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Boots
Take a hike in a new pair of touring boots
Size All sizes are given in Mondopoint. Men’s boots usually come in sizes 24.5 to 30.5, which corresponds roughly to UK sizes 5.5 to 11.5. Women’s boots usually come in sizes 22 to 27.5 or roughly UK sizes 5 to 10.5
Stripped back and streamlined, these boots are for skiers who want comfort uphill and performance downhill, writes Chris Exall
Chris Exall (skipress.co.uk) describes himself as being 40 years into an 80-year apprenticeship in skiing: his first boots were made of leather. He is a member of the International Federation of Ski Instructors governing body and has written widely on snowsports safety
Boots for ski touring cover a vast range of possibilities, from those that suit skiers doing a few hours’ climbing a day, to those tackling weeklong tours. All touring boots try to offer the support and responsiveness of an alpine (or downhill) ski boot with the flexibility of a climbing boot, but the extent to which they do either varies. If you are planning on serious climbing, you may want to opt for a lightweight mountaineering boot. These boots are stripped down and often have just two buckles to close the shell. Such bare bones designs are usually a kilogram lighter than
four-buckle alpine touring boots. They are often produced by mountaineering experts, such as Scarpa and Black Diamond, rather than wellknown brands in skiing. Conversely, boots at the high performance skiing end of the continuum tend to be less suited to climbing, offering more support and power downhill. Care is needed when matching boots to bindings. Lighter pin bindings require the boot to have metal inserts in the sole, while serious mountaineering boots may not fit into ordinary alpine bindings. If in doubt ask your ski shop… before you buy.
Scarpa Alien 1.0
scarpa Freedom Sl
Atomic Backland Carbon
Price Special order Size 24-30
Price £500 Size 24-31
Price £525 Size 22-31.5
The Alien is about as far removed from a downhill ski boot as you can get. In climb mode it has 60 degrees of movement in the ankle, making it possible to run in them. Nonetheless, skiing down, testers describe the boot as sturdy. Weighing 1.8kg a pair they are half the weight of some we review, though there is a payoff. The shell has an open throat and is fastened using cables. This wraps the shell snugly around the foot, but does little to keep the elements out. It has a very low volume shell and is only compatible with pin bindings. Super-light, specialist ski mountaineering boot Not intended for long tours
This boot would not look out of place among piste boots, save for the Vibram sole and pin binding inserts. Weighing 3.5kg a pair it’s twice the weight of the Alien, but packs twice the skiing punch. It fits like an alpine boot with a 101mm last and an Intuition heat mouldable liner. Generally, it suits low to medium volume feet best, especially in the toebox. However, the shell is easy to modify in tight spots. For those who are doing only a little off-piste, the boot’s touring sole can be swapped for traditional alpine versions.
This may be the lightest boot made by a big ski brand. With a carbon fibre cuff and a clog made using lightweight Grilamid and carbon, a pair weighs just 2kg. The Backland is suited to climbing and aided by a beefy clip that releases the cuff. An unusual cable closure gives the feel of two buckles, but has only one lever to tighten them, resulting in an excellent forefoot wrap. It fits a wide range of feet and the clog can be heat moulded to customise the fit. With a 120 flex it’s a great choice for strong skiers.
It looks, feels and skis like a piste boot Too piste-orientated for some
Ski+board
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
Super-light with a customisable shell The sole is only compatible with pin bindings
skiclub.co.uk