Big Descent
From GearJunkie: Ski Descent Of Fourth Tallest Mountain On Earth
A three-man Italian team will attempt the first complete ski descent of a coveted line high in the Himalayas this fall. Skiers Edmond Joyeusaz and Federico Colli plan to climb and ski down Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world at 27,940 feet, with videographer Carlo Limonta in the Lhotse Ski Challenge Expedition. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (09.28.2013): Big Descent, Race Nerves, Go to Google, Newbie Boards
While probably not much of a problem this season, in years with deep snow or when regions get lots of natural snow, some skiers might find themselves trying to find lost skis. This no doubt cuts down on the fun. It seems like a small problem, but enough that Ski Retriever has come to the rescue with a homing system.
While there has been an increased focus on the protection that helmets can provide to the wearer, engineers at the Frauenhofer Institute are also considering how a helmet can also help provide some power for personal electronics. The team has developed a flexible solar panel that is durable enough to be mounted on helmets, and can optimize Bluetooth in the process.
Backpacking and backcountry snow sports can be an excellent way to stay active and enjoy nature. Whether it is a day trip or multi-day adventure, some gear will be required. Food, water, a tent and a stove are just a few of the items that might be needed. Start piling up the gear and it is not inconceivable that your backpack could weigh over 50-pounds. It doesn’t sound like much, but after hours on the trail, that 50-pounds might as well be 1,000-pounds. Lightening the load can be done by reducing the amount of gear and supplies, or reducing the weight could be achieved by starting off with lighter weight gear. There are certainly a number of companies producing lightweight backpacking gear; just most of them have left the U.S. to manufacture their product line overseas. Kifaru International of Wheat Ridge, Colorado produces an assortment of lightweight backpacking gear and unlike their competition, they are still manufacturing their product line on U.S. soil. 
Over the years the concept of “folding” has been applied to numerous outdoor activity products – notably folding bicycles. So why not folding skis? This is the idea behind MTN Approach, which has developed the first (that we know of anyway) folding skis.
That annoying expression “talk to the hand” might get new life thanks to Swany’s g.cell ski gloves, which feature built-in Bluetooth technology that transforms the hand warming ski gloves into a mobile phone speaker and microphone. Basically this allows a phone to stay in one’s pocket, while the gloves can be used to make calls, including voice activated commands. The speaker and microphone are embedded in the thumb of the right glove, which also features the controls.
A typical day of resort skiing along the Front Range in Colorado usually starts off with an early morning start, two hour drive, parking anywhere from a few feet from the base of the mountain to over a mile away and sometimes dressing in the car. The rush of getting to the slope sometimes means that your gear is strewed all over the car, which inevitably means that something will be left behind. At the 2012 SIA show in Denver, the Massachusetts company, Kulkea, is debuting a new backpack to help transport your all of your Alpine gear from the car to the slope in one backpack. The new Ski Trekker is designed to not only hold your boots, helmet and gloves, but also your skis.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is tough country. The winters are long, cold and over 200-inches of snow can fall in a year. Not only are the winters long, but the days are short at a mere eight hours. The area was heavily settled by immigrants from Nordic countries so it is no surprise that residents of the Upper Peninsula (Yoopers) have a great affection for winter sports. The website 
Setting sail on December 15th, the maiden voyage of the new British Iglucruise ship was promising to bring skiing to the Caribbean while sailing the open seas. Not water skiing, but a snow-like downhill skiing experience on a slope “situated on the top deck and…made with the innovative Perma-Snow all weather ski carpet and serviced by a button lift.” According to the itinerary, the cruise should now almost be complete. As many websites and blogs, including Yahoo, wrote of this new vacationing option for those wanting to cruise and ski , my curiosity was peaked and I too wanted to see photos and video of this new ship. 