MSR [Mountain Safety Research] Lightning Ascent Snowshoe
Initial Report
Report Date: December 18, 2004
Reviewer Information
- Name: Edward Ripley-Duggan
- Age: 51
- Gender: Male
- Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
- Weight: 215 pounds (98 kg)
- erd@wilsey.net
- Catskills, New York State
Reviewer Background
I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. Though by no means an extreme ultra-light enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a pack weight of 12 lb (5.5 kg) before food and water, more or less. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of "lighter is better," within the constraints of budget and common sense.
Product information in brief
- Manufacturer: MSR [Mountain Safety Research], a subsidiary of Cascade Designs, Inc.
- URL: http://www.msrcorp.com
- Product: Lightning Ascent Snowshoe (25 in, 64 cm version, as stated on packaging)
- Year of manufacture: 2004
- MSRP: US $249.95
- Manufacturer's stated weight for pair: 3 lbs 10 oz (1655 g), for this size shoe
- Measured weight for pair (analog scale): 3 lbs 9 oz (1616 g)
- Manufacturer's stated width: 8 in (20 cm)
- Measured snowshoe width: 8 in (20 cm) at widest point
- Manufacturer's stated length: 25 in, (64 cm)
- Measured snowshoe length (tip to tail): 25.25 in (64 cm)
- Recommended load: 150 to 225 lbs (approximately 70-100 kilos)
- Snowshoe frame material: high-quality aluminum "Total-traction" frame (MSR's terminology), with water-jet cut "teeth"; frame anodized bright orange
- Snowshoe decking material: black urethane (a proprietary formulation)
- Decking attachment on each shoe: 22 small steel plates slotted through the frame, riveted to urethane decking
- Bindings: Step-on molded clear urethane (with raised anti-slip points) with gray urethane straps and steel speed-hook buckles
- Heel plate: protruding serrated steel plate
- Straps: toe, mid-foot and heel
- Hinges: "True-Hinge"; two steel pins secured with rings, joining frame cross-member to steel crampon (to which the bindings are attached)
- Crampons: two steel front-points attached to binding, two carbon-steel cross-members with crampon points (these also structurally stabilize the shoe). To these, the sides of the frame of the snowshoe itself should be added, as it has a series of sawtooth crampons.
- Heel Bail: "Televator," U-shaped wire bail that fits under heel, raising foot approximately 3 in (8 cm)
Delivery and contents
These snowshoes were delivered well packaged and in perfect condition, shipped directly from Cascade Designs. The (rather impressive) retail packaging includes two strong rubber bands that hold the pair of shoes together (with the warranty card attached to one), protective guards over the exposed cross-members/crampons, and (most importantly) the product instructions, printed on the reverse of a longitudinal cardboard wrap-around.
Warranty
"MSR is committed to the quality products we make, and we stand behind them with a lifetime warranty honored worldwide. For warranty information, visit www.msrgear.com and click on "Support"—from the instructions on the insert. This information naturally leads to the…
Website
MSR's website is easily navigated. The basic information on the Lightning Ascents is well presented, and includes the fact that two snowshoe sizes are available and that there is a specific women's model "specially tuned to a woman's stride." Retail prices and some information on materials are incorporated. The support section of the website is easily accessed from anywhere on the MSR site.
Introduction
I have been an avid snowshoer for many years. I started by using them on cross-country ski trips when the snow conditions (for whatever reason) were not conducive to skiing. I hike and camp all winter long, and for these activities snowshoes and crampons are often absolutely requisite gear. Having said this, I must state that I have never seen anything quite analogous to the MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes (nor can I find anything similar in several books on snowshoe design and use going back to the early 1970s, when metal-framed shoes were first coming onto the market). The serrated aluminum frame design is (to the best of my knowledge) a genuine innovation—something like a gigantic rigid crampon.
Snowshoes come in several flavors. There are the recreational snowshoes, intended for shorter jaunts of several miles on flat to moderate terrain. Then there is what might be termed "fitness" snowshoes, which are light, high-performance shoes for running or racing. Finally there are mountaineering snowshoes, which are favored by those in hilly or mountainous country, especially where snow conditions may be varied and difficult (read "icy and treacherous"). This last is the category to which the Lightning Ascent most certainly belongs.
Intended for hikers on rugged terrain as much as mountaineers, such snowshoes have certain design characteristics that other types lack. A free rotation hinge is preferred, in which there is no spring controlling the motion of the shoe (though a hinge of adjustable tension may be found on some mountaineering shoes, which provides superior adaptability to terrain). Hinges of these types are not quite as comfortable and convenient on approaches as a fully sprung hinge, but are advantageous on steep hillsides. Traction—in the form of crampons—must almost by definition be extensive and multi-directional. Frames must of necessity be sturdy, and since speed is not a primary object asymmetric frame designs (often found in racing and some recreational shoes) are unnecessary. Finally, the bindings must be rigid and secure.
Now I've outlined what a mountaineering snowshoe should be, it's time to move on to…
Features and design—initial impressions
MSR's packaging describes the Lightning Ascent as "superlight" and "the lightest snowshoe in its category." Both claims seem reasonable. There are few other snowshoes on the market in this size that are this weight or lighter, only one comes to mind that is intended for mountaineering use, and that has no integral crampon. There is one other shoe I know of that is as light, but that lacks the necessary armament of crampons for truly difficult snow conditions; it is not intended as a full-scale mountaineering shoe. If MSR's claim that the Lightning Ascent can take steep climbs in its stride proves accurate, the claim of "lightest in class" will be well justified. Testing will reveal how well it performs under such circumstances.
It's instructive to review the instructions for the Lightning Ascent shoe. Somewhat unusually, the shoes may be worn interchangeably on either foot (this is not the problem that it would be with many snowshoes, as the frame is exactly symmetrical). However, MSR sensibly suggests that the preferred orientation is with the heel strap tension buckle to the inside of the foot, which facilitates tightening it if needed.
To put a shoe on, all binding straps should be opened and the foot then centered in the binding, with the toe extending about one inch beyond the front of the crampon. The base of each binding has the position for the ball of the foot clearly and unequivocally marked ("Ball of Foot Here"). The instep strap is tightened and latched first, then the front and finally the heel strap. Though this is not mentioned, I would urge checking the tightness of all straps after the first five minutes of walking. In any case, putting the shoe on is extremely easy, and the binding is designed to accommodate a wide range of boot widths (straps may be lengthened or shortened as required at a second buckle on the inside of the foot). There is a small clip (customary on shoes with springy urethane straps) to hold the excess length in position. In addition to the straps themselves, two lateral supports cup the foot. MSR claims that the straps remain easy to use in all conditions, a point I am eager to examine, having fought with many iced bindings over the years.
The base-plate of the binding has an extensive steel understructure to which it is riveted—this, the flanges for the hinge and the twin toe crampon points (which are quite aggressive) are formed from one rather convoluted piece of steel. Thus the base of the binding is held quite stiff. About twenty or so small pointed extrusions extend above the surface of the base-plate. These engage with the sole of the boot (I will be interested to see if these are sufficiently sharp that they cause abrasion, but I rather doubt this).
When the foot is placed down and weighted for a step (this is the point at which the foot is most likely to slew in the binding) a serrated metal strip catches the front portion of the boot heel, which in theory (I say this because I have yet to put it to the test) should prevent lateral movement. This strip is positioned so it should engage with a boot of just about any size. It appears my size 13 boots catch this strip just fine, but so do considerably smaller boots I have tried.
What of the hinge itself? The pivot bolts are sturdy and appear to be field repairable with similar hardware (a regular nut and bolt of the right diameter would work at a pinch in an emergency). As previously noted, there is no spring. When the shoe is unweighted and the binding held horizontal for a step, the frame of the shoe drops to about a 65-degree angle to the binding. MSR feels that the combination of binding, hinge and crampon "enhances foot stability and minimizes heel drift"—(website).
I find this a pleasing design feature—I have at least one pair of snowshoes in which the frame can drop to a 90-degree angle relative to the foot. This is potentially awkward, especially if one is trying to walk backwards in tight quarters away from an obstacle, a not atypical bushwhacking scenario. The limit to the angle between binding and the frame found in the MSR shoe should make it pretty maneuverable, although this is naturally a point which I will be examining closely in the field.
On to the frame! A pleasing but not glaring metallic orange, this is constructed from what appears to be 0.1 in (2.5 mm) aluminum. I have read in one description this is of "aircraft grade." If this is indeed the case, this is likely to be an AlZnMgCu (Aluminum-Zinc-Magnesium-Copper) high strength alloy, and extremely resistant to problems such as stress fractures and corrosion. MSR refer to the Lightning Ascent frame as "Total-traction," and indeed, this seems not to be a serious overstatement. Both sides of the frame have a complex sawtooth configuration, and both ends of the frame have "grippy" indentations.
If this were a traditional snowshoe (which it most certainly is not) the shape would be closest to that of a modified Green Mountain Bearpaw. There's good reason for this choice. Osgood & Hurley, in The Snowshoe Book, 1971 say of this design that it is "probably best for hilly or mountainous country where its narrow shape makes it less inclined to tilt downslope." The front of the shoe is canted at about 25 degrees. This is a "tail-less" design, so it may not glide through powder especially well on descents, though this remains to be established (as a general rule, I prefer a tailed shoe for glissading). Then again, with such an aggressive grip, I may take fewer involuntary glissades a.k.a nosedives!
The frame (and the grip) is strengthened by two horizontal steel cross-members, both of which are cut as crampons. They are positioned under the ball of the foot and under the heel (the previously mentioned retaining strip for the boot heel is an extension of this latter, emerging up through a slit in the decking). The frame is fastened together at the rear with two rivets.
The decking itself is held taut and in position by over twenty small T-shaped steel retaining plates that are inserted through slits in the frame. A rivet that also passes through the decking pierces each of these. One area of weakness in many otherwise excellent shoes is that eventually the constant flexing of the decking causes progressive tearing where the rivets pass through, and this eventually causes the deck to slacken and tear away. It will be interesting to see if the method of attachment MSR has chosen helps prevent this form of wear and tear. I noted when comparing this 25" (64 cm) shoe to a 30" (76 cm) tailed example that the difference in decking area was really quite modest, so I look forward to testing flotation on the Lightning Ascents in powdery snow as well as icy crud (though I question if these are shoes appropriate for deep, fresh powder, I'm game to try them). I am hopeful that these will prove good all-round performers.
The deck of each snowshoe has the MSR logo at the front, riveted in place, and at the rear the name "Lightning Ascent" and the eminently sensible injunction "Respect Dangerous Terrain." On this subject, it is worth quoting the instructions again. "MSR snowshoes are not a substitute for conventional mountaineering crampons." However, it does seem that these shoes may be able to climb on many places where more conventional snowshoes would be a distinct liability.
One final feature worthy of mention is the Televator heel elevator. This is designed for steeper climbs, and is not considered safe for use on descents, flats or on slopes less than 20 degrees (nor indeed would it be needed). It is designed to provide relief on long steep ascents—the foot does not have to move through such a long arc, which can cause muscle and tendon fatigue.
Future Testing Strategy
Testing will take place between now and (most likely) the middle of April, when the snows have retreated from the Catskills and are starting to depart the Adirondacks. Over that period I will be hiking at least once a week, backpacking periodically and I'll be cross-country skiing (as snow conditions permit) on a more or less daily basis (I have excellent terrain extending many miles from my back door). I intend to carry the MSR Lightning Ascents on most of these trips. Below is a list of some of the aspects that I'll be examining in my testing.
1. Strength
A broken snowshoe can spell real trouble in the backcountry. How robust are the aluminum frames, bindings and hinges? Will the frames twist or distort (or worse still, break over time)? Are the plates attaching the decking to the frame sufficiently robust and will the decking tear at all where it is riveted? Is the decking strong enough that it does not tear or puncture when encountering sharp rock or brush projecting through the snow?
Will the crampons become dull with continuous contact with ice and the occasional rock? Can they be easily sharpened with a file?
2. Binding
How easy is the binding to attach or adjust when wearing heavy gloves? Does it tend to work loose as some bindings do, causing the snowshoe to suddenly detach from the foot? Does it hold the foot in the correct position for good tracking? Do the binding straps tend to ice up, making adjustment awkward? Does ice build up on the crampons, frame or binding base-plate? Is the binding capable of handling a variety of different boot sizes and constructions, e.g. mountaineering boots, insulated boots and standard hiking boots? Will it accommodate backcountry ski boots? Can a fatigued user easily remove the snowshoes after use?
3. Hinge
How well does the hinge perform in difficult bushwhacking, when it is sometimes necessary to back up away from an obstacle? Does the unweighted shoe tend to catch the snow?
4. Heel elevator
On steep, difficult terrain, a heel elevator can remove a great deal of strain and make the snowshoer's life much easier. However, if the boot is not stable on the elevator, all kinds of mayhem may result. How well do these elevators work? How easily are they deployed or retracted using gloved hands? Can they be positioned with a ski pole or hiking staff?
5. Performance.
How well do these snowshoes perform on sidehills where a side-kick is required for firm placement (a weak point for many snowshoes with flexible binding)? Does the configuration of the frame and cross rail make this awkward or easy? Can the shoes be front-pointed into loose powder on ascents? On steep, icy ascents, do the snowshoes grip well? Does the comparatively narrow frame give enough support on powder snow? On wet snow, do the crampons ball up with ice? Is this indeed a climber's snowshoe, as the name would indicate? Will it function for short stretches on sections on which crampons would otherwise be requisite? How well does it perform on approaches? In breaking trail?
I thank Cascade Designs and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this very interesting test.
