I've been riding in La Sportiva Nepal Top Extremes for a decade. They are not perfect but for my preferences, they're better than snowboard boots. I ride with Voile Light Rail bindings and these boots. Pros: excellent fit, vibram sole for step kicking, crampon compatibility, sturdy Italian-made boots. Cons: Can be a little cold, no liners (these are an insulated, single leather boot) so you have to take good care of them on multi-day tours, I've had a bit of chafing on my calves when doing long heel side traverses but it has never been enough of an issue to make me modify my boots or high backs.
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 2:16 am Posts: 86 Location: New Zealand
Hi b_ret (Bret?) hey if you are looking at boot options then consider the Spark R&D new boot they have developed with Deeluxe. I will have a consignment of these in NZ mid Sept roughly. Check the Spark R&D Facebook for pics. I am in Christchurch so if you are nearby then lets catch up. Do you know about the Splitfest at Temple Basin on 17/18 Sept? I will have some demo gear there and you are welcome to register and attend go to www.splitfest.blogspot.com for more details. Cheers, Rich
_________________ SPLITN2.COM - Aotearoa Back Country Developments Ltd | Christchurch New Zealand | rich@splitn2.com | Custom Splitboards | Spark R&D | Fitwell Backcountry
i rode in my nepal tops for a few seasons but found that the height of the soles, with a narrow foot print, made it a bit less stable (alot less stable than fat low snowboard boots). i put together a high density foam wrap-around support that i mounted on my bindings, strap in and then wrap it up, it gave a bunch more support and padded b/w my calf and the high back, a bit of a hassle and still i sprained my ankle pretty badly once, minor tweaks a number of times... ankles are pretty complex joints, reconstruction isnt common and rehab is slow (10 years til the major sprain felt 'normal'!!). i did go back to snowboard boots for a couple years after that but theyre generally pretty useless for climbing so im on AT boots now, lookin fwd to trying the new generation of light touring boots and def not lookin back...
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