Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > MSR Lightning Ascent 2004 > Steve Nelson > Initial Report

Initial Report: MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes
December 27, 2004

Reviewer's Information

Name: Steve Nelson
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Weight: 158 lb (72 kg)
Boot Size: US 11-12
Email address: nazdarovye at y..oo dot com
City, State, Country: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks.

In the past year I made the transition to lightweight and ultralight backpacking. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions.

Product information

Overview

MSR's Lightning Ascent Snowshoes are an intriguing new design combining a toothed aluminum frame and additional crampons and toothed crossbars with flexible synthetic decking and a mitten-friendly binding system. MSR calls the Lightning Ascent a "superlight, maximum traction snowshoe" and claims that it's the "lightest snowshoe in its class."

The Lightning Ascents come in men's and women's models; the men's models are available in 22 and 25 in lengths (56 and 64 cm). I selected the longer model to accommodate hiking with a full snow camping pack.

The MSR website provides an overview of the shoes, listing key features and specifications and also providing a link to sizing information (ironically not including the Lightning Ascent model) and a warranty.

The site lists key features as:

• Unrivaled Traction
  Total-Traction frame delivers unprecedented 360° grip.
• Superlight
  The lightest snowshoe in its class.
• Unmatched on Steep Terrain
  Televator™ heel lifter reduces calf fatigue, making climbing easier and more efficient.
• User-Friendly
  Step-on binding fits a variety of boots and is fast, secure, and easy to use.
• Stable Support
  True-Hinge™ steel crampon enhances foot stability and minimizes heel drift, resulting in more efficient gait mechanics and less expended energy.
• 100% Waterproof
  Materials won't soak up water and freeze; straps remain easy to use in all conditions.

The warranty was given online at the time of this report as follows:

Limited Lifetime Warranty

MSR Snowshoes are guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship without time limit. Return shipping charges to the consumer for repaired products are covered. Should a product be found defective under this warranty, we will repair it or replace it at our option.

This warranty applies only to the original purchaser. Proof of purchase is required. Products purchased from an independent dealer should be returned to the dealer for forwarding to MSR. Shipping cost to MSR is the responsibility of the purchaser.

Regarding my background for this test: I grew up snowshoeing in the Adirondacks and have since snowshoed extensively in the Sierra Nevada of California, with additional trips in Utah and Arizona. I've used everything from old-style wood and gut models to early plastic shoes to modern flexible decking models with sophisticated bindings. I've even had the chance to check out the "Polar Paws," an all-aluminum snowshoe that is the closest in concept to the Lightning Ascents of any snowshoe I've seen (though it is made entirely of aluminum, rather than using flexible decking material like the Lightning Ascents).

Of particular relevance to this test, I currently own and have enjoyed using the MSR Evo Denali Ascent snowshoes—a model which shares features with the Lightning Ascents (such as the Televator bar, the binding straps and the aggressive traction features) but which is made out of plastic, rather than aluminum, and has an optional extension tail. I've found these snowshoes to be excellent in mountainous terrain and in challenging, mixed conditions, and look forward to seeing how the Lightning Ascents stack up in simiilar conditions.

Initial Impressions

The Lightning Ascent snowshoes arrived secured with elastic bands and wrapped with a combination features and instructions card. The outside of the card, which runs the length of the snowshoes, lists basic features and specifications, while the inside of the card provides usage instructions in four languages. The instructions are straightforward, describing how to use the bindings and Televator bar, plus giving a warning on the dangers of mountaineering and providing the URL for warranty details (summarized above).

The snowshoes look sophisticated, high in quality and well-designed. They comprise a serrated aluminum frame painted international orange; a flexible black decking material; and a binding system constructed of what appears to be stainless steel clips, aluminum crampons, and rubber straps. In addition, the shoes have a flip-up "Televator" heel support bar and small serrated teeth where boot heels would normally rest. (The Televator bar is meant to ease calf strain on long ascents—I've really enjoyed using them on earlier snowshoes.)

While the snowshoes are indeed light, I am aware of (and own) at least one other currently-available snowshoe model that weighs less, but that model provides significantly less traction. Thus, the claim that the Lightning Ascents are the "lightest in class" is probably a reasonable statement, as they are suited for mountaineering, not just striding through deep powder in moderate terrain.

The decking is attached to the aluminum frame with T-shaped metal tabs, whose narrow ends slide through slots in the frame and are then riveted to the decking. The decking appears to be a synthetic rubberized black material—as far as I can see its composition is not given on the display card nor online. I will be very interested to see how this material wears, especially on ice, crusty snow and the occasional bare rock spot.

The binding plate rotates about two clevis pins set on each side of the base of the forefoot opening. These pins have been an minor weak spot in previous versions of MSR snowshoes, but the clevis pins on the Lightning Ascents appear beefed up compared to those on my Evo Denali Ascents. This area takes a lot of stress out in the field, and I'll be curious to see how it holds up.

All materials appear completely waterproof, as claimed, and there appear to be very few spots in the design which could freeze up or ice over.

Here's a view of the Lightning Ascents with a US size 11.5 boot strapped into the binding:

Even with a farily large boot such as this, there's plenty of room for the heel and toe and enough width in the forefoot opening to allow unencumbered pivoting of the boot.

Here's the Lightning Ascent with the Televator bar deployed:

The Televator bar on this model is much easier to deploy and stow than those on previous MSR snowshoes I've used. Since I find this a really useful feature, especially on steep ascents like those I see in the Adirondacks, I'm pleased that MSR has made this change.

Here's a view of the underside of the snowshoe, showing the crampons and serrated teeth on the frame and binding elements:

The "360° Traction" is quite evident here—there are serrations all around the frame and on the crossbars. I look forward to testing the grip of these shoes on steep slopes, side traverses, ice and other challenging conditions. I'm also curious to see whether there's a downside to all this traction (for example, less ability to glissade or "tail surf" in these snowshoes compared to other designs).

Finally, here's a close-up of the binding:

The bindings appear to be well-thought-out for use by cold, mitten- or glove-encumbered hands. The open-sided clips on the two over-the-foot straps are a new feature, and I look forward to testing whether they make donning the shoes even easier (while noting that the similar straps on previous models were quite easy to use). The strap retaining clips also appear beefier than those on previous models, which I've found can snap, so that's also a welcome upgrade.

Field Locations

I'll be taking the Lightning Ascent Snowshoes out on day hikes and snow camping trips throughout the coming winter.

Specific trips planned include:

• Winter camping trips in the Donner Pass, Desolation Wilderness, Mt. Shasta, Yosemite and Sequoia National Park areas
• Winter day hikes throughout the Sierra Nevada, including some peak ascents
• Possible day hikes in the Adirondacks, and a possible extended winter trip on the Northville-Lake Placid trail

Altitudes on these trips will range from sea level to over 10,000 ft (3,050 m). Temperatures will likely range from well below freezing to as high as 60° F (16° C). Weather and trail conditions will range from active snowfall to fresh powder to packed trails to consolidated late-season snow and ice, plus the occasional bare spot. I plan to test the Lightning Ascents on steep ascents, glissades and steep controlled descents, side traverses, and every other challenging condition I can come across on- or off-trail.

Test Plan

In addition to the already-mentioned issues I plan to explore with the Lightning Ascents, I will be evaluating:

• General usability and comfort (how easy are the Lightning Ascents to put on, adjust, and remove; do straps bind or chafe; how do the snowshoes feel in use)
• Traction—how well do the Lightning Ascents' traction devices ("360 degrees of traction" serrated frame, crampons, cross-bars) and shape work on various angles of ascent, descent and side traverses, and in various snow and ice conditions?
• Floatation—how well do the Lightning Asents do in powder and other snow conditions; how much weight can I reasonably carry while wearing them (given the weight rating and my weight, I should be able to carry upwards of a 60 lb (27 kg) pack)?
• Suitability for plunge-stepping and tail glissading—does the aggressive traction make it harder to ride these snowshoes down steep slopes?
• Bindings—how well do the "Step-on bindings" work with different sizes and shapes of boots and shoes; how quickly can they be adjusted; how snug do they stay over the course of a hike; do they have any annoying loose or flapping ends?
• Effectiveness and ease of use of the Televator bar
• Overall suitability for moving fast in snow, with and without a pack (a combination of shape, traction, floatation and "feel").
• Noise—MSR's plastic snowshoes have a bit of a reputation for being "noisy," and the Polar Paws also had this trait; how do the Lightning Ascents fare in this regard?
• Packability—how well do the showshoes pack down for strapping to a pack or traveling?
• General durability—how well do the materials and components hold up (especially in areas impacted by fast travel and aggressive terrain)? I note that the frame is a mix of aluminum, steel, and decking
• How amenable are the materials and design to repair in the field, and what tools and materials would be needed?

I also will spend some time more carefully measuring the snowshoes so that I can calculate the surface area of the decking and frame. I'm curious how these snowshoes compare in floatation to others I own or have used, and whether that is simply a matter of relative surface area.

Finally, on each outing with the snowshoes, I'll record information about weather, terrain, boots and gear used with the snowshoes, and photograph the snowshoes in use, the terrain, and any other items of interest where relevant.

Summary

The MSR Lightning Ascents are a thoughtfully-designed, appealing set of snowshoes that look to be suitable for a wide range of conditions and uses. Their materials and construction appear to be of the absolute best quality, and I look forward to testing them.

Things I like so far:

• Superb quality
• Looks
• Easy-to-use bindings
• Moderate weight
• Solid construction and abundant traction features
• Smooth-operating Televator bar

Things I don't like so far:

• Nothing of note yet!

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and MSR for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Snow Gear > Snowshoes > MSR Lightning Ascent 2004 > Steve Nelson > Initial Report