Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Thought I’d make a thread about DIY and portable rope tows, after @blitzskier said he was also working on one in another thread.

I’m still pretty new on freeheel skis. Grew up spoiled for alpine skiing. XCD appeals to me more than AT skiing. Would like to get more turns in and learn quicker without going to crowded, expensive resorts. So the idea of a rope tow appeals to me. Not having my own snowy hill, it needs to be portable.

Saw the Zoa PL1 and the ReWinch, but the prices are high and higher.

I’d seen portable rope ascenders powered by a cordless drill. The Awah Z2 will haul a large person roughly the vertical speed and distance of a brisk walk up a 25° incline for 1000ft/400ft vertical (300m/120m vertical) on a regular 5ah battery. Probably a little slower than the Zoa. Zoa does about 10 laps with the equivalent of 4 drill batteries. Some of that 250% better efficiency is probably better gearbox and higher voltage. I think a good chunk is probably the lower line tension and more efficient feeding of the rope.

Hoping to get at least a lap and half or two 750ft laps for splitting the difference in efficiency.

I’ve just built some crude mockups so far. Feeding small pliable line is definitely tricky. Got one of the Chinese rope ascenders for cheap, going to use it for some endurance testing of the drill, and see if I can get it to grab skinnier rope.

Also might help a coworker build a more conventional DIY rope tow for his property in Idaho.

Anyone else built or used a backyard or portable rope tow?

I used to own a gas powered portable winch and thought about using it for this purpose but it was way too heavy to be taken any distance. It was however cheaper than what you have linked to and if you weren't taking it far from a car it would work ok and last all day.

Yeah, electric motors are pretty light and efficient now, but that 4500% better energy density in gasoline vs batteries wins out pretty quickly for endurance. I think I can bring enough batteries on a few miles of shallow approach to get plenty of turns in though.

i found an old electric truck winch i had laying around and ordered a receiver hitch mount for it, my set up uses the wireless fob remote control that should have the range to activate the winch installed on my truck. i have to do some splicing of some dynema line and run it on a loop with a few wraps on the drum. its gonna be slow at 12 volts, it might run better at 24vlts . i'm still waiting for snow

https://www.stegodons.com/products/steg ... ceiver-4wd

This not that.

if i didn't have all my parts from old projects laying around, I would recommend the ZOA PL1 for the cost

A snowmobile might be simpler?

doubt it... vehicle maintnance cost, registration, legality in forestry area(green Nazis), and its a two person operation . the pl1 is cheaper

blitzskier wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 11, 2024 11:54 am

doubt it... vehicle maintnance cost, registration, legality in forestry area(green Nazis), and its a two person operation . the pl1 is cheaper

Two people that's right, hard to dicker with one person.

Well, I had a small windfall and decided to get the Zoa. Still want to develop something more economical, especially since I know so many skiers and snowboarders who have a lot of power tools for work.

I did some more testing with the Ascender from Taobao. Putting the drill into high speed, It pulled me uphill pretty quick on a skateboard. Also managed to lift me straight up at nearly the same speed. Rope was a bit damaged going fast with my full weight on it though, no issues at lower tension though. Smallest line it would really grab is 7mm though, so not gonna work unmodified. Don’t wanna spend four times as much on line and carry another 20lbs. I think I could easily modify the sheave to grab skinnier, but it would probably still need a stiffer, more expensive line than the Zoa. Got some more ideas for a prototype though.