Performancing Metrics

blog : Cold War: The structure

Andy Kirkpatrick | Alpinist | International Speaker | Best selling author

Cold War: The structure

As I’m setting off along the long road to book number 2 (Cold Wars) I thought I’d share some background to the book as it develops, starting with one of the most imporant factors in writing an exstended story; structure.

When I look back at writing Psychovertical I think it’s amazing that it ever came off.  I had about nine months to write the book, and for the first half I just wasted time pretending to be a writer, but without doing any meaningful writing.  My time was also shortened further by trips to Yosemite and Patagonia, along with side projects that came up and I couldn’t turn down, plus I split up with my wife.  Basically I underestimated what a big job writing a book was.  Sure it was easy to write 100,000 words, but crafting those words into an engaging a coherent story was not.

The biggest factor in my favor was I had a structure to build my story on; every other chapter would be one day on the Reticent, with intervening chapters cataloging all my climbs and experiences leading up to that day.  And so all I had to do was write the Reticent chapters first, then add the chapters in-between.  Without this structure the whole book would have probably have been a disaster.

A few people have told me they’ve read Psychovertical more than once, reading it normally first, then going back and reading it in standard timeline, reading the non Reticent chapters first, then the Reticent ones in order.  It only occurred to me afterwards that in the final trauma of finishing the book I never sat down and actually read it from start to finish, depending instead on knowing that each brick in my wall was solid, and that together they’d make a wall that would stand up.

It irked me then that some people (Ken Wilson and the BT judges) put down the structure to my editor, thinking that such a complex idea was obviously beyond me.  But if you look at it on paper it’s really pretty simple, and is probably based partly on how I structure my talks, with multiple stories being tied around one single story, with all leading to the same conclusion.

And so I find myself embarking on book number 2, entitled ‘Cold Wars’, and my main focus is on the structure.

Second books - like second albums - are notoriously difficult.  The writer gives us everything in the first book, and finds there are only scraps left for the second, and after that - unless they have a very exciting life - then it’s a case of diminishing returns.  This was in the forefront of my mind when I started writing Psychovertical (it’s good to play a long game in these things), and so I envisioned my story stretching over 3 books rather than one, with each focusing on a different component of being a climber, namely what motivates someone (psychovertical), the effect this has on those around them (Cold Wars), and the fallout (A map of scars).

And so now my conundrum is what structure should I use for Cold Wars?  I don’t want to use the same construct as Psychovertical, but I also don’t want to just write to a standard linear timeline. 

My original idea was to insert emails or letters from my brother through the book, as he goes to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, counterpointing my experiences with his.  Both of us are in harms way.  Both of us were married and had two kids.  Both of us had to deal with people dying doing what they did.

A few problems came up early on, the major one being some of the stories he had couldn’t be published, which pulled the rug from under the idea.

My second tack came about watching super hero films with my kids, and someone telling me (maybe it was Will Gadd) that he felt like batman when he went down to his basement and pulled out all his climbing gear.  What if the story switched backwards and forwards between the mundane ordering life of someone, and the extraordinary?  There is a big dose of voyeurism in climbing books, as we want to know what makes someone tick and what they do, or did day to day, plus many people said they’d liked the non climbing chapters just as much as the climbing ones.  It’s an idea that really excites me.

BTW I’ll be talking about cold climbs, and how you put them to words at the Pitlochry writing festival on the 7th of Febuary.

 

 

 

 

— January 28, 2010 09:27 AM

Promo for Stephen Venables tour

Been beavering away with Final Cut pro this week doing a short promo for Stephen Venables’ upcoming UK tour ‘In The footsteps of Shacklton’.  Stephen’s a great writer and story teller so check the Speakers from the Edge site to see if he’s coming to a town near you.

In the Foosteps of Shackleton from Speakers from the Edge on Vimeo.

— January 22, 2010 04:49 PM

Trackstars with attitude

It took a long time for the rest of the world to cotton on - or maybe that should be ‘not cotton on’ - to stretch woven trousers, and for many years Mammut cornered the market in super tough mountain pants made from shoeller fabrics; a market that at the time no one outside of the continent was really that interested in.  What was not in their favor was a euro colour pallet and a high price tag, which seemed astronomical when in the UK most climbers were wearing the bargain basement Ron Hill Trackstars (for those who don’t know what Trackstars are, they are medium weight running tight that are tough, cheap and dry fast, and were for many years the uniform of British climbing). 

The Swiss built mammut mountain pants high price tag was warranted because these pants were like indestructible jeans, and were far more weather resistant than Ron Hills and also smarter - well that is unless you had a pink pair with purple knee and bum patches (as I said they had a euro colour pallet).  But if you shelled out for a pair they would literally last forever and so the high cost was rewarded.

For those who didn’t want to wear Ron Hills there were lots of baggy and more casual polyester or pollycotton and nylon pants to wear (j rat, Troll,  Rohan) which were cooler, lighter and more casual, well unless they were made by Troll (yellow fabric with purple knee patches).  This was the staple of US climbers, and I guess slowly that influenced UK climbing as slowly fashion crept in   - a place were in the past there had only been anti-fashion - and almost overnight the mighty Ron Hill Trackaster became a symbol of bumbly naffness, which is a shame as it still rates as one of the best climbing pants for your money, and people switched to baggier pants instead, or power-stretch for winter.

And so it was now the right time for the stretch woven pant to strike, as there was a need for a super tough, lightweight, weather proof pant that was also cool and fashionable - something that could have a foot in both camps (all weather Ron Hill tights - cool and casual trouser).  This appeared in the form of the Patagonia Guide pant, which was really nothing more than a mammut mountain pant that had been rendered accessible to wear (they were black), and so slowly people in the know began to upgrade from polyester and polycotton to stretch woven.

The term guide pant is a good one as this style of pants is perfect for the heavy user, who needs something they can wear in a broad range of temperatures and activities, from summer rock, winter ice, to alpine climbing and ski touring.  They also know that they will stand up to serous punishment and still look smart in the bar when getting your drinks bough for you by your clients (a yellow pair of Troll Omni pants would just make people think you were there to work at a children’s party).  In a way they are the ultimate mountain jeans, a no brainer you stick on in the morning no matter what you’re doing.

These days many companies produce very good mountain pants - using a broad range of fabrics - and the guide pant no longer corners the market (Mammut make some great pants still - and with a less ‘Kagagoogoo’ colour palet).  I’ve had my pair for many moons, and although they look a bit scruffy around the ankles, where I’ve nailed them with my crampons, and feature some furring from ice screws rubbing, they really look as good as new.  But one thing I’ve not liked about these pants is that they’re pretty heavy weight, which means they take longer to dry than some pants, and that their casual styling is not always appropriate for climbing, having a bit too much bagginess for my liking.


And so I was pretty excited to get hold of a pair of new Simple guide pants, which in many ways are a sort of Ron Hill trackstar meets Guide pants, and are very close to being the ultimate climbing pant.

The difference is that these use a very light stretch woven fabric that dries much faster (think paper instead of cardboard), but that is still very tough indeed.  The style has a very tappered leg (with holes at the bottom for fitting bungee and so d without gaitors - or maybe to go for that Ron Hill stirup look?), which keeps fabric ot of the way of your feet - but does make you feel as if you’ve got skinny jeans on.  Like the Ron Hill they are more like tights than trousers and are pull on - having just an elastic waist with a drawcord (they have a fly, but it stops below the hem).  Having no bulk at the front where a zipper and press stud would sit means they sit more comfortanly under a harness, and are perfect for long climbs.

Downsides are that the fabric has very little stretch, and is intact just a woven fabric, which probably explains the fast drying time (more stretch = longer drying time).  It reminds me bit of my old school trousers in-fact, but this is no biggy and simply means you need to get the right size first time, and means more work for Patagonia pattern cutters (more stretch allows a poorer cut).  The biggest problem is that the trousers waist band isn’t elastic enough, and the drawcord back up is just flat static cord that has to be tied in a knot, which is a fiddly pain, and the end result is the trousers don’t stay up.  A belt would do the job but the pants don’t feature belt loops, but fitting a belt would negate what makes these pants great anyway.  With mine I replaced the cord with some 2 loops of skinny bungee cord and fed both ends through a low profile cordlock - which although not perfect, works very well.  I’d hope that Patagonia could come up with some clever way of doing this (how about checking out how they do kids pull on trousers).

I’ve been wearing the pants non stop since I got them, and have used them for rock climbing, skiing, winter climbing and shoveling snow and think they’re the best pants I’ve ever had and simply work (for winter climbing I’ve layered them up with R1 bottoms - which work great).

As I write this this I see that Patagonia have brought out a revised model that unfortunately has lost some of what made these pants so good, having a conventional fly/press stud front, belt loops and less taper, in fact they are more like guide lite pants, which isn’t so bad, but they’ve kind of lost what made them stand out.

But that means that there should still be winter 09 pants out there - perhaps on sale - so get youself a pair of simple guide pants - rather than the ‘not so simple’ while you can.

Simple Guide Patagonia Men’s Pants

 

— January 22, 2010 01:09 PM

Aiding across roofs

Hi Andy just wondering whether you would consider writing a short piece for your website about the technique for aid climbing on a roof or big overhang. We managed to completely fail up at Thor’s Cave yesterday (although admittedly the hangovers, ice, mud and fog may have had something to do with it). It doesn’t seem to be a technique mentioned much on the web. Our main difficulty was extending far enough to reach the next piece and then transferring from one piece to the other. Any advice on this would be great


Chris

Aiding on a roof can be very strenuous and very scary, primarily because you have nothing to brace your feet against, meaning you swing around a lot more, and this gives the impression you’re applying more force to the protection.

The number one aid on roofs are a set of adjustable daisy chains (Yates or Fish make the best), as these give you a mechanical advantage, allowing you to cinch yourself up tight to each piece, rather than locking off on one arm and trying to fiddle in your fifi hook.  They also allow you to lower yourself out onto pieces; giving a bit of slack on the piece you’re on, while taking in on the piece you’re going to.

If you don’t have adjustable daisy chains then you’re going to have to do it old school and use tension from your belayer.  To do this you ideally need 2 ropes (aiding is best done on one), and it’s best if ones a single rope (so your second has a fat rope to jug), while the other I skinny (you can use your haul/zip line as long as you don’t leave it clipped).  To do this you just get tension on the rope that’s clipped to the piece you’re on, clip your other rope through, then using the new gear’s krab as a pulley, pull yourself onto it as your belayer gives you slack.  Once close enough they can lock you off on the new piece.

The fifi hook is very useful on this type of climbing, allowing you’re belayer to rest in between tension moves, but make sure its cord is long enough (25cm) and it has a some cord attached to the top hole so you can pull it off quickly.

When leading this kind of pitch make sure you extend all pieces well, so your second can jug and clean easily, and on some pitches you may have to leave some tie offs behind, and so carrying some thick cord to leave behind is recommended.  On old UK aid roots there can be a lot of very old tat, and much of it needs cutting off and replacing (don’t look at the bolts of pegs too closely!), and for this you will need a knife.  Just be careful when using a knife while climbing with ropes under tension, as they will cut like butter!

Lastly UK limestone aid roofs sometimes have bolts missing (don’t think about it) and so you may find some big gaps.  For these take along a ski pole to act as a cheater stick, and for hanging belays don’t forget a belay seat - your bum will thank you for it!


By and large UK limestone aid routes are just clip ups and are dank and dirt and pretty scary, using primarily old fixed gear.  If you want to learn how to aid for big wall trips then you’d be better of aiding (without pegs or hooks!) up lines in quarry’s on wet weather days (Milstone is a great venue).  This teaches you a lot more skills for big wall climbing and tends to be more fun.

 

 

 

 

 

— January 20, 2010 10:46 AM

Glacier Skiing Safety video

Glacier Skiing Safety (full audio version) from Simon Christy on Vimeo.

— January 19, 2010 02:32 PM

The School: No4 Buttress, Coire An Lochain

Lochain is a honey pot for aspiring Scottish mixed climbers, and although detractors will point out that it’s nothing but a road side crag, and tame in comparison to many other full value venues, as a testing ground or lab for mixed climbing there is probably nowhere better.  In my mind, if Coire an Sneachda is the Stanage of UK winter climbing, then Lochain is it’s Curber; offering steeper and tougher climbs.



It’s here on these relatively small buttress’ that the best climbers of the day learnt their trade and exported to bigger routes and bigger mountains; both in the UK and overseas.



This short article focuses on just three routes that stand side by side, and offers some extra beta for those who are interested in sitting some winter exams.  I’ve done all three of these routes (two of them several times) and would love to include Sidewinder - but having still do do it, I’ve left it out.  If people have anything to add them please post your own experiences in the comments below.



The Crag







The Routes



I’ve chosen 3 routes that sit together and offer a jump in both difficulty and style; Savage Slit (), Prore, and Fallout Corner.  All routes are short, and all have pitches that can be run together, yet all tend to feel much longer, and take much longer, than you imagine, in fact I climbed the North face of the Droites faster than Prore!



I’ll list the routes in order of grade.



Savage Slit



Savage Slit is a great intro to mixed climbing, as it is well protected (unless under ice) and straightforward, plus being a chimney it’s very much like rock climbing.  As with most routes like this it’s all about footwork, and digging for good hooks with your tools.  It goes without saying that this is not a good route to wear a rucksack on.



The first two guidebook pitches should be run together for speed, and many climbers find the first slabby section off putting, as it can feel intimidating and balancy, but take your time and it goes without any fuss.  Once you reach the slit itself take take it one move at a time, and wear the route down bit by bit; finding gear, moving up a bit, then finding some more.  There are no show stoppers on the route, and it’s just as case of being the right way round to use what it has to offer.



Once you reach the top of the slit you’ll find an abseil point/belay and you can either descend or carry on to the top.  If you descend make sure you double test the anchor, and remove any tat you don’t like.  Make sure the tat is well extended and has a karabiner or maillion on it, to aid pulling the rope, as this is a prime spot for getting ropes jammed.  Under very heavy snow or ice you might not be able to find this anchor anyway, and always make sure that the tat you’re clipping into is in fact the anchor, and not just some tat that’s been cut off and left in the snow (always take old tat down with you).



Personally I love the finishing pitches on these crags, as they just open up and often feature some amazing hore frosted sculptures.  Again watch out for dangerous snow and don’t let your guard down until the top.



Fallout Corner





I remember Alan Mullan telling me he thought you’d have to throw yourself off Fallout Corner it was that easy, but again it’s down to conditions, and for some it can be a clip up, while for others it can be an exercise in jibbering (I’ve done it several times and can attest mainly to the latter).  As with Savage slit it’s all there, only this time there are a few more thoughtful points where it’s not clear what to do, but like Savage Slit it is well protected unless heavily iced.



Again begin by some bouldery moves up towards a leaning corner and move up this to an over lap.  This takes some good gear (a hex), then work out what to do next (have a good look beyond the obvious for footholds or hooks that may help you).  This will get you to the 1st stance (good belay).  The next pitch is really the meat of the route, and is a great intro into steep winter slab climbing, and is an exercise of balance and gentle probing upwards, and again much it is on your feet.  It’s well worth experimenting with using different parts of your crampons here (heal, inside edge) to rest your calves, as well as mantling off good hooks on your axes.  Also don’t neglect to use your hands as well as your picks.  If the corner is free of ice then there is lots of gear, if not, then you’ll be forced to run it out a bit further, finding gear on the face.



This pitch ends at a good stance, and one more steep step leads to easier climbing and the top.




Prore




Prore is the next step up from Fallout in terms of steep slabs climbing, being less well protected or positive, and requires a steady approach and a mixture of climbing techniques.  I’m told this is now a soft touch for the grade, but perhaps still means it’s a very serious grade VII.



Climb the first pitch of Savage Slit and move up the chimney until you can traverse right along a break out to the arete.  It’s about now, balanced on some rounded holds without anything for your tools, looking up at a steep arete full of rounded breaks and seams that you’ll have a good handle on if this is your bag. 



Now start up the gristone like arete on both good and bad foothold and the odd good hook, placing gear if and when it appears (don’t forget to look on the other side of the arete).  Climb a hanging corner (loose block)  to a ledge and place your big cam at your feet, then make some bouldery and committing moves up and right to the arete and climb this without any gear to some turfy ledges and belay. 



Climb to the top. 



Well done - you’ve graduated.



Related articles:

Winter climbing tip No.1

Winter climbing tip No.2

Winter climbing tip No.3

Winter climbing tip No.4






[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]


— January 15, 2010 12:41 PM

Dieter Rams: ideas on good design

If you’re looking at buying some new gear this winter, or have some design ideas, or even looking for a way to approach life itself, then here are a few tenets for industrial designer Dieter Rams.

Good design…

Is innovative

The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

Makes a product useful

A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

Is aesthetic

The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

Makes a product understandable

It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still it can make the product talk. At best it is self-explanatory.

Is unobtrusive

Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

Is honest

It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

Is long-lasting

It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

Is thorough down to the last detail

Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

Is environmentally friendly

Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Is as little as possible

Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.

— January 14, 2010 01:48 PM

The process - exploiting the disabled for personal glory

I’ve had this blog hanging around on my computer for a week or so, not sure if I should post it, thinking I may come over as being an offensive wanker, and that I should maybe just stick to writing about gear.  But then I read Stevie Haston’s blog and thought maybe that’s what blogs are for? (not to be an offensive wanker - but to write about thoughts, ideas and opinion).

I was forwarded a link the other day for a polar trip that was looking for two injured servicemen for an exped to the North pole - the aim being to make the first unsupported trip by an amputee, increase awareness of those wounded in action, and raise money for Help for Heros.  All very commendable. 

The trip looked as if it would comprise of two polar guides, the two yet to be found injured servicemen and two non injured others, who seemed to be behind the trip.

The first thing I thought was here was a trip were a group of people were piggybacking their ambition on the backs of someone else’s misfortune.  Having injured servicemen would obviously increase media interest and sponsorship, maybe the only way to get funding for such a trip - beyond self funding - now that every ‘first’ has been done a dozen times (such a trip can cost $90,000 per person). 

Reading it, it smacked of those trips that propose to ‘put a blind person on the top of X’ or drag someone in a wheelchair from A to B for X, where the disabled are often exploited for someones else’s gain - very often by people who have no understanding of the real limitations, and implications, of such trips on those they seek to help (both physical and mental). 

This kind of thing always makes me feel very uncomfortable, especially now I live with someone who’s labeled as being disabled.

But as I sat reading this email - getting on my high horse - it suddenly occurred to me that really I was no better.

Why had I agreed to ski across Greenland with Karen Darke, someone I’d didn’t know at all at the time; traveled to Patagonia sea kayaking with here, the BBC picking up the bill; climbed El Cap with Phil Packer?  Hadn’t I done just that, got a free trip on the back of someone’s disability - after all non of these trips would have been free or subsidized without the disabled element?  Also how much money had I made talking about these trips, cashing in, and proving I’m inclusive and caring. 

Would I have done these trips if I had to fund them myself?

The idea that I was no better made me feel very uncomfortable, especially as we’ve been trying to raise funds for a trip to the South Pole sometime in the future, another super expensive trip that no one would support without Karen or Phil being involved.

What really motivates people to do trips with disabled people who are strangers, if not to exploit them?

This is a tough question.

I thought very hard about the trips I’d been on with Karen and Phil and scribbled down a few lessons I’d learnt, that I think are worth sharing to others who go on trips (big or small) with disabled adventurers.

It’s vital that in every stage of a trip that everyone is part of the team, disabled and abled, and that the disabled members are alway part of the process, not the process itself.

Above all disabled people want to be treated the same as everyone else in all respects, and want to do their share the work and have no special treatment.  They do not want to be passengers or the focus of the team, they want to be part of the team.

The ideal trip should be instigated by disabled people themselves, seeking support from ‘experts’ if need be, not the other way round.  To these ends it’s vital that more disabled people are aware of what adventures are out there for them, and given support (either financial or with equipment) to make them possible.

Phil Packer is working really hard to set up the BRIT trust that has these aims in mind, helping young people to find their own way into adaptive sport, and their is great work being done by many groups.

But that question still hung over me - why do it, why get involved?

I think for me it’s a selfish reason really, not financial (in the short term I paid my way on the trip with Phil, and when I climbed El Cap with Karen; which was done with very little fanfare).  I do such trips because I love a challenge, and in the case of Karen I love the person as well (sorry Phil), and guess the couple who get shit scared together - stay together.

More importantly doing crazy trips - things that ‘expert’ would advise against - sets the bar higher each time, and I could never resist trying to prove people wrong.  Plus such trips (Karen hand biked over the Himalayas, down the length of Japan, kayaked around Corsica , to name just a few) allows others to be inspired for their own adventures.  When you’re disabled every day is an adventure.

A few months ago I did a talk at Tisos, and afterwards walking to the train station with a group of people, one of them told me she was a nurse who worked in the children’s spinal unit.  She described how one day the news had showed a clip of Karen skiing across Greenland, and the atmosphere in the room had suddenly changed, the kids growing more animated and excited, their view of what was possible suddenly changed, and maybe the future a little brighter.

So I wish the polar trip all the luck in the world.

As for me - I’m doing it for the kids.

 

 

 

 

— January 13, 2010 03:36 PM

Hagan Nanook appraoch skis

I can remember about ten years ago, when Salamon Snowblades first appeared on the market, telling the UK rep Pete Rostron how great they would be for climbers, if only they had a simple heal lift binding.  Every time I saw him I’d tell him the same thing, and every time he laughed, thinking I was joking.  I wasn’t. 

I’d seen people using tiny Bigfoot skis in the Alps in winter, and had seen howc Paul Ramsden had used a tiny pair of woman’s calving skis to great effect in Patagonia, as well as using short - but heavy - Firn Extreme skis myself, and new that there was a need for a very light, short and cheap ski that bridged the gap between slowshoes (sorry - snowshoes) and full mountaineering skis. 

The reason pete laughed was because he was a skier, not a climber, and knew that such a ski would be simply rubbish; having poor floatation on anything but a piste (you’d sink), poor control (too short) especially when wearing plastic or leather boots, and basically suck at being a skiable ski.  But Pete had also never used snow shoes, because if he had, he’d know that even with these drawbacks - they would still be potentially better then snowshoes. 

Another factor was Pete didn’t realize that many of the users couldn’t actually ski anyway, and simply wanted a bit of a plank to shuffle on, and maybe side slip down the easiest pisted runs at the end of the day, and if it got dicy then they’ed just take them off and walk (walking downhill is easy anyway - even in deep snow), which is what they’ed have been doing anyway.

In the intervening years a few such skis have come and gone, some good (Kong Grimper and Rossignol Free Venture) and some Mickey mouse.  Climbers also took matters into their own hands, cutting down knackered old skis and sticking on a light ski mountaineering binding like the venerable Silvretta 404.

Skis themselves also began to conform with what a climber ideally needed, becoming shorter, fatter and more idiot proof (skiing with modern skis is very easy to learn), and it was only a matter of time before someone came up with the ideal package for climbers.

This has appeared in the form of the Hagan Nanook, probably the best buy for climbers faced with long (or short) approaches through deep snow, but who don’t want to carry full sized and full weight skis (they are light enough to carry up and over), are happy to live with very basic skiing on hard neve or pistes (akin to glissading really) and also want a low cost option (half the price of a full mountain ski version), plus one that can be used a full on ski (well skiboard) in ski boots for fun days on the piste (great for crap weather - keeping you out of the death zone!)

The Nanooks come with everything you need including bindings that will take any boot that will take a step in, and skins, so you can shuffle with ease.  They are short enough to stick on your pack (99cm) and light enough to carry when climbing (1390g), and cost under £200, which isn’t bad when you see the quality of the ski. 

Being fat these skis have an OK floatation, probably about the same as most snowshoes, but with the added benefit that they require less effort to move, and work better when traversing.  If you’re used to full size skis you will be disappointed, as the floatation and glide is much lower, but compared to walking it’s a million times better.

Fitting the boot to the binding is simple enough, and can be adjusted without tools, but I did find the bar that flips up for climbing steep ground flipped up of it’s own accord, either due to catching on the binding as you walked, or on the boot itself.  This could be remedied by changing it’s width using a vice, or by removing it all together.

The skins are wide, and offer very good traction (but without great glide), and come ready to use, and most users would be best advised to put them on at home and leave them on (the whole business of ski skins is an art).  If you were a heavy user I’d probably advise getting hold of some kicker skins, which would improve glide and reduce weight.

For non skiers, or anyone using these with a heavy pack, tired legs and bendy boots, coming down hill can be a trial, and you are often best taking them off and just walking unless the snow is super deep.  Another option is to rap cord or slings around the ski to give better traction downhill (this will have to be binned afterwords as the edges will cut the material).

Finally like all skiboards these are great fun on the piste (ideally with skins removed and proper ski boots!), and a good introduction to the fun that can be had on skis, plus they will give you a head start on most walk in’s, be they alpine or Scottish.

At the moment the best place to buy the Nanooks from is Braemar Mountain sports (they’re not on their website, so give them a call on 013397 41242 if you want to know more.

— January 11, 2010 12:35 PM

Designing stupid

Many moons ago I was working in a climbing shop.  One day a certain - rather rotund - hardware manufacturer’s sales rep came in with an idea he wanted to run past us.  He explained how the company had been looking into designing a new alpine/winter harness, which was proving taxing, as everyone seemed to buy the BD Bod or DMM Alpine.  But this rep had thought up and idea that he believed to be a winner - one that would have climbers all over the world saying “how did I get through life without this?”, and no doubt trump every other design on the market. 

Now I bet you’re sat thinking ‘what was this great invention or design’, no doubt because you can’t remember any startling alpine harnesses that have cropped up in the last ten years.

Well the idea - or concept - was simple, and like all great designs was aimed at eliminating a problem that most people were unaware off; namely that their harness fell down when winter climbing.  The design this rep had come up with was startling in its simplicity, namely a bog standard alpine harness - but with braces attached.

As he spilled the beans to us - we privileged few - a hush went around the rock counter, each person taking in the magnitude of this innovation.  Then someone said - matter of factly - “Your harness falls down because you’re a fat knacker and your belly’s too big” at which point the spell was broken, and no doupt so too were the dreams of a would be designer and we all fell about laughing.

Now this story is an important one for me because when some design idea or technique comes into my head,  I always ask myself the question “is this just a harness with braces?”.  Stupid ideas are were innovation comes from, but they are ideas that are best developed and tested cerebrally first; because once you share them they are no longer stupid; you are.

I read about a web design company a while back that had a great approach to design, in that anything was sayable, but if you knew it was a stupid idea you could put your hand on top of your head to prove that you knew it.  A good example of this would be to ask “why not have pockets sewn upside down, so the contents fall out when you unzip them”, a very stupid question that would be expressed under the protection of hand head.  But stupid ideas get the flow going, and soon you may be thinking of others things that may work better the wrong way round (this is how the recurved ice pick came about). The also kept a note of all ideas - good and bad, because ideas often come before their time.

So why am I rabbiting on about such things?  Well for a while I’ve been having a braces kind of idea about a piece of kit that’s missing off many climbers clothing; but one I wasn’t sure that was actually needed.

What it is is a crotch strap (calm down at the back), a strap that goes through your legs and is attached at the rear hem at the back, and beside the front zipper, made from either nylon or elastic.  Buffalo where the first to use this idea with their Big Face shirt, followed by the Montane Extreme smock, Moonstone, and even Patagonia, who thought it good enough to include it one one season’s speed ascent jackets. 

What it does it keep your main layer in place, and stops it slowly riding up and exposing your midriff, a pretty important feature when most climbers are wearing trousers these days.

Of course great and unrestricted arm lift should reduce the importance of this this, and a big baggy softshell or shell reduces the need further, but never the less, the action of binding layers and normal movement will see a slow rise in layers, forcing you to keep pulling your hem down - especially in well fitted soft shells.

A crotch strap can also stop snow being forced up into your jacket hem when in very deep snow, or skiing in powder,  generally keeps everything neater, and will reducing ‘bagging’ of fabric at chest level (which restricts visibility of your rack and feet).

To make a removable crotch strap you’ll need a 2 foot length of 15mm strong elastic (you can use thinner elastic, or webbing), a length of velcro to match and some thin tape (5mm or 10mm).  Sew a loop on the rear hem (1 inch up inside, so it won’t be exposed and potentially snag), and another loop on the front, offset from the zipper. The loop should be sewn so it creates an open loop that corresponds in width with the strap you’re using.  Now sew the velcro to one end of the strap (don’t scrimp on velcro - as you want it to be strong), so it can be attached and removed, then get the length right before you do the same on the front of the strap.  When fitting don’t go for something that’s got G string tightness, just go for something that’s snug when you’ve got your hands above your head.  You can add a tri-glide buckle if you want some adjustment.

Is this a stupid ‘braces’ kind of idea, after all if it was so good wouldn’t all manufacturers use it?  Unfortunately it’s a prime example of one of those very functional features that suffers from also being very uncommercial and super unsexy; just imagine some Range Rover driving car coat buying punter being told that his jacket has a built in crotch strap!

Maybe I am wrong - but to be honest I don’t really care if this sounds stupid, because as I type this, I’ve got one hand firmly planted on my head.

— January 09, 2010 08:48 PM

Page 1 of 14 pages  1 2 3 >  Last »