UpSki - Wind Mountaineering

UpSki... Wind Mountaineering

UpSki / PO Box 1269 / Frisco, CO 80443 / 970.485.0245 ripping@upski.com

Bud Robinson after his first high speed alpine ascent. Some photos from a wicked 1,200' vertical ascent in less than 3 minutes.

Cruising at 12,700 feet. Fun Going UP!, photo by Greg Dietl

UpSki News

John and Phil are working on a lightweight version of the UpSki. At 14 pounds, the standard UpSki is pretty light but the 600 square foot canopy, harness and control center do fill a small pack. A typical day of roaming around Loveland Pass with the UpSki requires very little extra backcountry gear since in most all cases the ski out is brief and to a highway. Moving miles beyond the highway creates the need for more gear. Last spring Bud Robinson took Phil on a combination UpSki and Back Country tour between Hoosier Pass and Mt. Silverheels. Miles away from the road, with intermittent skinning to transition the "valley of no wind", it became evident that bulk could be trimmed down and any weight that you don't have to skin up a mountain with is a good thing. Bud spends much of his winter climbing up mountains to ski down them and doesn't mind carrying the UpSki into those remote bowls and high alpine slopes where he can multiply the fun by a dozen ski runs or more.

This fall, 2005, John and Phil began collecting materials to create a lightweight version of the UpSki with a plan to let Bud test it this coming spring.

Kite Boarding is now finding its way into the moutains, here is how the two traction kite designs compare.

If flying a kite is good therapy for the soul then being the kite is extraordinary! Some UpSki trip reports from this past spring are making it to the website. Check out the dated links on the left to see mini-slide shows and trip reports. Bud's Rapid ascent is ready. New Guy on the Ridge and Working a Cross-Wind are being prepared.

A tribute to Morten Svatun and links to Norway's UpSki and Skiseil websites are located here.

After twenty years of UpSki adventures, dozens of equipment changes and a patent, is it time to alter the basic design? Perhaps not, here is what the new owner of SkiSeil, the company Morten Svatun founded, has to say about their use of the UpSki..

...Phil Huff & John Stanford

Rapid Ascent, April 16, 2004
Peak 9 UpSki, April 1, 2004
White Wave Slide Show
Extreme UpSkiing
Up Boarding?
Independence Pass with UpSki
UpSki -The Equipment & Founders
UpSki - Jon Harrington
UpSki - Links to Wind & Snow Sports
UpSki - What Makes it an UpSki?
Greg Dietl--Discovering UpSki
Jon takes a ride (Avalanche Safety)

UpSki Home / UpSki email / Extreme UpSki / Up Boarding
Sample Adventures with UpSki / The Equipment
Jon Harrington / Media Descriptions of UpSki
Greg Dietl / Links of Interest / A story about Avalanche Safety

UpSki... Wind Mountaineering UpSki / PO Box 1269 / Frisco, CO 80443 / 970.485.0245 ripping@upski.com
	Bud Robinson after his first high speed alpine ascent. Some photos from a wicked 1,200' vertical ascent in less than 3 minutes.
		Cruising at 12,700 feet. Fun Going UP!, photo by Greg Dietl

		UpSki News John and Phil are working on a lightweight version of the UpSki. At 14 pounds, the standard UpSki is pretty light but the 600 square foot canopy, harness and control center do fill a small pack. A typical day of roaming around Loveland Pass with the UpSki requires very little extra backcountry gear since in most all cases the ski out is brief and to a highway. Moving miles beyond the highway creates the need for more gear. Last spring Bud Robinson took Phil on a combination UpSki and Back Country tour between Hoosier Pass and Mt. Silverheels. Miles away from the road, with intermittent skinning to transition the "valley of no wind", it became evident that bulk could be trimmed down and any weight that you don't have to skin up a mountain with is a good thing. Bud spends much of his winter climbing up mountains to ski down them and doesn't mind carrying the UpSki into those remote bowls and high alpine slopes where he can multiply the fun by a dozen ski runs or more. This fall, 2005, John and Phil began collecting materials to create a lightweight version of the UpSki with a plan to let Bud test it this coming spring. Kite Boarding is now finding its way into the moutains, here is how the two traction kite designs compare. If flying a kite is good therapy for the soul then being the kite is extraordinary! Some UpSki trip reports from this past spring are making it to the website. Check out the dated links on the left to see mini-slide shows and trip reports. Bud's Rapid ascent is ready. New Guy on the Ridge and Working a Cross-Wind are being prepared. A tribute to Morten Svatun and links to Norway's UpSki and Skiseil websites are located here. After twenty years of UpSki adventures, dozens of equipment changes and a patent, is it time to alter the basic design? Perhaps not, here is what the new owner of SkiSeil, the company Morten Svatun founded, has to say about their use of the UpSki.. ...Phil Huff & John Stanford
	Rapid Ascent, April 16, 2004 Peak 9 UpSki, April 1, 2004 White Wave Slide Show Extreme UpSkiing Up Boarding? Independence Pass with UpSki UpSki -The Equipment & Founders UpSki - Jon Harrington UpSki - Links to Wind & Snow Sports UpSki - What Makes it an UpSki? Greg Dietl--Discovering UpSki Jon takes a ride (Avalanche Safety)



	UpSki Home / UpSki email / Extreme UpSki / Up Boarding Sample Adventures with UpSki / The Equipment Jon Harrington / Media Descriptions of UpSki Greg Dietl / Links of Interest / A story about Avalanche Safety