Pro Guiding Service - The Best of Boots

It's a sport Imelda Marcos would hate--you don't actually need a specialized boot to ski tour. Any downhill boot snaps into most randonnee bindings, and some bindings (like the Silvretta 400 or 404) work fine with mountaineering (climbing) boots. But while you may not need a randonnee boot, you'll soon want one. Their softer shells made of polyamids (rather than polyurethane plastics) are better for walking, and their vibram soles let you kick up steep snow slopes without taking a slide for life. Their releasable cuffs let you ski (or walk) comfortably uphill yet lock into a forward-flex position when it's time to carve turns. And their weight advantage lets you cover more terrain in the backcountry.

An old backpacking adage says an extra pound of weight on the feet is comparable to packing five extra pounds on the shoulders. This isn't completely true of ski touring where you're usually dragging, rather than lifting, your feet, but weight still matters. Touring with an 11-pound pair of downhill boots versus a 7-pound pair of randonnee boots can make huge difference over the course of 10,000 steps. It often makes the difference between completing or boinking on a tour.

Unfortunately alpine touring boots are going to squeeze the wallet of some serious money (the models in this review range between $350 and $450.). That means it's worth squeezing the brain before you shop. What kind of skier are you (cruiser, advanced, way-extreme dude); what's your fitness level (moderate, good, world-class of course), what's your age (Geritol Generation, Gen X, whose asking?); what motive drags you into the backcountry (tour beautiful areas, to shred it up man); what's a typical day of touring for you (putting in distance on traverses or circular routes; bagging peaks; yoyoing the baddest, raddest lines)?

The answers to these questions should lead you to one of three general categories:
1) The Lightweights. Because 90% of your ski-touring time is spent climbing or walking, skiers who are most interested in touring the winter environment, climbing peaks, exploring new terrain, and descending competently (if not brilliantly) will want such a boot.
2) The Heavyweights. Performance skiers who are in search of the steepest lines and the deepest snows will willingly pay a weight penalty for boots affording the most downhill control.
3) The Midweights. Ski tourers who fall in-between the extremes and who desire a boot that's neither too soft nor too heavy will find themselves, by default, with one of these boots.

After you've categorized yourself, here are best boots to consider.

THE BEST OF LIGHT

Weight is paramount importance to many ski tourers (especially aging ones) and in the featherweight division, the alpine-touring (AT) boots made by Dynafit set the standard. The TLT4 and the TLT3p are the lightest boots going (weight for size 28.5 is 7lbs. 7oz. respectively). The TLT4 is a 3-buckle mid-entry level boot that between its weight, walking mechanism, flexibility, rocker, and shortened front lip walks better than any other alpine-touring ski boot on the market. The pros of this boot are related to its cons. While it skis well, it is light and flexible and can't offer the downhill control of a truly stiff boot like the Scarpa Denali. Also the shortened length of the boot's forward flange does not allow you to use the TLT4 with any binding--it's specifically designed for use with Dynafit's TourLite Tech (TLT) binding. While the TLT binding is an extremely light, and extremely durable binding, it may not be the binding you already own or desire.

The TLT3p is a 2-buckle, mid-entry boot that is second lightest randonnee boot on the American market. It tours and walks extremely well, but even though it's slightly heavier than the TLT4, it is not as refined a ski boot. The shell is soft, allowing considerable forward flex, and high-performance skiers of the steeps won't have the power or edge control desired from a boot. I grew up with soft boots and because I still spend considerable time on soft telemark gear, I actually like these boots. However, when skiing tough terrain, I replace the boot's low, soft liners (which like most randonnee boots pull away from the shell and can be worn as camp/hut shoes) with the liners from my downhill boots (higher and considerably stiffer). Using different liners gives this lightweight boot great versatility for tours of varying difficulty.

Although the TLT3p doesn't need to be used with Dynafit's TourLite Tech (TLT) binding, it comes with the appropriate toe and heel fixtures. This lets you use one of the lightest randonnee boots available with the world's lightest binding to create a randonnee system that is a few pounds lighter (yet skis better) than what modern telemarkers drag into the backcountry.

THE BEST OF LEAD

On the other end of the randonnee spectrum, you'll find boots that opt for downhill performance over weight. Perhaps the best-known boot in the genre is the Scarpa Denali (weight in size 28.5: 9lb. 8oz.), mid-entry boot made from stiffer durameter plastics than any boot in the field. Looking at it on the shelf, the Vibram sole is the obvious feature differentiating it from a downhill boot. Underfoot it actually performs like a decent downhill boot, giving serious skiers serious control on serious slopes.

Randonnee boots all have a release mechanism allowing the cuff to articulate forward and aft in walking mode, and this is one area where the Scarpa fails: Even in walking mode, the Denali feels like a cast. Loosening buckles during a long climb is the best way to keep the boot from tenderizing your shins. Also, if you're wanting to shave a few pounds off your boards by switching to the Dynafit TLT binding, the Scarpa is not your boot--it lacks the necessary fittings.

A heavy, stiff boot that DOES couple with the Dynafit TLT binding is the Raichle Concordia (weight size 28.5: 9lb. 15 oz.). A 3-buckle, mid-entry boot (plus power strap) with easy front entry, I used to criticize it for being too soft for its weight. But Raichle has corrected the problem with a stiffer tongue and a higher liner with more plastic. Now the boot is comparably stiff to the Denali. In walking mode, however, the Concordia blows away the Scarpa--when the cuff is released, the Concordia gives superb forward and aft flexibility. This, in my opinion, makes it the better heavyweight boot.

PURGATORY

If the light end of the randonnee boot continuum is just too soft, but the stiff end is just too heavy, then maybe an in-betweener is your ticket. The Nordica TR9 was a perennially favorite in this category as well as a favored choice among ski-area patrollers because it skied well, was comfortable to wear all day, sported a Vibram sole, and (let's be honest) was easy for patrollers to buy through pro deals. Alas, the TR9 has fallen off the charts...because the TR12 has taken its place (weight in size 28.5: 8lb. 13oz.).

The essence of the TR9, a 3-buckle, front-entry boot, has been preserved but the product has been lightened and cleaned up a bit. Naturally, the new boot has cosmetic differences (like new buckles), and technical improvements to hype (like the warmth- and moisture-controlling Outlast Membrane in the liner) but the TR12 will remain a popular offering that skis well (if not superbly) and walks well to boot. Meanwhile, the TR10 is basically a stripped-down TR12--you get nearly the same boot without the Outlast Membrane for about $70 less.

The other boot of note in this genre is Dynafit's TLT All Terrain, a 3-buckle, mid-entry boot made to span the gap between the brand's TLT4S and its downhill boots. The All Terrain (weight for size 28.5: 9lb. 4oz.) has the stiffest flex and highest cuff of any boot in Dynafit's AT line. Its other notable features include flex adjustment, cant adjustment, excellent walking mode, and fittings to mate with Dynafit's TLT binding.