New and hopefully improved heel riser xtendr...make 'em go to 11

[swissiphic]

With the covid thing going on, personal ski touring goals of big line first descents all around nw bc have been put on the back burner. Hopefully, the social mores change before the snow melts and attempts can be made later in the spring/summer.

In lieu of big line first descents, the new m.o. has been testing new small line, low consequence, steep skinning ascents. With skins specially and effectively modified to increase uphilling traction, the new limiting factors to flowy, zero switchbacking success have been:

1. binding heel riser heights that are vertically challenged
2. lack of standard high heel lift setting shock absorption during skinning pitches requiring aggressive heel stomps to set the skin grip...both to reduce some foot pain and to ease the shock loading on the heel piece housing towers...cracked a few internal alu post/baseplate junctions in the past due to aggressive stomps while sidehilling on hard crusts.
3. lack of ski pole tip grip in steep, hard snow...the slope angle combined with standard pole plants results in deflection of tip resulting in skipping down the fall line...and/or, zippering down the fall line if snow surface is a zipper, eggshell or thin breakable melt freeze crust.


Items 1 and 2 have been addressed via this mod. Durability is unkown. Rubber flooring material cut into squares, stacked and attached via zip ties. Might have to add more for skinning pitches over 40 degrees, but works pretty good for slope angles maxing out at around 40.

[Boissal]

slope angles maxing out at around 40

Savage. The Wasatch is bracing in anticipation of a widespread release. I can hear the moans from the Flagstaff skinner all the way from my house in the valley.

[XXX-er]

the mod i have seen is to bolt a bunch of washers or a spacer thru the top of the riser

[glademaster]

Steep skintracks suck. But cool that you're keeping busy and trying new stuff out. Just stating my preference for long and low(angle) skinners.

[swissiphic]

the mod i have seen is to bolt a bunch of washers or a spacer thru the top of the riser

for sure that works, that was the o.g. mod but....no shock absorption.

[XXX-er]

yeah IME you can go straight up or more gentle and it take the same amount of time to do either

Cody Townsend recently wrote something about training to skin being entirely different than training to boot pack

[XXX-er]

for sure that works, that was the o.g. mod but....no shock absorption.

you really need shock absorption in a heel riser, i supose you could bolt a piece of rubber in there but that wouldn't look sketchy enough ?

[swissiphic]

Steep skintracks suck. But cool that you're keeping busy and trying new stuff out. Just stating my preference to long and low(angle).

That's cool. But around here, if a guy likes to poke, prod and explore stuff that's outside the regular ski touring ops zones...the nature of the terrain often dictates going steep simply because there are no other options. Sooooo, might as well design technical mods and train for those situations so that going really steep is natural, intuitive and so the whole ski touring flow remains smooooth and seamless. Plus, I got a bad back, can't kick turn, have a hard time sidehilling and absolutely abhor switchbacks. Straight up works best for my physiology.

[swissiphic]

yeah IME you can go straight up or more gentle and it take the same amount of time to do either

Cody Townsend recently wrote something about training to skin being entirely different than training to boot pack

IME/IMO, i really don't give a rats ass about speed/time..it's all about zen state flow. Start slow and slow down from there. Halve the stride and arrive revived. Take a micro nap during each rest phase of the rest step.

Redneck rando racers wanna watch the clock? That's cool, I'll just pull over right here, and light up a smoke and let 'em pass.

[glademaster]

That's cool. But around here, if a guy likes to poke, prod and explore stuff that's outside the regular ski touring ops zones...the nature of the terrain often dictates going steep simply because there are no other options. Sooooo, might as well design technical mods and train for those situations so that going really steep is natural, intuitive and so the whole ski touring flow remains smooooth and seamless. Plus, I got a bad back, can't kick turn, have a hard time sidehilling and absolutely abhor switchbacks. Straight up works best for my physiology.

That all makes sense, and a lot of it does come down to physiology.

I love setting a nice switchbacked skin track, and I find it much easier to settle into a relaxed, sustainable cadence on a longer, lower angled track, due at least in some part to my individual physiology. For example, I can settle into something akin to that zen state/flow you describe cruising up my switchbacked stairway to heaven.

I almost always tour in flat mode, and rarely use my low riser. I think I've used high risers for about 500 strides in my life. I have pretty good ankle flexion/ROM, but short legs (29inch inseam), so that definitely impacts my perspective.

Back when I road biked a lot, I was a good climber, but was always spinning a high cadence instead of mashing a tall gear over 50 times a minute. That actually seems like a reasonable analogy in terms of how individuals produce/deliver power differently.

[swissiphic]

Just in case anyone gives a shit...

Substituted the modified/grip enhanced skins for some custom split, old purple plush ascensions today just to see how they'd do on the steeps.

Followed yesterday's skin trail that was measured at a solid 35 degrees. Had four distinct spinouts..two faceplants. Not really completely unexpected, considering the minimal skin material contacting snow for grip.

In the name of product testing, limits must be found, sacrifices must be made.

Failures always invite an opportunity to problem solve. Immediate on slope brainstorming was initiated and spinout mitigation strategies via further Ghettowerx mods manifested in the mind...god bless cutting board plastic.

Also, had a big tear at the anchor point of the tail clip on one skin, it prit near tore off the ass end of the skin. Big patch of hot glue gun glue solved that issue.

[Blurred]

Good job swiss! That’s the only thing I don’t like about my superlites is the short heel lift/riser. Way to be creative! I’ve thought about 3D printing something, your idea isn’t bad. There’s also this site


http://www.bndskigear.com/dynafitcustom.html

[thefortrees]

I dig this, as I dig all of your experiments. Turn it up to 11 and keep the shred alive [emoji869]

[rod9301]

When i had radicals i fabricated an aluminum piece for the riser.

Problem was with ski crampons, not enough bite.

Then i added a spacer to the crampons, worked better.

Then i broke the heel piece because of the added torque..

Then i bought Salomon mtn bindings, and now I'm happy.

Yeah, so i don't even have to lock my toes on the down.

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[swissiphic]

Problem was with ski crampons, not enough bite.

Then i added a spacer to the crampons, worked better.

In a few years, you might just wanna bin the ski crampons...actually, if things work out, might do away with traditional skins too for specific snow conditions. I'm workin' on an entirely new system to replace those pieces of shit (trad ski crampons). I'm sick and tired of zippering sideways down the fall line during steep sidehills in techy terrain, or, having wishy/washy tips n tails on hard or breakable crust...teaser; ever notice how how studded winter tires grip pretty good on hard snow and ice?


Preliminary results have been very positive using the version 1.0 of the new system...refinements necessary of course...and this year we just haven't had any prolonged periods of melt freeze to do any product testing...hoping the month of aMAYzing produces the required weather/snow conditions.

[frorider]

Been using these ski crampons since they came on the market a few yrs back: http://www.skincleats.com/simplified-ski-crampon

Meanwhile I have 6 pairs of hinge ski crampons gathering dust for the most part.

[LeeLau]

Been using these ski crampons since they came on the market a few yrs back: http://www.skincleats.com/simplified-ski-crampon

Meanwhile I have 6 pairs of hinge ski crampons gathering dust for the most part.

That looks interesting!

Swiss. Always in awe

[frorider]

The skeats are light and compact so you just sorta leave them on the lower side strap (for example) of your pack permanently. In the middle of a skin if you encounter a firm dicey section, just reach back and unclip them (I have the original fastex buckle version) and install them in a few seconds just in front of your toe piece.
I have dynafit style, G3, and the current Fritschi crampons, and generally find I have to think ahead and install them on a moderate slope (or remove my boot if I’m on a steep section).

The Skeats do require a lot of lateral boot ROM if you are sidehilling.

[LeeLau]

The skeats are light and compact so you just sorta leave them on the lower side strap (for example) of your pack permanently. In the middle of a skin if you encounter a firm dicey section, just reach back and unclip them (I have the original fastex buckle version) and install them in a few seconds just in front of your toe piece.
I have dynafit style, G3, and the current Fritschi crampons, and generally find I have to think ahead and install them on a moderate slope (or remove my boot if I’m on a steep section).

The Skeats do require a lot of lateral boot ROM if you are sidehilling.

I like that they're compatible with literally anything. Will get some to try out

[swissiphic]

The skeats are light and compact so you just sorta leave them on the lower side strap (for example) of your pack permanently. In the middle of a skin if you encounter a firm dicey section, just reach back and unclip them (I have the original fastex buckle version) and install them in a few seconds just in front of your toe piece.
I have dynafit style, G3, and the current Fritschi crampons, and generally find I have to think ahead and install them on a moderate slope (or remove my boot if I’m on a steep section).

The Skeats do require a lot of lateral boot ROM if you are sidehilling.

One note on steep skinning/fat ski hard snow skinning...I have bad hips, wrecked lower back, screwed up feet and one bad knee and sidehilling on hard snow and switchbacks/kick turns don't work for me...so i did a bit of experimentation over the years with modified techniques and settled on crabbing around features while keeping tips pointed more or less up the fall line...seems to work pretty well...

The Skeats look awesome for specific snow conditions but may be insufficient for conditions that we experience a lot of around here in pnw bc in the later spring....no overnight refreeze/top layer of snowpack = mush.

For steep skinning in these conditions, it seems more points of contact of external grip components is the ticket...though testing has revealed even this has limitations...I've found that the entire contact patch, (though in itself a cohesive/integral unit of snow) fails as a stripped banana peel/pizza slice/micro hard slab avy type of failure...often hair trigger immediately with no warning, causing a farcical faceplant and quick acceleration down the fall line. Limit testing of ski mods = livin on the edge sometimes. Oh well; excellent self arrest testing scenarios...probably should get some whippets....

Latest testing involved using mods similar to those seen in following photos...slight variation but similar... pretty awesome grip and surprisingly efficient travel when employed for specific use conditions. It was like walking up a set of stairs with weight on the feet...slow that cadence waaaaay down and rest step...kept the heart rate lower than kicking and gliding in that particular set of snow conditions...water saturated wet grain mush...not much glide/lots of friction/stiction...soooooooo, the rest stepping straight up the fall line/lifting each ski just a hair above snow with a slight swing and plant it with targeted force to set the traction seemed to be the way to go. Lotta fun micro adjusting technique to optimize efficiency while watching the heart rate and dialing in the winning m.o.

The mods didn't work for regular kick and gliding at all though...definitely steep pitch only add ons. During regular skinning testing, each stride would result in a micro backslide till the units caught traction. Dunno what's going on there but suspect an array of offset grip wedges like macro profile fish scales would prolly cure that ailment...just a gut feel, gotta fabricate and test it out.





rest stepped up a nice 35-38 degree pitch on this test day with a few micro bumps that jacked up to about 40.

[Cocximus]

Do you tour with poles or ice axes?