The Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampons are an excellent crampon choice for winter climbing and hiking. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for February, 2008
Flex your ankles and knees to balance and move with the skis.
Moving Balance is generated by bending and extension movements of the legs. With your skis across the slope, stand balanced on your uphill edges with slightly flexed ankles and knees. Alternately shuffle your feet forward and back, focusing on moving them a similar distance in relation to your hips. Discover that the best shuffles keep your ankles bent constantly, moving under you with steadiness. Now, begin making turns and shuffle constantly through the turn. Focus on moving the skis such that your balance stays built from the base of your foot and never braces off the upper part of the boot. Eventually, make gentle turns where you move with your skis by keeping your ankles under your hips at all times.
The shape of snowshoes is probably the most important factor for selecting snowshoes and its your planned use that will dictate what you choose.
FOR CLIMBING: A relatively short, wide snowshoe is generally more versatile and maneuverable. They are generally best for climbing situations and hiking in forested areas. I prefer molded plastic snowshoes such as the MSR Denali as they are light, indestructable and easy to strap onto the outside of your pack. The Denali is an excellent choice for winter trekking in mountains and wooded trails.
FOR HIKING: A relatively long, narrower snowshoe is generally more efficient and promotes a faster pace. They are generally best for flatter, more open areas when one’s path is straighter. The Tubbs Couloir Backcountry Snowshoe is a good example of a snowshoe that is perfect for tromping around fields.
FOR WOMEN: The Atlas Women’s 923 Elektra 9 Series Snowshoe is designed for a woman’s biomechanics including a narrower stance and stride. It uses a lightweight aluminum frame and is sized for a total weight of 200 lbs or less.
Ankles are meant to be bent. Stiff ankles mean no balance. When strapped into your board, any sudden extension of both legs will probably be followed by a falling movement to heelside and a prompt landing on your buns. Avoid being a “Jack in the Box” by keeping your ankles flexed and only extending them enough to apply edging and steering movements of the board.