Monthly Archive for September, 2008

Chuting Spree Clue #1 – Black Diamond Ski Boots!

Published on September 30, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest - BD Boots. 39 Comments Tags: .

Follow five semi-weekly clues and be the first to correctly identify where the boots are hidden to win a pair (any size, any model) of Black Diamond Ski Boots!

Click here for the Chuting Spree – Black Diamond boots contest rules.

Clue: One of the most famous ski runs in America is named after a member of the first ascent team of the highest peak on this CONTINENT. Name the continent.

 

Too cool for words! This guy\'s name is synonymous with challenging skiing. Photo credit: M. Moore
Too cool for words! This guy’s name is synonymous with challenging skiing. Photo credit: M. Moore

Know the continent?  Don’t answer now – save it for Super Cluesday.

Clue Schedule:
September 30th – Continent
October 7th – Country or Region
October 11th – Specific mountain range or zone (note – not on a Tuesday)
October 14th – Specific peak or town
October 21st – SUPER CLUESDAY!  Exact location.  Send in your answer NOW!

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Featured Black Diamond Ski Boot – Method AT.  Click on the image below to check’em out at Backcountry.com!

 

The Method is for the modern AT skier who craves downhill performance as much as tourability and comfort. Slightly less torsionally and longitudinally stiff than the Factor, the Method is your choice for skiing any and all terrain, from no-falls steeps to deep powder bowls. With its Triax-Performance FrameTM with Pebax® and Flex 110 rating, the Method still has power to drive today’s fat skis. The boot is equipped with both a thermoformable high-performance foot bed and a Power Fit Light Liner. Changing the Method between AT blocks and BD ISO Alpine DIN blocks (sold separately) is third-grade easy due to the sliding, four-screw attachment system.

Chuting Spree – Contest Rules for the Black Diamond Ski Boots

Published on September 30, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest - BD Boots. 9 Comments Tags: .

With great excitement, I’m thrilled to announce that Chris “GoFo” Grover and Brad “B-Rad” Barlage of Black Diamond Equipment, right here in Salt Lake City, have donated a brand new pair, of any size or model available, of their new BLACK DIAMOND SKI BOOTS!  Can you give me a HELL YEAH!?  The rules and concept is the same as the Great K2 Ski Giveaway, so if you get it, read no further and check out the clues on Tuesday’s/Cluesday’s at 10:00am Utah time.

The Basics
Five semi- weekly clues lead to the location of the boots.  Be the first person to correctly identify where the boots are… and they are yours.

How the Contest Works:
Through a series of ski mountaineering related clues, contestants have to guess the location of the boots. The clues start with the continent the boots are located on, then narrow down to a specific location.  The boots are only there in theory – the real ones are waiting for you at the warehouse.

How to Win:
Be the first person to post the correct answer as a comment on the page with the final clue.  Click here for an example.  HINT: First time commenters must be approved, which causes a delay in your comments showing up.  For the fastest comment posting time, get pre-approved by making a comment on an earlier posting so that the computer knows your name. 

Question:  Are there going to be some really hard, stupid, obscure questions?

Answer:    No. Most of them will be easy if you have been following skiing and/or ski mountaineering for a while, and if not, they will be searchable on the Internets. The final clue will be specific to ski mountaineering lore, but it is not necessary to have been there to know the answer.  (Example: In “The Blizzard of Ahhhs” Scot Schmidt stood at the top of this and said “Yeah, I’ll ski it for sure.”)

Rules:

- Tuesday is Cluesday.  All clues will be given on Tuesday mornings at 10:00am Mountain Time on the main page of StraightChuter.com
- In case of a dispute, I (Andrew McLean) will be the sole judge.  I’m the Decider.  I make decisions.
- Immediate family members are not eligible (sorry Mom, Dad, Polly and Mira…)

Prizes:

- Prizes need to be claimed within 90 days of the winning date.  (No, you can’t wait six years for a pair of 2014 Factor Max 1000ZX’s.)
- Prizes are limited to Black Diamond’s available stock on hand. (Sorry, no custom- made gold-plated Method’s.)
- Shipping will be at the manufacturer’s discretion.  (FedEx Overnight International Express to Ushuaia is probably not going to happen.)

Sample Contest

Clue #1 (Continent)
Q:  This continent received a record seasonal snowfall in 1998-99.

Clue #2 (State/Country/Province/region)
Q:  The highest peak in this geographic zone is 4207m tall.

Clue #3 (Mountain Range)
Q: Early explorers referred to this range as “The Three Breasts.”

Clue #4 (Specific Peak/Town/Zone)
Q: This peak was first climbed to its summit in 1898.

Clue #5 (Specific location/object)
Q:  The first ski descent of this peak was continuous except for one obstacle.  For a brand new pair of K2 backcountry skis, what is the specific name of this obstacle?

Answer:  Click Here

 
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Check out the Black Diamond Boot Collection at Backcountry.com. Click the photo below…

 

Ode to the Voile Strap

Published on September 29, 2008 in 02 Gear. 6 Comments Tags: .
Duct tape doesn’t work very well for the cold, wet environs of ski mountaineering, but it hardly matters as there is something way better – Voile straps.  In terms of classic designs, these are right up near the top and incredibly useful for almost anything, including holding your skis together.  I prefer the Old Skool versions with the metal buckles as they are lightweight, simple and never break. 
Voile Straps - the world would fall apart without them...
Voile straps – the world would fall apart without them.
I’m not sure where this design came from, but I first saw it used for skiing purposes by Mark W. at Voile, thus they are commonly called “Voile Straps.”  They can be used to clamp boots if a buckle breaks, hold a blown skin onto a ski, help split a broken leg, field-repair a binding, strap crap onto a pack, hold together a cook kit and just about anything else you can think of.
They work well by themselves, or you can chain them together for added reach.
Great on their own, or you can chain them together for added length.

The longer the better, although beggars can’t be choosers and any length will do.  I assume you can buy these things, but more often than not, they are handed out for free at skiing events where I always try to grab more than my fair share.

Strapping up in Iran - Greg VonDoersten photo.
Strapping up in Iran – Greg VonDoersten photo.

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Help support StraightChuter.com and pick up a few Classic Voile Straps from Backcountry.com! Click on the photo below…

 

Sunday Photo – Dater Glacier, Antarctica

Published on September 28, 2008 in Sunday Photo. 6 Comments Tags: .

I’m heading down to Antarctica (yeah!) for a ski trip in Novemember, so I have the White Continent on my mind. Today’s photo was one of my favorites from my first trip to Antarctica in 2000/2001 where we climbed a new route up the ”backside” of the Vinson Massif. 

Skiers crossing the Dater Glacier in Antarctica on their way to the summit of the Vinson massif.
Skiers crossing the Dater Glacier in Antarctica on their way to the summit of the Vinson massif.

The purpose of this trip was to make a NOVA film, which I think was called “Trapped in Ice.”  Conrad Anker was the main climber, Jon Krakauer was the historian and Dan Stone was the Glaciologist.  Dave Hahn and I were the field guides, so we got to double-haul lots of heavy loads, set up camps, cook and carry camera gear.  It was a blast.

Contrary to popular belief, Antarctica is not rip-ass cold 100% of the time, but when it is, it really is.  In this photo, we were skinning along a glacier, which was quite pleasant, but when we came within ten feet of a shadow, as Conrad said, we were entering “the steel glove of love” which meant the temps were going to drop a good 40-50 degrees once we left the sun.  Within a few feet, the temps went from casual to brutal.

Vinson, the highest point on Antarctica at right above 16,000′ is commonly referred to as the “Vinson Massif” instead of Mt. Vinson as it is kind of a huge dome with many wart-like peaklettes on top of it, which make it hard to tell exactly which one is the actual summit.

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Winter – Coming Soon to A Mountain Near You!

Published on September 26, 2008 in Trip Reports. 5 Comments
Ahead of time, it often seems that the Black Diamond Avalanche Forecast Party is always held too early in the season, but inevitably, within a day or so of the party and seeing all of the skiers get back together after a hot summer, the weather begins to change and people start having skiing on their mind.  Living in Park City (outside of the cute part by about 10 miles), the temps are coming down and the Aspen’s are in full flame — winter is just around the corner!
The aspen's are starting to go off at 7,100' in Park City!
The leaves are starting to go off at 7,100′ in Park City!

 A Fall Rite-of-Passage is to go harvest firewood, which is really just an excuse to play with chainsaws.  This year we ended up having a great harvest, especially considering it only took us a couple of hours to collect. 

Got wood? Ski partner Brad "B-Rad" Barlage shows off his van stuffed with wood.
Got wood? Ski partner Brad “B-Rad” Barlage shows off his van stuffed with wood.

After getting all of this wood home, it turned out there was a Yellow Jacket nest embedded somewhere in it and Brad took a dozen stings for the team.
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Help support StraightChuter.com and stay warm with a casual wear Mountain Hardwear Lodown Jacket from Backcountry.com! Click on the photo below… 

Avalanche Beacons – My Personal Preference

Published on September 24, 2008 in 02 Gear. 0 Comments Tags: .
Picking the right avalanche beacon is trickier than it may seem.  I’ve used Pieps, Barryvox, Ortovox and BCA Trackers over the years and am not wedded to any particular brand, but instead look for the best beacon available at the time when I decide to upgrade.  I hold onto my beacons for 2-4 years because once I learn a beacon, I like to stick with it.  For me to upgrade, there needs to be some major advancement, like dual frequency (now a non-issue), advent of digital beacons (now the norm) or a major leap in technology, as happened in the last couple of years. In addition to that, all the top-tier beacon companies make good products and are constantly leap-frogging each other with features, distance or speed, so it really depends year-to-year which one is the best.

To confuse the issue, the “best” beacon will depend in part on your personality.  In the hands of a Luddite, the fanciest, feature-packed beacon will be overwhelming, but to a techo-geek, it may be a dream come true.  For me, a big consideration is durability, as I tend to be hard on my beacons.  If I’m looking at a new beacon and it doesn’t seem like it could withstand being dropped on the floor, I don’t care how many fancy features it has, I’m not going to buy it. I want a beacon which is fast, easy to use, durable and absolutely intuitive.  Complicated button sequences to change modes doesn’t cut if for me.

There are no bad beacons, only bad users.
There are no bad beacons, only bad users.

I had the good fortune of doing a beacon review for SKIING Magazine last year.  The premise was (this came from SKIING) that you open the box, turn the beacon on and use it without reading the instructions.  I liked this idea as it was so real-world, for better or worse.   In the hands of someone who practices often, any beacon will be fast, but in a panic situation, intuition counts for a lot.  My personal pick from the beacon litter of that era was the Pieps DSP, based in part on its tight feature set, but also because it looked like I could drop it a few times.  So far I’ve been very happy with it – your mileage may vary.

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Help support StraightChuter.com and find ‘em fast with a Pieps DSP Transciever from Backcountry.com! Click on the photo below…

Super Cluesday – Answer & Winner

Published on September 23, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest. 10 Comments

Matthieu Chesaux of Boulder, Colorado is the winner!

While contemplating a pair of K2 Mt. Baker Superlights, Matt said:

As for finding the final clue, I thought about your earlier post mentioning “popular watering holes…places to stay”. It seemed pretty quickly that a hut was too obvious, and on a travel webpage for the area (that I can no longer find!), there was a photo of the statue in Mt. Cook Village. It occurred to me that one of the previous clues (#2) had obliquely referred to Sir Edmund Hillary – and the statue seemed like a very specific location (within one meter). Other than that, it was good luck!

 

 

Andrew copping a cheap feel on Sir Ed’s thigh…

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K2 SUPER CLUESDAY! Win’em, ski’em – Conquer the Earth.

Published on September 23, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest. 183 Comments Tags: .

Our story begins after you have been magically transported to the top of the peak identified (hopefully) in Clue #4…

It’s late afternoon and you have no headlamp, compass or topo map, but, pffft – who needs ‘em?  Use the force Luke and just start skiing.

Stepping into your bindings, you cruise along a ridgeline with gobsmacking exposure on all sides.  Glancing to the left and right, you come to what looks like a skiable line and turn off.

Gut-wrenching steep, exposed turns lead down a face.  The sun is setting and there is mot much time.  Sticking to the fall-line, you weave around seracs, icefalls and huck a few fifty-footers with blue ice landings all bathed in brilliant alpenglow.  Where’s the photographer when you need him?

Then, shazaam! Stokage!  You have made it through the crux of a suspected first descent!  Relieved, you make big sweeping turns across a bit of a plateau, and then come to a glacier.

At the glacier, you take a skier’s left.

By now, it is pitch black and you are dodging crevasses by Braille for hours while staying on the glacier.  This is misery…. when will it end?

Exhausted, you eventually see the outlines of some structures in the moonlight.  Ahhhh, praise Allah…

Staggering up to the structures, you  meet a climber geared up for an early alpine start and ask “Where am I?”

Instead of smiling and giving you a Vegamite sandwich like those infernal, AC/DC loving Aussies do, he fixes you with a steely gaze and reveals a BRAND NEW PAIR OF K2 TELE/AT SKIS.

Oh My God…!!  Your knees tremble in eager anticipation of shredding Planet Earth. Tears of joy spring from your eyes.

Within one meter, where are you?

Winning format:
Continent:  (your answer here)
Country: (your answer here)
Mountain Range: (your answer here)
Specific Peak: (your answer here)
Exact location: (your answer here… now!)

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Help support StraightChuter.com and check out K2 Backcountry Skis from Backcountry.com! Click on the photo below…

Super Cluesday – Coming at 10:00am

Published on September 23, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest. 21 Comments

Tune in at 10:00am Mountain Standard Time for a chance to win a pair of K2 backcountry skis…

How to Win Those K2 Skis…

Published on September 22, 2008 in Chuting Spree Contest. 20 Comments Tags: .

Yes, tomorrow, Tuesday, September 23, at 10:00am Mountain Standard Time is the moment we have all been waiting for – Super Cluesday.  As I type, the skis are being FedEx’ed, wrapped in velet and hand-carried in the dark of night by special agents who are sworn to secrecy.  Like most of my skiing related schemes, this contest was developed on the fly, so I appreciate everyone’s patience and enthusiasm in going along with it.  There will be others, so any feedback is welcome, and please, no whining – this isn’t Deer Valley.

Hopefully by now, you have a good idea of the peak in question.  From here, it is important to think like a ski mountaineer, as after all, the prize is a pair of  backcountry skis and hopefully going to someone who will use them for that purpose.  The skis are located at a man-made structure which could be augured into the mountains, or accessible by car.  You can get there by using backcountry skiing techniques like skinning, skiing, walking or climbing.  It is a real place.

Format to win:
To help make it fair and keep a wild-ass one-off guess from winning, the format is to answer all of the five questions correctly in this format:

Clue #1 – Continent: (your answer here)
Clue #2 – Country: (your answer here)
Clue #3 – Mountain Range: (your answer here)
Clue #4 – Peak: (your answer here)
Clue #5 – Exact location: (your answer here)

… then send it in as a comment.  Pretyping the answer to the clues you already know might help.

For background research, you might check out skiing in this excellent zone, including maybe the local alpine club, popular watering holes (hey, this could be a rough descent), photos, townships, Google Earth (my favorite trip planning tool) or perhaps places to stay.  The answer can be found on the internet – you need not have been there to find it.  Locals might have a slight advantage, but Super Cluesday happens in the middle of the night for them, so if they are awake (and haven’t chugged too many Tui’s) they deserve to win.

Good luck & happy turns!

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