Bindings for Next Season

Harv, I think you need to go back to page one of this thread and read it all the way through again. We are kind of going full circle here.

Harvey44 wrote

What is the difference between an AT Boot and an alpine Boot? What does an AT give you that an alpine boot doesn't?

Someone asked the same question on Epic Ski last year and got some helpful answers:
http://www.epicski.com/t/103815/alpine-touring-ski-boots

A store called Ute Mountaineer answers the question in the PDF file:
www.utemountaineer.com/pdf/GearGuides/ATBoots.pdf

AT prophet Andrew McLean compares AT and tele for backcountry use. Some priceless quotes:

Andrew McLean wrote

Alpine Touring bindings have both front and back components just like bicycles have front and back tires. This revolutionary concept allows greater speed, performance and control. Tele bindings on the other hand are more akin to a unicycle with only one point of contact. The comic improbability of riding a unicycle or telemark skiing is a common bond between circus clowns and tele skiers...

Telemarking is more of a religious cult or a reality TV series about dysfunctional rock star families, most of which doesn't makes sense to the casual viewer. Why would you want less control, more weight and unreliability?

http://www.telemarktips.com/AlpTouring1.html

A bewildering collection of dedicated AT and touring-capable alpine boots:
http://www.backcountry.com/alpine-touring-boots

I'm sure there is more out there.

I don't know. This seems so simple to me.

You like Telemark Skiing.
You want to try AT.
In order to try AT, you're looking at buying boots and bindings.
There exists a boot that work for both Tele and AT, and would work with Dynafit Bindings (NTN boots with tech fittings).
Alternatively, you could buy Alpine or AT boots, and only use them with a fixed heel.

I'm going through this same line of thought, but constantly coming down on the Scarpa TX Pro NTN boots. Then, I'm going to mount 1 pair of skis with dynafit bindings (for AT), and one pair of skis with NTN (either Freedoms, Spike NT, or TTS) for tele. Best of both worlds as far as I can tell...

$3000. for an at boot?!?!

Harvey44 wrote

What is the difference between an AT Boot and an alpine Boot? What does an AT give you that an alpine boot doesn't?

The lines are quickly blurring at this point. AT boot offers a massively range of motion for easy walking. You should be able to stand completely straight and maybe even a bit of negative tilt from vertical in an AT boot but then be able to lock it in a normal alpine stance for the down. Bottom of the boot should be built for climbing gullies, vibram instead of hard plastic. Overall, the boot should be significantly lighter than alpine boots.

The lines get blurred because the market wants downhill performance AND uphill performance and that is a tough combo. What makes for good light weight flexible boots with a wide range of motion are often properties that don't work for a super stiff beefy boot cable of nasty aggressive descents and cliff jumps.

So alpine companies are creating cross over boots that are essentially alpine boots with a walk mode and AT boot companies are making heavy and stiff boots, so much so in that direction that they are losing the characteristics that make them great touring boots.

Essentially, if you are going to be touring a lot, you won't want to be lugging extra pounds around in an inflexible boot. But if you want a stiff oriented performance boot, going AT could be a compromise.

Personally, I would never ski my AT boot at a resort. Never. Performance isn't nearly as good. And having been there, done that, I would never tour in my alpine boots now that I have AT. For those that don't tour hardly much at all, an alpine boot with an AT walk mech makes some sense if they don't mind the weight penalty and don't want to invest in a second rig (or deal with quiver killers or whatever).

Sick Bird Rider wrote

But really, how often will you ski in the Chic Chocs? Unless you can afford a dedicated "dream trip" setup, get the gear that makes the most sense for the skiing you do most of the time, and accept the compromise for the other times.

Money!

"Get the gear that makes the most sense for the skiing you do most of the time, and accept the compromise for the other times." or buy multiple rigs, I would add. That is what I do. Of course, that ain't cheap but there are plenty of ways to do it without going out and buying everything brand new.

freeheeln wrote

$3000. for an at boot?!?!

Well, it does have "a two-piece, micro-light Bikini liner."

One word: Carbon. It is not hard to spend over $10K on a bicycle, why not $3K on a ski boot?

Check this one out:
http://www.backcountry.com/scarpa-f1-carbon-alpine-touring-boot
$1700 and the cuff is held together with a piece of string. Although it is on sale for only $934.42.

Heck, if you're going the tech binding route, forget about Dynafits - they're pigs!!!

You need these bad boys


TD

Did you try a pair of alpine skis yet?

Ok you guys are probably going to shoot me ...

Last night JMP, Shaman, Super Jess and I were having dinner.  It came up that my unmounted Worth's were in the car and we stepped outside to do a little show and tell.  I must say, my bros were most impressed with the dimensions, shape and construction.

So they cooked up a plan to get me a really good price on new (rep demo) AT boots.  Shaman, whose headed in the NTN direction decides to give me his Markers for super cheap.

It was all set.  On my way out of town this afternoon I went to grab the boots so I could get the heat molded by Rich at Inside Edge in Glens Falls.

So I took one last look at the skis and, well... I'd had such a good weekend teleying with Uncle Tony... I just couldn't bear to load those beautiful skis with a pile of fixed heel weight. And I'm on the new boards for $150, instead of a lot more.

They are getting Rottefella R8 Tele bindings with a riser.

 good choice on the binders.i find them to fit my needs.very torsionally rigid hold up to the rigors of free heel skiing not just tele

I just saw my skis at Gear Source with the Rotte's on em. Very sleek and light for sure. Incredibly excited when I saw them.

Little problem... The Rotte box was for a larger binding loop, but the loop inside was a small.  Sooo... it's either pinch the loop of the Rotte's on my Icelantics, or make a decision each day about what to ski.  I guess I could make changes in the field, but that's not my idea of fun.