Sharon and I have started trying a new way to climb up together on skis with skins -- by connecting ourselves together with a bungee cord.
Anybody else tried something like that?
We've been skiing in the backcountry together for lots of years, and I'm much faster than Sharon, and that's not likely to change (though she puts a lots of serious work into training). In our bicycle touring we found a technological solution to this by purchasing a tandem bicycle -- and we've been happy with that for years now. Then we were skiing a couple of years ago with Sam D, and said he sometimes went cross-country skiing with his daugher by connecting to her with a bungee cord.
So we purchased 15 meters (50 feet) of 8mm stretchy "shock" cord or bungee cord. Each of us put on a climbing harness, and we clipped one end of cord to each of our harnesses with a Figure-8 knot and a carabiner -- and started climbing on skins on an April morning ski tour. It worked OK, so we tried it for two more days of spring touring above tree-line.
It was a definite plus for both of us: * we stayed together on skis much longer. * the variable stretching of the cord gave us some freedom to move differently sometimes. * we got further up the mountain together. * it was an interesting technical climbing challenge for me. * it was an interesting communication challenge for both of us.
Surprise: We took very different lines up the hill. I took wider gentler zig-zags, because I simply could not hold the grip of my skins if I climbed as steeply as normal -- not enough friction to handle the extra pull down the hill. Sharon took a much steeper line than ever before -- tended to follow the line of the bungee, instead of my climbing track. For the firm snow of a spring tour in the morning, this was not the problem, since trail-breaking was insignificant.
Situations where I'd guess the bungee might not work so well: * soft, deep snow on a slope greater than 25-degrees, where both us following the same zig-zag trail-breaking path would be important * going thru many obstacles like trees, rocks, frozen debris -- there was one time when the cord got stuck on a protruding rock -- when I was glad I had clipped a carabiner instead tying the cord into my harness. * steeper slopes like 35-degrees, where the leader holding balance against changing side-pull forces could get tricky.
Situations where I'd guess the bungee might not work so well:> * soft, deep snow on a slope greater than 25-degrees, where both us> following the same zig-zag trail-breaking path would be important> * going thru many obstacles like trees, rocks, frozen debris -- there was> one time when the cord got stuck on a protruding rock -- when I was glad I> had clipped a carabiner instead tying the cord into my harness.> * steeper slopes like 35-degrees, where the leader holding balance against> changing side-pull forces could get tricky.
You will be too close together for safe avi terrain travel. And "steeper slopes like 35-degrees" are certainly avi terrain so presumably you are not avoiding avi terrain.
In message <zODde.690159$w62.178057@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net> "Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_no7s@yahoo7.com> wrote:
Sharon and I have started trying a new way to climb up together on> skis with skins -- by connecting ourselves together with a bungee> cord.>
Anybody else tried something like that?
No
We've been skiing in the backcountry together for lots of years, and> I'm much faster than Sharon, and that's not likely to change (though> she puts a lots of serious work into training). In our bicycle touring> we found a technological solution to this by purchasing a tandem> bicycle -- and we've been happy with that for years now.
[snip]>
It was a definite plus for both of us:> * we stayed together on skis much longer.
The question I ask, is why does it matter that you climb at different rates and thus don't stay a fixed distance apart?
In my experience of ski-touring you rarely find that all members of a party climb at exactly the same rate. What tends to happen is that the group order tends to sort itself out according to individual pace. You often find that over a long day or a long climb that the order starts to vary. Some people manage to maintain their steadier pace for longer, whilst others have a tendancy to slow down as the day goes on.
In addition it pays to vary the spacing according to objective dangers such as avalanche conditions.
What is obvious is that if one member of a party is much faster, or much slower than the average, you have to stop every now and then in a safe location to allow the party to regroup.
Mike <http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/~mrc7/> -- o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark <\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, "> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and ` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"
There's a sort of justice when that happens. But that's not how it works> with Sharon and me. I'm 50% faster for the first ten minutes, 50% faster for> the first hour, 50% faster for six hours.>
No justice. Instead we've decided to try teamwork.
I'm usually quicker than Roos on skis, not because I'm fitter overall but just because I've been doing it for longer. I work not to let myself get too far ahead if I'm out in front because I know she finds it disheartening, I don't get too close if I'm behind because I know she feels pushed. I just set position and speed to keep us both as happy as possible, except when she sees I'm too tired and she takes over.
If you're normally 50% faster, go 33% slower and enjoy the scenery a bit more!
Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
