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Flashback - Skiing in Climbing Boots
- Lowell_Skoog
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Gordy and Lowell Skoog skiing in the North Cascades in May 1986.
I've had this little essay in the back of my mind for a long time. I've been wanting to record my thoughts about skiing in climbing boots, now that I probably won't do it anymore.
For a small number of local skiers, climbing boots were an important part of the backcountry skiing experience during the 1980s and 1990s, before the gear got better and the popularity of the sport exploded.
The notion of deliberately choosing climbing boots for demanding ski tours seems daft today. But it was something we did consciously, and it worked for us. So I've recorded a few words and pictures before they fade from my memory. See the following page:
www.alpenglow.org/skiing/climbing-boots/index.html
Kastinger Habeler plastic climbing boots fitted with Ramer ski mountaineering bindings in 1985.
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- SKIER-X
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Gertch A.T. bindings, predecessor of Fritche A.T. and a pair of Hexel comps 200cm. It really kept me on my toes, but it's what I could put together at the time. The bindings have a bail in front and would handle a pretty small welt. I still have the whole set-up. Thanks for the flashback. X
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- TN
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- sb
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- Lowell_Skoog
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Where'd you get them binders?
Ha!
Thanks for the reminder, Ed.
Those bindings I bought from you went to my wife, Steph. I'm sure they're the ones she's using in the two pictures I included of her.
My original Ramers (and the K2's they were mounted on) went to Gordy after I bought a pair of Ramer Grand Tour skis (with new bindings) in 1987. Gordy started out on a pair of Marker Rotomat TR bindings, which you can see on Lou Dawson's site here:
www.wildsnow.com/backcountry-ski-museum/...-tour/marker-tr.html
Those bindings had real limitations for touring, but they were a start. I don't remember whether you could use climbing boots with them. Gordy actually used our dad's old leather ski boots from the 1960s (lace up? with smooth soles) for the first few years he was alpine touring. There's a picture of those old boots in this trip report:
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=13294.0
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- BillK
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The Asolos skied very well, except for the fact that there was obviously no room to get in the "back seat". No problem, just forces you to pay attention to using good technique. They were light, warm and definitely a good choice for that kind of mountaineering. A pure AT boot would have been overkill, heavy and not as versatile for the different kinds of climbing we faced. Nowadays, though, a modern light AT boot may have been just the ticket, although not as versatile as a plastic climbing boot for alpine ice, etc.
Great pics of you and your brother(?) Lowell! Thanks...
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- mreid
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- JibberD
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It's a parallel universe !
Yes, although my parallel universe is the reverse of the post's title, and would read climbing in skiing boots.
Circa 1995 climb to Camp Muir 100% of the way in a pair of Rossignol alpine racing boots. This was my first "backcountry" skiing experience.
Some of us are boneheads, you know. Had a great day though! Remember it fondly.
Thanks for the post Lowell!
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- TN
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- TN
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- mikerolfs
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Lowell, you and your brother sure made it look easy. The photo with the five day pack is amazing.
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- TN
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- mccallboater
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- all mtn
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- weezer
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- MW88888888
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And yes, back in the early 90s I even tried snowboarding in those plastic climbing boots (asolos actually) you have in those funky ski bindings! Oh yes, the memories!
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- Pete A
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Due to an out of control German on the fixed lines sliding crampons first into the legs of one of our team members, after our climb we had to carry all of our buddies gear from 14k back down to 7k. Watching those poor guys try to control a full sled and a 60lb pack through thousands of feet of breakable crust was horrible- it was amazing no one tore apart their knees or ankles. Skiing in climbing boots has its limits and i think we found those limits on that trip
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- Joedabaker
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I snowboard in La Sportiva leather climbing boots to this day (my current pair is about - golly- ten years old now) - so this doesn't seem such a stretch.
Fill me in? Not sure of the context? as on balancing snowboarding and skiing boots are way different. A softer snowboard boot is pretty standard heck they used to use Sorrel boots which is a about as soft as chewing gum. But using a climbing boot to ski is a whole other story!
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- MW88888888
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Snowboarding today in leather hiking boots is not very common. As in, this is not a flashback for me. That was the context.
Try it and tell me it's so different fom skiing, especially on an icy traverse. You clearly know you are not snowboarding in "snowboard boots" with calf support.
I used to snowboard in sorrels, so I also know what that is like, and you should try THAT to see how similar to soft snowboard boots!
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- kuharicm
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- Joedabaker
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Ok, when I was growing up in Vermont in the 70s, I used to ski with my sister's skis in the cow pasture in my leather hiking boots. That's where I learned how awesome ski boots were.
Snowboarding today in leather hiking boots is not very common. As in, this is not a flashback for me. That was the context.
Try it and tell me it's so different fom skiing, especially on an icy traverse. You clearly know you are not snowboarding in "snowboard boots" with calf support.
I used to snowboard in sorrels, so I also know what that is like, and you should try THAT to see how similar to soft snowboard boots!
Thanks for the clarification. Me Being a non-snowboarder, but supportive of the methods.
I often think that snowboarding must be something very special. I am always in awe at the extreme efforts that borders go through to tour on a board. Miles of postholing, those who don't like splitters are packing approach skis or snowshoes and boarding down, Splitboards slipping out on steeper terrain it's a solid effort for what I visually quantify as two or three turns to the bottom. Not that it means much from a non-boarder but I totally respect the effort that is above and beyond that of a skiers simple efforts....as long as my skin track is not booted, then I get slightly steamed and lose all respect!
Other stuff....I can relate, same era similar upbringing on gear although mine was army surplus gear my dad rented out of his hardware store.
If I had a gun to my head choice I would rather be on a solid pair of mountaineering boots than those sloppy leather tele boots I used to use or the army surplus leathers.
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- MW88888888
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Wild thread drift. Thanks for the photos and memories, Lowell. They are great.
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- TN
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- Garth_Ferber
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