Nuptse Sizing?

I would say true, but on the wide side.

I’d get them at zappos or here: http://mtntools.com/

so that if they don’t fit you can easily exchange.

i’ve never seen them at an actual shop outside of chamonix

Are you all talking about this as a boarding boot? I find this very interesting if that’s the case. 😮

I was almost ready to go with hard boots for a number of reasons(weight, boot pack/crampons, etc), until yesterday when I hiked for many hours in my softboots. I don’t think hiking dry rocky trail would have been any less unpleasant in AT boots, in fact I’m pretty certain I’d have been in bare feet had that been the case.
So, I am very intrigued by the prospect of riding mountaineering boots with mountain plates.

Tell me more

@Shep wrote:

Hard to do in anything but super powder. Carving an edge with a leather, or even a plastic, mountaineering boot is really tough. Some people have modded their mtn plates with highbacks, which I think would make it considerably easier. That said, my laces got really loose really quickly due to toe-side turns too. I have used mountaineering boots in strap bindings with great success though.
Thanks,
Shep

Thx! Good info…. :thumpsup: My interest in order are
1-Hiking potentially long approaches
2-Step in Crampons
3-Weight savings
Sticking with strap binders is a reasonable trade off for the first two.

@96avs01 wrote:

@Snurfer wrote:

2-Step in Crampons

Curious about this…do you mean both a toe and heel bale attachment or a hybrid strap/heel bale design? I personally have never felt the need for a toe bale (though I only climb WI4). Believe Steve House hit the Rupal face in a strap/heel bale hybrid crampon in the Nuptse.

Likely just the heel. More a matter of ease of putting them on relative to the clown boots (soft boots).

@96avs01 wrote:

Though you likely have a better deal, here’s an offering for 35% off from STP…limited sizes

That’s a good deal, but not in my size. I actually ordered from Gear X (399.00) last night and I’m already having buyers remorse. Searched and found some older threads and know questioning if this is a good option for anything but powder. Who knows I may have a pair of size 44 for sale very soon 😳

bcd: I would say true to size as well, I am a 28 modo in most things, and that size was right for me as a shell fit for the Nuptse. I seriously considered trying to make these work for awhile, to the point of trying them on at the shop, and strapping in to a board, and here are my thoughts:
Like most mountaineering boots they are a little low in the ankle.
The forward flex is way too soft for me with the stock liners.
The boot has a longer footprint than a similar size soft boot, or hard boot, so board width and boot overhang needs to be carefully considered.
Because the heel is raised in comparison to a snowboard boot, it is impossible to get the heel of the boot all the way back into the heel cup on a stock binding.
I planned the following mods to overcome the problems:
Use a Intuition overlap liner to raise the cuff of the boot, and perhaps add some plastic reinforcement to the front of the liner to beef up the forward flex a little. In the past I have had good results gluing pieces of plastic to the Intuition and thermoflex liners with barge cement.
Add a beefy powerstrap to the top of the Intuition liner.
Modify the heel cup of a binding to allow the heel of the boot to go all the back into the heel cup. On aluminum heel loops this could be accomplished by cutting away material from the lower edge of the heel loop.
Instead of going the mountaineering boot route I decided to experiment with hard boots, and I ended up finding success with a highly modified Dynafit Zzero 3. Now I have a hard boot set up with as much flex as my Driver Xs, that also weighs less than any soft boot set up.
bcd-if you get them I look forward to hearing how they are working for you.

@barrows wrote:

Snurfer: I do not enjoy hiking dry rocky trail for any distance in a mountaineering boot (Nupste) a snowboard boot (Driver X) or a hard boot (Dynafit Zzero 3). If I am planning a tour, or trip that features significant distances on dry ground I will always carry the boots and wear a lightweight pair of trail runners. Remember, the mountaineering boots feature very stiff soles for climbing performance, and they can beat one up a bit on long hikes over dry trail and rocks.
Less weight on the feet is also more efficient for hiking, and the extra weight of carrying the trail runners is minimal.

Barrows, very good info. Thx :headbang:
Def throwing the Salomon runners on next time I do a long approach, and already talked to Gear X about the likely return of the Nuptse’. On the other hand I started life (boarding life that is) wearing high top Van’s, then Sorel’s, and I ride mostly powder, so…. who knows maybe I’ll love them :scratch:

BTW… If anyone has clear photos of how they have solved the hard boot dilemma of being high off the board (i.e., mountain plate + slider plate) I’d probably give hard boots another look.

@Shep wrote:

Snurfer, don’t freak out… I was doing jump turns and 40-ish degree suncrust in the sierras last year in my Millet leather mountaineering boots w/ strap bindings. I think they work 95% as well as snowboard boots in strap bindings, with the advantage of better rock scrambling and crampon compatibility.

Shep

Cool :thumpsup: I appreciate the reassurance on the performance…. Its nice to get a good cross section of opinions.

And since I totally hijacked the thread, I will be sure and post my opinion on sizing since that was the original topic. 😉

its worth looking at this boot as well. http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/835