unbowtieing kite in ultra gust conditions tips?

[BOEMIX]

Hi snowkiters.

I live in a relatively warmer country and the only chance to find snow is going very high in the mountains.

The problem is right there wind is a total shit. Can go from 10 to 40 knots in seconds and changing direction from time to time.

I use a 6m Ozone acces which is the most stable kite i ever used but still dificult to handle that crapy wind and bowtieing when a gust hit followed by a wind direction change.

Is any tip for unbowtieing the kite in that conditions?

[Hardwater Kiter]

What year is your access? Often, depending on the kite, if you pull a single line in to the point the others go slack the kite will flag and flutter. In the process the bowtie will shift to the end of the kite and untwist. You have a 50/50 chance of a line invert but the kite will be usable again.

This technique works less well with 5th line kites. If the bowtie has gone tight, this works less well also.

[fernmanus]

I love foil kites, but for the conditions you describe I would use a small inflatable kite. It is going to handle the gusts better. However, no kite is designed to handle those conditions.

[edt]

so hard to unbowtie a kite, i always have to flag out and fix it by hand.

[criznach]

The flag out method described above has worked for me in the past but it's hit and miss. Once the kite lays out, carefully release the pulled line but keep the brake handle pulled tight. Then tease the kite up into a nearly-launched position. Check the bridles and lines. You don't want to try to relaunch with a bridle tangle or another wrapped line.

I do love foils and have a 12m summit for the money days, but on gusty days I really prefer an inflatable. I started with foils on snow and it took a few years of water practice to get comfortable with inflatables on snow, but it was worth it.

[matthepp]

+1 for tube kites in shitty winds.

[BOEMIX]

Thanks for the replies.

Mine is a 2014 5th line model but i would try it anyway.

I also thought going inflatable but in the place i kite there are some objects like rocks and signs where kite could crash and acces are stronger enough (at least since now) to resist that. Also i need to do a big walk to reach the kiteable spot so with access i don't need the pump.

And after doing that odissey to reach the kite spot then the wind is a total shit 90% of the times (only 1 day of stady 15 knots versus 9 of 10-40) so I'm trying to get used to that wind if it is possible because actually is kite in shit conditions or no kite at all.

[fernmanus]

I have kited in similar winds on the water with a 9m inflatable. One second your kite is falling out of the sky, the next you are getting your arms ripped out of your sockets. Perhaps, you should consider ski touring instead of kiting in these type of conditions.

[geopeck]

Just go home and try to learn something from it. If it's truly going to be ranging from 10 to 40 then you'll have no confidence in the power feed, no confidence in jumping, no fun even if you learn to unbowtie the kite from the bar end because it's going to bowtie again in 5 minutes.

I would be looking at your spot if it's like that all the time - is the bad wind the result of terrain effects or are you riding on low pressure that has built in gusts and lulls? If it's terrain effects they might settle down when the wind is lighter, if it is bad wind then look for a wind direction that works. Has it ever been good there for you? If it's always like that then it isn't a snowkite spot.

I always take a set of touring skis with me when I go snowkiting, if the wind is bad go glide around.

[BOEMIX]

Here is a pic from the spot, judge yourself.

For me it looks like a good spot but maybe just because i have never been in a good snowkite spot