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News15th Anniversary: Peak Performance From New Climbing Tech
The last time Wired reviewed equipment designed to survive the highest mountain in the world (May 2000), climbers were schlepping 9-pound, $11,000 sat phones on the trek to Everest's 29,000 feet. Climbing tech these days is ultralight, cheaper, and practically Everest-proof. Any season now, mountaineers will be Twittering from the summit ("OMG my toz R bLk!"). Here's some of the latest gear to leave us breathless.
1) Zeal Optics SPP Goggles
Besides 100-mph winds, Everest is legendary for causing snow blindness. In 2003, Zeal Optics was one of the first to offer photochromatic polarized lenses in goggles. The new SPP adds a spherical lens design for better peripheral vision. The combo equals near-perfect acuity in all conditions, preventing scorched corneas and errant steps on cliff edges. $200
2) Spot Messenger
At the touch of a button, the Spot Messenger grabs coordinates from GPS satellites and sends them to your Spot Web site so Mom can track you on Google Maps. Hanging from an ice wall? Hit the 911 button to ping the International Emergency Response Center. (But try to avoid drama above 21,000 feet, where Spot's accuracy can stray.) $170
3) Roper SwitchBack UltraMobile PC
Back in 2000, even mountain-ready laptops weren't up for Everest: "You can actually hear the hard drives screaming," one documentarian said. Standard drive heads ride on a cushion of air, which thins out as you climb. The rugged SwitchBack is available with a solid-state drive that works up to the brain-scrambling height of 20,000 feet. $6,000
4) Black Diamond Cobra Ice Tool
The carbon-fiber Cobra features a sawtooth pick on the business end (for ice penetration) and a modular head design that lets climbers attach an adze for chopping steps or a hammer for driving pitons. Everest hopefuls sucking wind up to base camp will barely notice its 600 grams. $300
Published: Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT - Source: Wired.Com - Read the article
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