Will this revolutionize the backcountry skiing world? When attached to your skis, climbing in the backcountry becomes a dream come true, and your speed skyrockets. What is the world's first electrically assisted ski mountaineering device, "E-SKIMO," developed in Switzerland?
What is "E-SKIMO"?
In January 2025, a Swiss company called E-Outdoor announced the E-SKIMO, the world's first ski that electrically assists you when climbing. From a distance, it looks like a short twin-tip ski, but on closer inspection, you can see that the toe and heel pieces of the bindings have protruding caterpillar-like structures, or conveyor belt-like structures. It appears that these are electrically powered to assist you in moving up and down snowy slopes
Looking back, many people were probably surprised when electric assist technology was introduced to bicycles and e-bikes appeared. The idea for "E-SKIMO" apparently came from e-bikes. It's certainly easy to imagine how amazing it would be if that were mounted on skis. However, just hearing about it makes it hard to imagine how this device works, but it seems true that wearing it will dramatically ease the climb of snowy mountains
The purpose of developing the "E-SKIMO," which is said to be "the world's first electrically assisted ski mountaineering device," is to make ski mountaineering (mountain skiing) easier and create an environment where more people can enjoy mountainous areas
The developer, E-Outdoor, has launched E-SKIMO with the mission of making ski mountaineering an easier, more exciting, and more inclusive sport. However, E-SKIMO is still in its infancy
In fact, it was just unveiled for the first time at CES (Consumer Electronics Show), one of the world's largest technology trade fairs held every January in Las Vegas, USA, from January 7th to 10th, 2025
According to E-SKIMO's Instagram, the event was well received
E-SKIMO's Structure and Features
So what exactly is "E-SKIMO"? Here's how this device helps you climb hills
Equipped with cutting-edge sensors and a 6-axis inertial platform, the motor intuitively and automatically activates when climbing hills, providing boost when needed and supporting the climb. It's hard to visualize what it's like, so let's take a look at the video of the actual vehicle on the official website
I see, these touring skis are equipped with pin-tech bindings, allowing the heels to move freely up and down when climbing, enabling efficient walking. Since this is assisted by an electric motor, it feels like being towed by electric power, making it easy, fast, and effortless to climb even steep slopes.
The advanced tracking system allows for smooth ascents, and the battery pack is lightweight and offers long operating times. It seems you wouldn't have to worry about running out of charge even after a full day of backcountry touring.
What about when you're skiing? It won't be the same as regular skis, but "when you're descending, it analyzes acceleration and slope data to assist you in your gliding." Again, it's a bit unknown what kind of gliding is possible without actually riding it
What will change? What will it do?
These numbers show that "E-SKIMO" may revolutionize climbing
● Climbing speed is up to 80% faster:
You can travel up to 80% faster on a one-hour climb (approximately 700m elevation gain, 4.7km/h, intermediate difficulty according to Swiss standards).
●Elevation gain capacity is quadrupled
: While conventional skis climb about 150m in an hour, E-SKIMO can climb four times as much, 700m.
● Reduced muscle load:
Energy consumption during skiing steps is reduced by approximately 30% (based on biomechanical research in ski mountaineering).
Future possibilities
E-SKIMO has partnered with major global ski brands and will likely continue to pursue versatility in the future. It has also announced a partnership with the TECNICA Group. It has not yet been revealed what kind of actions this will actually result in, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on the future direction of E-SKIMO
Information
E-Outdoor
https://e-skimo.swiss/