Now that couloir season is here, has anyone used BGT Ascent Plates for booting up couloirs? They look pretty cool, I can think of a handful of times I wish I had these. Although they're probably only for very specific conditions. Soft enough snow to need a bit of flotation, but not soft enough that you're getting wet slides.
Kinda like ski crampons; when you need them you need them, but mostly they stay in your pack.
BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
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BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
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Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
Yep! My good buddy in Pemberton makes these. Your assessment is spot on- if they're in your pack, they'll probably stay there and if you leave them in the truck, you'll wish you had them Just like ski crampons.
They're more useful in coastal snowpacks where you can climb steep but safe powder snow. But those conditions are sometimes found in CO, too, especially in the spring. The nice thing is that they fit pretty flat up against your shovel blade, so they don't take up much room. Worth having for sure!
They're more useful in coastal snowpacks where you can climb steep but safe powder snow. But those conditions are sometimes found in CO, too, especially in the spring. The nice thing is that they fit pretty flat up against your shovel blade, so they don't take up much room. Worth having for sure!
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Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
Interesting, I’ve never seen these before. gb, how on earth do you side-step with those on?
"When I go out, I become more alive. I just love skiing. The gravitational pull. When you ski steep terrain... you can almost get a feeling of flying." -Doug Coombs
Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
Alex Gavic and a lot of the western slope guys have been putting these to use. Seem very efficient, does anyone know the price and weight? I could see this taking off in popularity with how big freeriding is getting.
Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
I've seen a few big mountain ski/snowboard films shot in AK of guys booting couloirs with these.
Traveling light is the only way to fly.
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Strava: Brent Herring
IG: @colorado_invasive
Strava: Brent Herring
Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
I've got a pair of those and they helped quite a bit on the booting up for all-time conditions like this on El Diente (2019):
(It also helps to have a young partner like Gueza)
With the right conditions, you don't really notice that you have them on, other than the bonus floatation you get.
El Diente story and video at the end of this TR:https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=19400
(It also helps to have a young partner like Gueza)
With the right conditions, you don't really notice that you have them on, other than the bonus floatation you get.
El Diente story and video at the end of this TR:https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=19400
Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
I realized last night that this post was kind of interesting timing- yesterday marked 12 years since my good friend Jack Hannan passed away in an avalanche near Pemberton. He won a pair of verts in a Big Mountain comp and played around with them a bit but thought they were sketchy when the occasional hard snow or ice was encountered. So he started playing around with plywood and other materials to make early prototypes of what are now the BGT plates. Combined with the crampon front points, they did better with hard snow/ice. When he passed away, his best buddy Jon took up the torch and refined the idea and created BillyGoat Technologies. Clearly the universe is telling the OP to buy a pair based on timing alone
Bill, with these you just go straight up steep snow- no sidestepping.
And yeah, those are sick conditions on El Diente and exactly how they can work to your advantage
Bill, with these you just go straight up steep snow- no sidestepping.
And yeah, those are sick conditions on El Diente and exactly how they can work to your advantage
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Re: BGT Ascent Plates / Verts
Never seen nor heard of those things.
I can see them having a niche. Is the plate plastic or metal?
I can see them having a niche. Is the plate plastic or metal?
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