You won't get up there without sweating and working hard, but two plates on your feet can make your life so much easier!
The first impression
For the test in northern Norway (Tromsø), I choose the Saucer version of Auftriib as a climbing aid. It is known as the "Powder Adaptor" for crampons and (like all Auftriib products) is made of thermoplastic. They are therefore add-ons for your ski boots with crampons. The plates come in a jute bag and instruction manual, which explains the functions and application again.
The saucers have a front recess for the front points of the crampons and a rear hole for the rear points. Two Dyneema loops on both long sides are connected by a ski strap made of a stable rubber compound. This attaches the ski boot and mounted crampons to the Saucer. The first impression is therefore visually appealing, carbon look despite thermoplastic, light, pressure-resistant and minimalist in design. Not a lot of bells and whistles - after all, they are supposed to be easy to fit and help where you would otherwise get almost nowhere: in steep (sometimes exposed), deep snowy terrain.
The weight of the pair in size S including ski straps and Dyneema straps, measured on our own scales, comes to exactly 400g.
The pack size is so practical that I actually don't even think about not taking them with me all winter in Norway. You never know what to expect, whether you might find a couloir somewhere in the valley. Firmly stowed away in the back of the backpack, where many manufacturers usually provide "bladder storage", they are simply always with you. You have to admit, however, that I have a smaller pack size due to the size S I chose (sole length: 275-300mm). Measured 31cm long and 25cm wide.
The tester
I'm 1.80m tall, weigh 70kg with equipment (with skis on my back I can easily weigh 75kg) and have an extremely small footprint with size 38 boots or Mondopoint 24. This generally means that I don't have much "buoyancy" anatomically when I take off the big skis and strap them on my back.
Most of the time, someone broke the trail ahead in the boot pack - and even then I had my difficulties, despite being in pretty good basic condition. It wasn't unusual for me to sink deeper than the track that had already been laid and I struggled to make progress.
Now I've been living in Norway since the winter of 2022, and the gutter game takes on yet another dimension. To be honest: you almost always try to find a gully somewhere. Be it because of visibility, because of wind-protected snow or because of darkness - you have such a great spotlight effect when you're hurtling down in the dark and the walls give you "safety".
In terms of skiing, I like to push myself to my limits, but I often choose to turn back, because coming home healthy and happy is at least as nice as having powder on your face.
