmet, and the wrist closures are very effective and easy to operate. I am still unsure of the merits of pit zips (this has them) as I never use them, preferring to take off the entire jacket when skinning or climbing.

Overall, I am very happy with the Rain Shadow Jkt, but if it were available at the time, I would have purchased the Jetstream Jkt instead, as it uses the same 2.7oz ripstop nylon and has a trimmer, skier orientated cut, and some minor stretch panels which can do no harm.

Reviewed: Mar 05

Alpine Trekkers are today so incredibly popular and amazingly, have almost no competitors. Sure, SecuraFix's are still around but they're riddled with faults and vulnerabilities and are rarely sold in North America. Trekkers are the mainstay and the same basic structure exists as it did when they first arrived in the mid-90's. I've got a pair in the basement which is handed to friends for a good laugh or the infrequent day during the season where I can't be bothered changing skis for a tour outside my local resort. At the ski shop I work in, I see several Trekkers returned each season due to breakage. The weak areas are all the plastic/nylon? cast pieces such as the front and rear inserts (which crack) and the heel lever which also has a predisposition to snapping due to the standard method of all being kicked by ski boots. I welcome anyone to produce a stronger, lighter version of this touring adapter but it also needs to be half the price of a touring binding for beginner tourers - the main audience for this product.

Reviewed: Dec 04

I already own 5 different Thermarests models, plus a few top-of-the-line closed cell mats but when the new UL model arrived on the scene claiming a 200gm weight savings I just had to add another to my collection. A good mat is integral to a decent night sleep, so they rate highly in my ski touring priorities. The Thermarest Prolite 3 isn't much heavier than many of my closed-cell equivalents, plus it's a 1/4 of the size, so what it now means is that I use a 6 foot Prolite as my primary pad on most overnight trips. If I were to chose only one mat over any other, it would be this one. Fortunately, I rarely have to chose and I've learnt over the years that self-inflatables have a habit of deflating, so I therefore carry a thin top-evazote Karrimat foam pad as backup. The foamie provides peace of mind when pouring hot drinks, or when I develop tent fever and feel the need to lye down outside. The combination of two mats affords a truly comfortable, insulating bed that is the envy of other snow campers.

Despite my adoration of the Prolite 3, there are on rare occasion where two mats is too great a luxury and lightness overrules. When weight is paramount, I opt for one mat only and the one which never requires pandering or concern - a 6 foot, closed-cell Thermarest Ridge Rest.

Reviewed: Jan 05

I love carbon fiber poles. I've never broken a pair, although I have friends who have; they are light, have fast swing weights and an anorexic pole just oozes beauty. Normally I use a fixed length pole, which makes sense for the resort, but I've never fully appreciated an adjustable pole for touring, until this year when I was kindly given the Leki Full Spectrum Carbon Pole. Now as far as poles go, they do very little compared to other gear I own. A stick with a basket at one end is all they are, so long as the grip is comfortable to hold all day and they last equally to the good fortune you spend on purchasing them. Adjustment, if they don't collapse, is great, as I've since learnt and the 490gms weight is about as much as I want to carry. (the Leki Ergo is 50gms lighter). And finally, we've realized that poles make crap avalanche probes.

To continue a general theme, WAKE UP pole manufacturers. We carry these things around all day with us and they don't even tell us the time or light a fire for me. Why not stick a small LED clock in there, or how about a whistle, butane burner that you can flick open on the grip, even a small compass, thermometer, hook on the basket for lifting heel levers on touring bindings, even a small LED light. Its 2006, and none of these gadgets are included in my $100+, high-tensile, aircraft quality pointed stick that I own.

Reviewed: Nov 04

I witnessed the unmasking of this fleece, from a collaboration with Malden spawned a lighter, warmer fleece that breathed vigor into the saturated polyester market. I was hooked immediately by the new 'Regulator' fleece and to this very day have yet to find a superior insulator piece for ski touring. The champion in the line is the R2 which offers that best combination of warmth, breathability, drying times, light weight and visual appeal, out of any fleece jacket on the market (now goes by the name Polartec Thermal Pro HiLoft). Sure, there are goose-down and synthetic hollowfibers which offer superior warmth, but both of these stink at breathability and regulating heat and often look just plain weird on the street. The perfect clothing system is surely one which is worn from trailhead to summit and back without changing layers. It should keep you entirely dry and comfortable, be light and unrestrictive that you don't notice it, packs up small in a pack, and looks do count. My R2 accomplishes all this and weighs under 400gms. The designers at Patagonia have altered a few panels since my version, re-aligned (and switched fabric) of the stretch panels and come out with a few new models. Lack of wind protection can be an issue when worn as an outer layer, but any shift to improving windproofness will certainly hamper breathability which is this fleece's greatest asset.

Reviewed: Apr 05

Working in gear stores for the years that I have, I have come to own or use almost every decent headtorch that's ever been made. My personal favorite is the Yukon HL and it gets to accompany me on all my extended trips. There was a period in my life where lightness pervaded all my gear related investments and the tiny LED's ruled. But after one too many trip with a dud, inadequate beam (see Tikka) I've come back to the Yukon HL and have never looked back. Most people know of the 120 hrs with the 5mm LED and 25hrs with the 1-watt central LED, but it is 'use in the field'  that sets the HL and 1 watt bulb apart. So the Yukon HL is heavy at 227gms, compared to the BD Vectra IQ at 126g or Petzl Myolite 3 at 137g, but the Yukon HL has double the burn-time, the bulbs will never blow and the 1-watt light seems whiter and brighter. Can't wait to test the Princeton Tec Eos.

Reviewed: Dec 05

The Watea is Fischer's latest freeride fat-boy, a whopping 134-101-124 dimension, and strangely, made only in a 192cm length. Fischer has made and marketed this ski as the cornerstone for their Freeride Team - for young guys going ballistic down alpine terrain (typically Europe). I was therefore a little apprehensive when a pair arrived at my store, looking enormous  and more like a gelande ski than a powder stick. I mounted them quickly and took them out on opening day at Red, where 30-40cm of light powder graced the mountain.

The Watea's looked titanic underfoot and drew plenty of looks in the lift line. They felt instantly comfortable when skiing with a huge sweet spot almost from tip to tail. The length and width make it a big, beefy ski, and it certainly prefers open terrain at fast speed but there's no metal in the construction, just a full wood laminate. I was surprised at how versatile it skied as it attacked the hardpack like a top race ski. If I skied lazily or sat back, I could quickly pull forward and it turned best when I was aggressive and charged. Best of all was that it covered my mistakes without retribution - a sign of an awesome ski. My tips could wander and I would just bring them back into line without mistake. It certainly favoured medium to long radius turns but was wide enough to slide and drift in tight trees and manky snow, although the long length and stiff flex is a workout in steep, technical lines. Overall, the Watea is a joy to ski, the ride was smooth with plenty of playfullness and liveliness, predictable steering, fantastic suspension in the chewed-up snow and effortless in the deep stuff. I highly recommend this ski for advanced skiers wanting a formula 1, big-mountain ski, although I think a 186cm length would be more appropriate.

Reviewed: Mar 05

On a recent 3 day tour, I peeled off my skins and marveled at how perfect these innocent strips of nylon, neoprene and cotton were. My Ascension skins are 5 years old and I never have to worry about them, ever. They stick to my skis regardless what the temperature or snow conditions are like. I don't baby them in the cold or wet, and they've had plenty of rock time from South America to the Himalaya. Now to be honest, there is a small amount of maintenance involved. I do hang them over a heat source most nights, and once a season I spray them with a high quality DWR (Nikwax Tent/Gear Spray or equivalent) to stop the balling up of sticky snow. But these beauties are virtually perfect. BCA would argue that their Low Fat Skins are lighter (probably not) and more packable (true, but this is due mainly to the lack of a neoprene laminate and shorter plush length, which also means more prone to balling up). One final comment is that the attachment system is critical to a perfect skin. Buy your skins standard (no thrills) and sew on a 50cm length of 20mm polyester webbing with a 2mm bungee loop at the end that attaches to either the back of the binding (on Fritschi's) or an added screw. I'll draw a diagram soon. It is the only system that will not fail. Some people swear by the clipfix system, but on a windy summit I'll take my webbing attachment over the clipfix any day.  

Reviewed: Jan 05

In the immense and often bewildering world of multitools there is fierce competition to develop the newest and greatest tool. Again, I've owned my fair share of them, from Leatherman, Gerber, Buck, SOG and a few Chinese imitations. I've spoken to knife gurus about why one is better than another and had hours to test them in ways too complicated and involved to discuss here. But hands down, the Victorinox Swiss Tool is my all-time favorite. To explain my conclusion, I need to fully discuss each feature (tool) and what makes it better, but to save time and effort here are a few key notes.

Each feature seems to be the result of laborious research and design, more so than other manufacturers, so each performs its task more favorably. (Compare chisels, phillips screwdriver, file, size of pliers head, etc. to others).

Opening each feature is easier and quicker with access from the outside.

The Swiss Tool is stiffer in the hand, more robust nor loosens over time. The knife blades aren't as sexy as Leatherman's, but they cut just the same. It is stronger, has a ruler, better pliers and locking feature.

Reviewed: Dec 04

Some years ago now, I once worked for Patagonia and quickly developed into passionate endorsee. My enormous wardrobe is a proud example of the past 10+ years of Patagucci design and unfortunately, my clothing reviews will be unashamedly unbalanced towards this particular brand.

The Essenshell was released 6 years ago at the blossoming of the Soft Shell faze and displayed the latest water repellency treatment in 'Epic'. There have since been a million other jackets unveiled and yet the Essenshell is still my No 1 touring shell. The cut is superb, always plenty of unrestricted movement, it breathes fast enough to avoid humidity (a difficult task in touring jackets) and I've yet to feel leakage despite its modest repellency claims - even during the wickedest of snowfalls. There are many jackets that are lighter than the 378gms, however, these all appear to fall into the paper-thin microfibres and lacking decent storm coverage and durability category. Of course, I wished I'd purchased a more subdued color, trying walking through the streets of Manali or Mendoza with anonymity. The stretch panels make a nice touch but I doubt their functional value. I love the pocket arrangement and this beauty packs up to the size of a small gas cartridge. It is difficult to find fault with this jacket, perhaps the chin guard coverage is a little too tight but otherwise it is ideal.

Reviewed: Feb 05

In a quest for supreme gram saving, I purchased the Lift Link 3D polycarb shovel from MEC in the early 90's. Somehow, this inexpensive shovel shows almost no change since then and still remains one of the lightest shovels at around 560gms. The T handle is terrific and in all fairness, my shovel has withstood 10 years of loyal service without incident. However, if I were to buy another shovel today, I would choose an aluminum model, rather than the PC's, due to the greater effectiveness in slicing through hard snow/ice and for its novel ability to serve as a base plate for liquid fuel stoves (PolyCarbs melt!). The new Indigo standard shovel employs PC in its design but ingeniously collapses the shaft into the blade, thus saving space. This sounds like a great feature but how does it deal with being kicked hard by a ski boot? The shafts of all shovels should surely do a few extra chores, such as probe/saw carrier (I know many do), waterproof container, pipe, pole for tent and why aren't there attached/retractable cords coming out so as to cut snow columns?

alpine touring

gear review, ski touring, review

dream gear list 2006