When traveling on glaciated terrain, loaded with heavy sleds, and with only two of us on the rope, avoiding a crevasse fall is critical. In order to increase floatation in deep snow and to better span the crevasses, Lonnie & I made custom "anti-crevasse" skis. At 85.5” (220cm) long and 5” wide - they will be perfect for Eva & me on the Upper Donjek glacier.
The skis are made from yellow birch from our property in Northern Minnesota. We used a traditional steam bending technique to create the tip and tail curvature.
They are mounted with Voile Switchback X2 telemark bindings which fit mountaineering boots perfectly! A key finishing tip is to screw the skins to the base – to ensure they never ice up and fall off.
Check out a short video on the making of the skis...
Photos: www.evazolaphoto.com