MSR Denali Evo Ascent Snowshoe |
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$199.95
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Buy Denali Evo Ascent Snowshoe at Backcountry |
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| MSR introduces a sleek, new snowshoe this season, the Denali Evo Ascent. The Evo Ascent has the same construction as the Evo, but comes with saber teeth for extra bite and a heel lifter for easier climbing, making the Evo Ascent suited to steeper, more challenging terrain. Steel traction blades with saber teeth, crampons, and molded braking bars in the deck yield UNMATCHED traction, not to mention peace of mind on steep, death-ice pitches. A new stand-up binding by MSR makes the Denali Evo Ascent super easy to get in and out, and still folds down for easy packing and storage. It's also big-boot friendly, making it the ideal choice for mountaineering and backcountry snowboarding. The Evo deck with a tapered tip and tail allows you to walk with a more natural gait so you're not doing the “Franken-stride”. A crampon extension plate eliminates heel drift while the 4-strap binding locks your foot in for a great fit and secure attachment to the snowshoe. |
MSR Denali Evo Ascent Snowshoe |
Bottom Line: The current standard for mountaineering snowshoes. |
Reviews:
MSR Denali Evo Ascent snowshoes and tails
I purchased these snowshoes from Backcountry.com on sale for use in Tasmania, Australia. So far I have only travelled about 25km with them but have found them to be excellent for use on our typically fairly wet snow at depths of from 1' to 6'carrying a pack weighing around 60 pounds. I weigh 200lbs. Seem very robust although I did tear one binding strap which was replaced by the local distributor. The bindings are superbly designed, very easy to get on and off. Traction on sloping icy hillsides is excellent and the "televator" feature is quite remarkable when climbing steep slopes. Used in temps down to 7 degrees F with no obvious ill effects. Recommended.
Light, fast and rugged
I recently took these on a 3-day trip in the White mountains, where they out-performed the Atlas 12 series. Notable advantages of the MSR design include better crampon articulation, which is very helpful when climbing steep things, and they also tended not to get gummed up with wet snow or ice (good when crossing rivers). Great shoes, but with any kind of pack I would recommend the flotation tails in deep snow.
just do it
These are my first pair of snowshoes, I've only had them 3 weeks, but have already hiked 20 miles in them at rocky mountain national park, including a camping trip with a 50 pound pack (8 to 24 inches of snow). I'm using the 6 inch tails with them. Great traction! I was suprised how well the televator heal lifter worked on steep climbs.
A few little points
I have enjoyed a number of hikes using these snowshoes. Being new to snowshoeing I can't comparatively rate them but I have a couple of observations that may merit this review. I came into two problems using these. First I had a problem of loosening, and then losing straps. This wasn't a loosening from the buckle end of the strap but from the inadequate tethering of its other end. This problem may have been sorted out in the latest MSR models. Second, there were unforeseen dangers in its use! These nearly caused serious injury and I was left wishing the relevant cautionary information had featured in the instruction booklet!I wasn't warned about the need to take flotation tails off for descent. Neither was I warned about the limit of the snowshoes capabilities going UP a certain inclination! The limits of this snowshoe was somewhere around 40 degrees in the soft and wet spring conditions I used them. Finally, I just wonder if there wasn't too little nose flotation provided by these - the cost of having un-'Frankenstein'ing snowshoes perhaps? Sometimes the toes would sink deep and so I was forced put my weight back, walking with my feet out in front of me, pulling my way up the mountain (using my hamstrings instead of my quadriceps to climb). As I mentioned earlier, I'm new to this lark so this problem may merely be due to my ineptitude!
No Play - All Work
Going from 18" deep snow, then directly into a soil test pit filled with mud and New Engalnd rocks is not recreation - its work. As an environmental scientist who spends a lot of time in the field, I depend on functionally tough equipment. And, that's what these snowshoes are all about. First-rate stuff that one could have fun playing with too.
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