 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Already another thread on this. I've heard both your criticisms applied to e-bikes, and they don't seem to have problems. I can definitely see how people who are unfit would appreciate a little bit of additional help when ski touring
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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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Freedom is all very well when you're young and fit. When you're neither, some assistance is welcome. Ski lifts were a great invention but people thought they wouldn't catch on either.....
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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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Tech looks cool (well, if they were on a splitboard).....
My worry would be more around making mountain terrain easy to access.
It's different to lifts as they take you to a specific point where the resort have made the area and run down safe.
At the minute, to go touring or splitboarding, you've got to have a bit about you. The kinds of people who generally do it tend to be experienced in the mountains. They tend to know about things like avalanches etc (yes, I know lots could be better).
I guess my worry would be that it's not the same as using an e-bike to climb a summit you'd never be able to unless you were a Tour De France rider.....it's tech that enables people without the fitness or skills to be in pretty dangerous areas without much hassle.....and if they get it wrong there'll be a whole load of people who have to go out and risk their lives trying to save / recover them.
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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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@paulhinch,
Plenty of resorts have lifts that take people to places where potentially dangerous off-piste/backcountry is accessed by people - some of which don't have suitable equipment/skills/knowledge. The idea you have to have fitness to get somewhere dangerous is completely wrong.
Besides fitness =/= knowledge/ability. It's easy enough for anyone to rent a splitboard/touring skis - plenty of fit people do with 0 experience. Plenty of fit regular tourers have pitiful knowledge, some don't even take equipment! I'm sure plenty of older tourers with masses of experience would be potentially interested.
From the video it looks like they are assistive rather than propulsive - i.e. you have to actually walk and they just add some extra distance. It's not like some snowmobile-esque tread you can just stand on and rack up the miles. It will be interesting to see how much they help in reality, but I suspect it's not that much that users are suddenly accessing more remote areas commonly used by normal ski tourers. I guess similar to ebikes in that way!
I think increasing access and participation probably makes things safer in the long term - more infrastructure (i.e. resorts adding in safe uphill routes), more training courses offered, equipment becomes cheaper etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@boarder2020, Yeah. I get what you're saying. Even in not very remote bits of resorts, it's easy to do a short hike into pretty sketchy terrain.
My concerns with this sort of tech are that if you do get into trouble, it's someone else risking themselves to fish you out.
Making it easier to get into trouble is more likely to have a knock on with things like rules and permits etc that then impact the responsible people (e.g. closed areas that can only be accessed with a paid for permit etc etc etc).
Agree that you see a lot of people off to the side of a lift who clearly aren't back country prepared but they're wandering into sketchy territory.
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My concerns with this sort of tech are that if you do get into trouble, it's someone else risking themselves to fish you out.
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I don't really see how that is specific to these though? If we want to ensure no rescuers are put in danger we would have to ban all off-piste skiing, mountaineering, etc. There are plenty of popular multiday traverses and backcountry huts way more remote than anywhere this current e-ski will get you.
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Making it easier to get into trouble is more likely to have a knock on with things like rules and permits etc that then impact the responsible people
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Firstly, are you really suggesting that it's easier for people to get into trouble using eskis than it is taking Aiguille du Midi for example? Far easier and less effort to access dangerous terrain directly from lifts!
Regarding knock on effects I think you are massively reaching here. I don't know of anywhere that has closed areas because of avalanche deaths. I'm not even sure legally or practically how you could close access to the backcountry.
Even if permits were made a requirement, I'm not sure it's a bad thing. It is probably a great way to filter out some of those people that don't have a clue. Fwiw I have toured at Rogers pass where a permit was required, although more so you didn't get in the way of avy control.
From a selfish point of view I hope they don't catch on - I like the backcountry being more empty. But I don't think they are really increasing danger. I suspect the target market is probably older (possibly more experienced) tourers that just want to make the standard routes a bit easier.
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If it helps older / less mobile tourers to do more then I'm all for it.
So long as it doesn't become a "thing" in the same way e bikes have transitioned from being a decent way to assist people up a hill to a pain in the neck for everyone on the roads (i know the current generation are actually electric motorbikes a lot of the time).
I'm scarred by cycling round Manchester and avoiding Uber Eats riders.
Deliveroo, coming to the back country near you soon... 
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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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It could make it easier to pack a lot more beer in on multi day tours. That’s a good thing.
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| paulhinch wrote: |
If it helps older / less mobile tourers to do more then I'm all for it.
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For me the limitation in touring is busted knees stopping me doing kick turns (already had crappy hip mobility, so not great before busted knees) - I would suspect that the addition weight might make that worse unless they are grippy/powerful enough that I can go straight up! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@hang11, I think it says batteries only last 3 hours. And we can probably assume that's best case and reality is lower. So maybe not much use for multi day tours.
Also you would need to find a fair bit of space in the bag for them to fit in once transitioned into ski mode. Perhaps a good excuse to drink lots of beer at the top 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I’ll stick to scotch - more bang for pack weight 
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