Stephen Koch

Professional Speaker, Mountain Guide, Snowboard Instructor, Alpinist and Family Man

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Entries Tagged as 'Gear Reviews'

Cold and Raw weather – time for Merino Wool! I/O Bio on West Hourglass Couloir of Nez Perce with Darrel Miller and Storm Show Studios

November 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Gear Reviews, Snowboarding

When it is cold and raw, like it is now in Jackson Hole, I reach for my wool. The new Merino wool is not uncomfortable and scratchy like its predecessor. This is not the wool sweater your mother used to throw on you. The new wool is luxuriously comfortable, warm and best of all for the active set, doesn’t smell worse than if you rolled around in the dogs mess, like most synthetic long underwear, after sweating in it.

The thing I like about I/O Bio is the styling of the pieces. They are made to function for high intensity activities like running, biking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding, but they also look good worn on their own. So you can be just off a backcountry skiing or snowboarding run on Teton Pass, peel off your soft shell jacket and head straight into work with nary a nostril flared nor eyebrow raised.

Last winer Darrel Miller and I partnered for a climb and descent of he Teton Classic West Hourglass Couloir. The WHC rises above Garnet Canyon at a lovely steep angle on a north aspect for around 2,000 plus feet.

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Stephen Koch’s Backcountry Snowboarding and Skiing Gear List

October 19th, 2010 · No Comments · Gear Reviews, Jackson Hole, Snowboarding

Winter will be here before we know it…don’t get caught without the essentials for a safe, fun and successful backcountry outing. Check it out… http://bit.ly/abcWqj Recommend on Facebook Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

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SKIS vs. SNOWBOARD FOR MOUNTAINEERING DESCENTS

June 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Gear Reviews, Snowboarding, climbing tips

Steve Romeo, skier and blogger of Tetonat.com, posed  a question about skis vs. snowboard – which is a better mountain descent tool here.   There are many excellent comments, so check out the link above for those! Following are my responses from that discussion. Randosteve:  I think it might be a little easier for snowboarders [...]

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End Knee Pain Now!

May 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Climbs, Gear Reviews, Jackson Hole

When I first saw the Opedix S1 Ski and Board Tights, as a sufferer of knee pain for the past several years, I was intrigued enough to call Opedix to inquire. The owner, Kim Gustafson, called me back and we spoke for a while. He was telling me all the technical reasons why his tights work. [...]

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