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| Messages 1 - 7 of total 7 in this topic |
kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 25, 2016 - 10:29pm PT
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Thought I'd post about some new "alpine snowshoes", called Billy Goat Ascent Plates, that I finally had a chance to try out last weekend, now that we have a decent amount of snow in the California Sierra. The plates fit between one's boot and crampon and provide flotation. They were designed by a couple guys in Pemberton, BC, Canada and have been available for 2-3 years.
The plates work amazingly well for climbing steep snow. They provide a fairly stable platform and traction in conditions where you would otherwise have a lot more difficulty. In some instances, what would have been a futile attempt/wallow is now a hike in the park with the plates. :-)
I'm using them to climb couloirs for backcountry skiing. They'd work well for ice climbing approaches, and alpinism wherever deeper snow is involved. They are light and compact, work w/all crampons. A bit of a revolution as far as easier snow travel.
http://billygoattech.com/
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MisterE
Gym climber
Small Town with a Big Back Yard
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Feb 25, 2016 - 10:44pm PT
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That doesn't look at all political!
Nice stuff!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Feb 25, 2016 - 10:48pm PT
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Promising
Early season post hole approach to Lee Vining ice?
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Escopeta
Trad climber
Idaho
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Feb 26, 2016 - 05:08am PT
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Curious.
Did you find the toe bale being difficult to engage after putting the plate between the boot and crampon? (or have to make adjustments)
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Feb 26, 2016 - 05:32am PT
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hey there say, kunlun_shan... wow, neat...
say, happy good winter snows, to you and all the family, near or far...
say, oh my... i THOUGHT i was going to see this:
(say, the boots, are there, too) :)
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVoCDUtBWzsUAZWQnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEzdHV2ZmlzBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZSVkJLXzEEc2VjA3Nj?p=Billy+Goat+Plates&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 26, 2016 - 07:52am PT
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Those things look pretty cool, but not much platform. If you really need some added flotation and stability, you might consider Verts as a cheaper alternative with a little more surface area. I guess it all depends on the wallow factor of the snow and slope you're up against.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 26, 2016 - 08:31am PT
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Did you find the toe bale being difficult to engage after putting the plate between the boot and crampon?
The plates easily fit between the boot and crampon and there are no problems putting on the toe bail.
edit - Escopeta, the rear bail needs to be a bit looser to make space for the plate.
Willoughby, the design is based on Verts after one of the developers, Jack Hannon, won some in a ski competition, but found them dicey when encountering ice and hard snow. The crampon points provide security, and the plates are lighter and more compact to carry than Verts, though the latter do give more flotation.
Good review here: https://vimeo.com/119817961
I totally identify when he says, "You have no idea how much time and energy these things have saved me in the mountains".
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| Messages 1 - 7 of total 7 in this topic |
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