Globe reporter Pippa Norman tests a pair of powered pants designed by tech company Skip in collaboration with Arc'teryx, at the start of the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver, B.C.

I’m climbing the stairs of the Grouse Grind trail in North Vancouver wearing a pair of exoskeleton pants when my legs suddenly feel incredibly heavy, as if they’ve just been reunited with gravity.

What has really happened is that the electronics attached to the sides of the powerful pants I’m wearing have been turned off, forcing me to carry the full weight of my body again without any assistance.

At this point, I’ve been wearing the exoskeleton for about a half hour and become so accustomed to its support, I hardly realized the extra push it was providing.

These superhuman pants are the result of a collaborat

See Full Page