ski touring with a snowkite
Several years ago I picked up a snowkite for the first time and instantly got hooked. Now, whenever I go ski touring, I pack a little kite with me as part of my pack even on small day trips whenever the trip takes me above tree-line or into open terrain. Even a small 3 meter foil kite is invaluable when it comes to making you more efficent in covering maxximum ground (and getting maxximum powder turns in).
For those of you who have no idea what snowkiting is, it is basically like kite surfing but on the snow. Land based kiting (as opposed to kite surfing) using a simpler kite called a foil kite that is lighter, smaller, and simpler to use (not to mention safer). The end result is you can go downwind, up wind, and of course up the mountain (watch for crevasses on the glacier).
I have attached a small video of me kiting in the Tableland Mountains, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada so that you can see what it is all about. If you like the video, please vote and comment.... I really want to educate people on the value alternative kite transport and hear from anyone else who has had mountain backcountry experiences snowkiting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....exj23uZxkw
Martin Hanzalek