May 2012 archive

Review: Self Arrest Grips – 3 options

If you think you need a self arrest grip for the descent you have planned, you probably do.

AT Boot Review: Dynafit’s TLT5 TF-X

  The prospect of locking your heel for skiing is a nice option to have. Most times I’d rather switch between a pivot for skinning, or tele-resistance for turning. When it gets steep though, I like having a locked heel. Nowadays the angle of slope that I prefer a locked heel on is less than …

Keep making backcountry turns

Review: G3 Saint

  One of the better skis G3 has ever produced was the Reverend. It had a weird reputation because so many skiers were put off by the image of a preacher looking back at them. Actually he was looking up, but the religious overtones made a lot of folks uncomfortable. Graphics notwithstanding, they skied great. …

Keep making backcountry turns

BC Technique: The A-V-A Kick Turn

There are lots of ways to change direction on the skin track. Ideally you don’t need a lot of uphill skill, and if you are careful, and a bit lucky, you can set an easy to follow skin track that never requires a sharp switchback. In that case, all you need to know is how …

Keep making backcountry turns

Madsen buys Telemark Skier Magazine

  TSM goes Digital for International Appeal When Height of Land Publications announced the sale of Telemark Skier last January (2012) to its editor, Josh Madsen, it sounded like a good fit but the move immediately raised questions about the future of the magazine. Was this just a way for them to quietly divest themselves …

Keep making backcountry turns

TR: Shasta’s West Face

Moving past the Heart seemed to take forever and it nearly broke my resolve to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The crunchy, still frozen surface did not feel like it would soften for a good descent and it was already 11am.

Prepping skis for summer storage

As a general rule, unless skis have been protected during the summer with a layer of wax, they will need to have the bases re-prepared. During ski season, skis that are periodically waxed probably do not need any additional care except for waxing.