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Hola all, Been reading this forum board for over a year and just now signing up.
Such great info I could hug ya

OK, I am doing a last minute change that I feel is necessary to my set up. (07 Burton Split/voile bindings...right now Solomon SPX 90 Bindings...having a couple other local companies make split out of their boards for spares and testing) I have been riding malamutes for 3 years and love'em..but they have there place. I use to ski and thus use to the nice tight fit BUT rigid walking in.

With that said, what would you owners of the 3 boot I have narrowed down say about them in the following respects:

Hiking 14ers in them...Won't use at resorts,malamutes for that/skinning whenever can/Grivel G12 crampons when needed.

Riding down steep/wind blown mostly...couloirs.

I like a boot that is comfortable in skin/hike mode of course/durable to last/NOT too Loose and Not too Tight I guess is my main concern. Will need feel and control over my board on descents.

I am 5'9/160lbs/10.5 boot size. Pretty hard on my boots in making them deliver and hold in fast hard turns. My leather boots seem to stretch over time due to that:(

I have read on here that a 3 buckle maybe the answer....tight enough but not over doing it!!??

Money is not the object! Over coming biased marketing from the companies on their boots and getting a durable pair is:)

I so want to thank you in advance for your input and time!

PS. I get a lot of folks projecting Their limitations and fears onto me once they find out I am hiking 14ers and riding them down...I know the risks and dangers. Thanks!!





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I use Malamutes as well, have no experience with any of the hard boots you mentioned.
Since you are in Boulder, whatever you get, take them to Larry's boot-fitting and he will make sure that they perform for whatever you need! If you are unaware of Larry's, you're missing out.

I just started using a pair of Dynafit TLT4's this season. I have been using snowboard specific hardboots for many seasons(Raichle SB series). I have had to do some fine tuning to my setup to get the most out of them while riding. My biggest complaint with them is the very small ledges for the binding bails. Using bindings with 6mm bails, I have to be very sure of how I place my back foot in, or I miss the back bail and have to try again. Haven't really set a skin track in them yet, so no reports on that yet. With loose buckles, they hike fairly well, better than my old boots 'cause they are less than 3 lbs. per boot. I seem to be able to do moguls/crud/small terrain airs just fine, so I believe these will be keepers.

I will check out Larry's! I am use to Sure Foot beds and do love'em thus far.

I have spent 6 hours researching more Hard Boots....It really seems that a 3 buckle is what a Backcountry hikers (more hiking than decending in the boots) would need.
Example: Scarpa Spirit 3. I like the position of the buckles...ONLY downside is how long those Plastic Bindings will hold up?? Wish I could have Garmont Buckles on the Scarpa Boots.

Why 3 Buckle I am thinking?
One, for the not-so-tight flex/not-so-loose-as well.
Two, If I was to try to keep my new SPX 90 Bindingswhich I love, you would want that little extra space before the toe box to binding strap over the boots.

I know it is more weight, but just so at this point seems MORE secure than say the Voile Mountain Plates holding the boots in steep hairy terrain.

I had the P1 Carbon Burton bindings for last year on my Vapor board and REALLY did not like the thinner straps and rachet system....sooooo many times in the cold it did not want to latch and were more flimsy than the Soloman bindings in the top tiers.

..Yeah, Larry's Boot Fitting in Boulder looks like the Place. Thanks Again

Sorry for the thread drift but I just read the Colorado's 14er Quest article in Coulior and I must say that the picture of Chris Davenport on Capital Peak's Knife Ridge made my testicles retreat all the way up to my throat. Good luck with your project and be careful! What kind of recon do you guys do before taking on a peak like that? Are you using splittys at all, or will it be solid boards for all of your decents? Thanks..

I am at the same crossroad Colorado54. I have done a lot of hiking in my softboots. But I think its time to step it up a bit. I have tried plastic mountaineering boots( koflatch oxygen) in regular strap bindings and I have tried PMB's in voile plate bindings (Asolos) . The strp set up saved no weight and was just to see if I would like the boots. I did like the warmth and feel of the boot when climbing but I felt I needed a few more inches in cuff . With the Asoslos in the plate binding it was great in powder but in the resort if it was cut up it was had to really throw it around. With that said I love the lightness of the mountain plate binding so I will be renting some 3 buckle AT boots to check out at a resort and if I like the ride I will be sold on them. Im looking at the Dynafit T4T, Garmont megaride and a few others. But I will rent before I buy just to make sure. And I want to get the right size. I never thought I would be looking at hard boots, I am from a park/pipe type background and ride duck stance. But i think these boots in the hike mode or just a little forward lean will work great

Curiousity got the best of me as well, that and the crappy snow year here in UT has had me out on some hard nasty skin tracks and traverses in ski mode where hardboots might make the ascent a little less painful. I've been running softboots for as long as I've been splitting. Some friends ran modified PMB's in strap binders, they recently switched to 3-buckle AT boots and are having good results.

So I sacked up and got a set of Voile Mtn Plates with a second set of slider plates and a set of 3-buckle Garmont Dynamite AT boots (Dynafit compatible too). They'll be here Monday, I'll ride them this weekend and give feedback. I hear I can still ride my normal stance, and if I leave the top buckle loose and keep it in walk mode it feels similar to a stiff softboot (Burton Driver/Ion/Solomon Malamute,etc...) with tall highback strap binders.

Woooool see. I'll report back after I give it a shot. I still plan on riding my softboots and strap binders on soft surfy days and all resort days on my solid boards, which is why I got the second set of sliders with the Voile binders, this way as long as I don't have to add cants or change my stance for hard boots I can just swap slider plates and grab the boots I want to ride for the conditions on any given day.

Aren't the Megarides 4-buckle burly boots? Seems like too much for splitting, I know folks on Scarpa Matrix 3-buckles but have never seen anyone split on 4-buckle AT boots. And the Spirit 3 looks like a big boot as well. Or is the Spirit just the new Matrix?

UB

Just got back from bent Gate in Golden. They have ALL the AT/Tele...boots that are out except the Spirit 4 (4 Buckle) that is replacing the Scarpa Denali TT in USA 08..07 in Europe.

Sold on the Scarper Spirit 3 for my taste;) Buckles are replaceable and Will see about spares soon.

Time to order and speed up the breaking in stage. Will have my Malmutes in waiting.

SanFrantastico, Yeah I respect Davenport!
I have been thinking of it for a while now and just decided 8 months ago to plan for and do it! Josh and I (friend from Alaska thats been in Golden for 4 years) will be hiking all 53-57 (saddle disputes...the more the merrier:)) 14ers here in my backyard of CO.

I ski as well BUT already 2 skiers have tackled it (Davenport has 4 to go by Jan 21st 07 to be one full year ).
Low Dawson of course was the 1st to Ski all AND hike out extra just for that Shot or Photographic perspective....and wrote 2 bibles for the 14ers in the way of routes/pics/suggestions/maps.

Josh and I will be hiking all, 2 a week and I will snowboard/splitboard down within 100ft of the peaks Weather Permitting..til I have enjoyed the Journey of them all:) Bout to be 30 this June, no kids and self-employed...perfect opportunity in time!
We are doing it for the Journey of the whole trips/filming/rving/towns/folks we meet/hikes/sunrises/animals/snow...

I see those types of pics in Coulior/vidoes/my own hikes and seems to be that one (or 3) things in life that gets your palms sweety and blood flowing.
I look for the challenge in the hike/choosing a line and that I will enjoy/learn and grow from.

Anyways, weather..those 30-115mph winds and snow/-15+ nights have held us up at the moment. I see a window this Tuesday-Wednesday.

...hope I made sense, tired and not proof reading.
Carpediem

Swhit yea!!.. do the peak a favor and summit it if y'r with'n 100'... then hike back down and ride...there is nothing worse than walking downhill...

Ive been riding on Denali TT's since last spring now and they are nice. Skinning is easier for sure. But hiking on boulder fields it can be a challenge to keep your balance, as you cant make the micro foot adjustments with the stiff sole. I would recommend a full vibram sole if your doing the 14ers, otherwise they are gonna get trashed. As far as riding in them, the response is great if you have a consistent pitch. They can be a little harder to manuever in flat or tightly treed terrain. I've found myself using my upper body a lot more in these situations. (its the same thing about "micro" adjustments with your toes that I typically do in soft boots)



One of the best things about hard boots is WARMTH! It makes a world of difference to me. I have poor circulation in my feet, so frostbite is always a concern. With the hard plastic boots, just a warm pair of sock does the trick, where as in soft boots I use Hottronics boot warmers. Especially if you plan on doing the 14ers in the next few months, where wind chill can get dangerous. Also there compatibility with crampons is great, especially in the steep chutes where you may be frontpointing on bulletproof hardpack, I wouldnt want to attempt that in softboots, but thats just me.





Good Luck Man!

Post up some TR's too.

C54

Please keep us updated on the splitboard Colorado 14er conquest. I envy your situation in life---time to pick off those big peaks. Sweet.

I've had great luck riding Scarpa Matrix 3-buckle boots on Bomber splitboard plates. I use a pair of Dynafit toe pieces for tour mode-excellent and light.

I keep the boots loosely buckled for the uphill and downhill, maybe tighten the bottom and middle buckle a bit for steeper downhill pitches. Comfort and warmth are superb.

The riding is a bit different. I find that my heel-side edge blows sometimes on steep windblown or raincrust. As stated by others, you can't make the 'microadjustments' at the level of toes and ankles in the hardboots during a turn...its all hip and knee adjustement. My suggestion is to REALLY pay attention to where your heel sits in relation to board edge, when you set up your board.

A blown heel-side turn on a 14er would be a disaster. Don't want to read about you in the paper until you know knock off that last 14er and are celebrating!

Scott