The season of skiing is upon us, and go we must into the frozen and snowy slopes of the alpine. There are many ways to explore the wilderness in the winter, yet I cannot imagine a single thing better than being on my skis. Whether approaching an ice climbing route, taking the dog for a walk, or doing a multi-day hut-to-hut traverse, skis are the only way to go!
There has been a cultural revolution recently… Light is right! Gear manufacturers are pushing the edge with materials science and minimalist construction. I am tickled to see that there are 5lb Alpine Touring boots, 6lb skis, and 2lb bindings. We are so fortunate to not have to be as hardcore as the original pioneers of our times who suffered through amazing terrain in soaking leather boots and wooden skis while carrying their canvas external frame backpacks.
This article was inspired by my recent, and on-going, search for new AT boots. Wanting to meld the worlds of mountaineering and AT skiing, I am searching for a boot that is light enough to take on most alpine adventures, yet burly enough to keep the skiing fun on the way down. For those that are not skiers, I need a boot that can comfortably climb vertical ice, walk on a dirt trail, have on my feet for days on end, and then have them be a stiff enough that you do not roll your ankles every time you try to turn your skis.
A new bevy of boots have hit the market, and they are small, slim and sexy. The best of these featherweights are the Dynafit Mountain Performance, and the Garmont Masterlite. On paper they are perfect. Light, easy to walk in, beautiful. Yet upon closer inspection, and after trying them on, I realized the limitations. These boots feel like they would not last 60 days of real use, nor were they near stiff enough to hold up to a heavy skier (I am 180 lbs, without a 30lb pack). These boots are perfect for going uphill, and great for technical mountaineering, yet the thrill of the descent would be lost in the lack of control these boots could provide.
I have ultimately come to realize that the lightest model is not always the rightest. While the Scarpa Maestrales are almost a pound heavier per boot, the durability, comfort and ability to control skis while going 20mph down a rocky couloir has me sold. These boots will allow me to do some resort skiing and not worry that I am putting too many miles on fragile construction. Now, instead of having to have on hand resort ski boots, AT boots, and plastic mountaineering boots, I can just go with one boot. It is not the specialized perfection of each of these boots, but a nice blend of all the best qualities possible in a single 7lb package.
Ski boots were the example for trying to get this point across: Why do you want the lightest (and often more expensive) thing on the market? Sure they are really cool, and everyone will take notice; be it skis, clothing, boots, bindings, harnesses… However, it is worth taking the time to stop and think about the real functionality of that uber-light piece, and being realistic about the limitations you are signing up for with minimalist construction.
Sometimes the middle road is the good road. We live in an ever polarized society of extremes and specialization. You do not have to mimic the world around you in your gear choices. Find a good piece of gear, one that you will actually use, that inspires confidence and fits a wide range of conditions and activities. Your pocketbook, gear closet and climbing partners will all be happier to see that you have found one thing that really works well, and you have stopped showing off the newest and lightest every time they see you!
Cheers to the adventure of life, and the tools we use upon this Earth!
Jason
Authors Note: Here is the closest thing that I have found to a perfect ski set-up:
Skis: 185cm Armada JJ’s Bindings: Dynafit TLT Vertical FT 12
Boots: Scarpa Maestrales Skins: Black Diamond Ascension
Poles: Anything with a Black Diamond Flip-Lock
Please join KAF Adventures and the Mazamas Expedition Committee on April 26th to hear Jason Wheeler share his climb of Denali via the Cassin Ridge, the fast-and-light technqiues he used, and how you can apply it to the Northwest Mountains.
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