Do you ever use reverse on steep critical downhills?

deaner · Dec 26, 2017

I heard about this and tried it once......didnt end up very well. Climbed up a chute into a nice bowl at the back of frisbee on the doo VIC ride in 2007. Had to sidehill a bit to get to the top of the bowl. Long story short, I couldnt come back down the way I came up, and only way back down was through the chute. Tried this to slow me down coming back down the bowl but didnt work. When I come to the edge of the cliff I was inevitably going off, I still had it in reverse. When I pinned it to keep the front end up to hopefully land it, it had the opposite effect and I nose dived hard. Probably fell 20-30 feet....missed a jagged pile of rocks by about 5 feet on one side and sled missed landing on my by a couple feet on the other side.

Alot of bad decisions made that day, but the reverse thing didnt help.

mountainsledmania · Dec 26, 2017

elevator for this guy on anything steep and technical. always in complete control, even if it doesn't like like it at times.

JMCX · Dec 26, 2017

A buddy who knew this technique and had the presence of mind to use it quickly prevented himself from landing on me. A group of us were returning down from an icy pass. It was a bit of a bobsled run but shouldn't have been a problem. Somehow I ended up all discombobulated at the bottom of the steepest spot. He wouldn't have seen my tumble because of the angle but just knew l didn't come out the bottom. If he hadn't stopped there would have been some carnage.

Mach1 · Dec 26, 2017

Didn't know they had this type of reverse system in 2007.

Merc63 · Dec 26, 2017

Ok, no Chris Brown yet, what about Dave Norora??

deaner · Dec 26, 2017

Mach1 said:
Didn't know they had this type of reverse system in 2007.

Its been around since the late 90s

imdoo'n · Dec 26, 2017

Mach1 said:
Didn't know they had this type of reverse system in 2007.

had it on my 2004, think doo had it on on a few 2000-2001 sleds also.

Mach1 · Dec 26, 2017

deaner said:
Its been around since the late 90s

Push bottom, I see

CUSO · Dec 26, 2017

Helping a friend stuck on the side of a slope too steep to descend down sounds like a recipe for avalanche. If I see a friend on the side of a steep slope, he is on his own. The steeper the slope the easier it its to get out.

I myself tried it when I first got my 05 REV, but after that I improved my skills and don't really need to reverse. With sleds that have chaincases, your chain case tensioner bolt is threaded in a cast aluminum chain case wall. Going in reverse down a hill puts a lot of pressure on this.

FernieHawk · Dec 26, 2017

Interesting that some people think using reverse is an indicator of a lack of riding skill. I see it as another tool in the technique tool box.

Sometimes using a certain technique in a certain scenario works in your favour...sometimes not so much. That’s what makes sledding so fun and how you end up with so many stories to tell...sometimes things don’t go as planned.

ferniesnow · Dec 26, 2017

In my riding style, I'm not talking about chute/slope climbing, it is about the tight trees and varied slopes. Not a lot of avalanche danger and weaker riders getting in above their heads and not knowing or not having a clue about what to do to get out of the mess they are in. I find a way to go up and come down through the trees above the rider and in the soft snow it is pretty easy to park exactly where one wants to with the reverse technique. Don't use it often but when I have, it was a good tool. I like the way Ferniehawk has put it............"another tool in the technique tool box".

But then again, I just might be a dumb arse and should not be riding in the mountains!

imdoo'n · Dec 26, 2017

ferniesnow said:
In my riding style, I'm not talking about chute/slope climbing, it is about the tight trees and varied slopes. Not a lot of avalanche danger and weaker riders getting in above their heads and not knowing or not having a clue about what to do to get out of the mess they are in. I find a way to go up and come down through the trees above the rider and in the soft snow it is pretty easy to park exactly where one wants to with the reverse technique. Don't use it often but when I have, it was a good tool. I like the way Ferniehawk has put it............"another tool in the technique tool box".

But then again, I just might be a dumb arse and should not be riding in the mountains!

no, i think you are just telling it as it is. i just find i need more tools. LOL

skegpro · Dec 26, 2017

Of course this nonsense comes out on a low snow year.

Personally I prefer going downhill when I have to be all the way into the throttle.

In the forward direction..........

brian h · Dec 26, 2017

i have used it before,in times like fernie snow has listed,usually to stop and help somebody out,i will have track stopped before coming onto the throttle,piles snow up infront and stops you right where you want to be.never had a issue with chain case. imo if you do not stop track first then belt and chain case could be a issue.everyone in our group uses this tool and nobody has had a issue

bobsledder · Dec 26, 2017

ferniesnow said:
In my riding style, I'm not talking about chute/slope climbing, it is about the tight trees and varied slopes. Not a lot of avalanche danger and weaker riders getting in above their heads and not knowing or not having a clue about what to do to get out of the mess they are in. I find a way to go up and come down through the trees above the rider and in the soft snow it is pretty easy to park exactly where one wants to with the reverse technique. Don't use it often but when I have, it was a good tool. I like the way Ferniehawk has put it............"another tool in the technique tool box".

But then again, I just might be a dumb arse and should not be riding in the mountains!

If you were smart you would ride a yamatank in the mountains. Then you wouldn't have an electronic reverse that could be engaged so easy for this trick and when you got to the bottom of the hill you could mow down 12 inch timber without a worry and blaze a new trail for all the dumb people.

ferniesnow · Dec 26, 2017

skegpro said:
Of course this nonsense comes out on a low snow year.

..........

Low snow year??? We got 100 cm more than this time last year.

007sevens · Dec 26, 2017

I personally don't think the mechanics of the sled designed it for such a task

skegpro · Dec 26, 2017

ferniesnow said:
Low snow year??? We got 100 cm more than this time last year.

Not till last week you didn't.
And this cold will turn that to concrete.

So I guess I should have said low powder year.......

skegpro · Dec 26, 2017

007sevens said:
I personally don't think the mechanics of the sled designed it for such a task.

Fixed yeah.

The Kickass One · Dec 26, 2017

skegpro said:
Not till last week you didn't.
And this cold will turn that to concrete

Cold only turns tracks to concrete, not the untouched powder areas. Lots of untouched to be found.

Do you ever use reverse on steep critical downhills?

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