The proper way to climb a rotary cut snowbank

[hemas]

I have scaled a few of these... Preferred method is sort of mixture between tunneling and oldschool step cutting. Ski poles work surprisingly well for making steps and really kicking it in with your (tele)boots provide more than adequate steps... Of course, I wouldn't really want to scale some really high walls, but up to like 4 to 5m should pose no big problems... just take some time.

[counterfeitfake]

That girl is so hot it hurts.

I don't have much real experience with them, but from what I do, I've seen those roadcuts to be composed of totally shitty rotten snow. So the axe and crampons wouldn't really work. If I had to do it I'd try using a shovel to build/excavate a staircase or a ramp. Or, the ladder from home is a really good idea, if you know ahead of time.

[snoweater]

1. dynamite = very efficient.

2. assuming you had a car to get there in the first place, and two people, you could pull up to it, then climb from the roof up onto it, then shovel/saw a path down which would be much easier than tunneling up...or just lift your buddy up after he parks.
side note: I don't recommend a miata, far so many reasons...

3. other story gave me a third idea...just wait for a plow, hide in the snow along the road, and enjoy the ride. (unless it's the rotary blower)

nothing beats the human canon though.

[sw1tch]

Are you light enough to stand on Sharapova's back?

[squatch]

I'd probably just throw one of my legs over the top and sorta climb that way.

In all seriousness I would probably cut out a little ramp, but that's just me

[FREESKIER_FIVE-0]

If human cannon unavailable, I say go for explosives. Blow it up until there isn't a wall left.

[FrankZappa]

I'd probably just throw one of my legs over the top and sorta climb that way.

Yeah, No shit! I didn't even think about the squatch factor. Could go in option "A." Course this could'da worked with Rambo too.

"Hey squatch. Grab me by the scruff of my neck and chuck me up there, would ya?"

How much does it cost to feed a squatch for a day?



Tunneling up sounds like a wet & cold way to start the day.

A running start could result in self auger into the wall. Much like the tunneling method above. I'd need to study the equasion for the sudden change in direction combined with the mass & velocity calculations. Pechelman?

Explosives too hard to come by these days.

Bringin these "athletic" chicks along would get everything tracked out in a hurry cause everybody and their brother would be following along.

I'd need to find a compact fold up ladder since I toss all my gear in the back of the car and roll sans rack. Do they make fold up pole vaults? And what happens if you pull it up behind you and stash it, but happen to come out somewhere else?

[lemon boy]

Grappling hook to nearest tree over the lip.

I have skinned up the little 5' varieties before by cutting a skin platform with my skis and extending my roadside pole to its maximum lenght but it won't work for the big Wash. jobbies.

[snoweater]

Do they make fold up pole vaults?

If you gather up everybody's probes, tape them together...maybe you already have one...?

[teleposeur]

Vaulting pole, like this one:

I feel its nessecary that we all take yet another glance

I like the grappling hook to tree idea, or stilts!

[bigairnbumps]

cut snowstairs with a shovel.

almost lost my tain of thought for a moment

[klaxed]

I feel its nessecary that we all take yet another glance

don't mind if i do.


uh, back to the topic, who else was waiting for the guy who didn't finish to fall off?

kinda like this

[muted]

Cut a ragged stairway parallel to the bank. Slowly work in and away from edge.

One foot goes parallel to the road, the other has to kick into the bank perpendicular to the bank. Hope for a frozen bank.

No idea if this would really work.

[1wsguy]

I've never tried it, but how about; leaning your skis against the snowbank with the bindings facing out, and using the bindings heel and toe piece as steps?

[ImSearchingforPowder]

Which part of "UP" don't you understand? The U or the P?

upper peninsula?

[booner]

Are you light enough to stand on Sharapova's back?

Well...if I were to try this method I would have forgotten about the stupid snowbank before I even started and would move on to attempting a few other things.

[Trasselkalle]

In all seriousness, has anybody had any luck scaling these?

I tried one last year, and it was only about eight feet tall. We failed (Unpossible) and had to hike along it about a half mile til we found a place to get up.

Cutting a staircase into it with a snow shovel is easily the best way if you actually want to get to the top. It assumes that the snow is fairly packed, but that's seldom a problem with snowdrifts after all... Steep steps is better than too wide if you plan on climbing them with boots.

That was too serious, wasn't it? (Hey, he asked!)

[Caucasian Asian]

[PeterK]

[FrankZappa]

Hey!!! WTF!?! Who changed SSD's pic of the hot pole vaulter?

HaHa. That's actually kinda funny now... Know how I now know a bunch of you guys are gay?



Oh, well. For preservations sake.

Here's the old


and the gay replacement

[skiingsamurai]

ive been staring at her for a year, and I still cant get over her

[snowful]

Fuck me to tears.

Edit:
Fuck me to tears.

[jfost]

I don't know the answer to the orig. question... but I can tell you from experience that the dumbest thing to do is chuck your skis and poles up an 8' wall, then find out you can't make it up there to retrieve them. Also lead to 1/2 mile extra walk as described above.

and "fosbury flop" is the funniest reply until the gay-picture changing took over...

[FrankZappa]

It's gettin to be that time of year again bump. Need more votes.

That swap out of the pic cracks me up. I think a bunch of you guys are teh gay.