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Jim Grossman

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Posts
4
Location
Sun Valley
Anybody here suffering from a severe case of CWS - Carving Withdrawal Syndrome..?

Especially a case that Backcountry AT equipment just can't address...

After too many days of social isolation, looking up at our beautiful mountain with good snow conditions and several forays on really good, but still inadequate AT great, desperation became the mother of invention - I figured out a simple, easy, readily available way to skin up mountain in alpine/race equipment.

My method only involves using four booster straps and two backcountry elastic straps (and of course and full alpine gear and climbing skins; any width and length will work), but I'm sure this could be done creatively with other type of elastic straps/cords. Basically it's just very similar to creating old 'Bear Trap' ski binding utilizing your toe piece as pivot point and your heel piece as lifter. Connect two boosters together, loop around front of toe of binding and lock down to ski just behind toe friction plate with elastic AT strap. Lock brakes up in retracted position. Put toe of boot in binding, then position booster strap around heel of boot just above lug. Tighten to desired tension and you're good to go to skin up mountain and SHRED. Make sure to keep upper buckles undone and power straps lose to make uphill stride easier.

Attached pictures and video should be self explanatory, but if you have any questions please let me know. And please share any ideas and beneficially modifications you develop. And especially please share pix and vids of you out there 'getting your carve on' and successfully combatting CWS.

Be safe, be well, and be isolated...!

Video showing setup:

And video showing it in use:

 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
27,297
Location
Reno
Moving over to Hard Goods (could have been backcountry) from Racing. Hoping to get your more views.
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,602
Location
PNW aka SEA
Jesus lord... not that much. Boot packing might be easier.
 

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