SkinTrack

Stano Faban

Buying backcountry skiing, alpine touring and avalanche safety gear

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This article is from a series on “How to start backcountry skiing and alpine touring?”. Visit the link to see an outline of all the topics.
Now that you skied off piste in knee deep powder with your friends and learnt some very useful things in the avalanche safety course, you are hooked. If not, then something went wrong while you were reading the two preceding articles from this series, please go back and re-read 🙂
When you are truly aboard you will need some basic gear that will get you further into the backcountry. The choices are immense these days, so your budget will be your biggest definer.
The basic fact with backcountry skiing is that since we need to climb up before we go down, the weight of your gear is very important. Light gear means faster uphills but may not provide the best control for downhill. Heavy gear doesn’t necessarily mean great downhill control but definitely means tougher climbing.
There are three ways to go about this:
•    you take someone’s advice and stick with it
•    you start experimenting on your own
•    or you combine the two
In my opinion, the best thing to listen to some advice but experiment as well. And eventually you should gradually hone your skills and technique that will allow you to eventually tour with lighter gear without compromising anything.
Below is a fairly long yet still quite brief overview of all basic equipment (that you will need) divided into sections: skis, boots, bindings, climbing skins, avalanche safety gear, and backpacks & clothing.

Skis for backcountry and alpine touring

Fat, skinny, light, heavy – the preference should be made on what you plan on skiing the most, whether powder or more of a harder snow.
skis
The best, before you really find your soul, is to go the middle way. Get backcountry skis with around 80-90mm width under the foot. Pick something in the middle of this range and you should be fine for now.
Lengthwise, get a pair that is about the same height as you are, or the skinnier the skis the longer they can be while the opposite is true for fatter skis.
The weight of skis will depend on the length of the ski. At 80-90mm width the weight will generally vary from 1300g to 2200g per ski.
Most popular backcountry ski brands are Atomic, Ski Trab, Dynafit, Black Diamond, K2, G3, Dynastar and Goode.
The usual price range is between $500 to $800. To get a better idea you can check out a wide backcountry skis selection at Backcountry.com.

Alpine touring boots

Backcountry (or alpine touring) ski boots have a lot to do with how well you will be controlling your ride. Again, the obvious properties are light or heavy, however, for good control you need to consider things such as:
boots•    how many buckles a boot has
•    how high the boots are
•    how well do the boots fit
The number of buckles ranges from two to five (to maybe more on some models) and this pretty much defines how well the boots will fit your feet. The better fit, the better control. But again be aware of the weight.
For starters, go with three to five buckles, with a heat moldable liner. The weight of these will be around 1400g to 1900g per boot. Weight significantly depends on the size of the boot.
There are four major alpine touring boots manufacturers: Scarpa, Dynafit, Garmont, Black Diamond. Scarpa and Dynafit will most likely have something for everybody from weight cautions to best downhill performers. Garmont and Black Diamond are focused more towards the downhill performance, so you might not find as light boots in their selection.
The usual price range is between $600 to $800, and again you can check out Backcountry.com to see what’s out there since they seem to have the widest selection in North America. Also, you can check out MEC.ca as they carry lots of models too.

Alpine touring bindings

Fifteen and more years ago the market in Europe was dominated by Silvretta. In North America there were different brands since telemark skiing was much more popular than a fixed heel.
biddingsThen Dynafit came out with a revolutionary Dynafit LowTech binding that changed everything. This was primarily due to the very innovative functionality design which shaved pounds and pounds of weight off the previous touring models.
Over the years Dynafit bindings proved to be at least as durable as anything else on the market. However, your choice should be still made based on some other facts.
If you like to ski the resorts on your backcountry skis or if you ski more in the resorts than in backcountry then you can for Black Diamond’s Diamir bindings since it gives you more clearance above the ground and skiing feels more like on normal bindings. Marker’s Duke bidding belongs in this category too.
Anyone else should pretty much consider only Dynafit. Nowadays, the brand offers various models yet all of them are way lighter than any other brand’s models. And the simplicity of the design means that there is a lot less to break than on any other models.
Dynafit design is specific in a way that not all alpine touring boots can be used with their bindings, however, now all boot manufacturers have at least couple of models that are Dynafit compatible. So no worries.
Also, you may consider “alpine touring adapters” for normal biddings. Those can be easily locked in your downhill bindings and provide a climbing mode for you. You can use these with your downhill ski boots. But beware you will be hauling a lots of weight up the hills with this setup.
Most recommended alpine touring bindings brands are Dynafit, Black Diamond’s Diamir and Silvretta. G3 has recently released an alpine touring bidding too, so if you are like to test new things that might be your choice.
Again, to see what’s out there go to Backcountry.com. Prices will range mostly between $350 to $500.

Telemark skiing gear – skis, boots, bindings

Being not a telemark skier myself (but soon to try) I will give it my best to introduce you to the tools of the trade. (Original photo of the telemark skier is from John Baldwin collection.)
telemark-skiingTelemark skiing (or telemarking) gear consists of the exactly same components as alpine touring – skis, boots and bindings. However, this gear functions differently due to the downhill technique of the marvelous telemark turn.
Telemark skis
Many people are using alpine touring skis (or all mountain skis) for telemarking or even skiers are using tele skis for skiing. Although, that definitely says something about compatibility telemark skis, in general, are somewhat softer and narrower than backcountry skis. However, in recent years they are catching up with the fatness.
When choosing the right ski for you, you need to consider your height, weight and skill just like with normal skis. The best is to ask an experienced tele skier but you should not go wrong with a length that matches your height. And the deeper the snow you plan on riding the fatter the skis need to be.
Usual prices for telemark skis would be about the same as for alpine touring skis, between $500 to $800.
The most popular manufacturers that offer specialized telemark skis are Karhu, Voile, K2, Atomic, Black Diamond, G3, Ski Trab and Rossignol.
Telemark boots
Telemark boots are different from any other ski boots at a first glance. They feature a bellow that allows for a “bending motion” of the boot that is necessary for dropping low when carving the tele turn.
telemark-bootImportant differences among telemark boots, including the weight factor, are:

  • How soft or stiff a boot is?
  • How tall or low a boot is?

To have more control for downhill as well as to have a more precision for aggressive skiing (or jumping) you should be choosing some of the beefier boots that are stiffer and taller. On the other hand, if you want more comfort while climbing then a softer, lower boot will do.
Telemark boots as well have about the same price point as alpine touring boots – $600 to $800.
There is not as many specialized telemark boots manufacturers as for telemark skis, however, there are plenty of boots to chose from. The most popular brands are Scarpa, Black Diamond, Garmont and Crispi.
Telemark bindings
Telemark binding is responsible for making the core differences between telemarking and backcountry skiing downhill techniques. Telemark skis and boots are just follow ups of this tele gear component.
telemark-bindingIn the past, the biggest concern for telemark skiers (and those that wanted to try it) was a lack of releasability of their bindings in a case of a fall. Therefore, facing a potentially nasty “beating” of your head by your attached skis or spraining your knees. This has been dealt with in the recent years by improved binding models.
A cool feature with some of the latest tele bindings is that you can adjust its stiffness. This would affect your downhill control (aggressive vs relaxed). I am not sure how much telemark skiers fiddle with this “setting” while on their skis, however, it is something that alpine touring equipment is missing.
Telemark bindings price range is a bit wider than for backcountry skiing bindings and it’s nice to see the price drop even under $200 on some models. However, you can pay almost as much as $500 for a pair.
These days, telemark binding manufacturers offer a wide choice from different models. The most notable brands are Black Diamond, 7tm, Voile, G3 and Rottefella.
Where to buy telemark skiing gear?
You can buy specialized tele equipment at the same online stores that sell alpine touring gear. So Backcountry.com and MEC.ca will do, with MEC.ca having a better selecion of the bindings and boots.

Climbing skins

Skins are divided usually into three categories – mohair skins, synthetic and mixed. The more mohair, the better glide (less energy, goes faster), but absorbs water in warm conditions quicker. The more synthetic, the less glide but somewhat more durable. The mixed models are a mix of bought.
climbing-skinsMake your first pair of skins synthetic or mixed ones and maybe after a season or two treat yourself with mohair skins for glacier skinning days.
When buying skins you need to consider the length and the width of your skis. Skins are now usually sold in about 2m length, but the widths will differ. It’s always better to buy fatter ones, then trim them to fit your skis as oppose to have skins too narrow.
Popular brands for climbing skins in North America are Black Diamond, G3 and Dynafit; in Europe it would be more Coltex, Pomoca and Ski Trab.
Backcountry.com carries about 15 different types of skins with prices ranging from $120 to $190.

Avalanche safety gear

Avalanche safety gear is a package of three items which function together in a case of an avalanche accident – avalanche beacon (or some times called transceiver), snow shovel and avalanche probe.
The most trickiest to chose is the avalanche beacon, mostly due to the wide range of prices (from $200 to $600).
avy-safety-gearThe shovel and probe are more straight forward with each costing only around $40 to $80. Pick a shovel with an extendable handle and a metal blade as this gives you the best tool to dig with. For the probe, don’t go shorter than 240cm, preferably buy one that is 320cm long.
As for the avalanche beacon, the recommendation is to ask friends that have experience in using one or your instructor at your avalanche course. How to chose an avalanche beacon is a whole new topic, so I won’t discuss it in this article.
A new piece of safety equipment to consider is an avalanche airbag. After pulling a handle a bag full of air infaltes around you or your head. This protects you from trauma injuries as well as helps you to stay above the floating snow.
There are very few manufacturers around the world that focus avalanche safety equipment, and these would be pretty much it: Ortovox, Backcountry Access, Pieps, G3, Mammut/Barryvox, Pulse.
You can find the widest selection of avalanche safety gear at BackcountrySafety.com or at Backcountry.com.

Clothing and backpacks

Most of the clothing you need for backcountry skiing can be the same as you use in a resort. The main difference would be the top layers. Buy a breathable jacket for uphills (soft shell) that has some wind proof properties. The same is true for pants with more emphasis on the breathable part.
ski-clothing-packsFor downhill or more stormy days you should have some heavier duty windproof and waterproof gear. The most recommended are jackets and pants made out of GoreTex fabric.
Then you will need some thin gloves for climbing and a pair of warm ones for skiing, or when the conditions turn bad. The same goes for hats.
All of the extra clothing and avalanche safety gear is best carried in a backpack along with some water and a bit of food. The choices for backpacks are great, but to start buy a pack that is around 25 to 35 liters large and features straps that allow you to attach your skis, this is very useful for boot packing.
This is the category where you will find the biggest selection of all equipment and the most popular brands for clothing and backpacks for backcountry skiing are The North Face, Arc’Teryx, Marmot, Patagonia, Mountain Hardware, Columbia, Mammut…
You can go nuts at these online stores: Altrec.com, Backcountry.com, MEC.ca, REI.com and many more.

Altimeter watch

Altimeter watch doesn’t really fit inside any of the above mentioned categories but it’s an essential piece of backcountry skiing equipment, and the more you learn how to use it the more you will appreciate it.
To learn why altimeter watch is a great tool to have see:
Altimeter watch: Why it is important and beneficial to know your altitude?
To get help with buying an altimeter watch see this article:
Buying altimeter watch that fits your needs and budget

Have questions about gear?

If you have any questions or comments about the gear I just introduced you to feel free to ask or discuss below. I will answer the best I can or even write a post about it. And you are all welcome to answer each other’s questions too.

Buying altimeter watch that fits your needs and budget

Canada snow report: Rockies, Selkirks, Yukon, Coast

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Early season snow report from the Canadian mountains says that some already ski, some are very close, and some are still riding bikes and hiking.
After receiving couple of emails with snow conditions from various places a friend of mine suggested it would be good to write it up in a report. And especially the early season conditions are important to share since they can either safe some driving or jump star the season.
I will try to come up with such a snow report on a “regular schedule” as the season progresses but I am yet to define the word “regular”. And I hope that guys won’t mind using their direct quotes with my occasional comments.

Rockies (Oct 8, 2009 – Canmore area)

“We’ve got 6-8 cm  of fresh in Canmore. Not pow shredding, but I’ll be on the xc boards tomorrow,” Steve wrote.
6-8 cm is not much but for Canmore is close to peak season conditions…after all it beats the Coast right now 😉

Selkirks (Oct 8, 2009 – Rogers Pass)

Andrew works and plays in the same mountains, so he knows his backyard. Here is what he reported for Rogers Pass area:
“I went  up to the Asulkan cabin yesterday and there was about 2 cm of melt freeze graupel at 1700m and 10 cm of nice fluffy pristine face-shot quality pow at the cabin (2000m), almost enough to cover up all the rocks, almost.
When I left work today there was some serious flurries going on, so there is proably a few more cms now. But that is all. It’s a good start and I hear there is more on it’s way, so the first turns will be soon.”

Yukon (Oct 8, 2009 – Whitehorse)

Yukon seems to be doing the best so far. With the trend going, they are almost getting past “the early season conditions” factors up there. Here is more details from James:
“Back on skis today. Headed up Montana Mnt, about 45 min south of Whitehorse toward White Pass and Skagway, Alaska.
It’s been snowing like mad for 4 days straight here in Whitehorse, so decided it was time.
About 25cm of fresh above 1600m and skiable above 2000m.  Still a lot of rock dodging to do but turns on Oct 8 ain’t bad. Heading Haines, AK way tomorrow for another snow hunt.”

South Coast (Oct 8, 2009 – Vancouver, Whistler, Squamish)

On the Coast, we are pretty much… It makes for good fall hiking though with beautiful colours everywhere. Even up at Whistler and Pemberton area it is safe to say that it’s quite impossible to ski, unless you ski “glacier ice”.
Andy says: “It is still summer on the Coast!”
Alex, from Whistler, adds more detail on what is really going on:
“A week and a half ago we got dumped on up high.  Around 10cm of snow, much of which has still stuck around, but nothing even near skiable.
Some friends skied near Squamish yesterday, mostly neve though.
It’s going to be rowdy starting up this year, all of our snowbridges have melted, and crevasses are hungry. Large expanses of ice are now showing, that previously were covered most summers, and the heat also brought massive rockfall.
Early season is going to be tricky.  Hopefully, its deep this year.”

Vertical climbing speed: Ski mountaineering vs Uphill running vs Slope angle (vs Gear weight)

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How does vertical speed compare between different mountain sports?
And how does slope angle affect that speed?

vertical-speed-ilustrationThese are very interesting questions to which no one has an absolute answer for. I am going to take a shot at it while relying on my knowledge and experience in both ski mountaineering (skimo) and uphill running.

Here is a summary of conclusions from my “study”, but if you have 20min then read on, it’s worth it. Also, share your opinion in the comments below, thus we can all learn even more.

The most efficient angle for:

  • skinning for guided clients is believed to be 12 degrees.

  • skinning for trained athletes is 13-16 degrees.

  • skimo and uphill running isn’t the same.

  • skinning is lower than the one for uphill running.

Why this topic? Why now?

Kilian Jornet Burgada
Kilian Jornet Burgada
I was always interested about this topic and what made me to research it now even more is that, these days, we are fortunate to have a single athlete who is arguably the best in the world at both disciplines. This fact makes things easier as we can “forget” about some variables that are very different between individuals such as body weight, years of training, etc..

The athlete’s name is Kilian Jornet Burgada. He is a 21-year-old phenomenon from Catalonia (Spain) that wins races over any distance, from 30min bursts to 30h mountain marathons, whether on skis or in running shoes. If he is a new name for you then check out his results on Wikipedia – Kilian Jornet Burgada.

The second athlete I will be talking about is Sebastian Selas. I will introduce him further down.

Comparison data – raw race facts

The races (performances) I am going to use for my comparison are:

  • 2009 vertical race at European Ski Mountaineering Championships (Italy)

  • 2007 1km vertical uphill running race (Switzerland)

  • 2009 Grouse Grind Mountain Run (Canada)

The conclusions I am going to draw (or not) in this article come from pure facts I could find and know about these races and athletes, and from my personal experience.

I chose the three races/two athletes for couple of reasons:

  • two of the races were raced by the same athlete in two different disciplines

  • all three races are of very similar vertical gain

  • times at two races stand as course records

  • all three races take place at an arguably low altitude (not going over 2000m)

  • both athletes seem to be quite gifted in terms of vertical racing

  • both athletes are about the same age, 21 and 22

Vertical race at European Ski Mountaineering Championships 2009 (Feb 20, 2009 – Alepago, Italy)

Elevation gain: 835m
Distance: 3800m
Course altitude: 980m – 1815m
Time: 35min 51sec
Winner: Kilian Jornet Burgada
Website: Alpago 2009

“Vertical kilometre” race 2007 (Oct 27, 2007 – Fully, Switzerland)

Elevation gain: 1000m
Distance: 1920m
Course altitude: 500m – 1500m
Time: 31min 52sec (course record – unofficial world record for one vertical km)
Winner: Kilian Jornet Burgada
Website: Team La Trace

Grouse Grind race 2009 (Sep 20, 2009 – Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Elevation gain: 853m
Distance: 2900m
Course altitude: 270m – 1120m
Time: 25min 24sec (course record)
Winner: Sebastian Selas
Website: Grouse Grind

Ski mountaineering vs uphill running

Since we have the same athlete winning in both disciplines we will go straight to differences between the two mountain sports.

Obvious disadvantage in skimo racing versus trail running is gear weight, especially the weight an athlete carries on his feet as that restricts his leg speed (frequency) the most. Of course, we can compare the clothing and pack weight as well, but I am not going to do it as I don’t believe that weight (about 1.5-2kg difference in this case) affects us as much as what’s on our feet.

Here, just out of curiosity, are the weights per foot:

  • super light running shoe is about 200g

  • super light ski, bidding and a ski boot combination is about 1350g

  • a difference of 1100g

  • pole weight doesn’t matter since Kilian used poles at both races

Skimo vertical race analysis

Based on the raw race facts Kilian’s average vertical speed for the vertical European Skimo Championships was:

23.29 m/m (metres per minute) = 1397.4 m/h (metres per hour)

Click on the image to see a bigger version.
Click on the image to see a bigger version.
The skimo race course contained a boot-pack section where racers attach their skis to their packs and hike up a preset boot-pack track. This section was only 95m vertical according to organizers.

A super fast boot-pack bottom transition takes around 15-20s and the top one about the same.

According to summary articles of that race Kilian had troubles with his boot-pack bottom transition, so it took him longer than usual, and almost lost a race there.

Kilian’s winning time over the 835m was 35min 51sec but after deducting transitions times I feel comfortable at settling with a time of 35min flat.

That would mean his actual average vertical speed when he was moving was:

23.86 m/m (metres per minute) = 1431.4 m/h (metres per hour)

1. This means it would take him 41min 55sec to skin up 1000m (vertical) if the course would continue and he would keep the same speed.

2. Kilian’s pace in this race was 9min 13sec per kilometre. This is a pace road runners calculate, so it is not a vertical kilometre but a normal one.

Since the 23.86 m/m is the “unbiased” speed (without transitions) we can compare it with his running race as there are no transitions in that discipline.

Uphill running 1km vertical race analysis

Again, based on the raw race facts Kilian’s average vertical speed for the vertical kilometre race in Switzerland was:

31.38 m/m (metres per minute) = 1882.8 m/h (metres per hour)

Click on the image to see a bigger version.
Click on the image to see a bigger version.
1. Since the race was over 1 vertical kilometre, his time to climb 1000m – 31min 52sec – was the same as his overall time.

2. Kilian’s pace in this race was 16min 35sec per kilometre which is much slower than in the skimo race.

In the race, he had to pass a couple of slower competitors, but I don’t think this affects the comparison of the two disciplines too much.

The uphill run was done as a time trial and the skimo vertical race had a mass start. So passing few racers versus fighting in the mass start cancels the factors out.

Comparison – vertical skimo and uphill running races

Here is a conclusion to the first question, “How does vertical speed compare between different mountain sports?”:

We can clearly see that Kilian’s vertical uphill running speed is way faster than the one reached at a ski mountaineering race. This should be no surprise as equipment weight plays an important role. Therefore, of course, this is a bit of comparing apples to oranges, yet it is still interesting to see the numbers.

Also, there is a fact of two years between the two races. In that time Kilian got faster for sure as he proved it at many ski mountaineering races. However, he is running virtually the same time over the vertical kilometer race (at the same venue) past three years, between 2006 and 2008.

Therefore, I consider his record the best time in the world over one vertical kilometre that is not getting any faster at the moment. The vertical kilometre race is still due this year, so we shall see (Oct 24, 2009).

Another factor to consider and compare is the slope angle, which we will get a better comparison lower down when comparing running with running:

The skimo vertical race gained 835m over 3800m which means a slope of 12.69 degrees or 22.52%. Compare this to the uphill run and a 1000m gain over 1920m which means a slope of 31.39 degrees or 61.01%.

Two interesting facts to compare are Kilian’s vertical speeds and his paces per kilometre as they go in the opposite dirrection – smaller vertical speed with faster pace versus  higher vertical speed with slower pace.

Skimo race:

  • vertical speed is 1431.4 m/h

  • pace is 9min 13sec / normal kilometre

Uphill run:

  • vertical speed is 1882.8 m/h

  • pace is 16min 35sec / normal kilometre

Vertical speed and slope angle – running vs running

To answer the second question, “How does slope angle affect vertical speed?”, I didn’t use the same athlete as I couldn’t find enough facts about other Kilian’s vertical races. Instead, I opted to use a race that I know the course of very well; therefore, allowing me for somewhat “accurate conclusions”.

Also, the follow up question should be: “Which incline angle is the most efficient and the fastest to climb at?”. I’ll take a stab at this too, for now lets go back to the second uphill running race.

Photo cropped from The Province photo.
Sebastian Selas. (Cropped from The Province photo.)

The Grouse Grind Mountain Run in North Vancouver in BC, Canada is a very popular uphill race that is regularly attended by very strong athletes; however, no European speedsters have came to check it out yet.

This year (2009) the record was set to an incredible 25min 24sec for gaining 853m over 2900m.

The winner was a 22-year-old local Vancouverite, Sebastian Selas, who is an amateur triathlete and cyclist. Judging by his time, I believe Sebastian would be a serious match to Kilian’s climbing abilities.

But lets look at some numbers, to see how a different angle affects the vertical speed and pace.

Sebastian’s average vertical speed when climbing Grouse Grind trail was:

33.58 m/m (metres per minute) = 2014.8 m/h (metres per hour)

Sebastian’s pace in this race was 8min 46sec per kilometre which is 27sec faster than Kilian’s skimo race pace and 8min faster than his vertical kilometre race pace.

The Grouse Grind race starts in waves that are seeded based on runners’ honest expected time estimates. It starts and finishes with a bit of a flat, around 150-200m in total which should account for about 25-30sec in total. So if we subtract 24sec (which gives us a time of 25min flat) we arrive at an average vertical speeds of:

34.12 m/m (metres per minute) = 2047.2 m/h (metres per hour)

1. Based on the second speed, it would take Sebastian 29min 19sec to run up 1000m (vertical) if the Grouse Grind trail (race course) would continue and he would keep the same speed.

2. Sebastian’s pace in this race was 8min 46sec per kilometre. Using 2.9km here and not sub-subtracting the 150-200m since I am calculating runners pace.

Even though we are not comparing the two athletes on those two specific courses, I think, it is very safe to assume that they are both world class uphill runners for efforts of up to 30-35min, and likely even longer.

Now, lets take a look at the slope angles of the two uphill running races:

Kilian’s vertical kilometer race average slope angle was 31.39 degrees (61.01%), compared to the Grouse Grind’s trail average angle of 18.07 degrees (32.63%) – instead of 2900m, I used 2750m as the actual course length due to the flat start (even downhill) and finish sections to calculate the angle.

The Swiss 1km vertical kilometer race is run straight up, doesn’t let up a bit; whereas the Grind has some switchbacks with low angle incline that allow for some recovery, or at least allow to pick up leg speed again.

One last thing to note here is that Sebastian did not use poles for his run and Kilian did. I believe, both knew what they were doing and picked the right tools for the slope angle they were facing or technique they are using.

Conclusion and an example – slope angles, speed and efficiency

Based on this “study” of mountain uphill running and skimo climbing, and my experience in both disciplines, I am comfortable to say that steeper doesn’t mean faster. However, the more important question is: “Which incline angle is the most efficient and the fastest to climb at?”

To answer that, I can only speculate based on my experience, as would most likely anyone else based on his. But we can clearly see that Sebastian was able to produce an average vertical speed of about 150 m/h (metres per hour) higher than Kilian in his race. This is about 8-9% faster than Kilian’s vertical running speed.

Also, Sebastian’s pace (time per kilometre) values are much more faster than Kilian’s. Sebastian was doing 8min 46sec per KM versus Kilian’s 16min 35sec per KM; that is almost 90% faster pace.

That leads me to say that Grouse Grind’s slope angle is more efficient (18.07 degrees) than the one in Switzerland (31.39 degrees). And that the most efficient angle is somewhere in between the angles of the two courses, while personally leaning more towards the incline values of the Grouse Grind.

But since the techniques of climbing (due to terrain and equipment) in ski mountaineering and uphill running are quite different we should not assume that the most efficient angle for both disciplines is the same.

Based on my experience, I would speculate that the most efficient and the fastest angle for skinning is lower than the one for uphill running.

I believe that in uphill running you can sustain your most efficient leg speed on a steeper slope over a longer period of time than while climbing on skis. This has very much to do with equipment weight and leg speed (and technique).

In fact, you can see this if we compare the paces per KM and vertical speeds:

Kilian went at a slower pace (9min 13sec / KM) and at a slower vertical speed (1431.4 m/h) on a lower angle course (12.69 degrees) when compared to Sebastian’s 8min 46sec / KM, 2047.2 m/h speed, and 18.07 degrees angle slope.

To demonstrate this without calculations here is an example:

Imagine running on a flat ground wearing a 400g pair of shoes (200g per foot). You run for 1km flat-out and record your time and you count your steps.

Now you do the same with a 2700g pair of shoes (1350g per foot). Your time will be slower and you will most likely (absolutely sure about this) do more steps. If you manage to keep the same number of steps you will be even slower.

Without going in more detail about step frequency (because it’s a very individual thing) the example demonstrates you had a lower average speed while running with heavier shoes.

Translating this onto a 20 or 30 degree slope would show at least the same difference. Running with heavier shoes at the same vertical speed, with the same leg turn-over (leg speed) would tire you way faster than lighter shoes.

Subsequently, if you would want to keep the same vertical speed on the same incline you would have to change something – and that is either a faster leg turn-over or have lighter shoes (equipment).

If you don’t trust my example, go and try it out, but before you run around your house in ski boots make sure your neighbors know about the experiment, otherwise they might call for help 😉 and hopefully you don’t think I am crazy for writing all this 🙂

As for ski mountaineering skin track angles, mountain guides are thought to set about 12 degree tracks for their clients, so it must be believed by the experienced ones this angle to be the most efficient angle for most of the clients. The slope angle of Kilian’s skimo vertical race was just over 12 degrees as well.

However, I believe that trained athletes have their most efficient and the fastest skinning angle a bit steeper than average Joe. I would estimated it at about 13-16 degrees.

Now, what’s left to do is to either get Kilian run the Grouse Grind next year or get Sebastian to go to Switzerland for this years race (Oct 24, 2009), so we can truly compare the two machines and have more consistent data.

I hope you enjoyed this article and you are welcome to share your opinion on this topic in the comments below.

Mount Baker Ski Area gets snow

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There is about 5-15cm of snow on various aspects at Mt Baker Ski Area. Not quite enough to really ski, however, there were some brave snowboard and ski tracks.
Yesterday, Oct 3, I drove up the Mt Baker Ski Area road to do some hiking. As I got higher it became very obvious that my low-cut hiking/running shoes wouldn’t be too suitable for the conditions. Snow was on the ground already at Heather Meadows parking lot.
Road that leads to Artist Point via Austin Pass was closed for the winter and a bit of snow covered it at the gate. By Austin Pass the coverage was just enough (5-10cm of hard snow) to skin up. Skiing would have been a bit sketchy but possible.
The weather was excelent with occasional wind gusts, but not too strong. Mostly clear skies and around 0-5 degrees Celsius.
Next few days are supposed to be sunny and fairly warm, so I think the snow will melt to ground on south aspects but may hold on on shadowy north slopes.
Here are few photos to give you an idea how it looked up there yesterday:

Looking east towards Mt Shuksan from a pass north of Table Mt (above Iceberg Lake).
Looking east towards Mt Shuksan from a pass north of Table Mt (above Iceberg Lake).
Mt Baker from Artist Point.
Mt Baker from Artist Point.
Looking at north slopes of the Ptarmigan Ridge and Coleman Pinnacle. Mt Baker in the clouds.
Looking at north slopes of the Ptarmigan Ridge and Coleman Pinnacle. Mt Baker in the clouds.
North-east slopes of Table Mountain in the background.
North-east slopes of Table Mountain in the background.

World Cup 2010 racing calendar: Canadians compete

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World Cup ski mountaineering racing calendar for 2009/2010 season made it out couple of weeks ago. Highlight of the season will definitely be Ski Mountaineering World Championships 2010 in Andorra that will that place during the first week of March.
See or download the complete World Cup 2010 calendar.
andorra-logo-worldsSkimo World Championships are organized every two years and 2010 racing program will be as follows:

  • Mar 2 – 3 – Individual races
  • Mar 4 – Vertical race
  • Mar 5 – Teams race
  • Mar 6 – Relays

Another notable event on the calendar, Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland, is already a long time classic on the European skimo racing circuit. This three-member teams race covers 53 km and climbs 3994 m vertical. It is scheduled for April 24th, 2010.
However, Pierra Menta, one of the most prestigous skimo races, is not on the World Cup calendar this season. This four day stage race is a Tour de France of skimo racing, but the World Cup rules left organizers with a tough decision, and so they most likely didn’t even apply for a World Cup status this year. The race will take place between March 10 – 14th, 2010 in Areches Beaufort, France.
For Canada, this season is already shaping up to be the “biggest”. National team that will be sent to Andorra will most likely have at least 10 athletes compeeting in all disciplines. Some of those athletes will compete in Pierra Menta and some other World Cup events as well. More on the national team racing in a future article.

Have your say: skinning in or through ski resorts?

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What do you think about skinning in or skinning through ski resorts?
This is a very hot topic among backcountry skiing community. For sure it is a bit of an oxymoron “backcountry skiers skinning in ski resorts” but there are very specific reasons why all of us do it from time to time.
skinning-over-ski-resortMy reasons for doing it is accessibility, training and certain avalanche conditions. Some times I just want to skin through a resort to access backcountry while other times, after a storm, I would do couple of laps in a resort just to be safe.
Main reason why ski resorts don’t like us doing it is their liability and their insurance policies.
I understand their point of view, yet I believe there is a solution; however, there is not much will (based on what I experienced couple of times) to agree on something.
(This issue seems almost non-existent in most of the European resorts and around the world. It looks like we, in North America, tend to sue too often for small things, so we are paying a price for that even on this end.)

Usual Experience

I had discussions about this issue with numerous staff members at couple of Canadian and US ski resorts. We always ended up in a “closed, unlogical” loop, example:

When you buy a ticket, by that act, you are waiving your rights to sue them for damages. (Specific conditions of such texts can be found on the back side of every ski area lift ticket.)
I am not a lawyer, but my reaction to that was that if I buy a ticket, thus waiving my rights and satisfying their liabilities, I should be OK to skin up. The answer is NO. That has to with their “ski area rules”. (I bet, those can have wide interpretation.)
So my next suggestion was that if a more complex document (like a season permit to skin up at specific times, on specific runs) is crafted I would be willing to pay for it every season and sign it. The answer was NO.
Again, not being a lawyer, my next reaction was: “Whether it is more safe to have weed-smoking-chimneys take a break at the most invisible spots (for downhill traffic) than a very experienced person to skin up by the ropes of the ski area boundaries?” There was no definite answer on that. More or less they were leaning towards YES, but they hesitated to say so in a clear way.

No disrespect to anyone smoking anything, I just couldn’t come up with a better example at that moment; I was cold and furious. 😉
Since I know my stand on this topic, I would like to know what do you think:
What do you think is a fair solution for both parties to address this issue?
Should we be allowed to skin up at all?
Can we do laps when avalanche ratings in the area are high or extreme?
Should we be allowed to skin up only to access backcountry?
Should we pay for it?
You can take a stab, in the comments below, at all of these questions or just one, or even come up with your own. I believe, we are all very interested to see what each of us thinks.

Interview with Andrew McLean – Icon of North American ski mountaineering

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Andrew McLean is one of the icons of North American ski mountaineering, however, I didn’t know this until I met him couple of years ago at a ski mountaineering race. He won the event, and I believe it was the first time I got to see the Scarpa F1s racing boots in person, he wore them. Right the next day I researched him online and found him very interesting.

Andrew - The millionaire - skiing in Iran.
Andrew - the millionaire - skiing in Iran.

Andrew specializes in steep skiing in remote locations and has first descents on all continents to his credit. Some of the more exotic places he has skied at include Baffin Island, Antarctica, Iran and Morocco. Andrew’s current stomping grounds are Wasatch Mountains in Utah. You can following him through his blog at StraightChuter.com.

And here is more from Andrew in an interview about his relationship with ski mountaineering:

Q: How and when did you become involved in backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering?

I grew up skiing all the time as my mom was a ski instructor. This eventually led to racing and I was very involved with the junior program at our local hill, Alpental, which is about an hour outside of Seattle, WA. Alpental has a lot of steep terrain and easy access backcountry, so that kind of became “normal” skiing for me – steep slopes with funky conditions.

andrew-mclean-mainAfter High School, a friend turned me onto rock climbing and I spent a lot of my summers doing that, then when it snowed I went to the resorts.

Years later, when I started working at Black Diamond Equipment, I met Alex Lowe and he turned me on to the idea of combining the two sports. I had always thought backcountry skiing was more like shuffling around on the flats, but Alex opened my eyes to the idea that you could find and ski way burlier stuff in the backcountry than you could ever find at a resort.

For the first few years I still did some resort skiing, but after I got my backcountry systems figured out, I started doing more and more of it, to the point that that is all I do nowadays.

Q: What keeps you still going strong from one adventure to another, what’s your motivation? And what do you like the most about backcountry skiing?

As far as adventures or expeditions go, skiing is a great way to visit new places, meet people and see different cultures. I love the aspect of going somewhere new and taking a chance on the skiing – a lot of times it is so-so, but when you find some killer new spot, it’s like hitting the jackpot.

I’m also into the idea of skiing projects, like going to all seven continents, skiing ten classics on ten consecutive days, skiing a group of three related peaks, etc.. It is like having bunches of little collections.

I think, the thing I like most about backcountry skiing is that it is a complex sport with so many different aspects to it, like skinning, route finding, avalanche safety, pacing, knowing when/where to go and the actual skiing itself. I first got into it just for the skiing, but now I really enjoy the entire package.

Q: You are a father now. (How) did that change your approach to skiing? Are you more careful?

I’d say I’m more careful now, not so much because I’m a father but more because I’ve seen so many talented and careful people have accidents or die while skiing. I’m also focusing more on skiing in cool places nowadays instead of just trying to find the steepest possible line.

As much as I love steep skiing, it takes perfect conditions to ski really steep slopes and you can burn up a lot of time, effort and energy by traveling around and hoping to hit it.

Another factor that comes from experience is that I think I am more selective about what and when I ski things now. If it seems like there is a chance a slope could avalanche, I’m more likely to pass it up knowing that I’ve skied tons of killer powder in the past and that this is not really a once-in-a-lifetime run.

Q: You have recently skied a first decent on Mount Foraker in Alaska. How does this adventure rate among your others?

Sultana Ridge on Mt. Foraker.
Sultana Ridge on Mount Foraker.
It was right on up there! There was very little actual good snow on the line when we skied it, but the overall experience was excellent. Foraker is definitely a mind-game mountain as you have to stay alert and motivated the entire time due to weather and crevasses. I would go back again just to ski that line (the Sultana Ridge), but it was a blast to do once.

Q: How many sleeping mats/pads does one need to get a good sleep in base camps of Alaskan giants like Foraker. Hunter or Denali?

I learned the hard, cold way that it takes more than one! On our first trip to Denali, I only brought one foam pad and it was a fairly miserable experience. I currently bring two pads (one inflatable and one foam). On our last trip I used an ExPed Down Mat pad which was enough by itself as it is super thick.

Q: What is your next ski mountaineering project going be?

I’m heading down to Antarctica in November as part of Doug Stoup’s Ice Axe ski cruise. The plan is to take a cruise ship across the Drake Passage, then use it as a floating base camp to take skiing day trips out on the Antarctic peninsula. It should be fun.

Q: Who or who’s ski mountaineering projects/activities currently inspire you, or you find interesting?

I’m inspired by all aspects of skiing and love watching free-skiers rip big lines, people huck monster cliffs and reading about the amazing speed of the Euro Rando racers.
Currently, when it comes to ski mountaineering inspiration, I like the idea of mixed media where you are exploring an area mainly on skis, but perhaps adding in some kiting or PackRafting.  In that regard, I think some of the trips that Joe Stock from Alaska is doing are very cool as they are remote and exploratory, but still have some good skiing in them.

Andrew and his partner used kites to reach ski lines on Baffin Island.
Andrew and his partner used kites to reach ski lines on Baffin Island.

Q: In the past, you were involved in gear and equipment engineering design. Are you doing that these days too?

I’m still a designer by profession, although my skiing has gotten in the way of it. Due to my trips and new family, I’ve been working on lots of smaller projects rather than the multi-month or year long ones.

Q: Did you take part in any ski movies in your ski mountaineering career/life?

I’ve been in a few including most recently, “Steep.” Ski mountaineering is not very camera friendly as you have to haul lots of gear into the backcountry and the weather seldom cooperates. On top of that, I like skiing steep lines in remote places, which means I tend to ski very conservatively, which is exciting to do, but not necessarily watch.

Q: What do you do immediately after returning from a big trip?

When it comes to trips, I’m an organizational freak. I start packing days ahead of time, sort gear, check everything out, etc.. I also like to leave the house completely cleaned up so that when I come back, I can just dump out all the gear, clean it off and put it back. It usually takes me 2-3 days to catch up on email and phone stuff, as well as hanging out with the dogs and kids.

Q: When planning a trip/expedition, what are the most important things to do to increase the chances of achieving the objective?

Some times big lines require great deal of patience.
Some times big lines require great deal of patience.
I spend a lot of time thinking about trips in advance and while I always assume they will be successful, I also think about all of the things that could go wrong and how I would deal with them.

In that regard, I do a lot of careful planning. Probably the #1 thing I’ve learned is to allow plenty of time for a skiing trip as the weather and travel snafus can cut into a tight schedule.

If everything works out perfectly right from the start, then you just have some bonus ski time!

All photos in this article are from Andrew McLean’s photo collection and were taken by Andrew or his fellow trip companions.

Canadian champion wins in New Zealand

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Current Canadian ski mountaineering champion, Reiner Thoni, won the Scarpa CraigieBurner skimo race in New Zealand over the past weekend.
Reiner travelled to NZ in mid-August to do some touring and racing there, and prepare for the upcoming winter.
According to a report submitted to skimo.org, Reiner won the race in a convincing fashion, by four minutes, ahead of Alexis Poilvert and Gena Sibaev.
Congrats!

Initial skimo racing calendars for 2010 season

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Calendars for the North American ski mountaineering racing scene are taking shape, even though, the sun is still shining high.
hectic skimo race start
Canadian racing calendar will be getting polished within the next couple of weeks – clarifying all dates and venues.
The US calendar looks impressive already with plenty of races all over the country.
Skimo racing is clearly growing more popular every year in this part of the world, however, the act of growing won’t be finalized until we race on Hawaii 🙂

Canadian racing calendar as of Sep 8th, 2009

December
5th – Golden, BC (Tiki-Torch Dash at KHMR)
February
6th – Sunshine Village, AB (Sunshine 5000)
March
6th – Nelson, BC (ROAM Rando at WH2O)
April
3rd – Golden, BC (Dogtooth Dash at KHMR)
Late April – Whistler, BC (Ski & Snowboard Festival)

USA racing calendar as of Aug 14th, 2009

December
29th – Sugarloaf, ME (Holiday Hill Climb)
January
9th – Grand Targhee, WY
16th – Sunlight Mt., CO (The Heathen Challenge)
23rd – Whitefish Resort, MT (Whitefish Whiteout)
30th – Jay Peak, VT
30th – Crested Butte, CO (Crested Butte Rando)
30th – Bridger Bowl, MT (Skin to Win)
31st – Blue Hills, MA (Big Blue Relay Race)
February
7th – Mad River Valley, VT (Mountain Hardwear Ski Mountaineering Race)
20th – Monarch Mt.,CO (Race the Divide)
27th – Saddleback Mt., ME (Second Annual Saddleback Mountain Challenge)
March
6th – Magic Mt., VT (Magic Mt. Rando Race)
6th – Nelson, BC, Canada (Kootenay Coldsmoke Powderfest)
13th – Alta, UT (Wasatch Powder Keg)
20th – Jackson Hole, WY (USSMA National Championships)
April
10th – T.B.A., CO (COSMIC Race – two-person team event, 10,000ft. vertical)
17th – Molas Pass, CO (San Juans Rando)
24th – Arapahoe Basin, CO (Marmot Grind)
May
2nd – Mt. Bachelor, OR (King and Queen of the Cone)

Sign up for avalanche safety and backcountry travel course

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This is a second article from the series on “How to start backcountry skiing and alpine touring?”.

As with anything new, we have two choices – learn it ourselves (with help from friends) or register for a course that is led by a true professional in its industry. In this case, the second option costs more money but the learning process is much faster and safer.

Recreational avalanche safety and backcountry travel courses are for novice backcountry skiers and usually take place over one or two days. Students are provided with hand-outs they can keep, and more importantly, with amazing knowledge that is lot of times gained only by experience. Therefore, make sure you sign up for a course that is certified by an appropriate organization in your country.

In Canada and United States this means various guiding companies that are certified (licensed) by the Canadian Avalanche Association or other appropriate authorities to teach these courses. Most of the companies that have mountain (and ski) guiding certifications are suitable.

The skills you will learn at such courses include:

  • recognizing avalanche terrain and danger

  • decision making

  • basic snow properties

  • basic avalanche search and rescue

  • backcountry travel in avalanche terrain based on your experience

  • and more