Best Alpine Boot
|
What's your favorite alpine approach boot/shoe? I'm in the market for something that is crampon compatible and can handle snow, but is lightweight and walks better than a regular mountain boot. Any suggestions? |
|
It depends on what you are talking about when you say alpine. The best way to get answers would be to put up a list of specific routes on specific mountains. |
|
Are you looking for a crampon compatible mountain boot, or a hiking boot that can accept crampons? I think you might be better off looking at something in the vein of kahtoola crampons, which can strap onto most styles of shoes/boots. If you're looking for a technical mountain boot, maybe La Sportiva's Trango S series? |
|
Do you want a full shank boot? The shank contributes a lot of weight and is a big part of why mountain boots walk so funny. However it is a godsend when you are on your crampon's toe points. So I guess what I am asking is, do you plan to do anything steep where you are on your toes? Or do you desire crampons for traveling on relatively flat ground. |
|
I suppose that I am going back and forth as to whether I want a shoe that is more oriented towards snow climbing, and therefore I am willing to sacrifice weight and comfort, or whether I want a heavy duty approach shoe such as the Boulder X high tops. I'm sick of lugging around my Scarpa Mont Blancs in a pack while climbing. I know that the shoe type highly depends on where I will be climbing and in what season, but that changes often for me, so I want to find something in the middle. I just wanted to ask around and see what most folks like using. Say for example you're roping up in the North Cascades doing some glacier travel and some technical rock, which type of shoe would you choose? |
|
If you are going to tackle technical rock and snow with the same boot, a typical mountaineering boot is probably your best choice. |
|
Scarpa Rebel Carbon GTX |
|
Are you thinking strap-on crampon, semi-auto or full-auto? Consider the weight of the crampon in the equation: strap-ons are typically heavier than full-autos. And what are you climbing in said crampons? |
|
Approach shoe: Any good trail running shoe. My current favorite is The North Face 109 GTX. I like the better support of a trail runner. |