 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey ski tourers!
I’m on a mission to make ski touring even better, and I need your help. What’s your biggest ski touring challenge? Gear? Endurance? Safety?
Take a quick survey here to share your thoughts: https://forms.gle/5cDhpPzLJuzyURAw5
As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey gets a shot at winning a $100 Amazon gift card!
Admins: Mods, let me know if this breaks any rules, and I will remove
Thanks
Edward 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You would probably get a better response if you said what exactly the results are going to be used for. Is it some kind of student dissertation? Do you work for a big company etc.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks Boarder2020 for your comment, yeah sure thing:
For context, I'm a 24-year-old electronics engineer and an avid skier with a BASI Level 2 certification. I went ski touring for the first time in March and absolutely loved it. This experience got me thinking about whether there are any gaps in the market that could be addressed. This research is for my personal understanding and to see if there’s a potential product idea that could make ski touring even better for everyone. I have a few ideas, but want to understand the market better. I'm an engineer at heart, and like to make things, so wanting to get a gauge of the opportunties here!
If anyone would like any further background please do let me know
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@EdwardB3, I would hugely recommend going on the BASI L3 Mountain safety module, I did mine last year (with IASI) and it was an amazing week.
For me though, still, safety is the biggest challenge, even more so probably since doing the mountain safety. I'll fill in your survey for you.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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In some ways safety is also the biggest limiter for me. I mostly tour solo in which case I'll generally just avoid avalanche terrain unless I'm as close to 100% as possible about conditions i.e. I'm seeing stable conditions, testing is not reactive, and a group did the same line the day before. So it limits what terrain I get to ride, but it doesn't stop me getting out the door every morning and touring as such. But I don't really see any tech solutions.
Similarly with fitness, if someone is not fit what tech solutions can you really implement to make it easier? There are things like better skins with more glide and/or grip. But that's a pretty marginal gain, it's not going to get someone who's massively unfit enjoying touring.
Equipment seems the obvious area for improvement. While I'm not much of a weight weenie and question quite how much benefit shaving a few grams helps, why not make stuff lighter it's certainly not going to make touring harder. Although don't sacrifice durability doing it. The biggest issues I've had this season just gone were clumping during spring, although I didn't have any skin wax which might have solved the problem. Did manage to snap a pole whacking it on the ski to try and get the clump off which wasn't ideal 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@swskier, I will have to have a look into it. I did a intro to ski touring course in Chamonix in March which was really good, because it meant a friend who isn't BASI could come along, but I am tempted to go down the BASI L3 Route, its just finding the time, with now working full time lol!
@boarder2020 Both very valid points, I think from a safety perspective a solution to touring solo could be really interesting, some form of safety device that allowed this, or scanned the terrain to score avalanche risk etc. Then on the fitness front I don't think you are ever going to open it up to everyone, but I have a reasonably high level of fitness, and I found it tough, so it was more trying to understand if that is a common theme. I think for me it was the altitude more then anything. I agree weight vs strenght is a big one, you want robust gear, but you don't want it to weigh a tonne. But you can see why its quite an interesting topic, there seem to be quite a few pain points for users, hence why I'm trying to understand more about it! 
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| swskier wrote: |
@EdwardB3, I would hugely recommend going on the BASI L3 Mountain safety module, I did mine last year (with IASI) and it was an amazing week.
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I found it very underwhelming, having been doing SCGB training (refreshers every 3 years) for over a decade at that point, the BASI course was lamentably poor, IMV. Fun enough, I suppose, but it barely scratched the surface of transceiver searching, for example.
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| swskier wrote: |
@EdwardB3, I would hugely recommend going on the BASI L3 Mountain safety module, I did mine last year (with IASI) and it was an amazing week.
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I found it very underwhelming, having been doing SCGB training (refreshers every 3 years) for over a decade at that point, the BASI course was lamentably poor, IMV. Fun enough, I suppose, but it barely scratched the surface of transceiver searching, for example. |
I can't comment on the BASI course as I did the IASI which is run by a guide from Chamonix Experience. It was essentially the intro to ski touring course they run. We were in the transceiver park 2 or 3 times during the week, starting with single burial before moving on to a double burial. And we probably spent around 50% of the time in the classroom on avalanche theory as well as digging snow pits etc.
It's an intro to it I guess, for you to then go away and work on it ahead of the 2nd stage at L4, but for someone like me with little to no experience of off piste it was really interesting.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@EdwardB3, it would be similar issue if I was touring with others. Just at least then there is a chance of rescue. You aren't going to create something that can scan the terrain and give avalanche risk. It's simply not that simple. At the most simplistic level you can just use slope angle to find slopes not steep enough to slide. With the caveat there needs to be no overhead danger. But you are immediately ruling out a lot of terrain (likely some of the more interesting stuff too) which may be safer.
I've not met anyone with great fitness that struggled with basic touring days. Granted it all your training is non weight bearing (swimming and cycling) you might find the transition a little harder. Even then I'd suggest if you struggled it was probably more altitude than fitness. Of course as you get a bit more familiar with equipment you will likely get more efficient too.
I probably have one of the lest efficient set ups (old heavy splitboard with soft boots - although very stiff for soft boots). Was much faster than anyone I toured with last year due to good fitness and acclimatisation. One of my slower friends has a fancy super light set up, but does zero exercise. If course you can argue id be even faster and he'd be even slower. But most tourers goals are simply not that high. In fact that would have probably been an interesting question to add into your survey - what is your average uphill vert per day? For the average person maybe only doing 500-700m per day even the worst equipment is probably not holding them back. Whereas the person doing 2000m+ days and multiday tours/traverses may find equipment is more of an issue.
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FAQ
