Flashback - Skiing in Climbing Boots

Gordy and Lowell Skoog skiing in the North Cascades in May 1986.
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I've had this little essay in the back of my mind for a long time. I've been wanting to record my thoughts about skiing in climbing boots, now that I probably won't do it anymore.

For a small number of local skiers, climbing boots were an important part of the backcountry skiing experience during the 1980s and 1990s, before the gear got better and the popularity of the sport exploded.

The notion of deliberately choosing climbing boots for demanding ski tours seems daft today. But it was something we did consciously, and it worked for us. So I've recorded a few words and pictures before they fade from my memory. See the following page:

[size=12pt] www.alpenglow.org/skiing/climbing-boots/index.html [/size]




Kastinger Habeler plastic climbing boots fitted with Ramer ski mountaineering bindings in 1985.
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It's a parallel universe ! I still have my Habler Kastinger boots in service , but not for skiing anymore. I had them mated with
Gertch A.T. bindings, predecessor of Fritche A.T. and a pair of Hexel comps 200cm. It really kept me on my toes, but it's what I could put together at the time. The bindings have a bail in front and would handle a pretty small welt. I still have the whole set-up. Thanks for the flashback.    X

Where'd you get them binders?

Back in the day, say February, 1969, I got a pair of Silvretta touring cable bindings and used them with leather climbing boots.  I bought a pair of oversized Val d'Or Darbellays for the purpose at REI in 1971 ($27, or is that faulty memory?), and found an inner boot elsewhere to cobble together a cheap double boot for winter use. Of course, the ski capabilities of these boots (and the wooden skis that went with them) must have been minimal, but you could hike in them and get down whatever slope by hook or crook.

  Where'd you get them binders?

Ha!

Thanks for the reminder, Ed.

Those bindings I bought from you went to my wife, Steph. I'm sure they're the ones she's using in the two pictures I included of her.

My original Ramers (and the K2's they were mounted on) went to Gordy after I bought a pair of Ramer Grand Tour skis (with new bindings) in 1987. Gordy started out on a pair of Marker Rotomat TR bindings, which you can see on Lou Dawson's site here:

www.wildsnow.com/backcountry-ski-museum/...-tour/marker-tr.html

Those bindings had real limitations for touring, but they were a start. I don't remember whether you could use climbing boots with them. Gordy actually used our dad's old leather ski boots from the 1960s (lace up? with smooth soles) for the first few years he was alpine touring. There's a picture of those old boots in this trip report:

www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=13294.0

Used a pair of Asolo plastic boots with Ramer Classics on Evolution Pearls for a trip to Mts. Logan and Steele in 1997. Chose the Ramers for their ability to be repaired easily in the field.

The Asolos skied very well, except for the fact that there was obviously no room to get in the "back seat". No problem, just forces you to pay attention to using good technique. They were light, warm and definitely a good choice for that kind of mountaineering. A pure AT boot would have been overkill, heavy and not as versatile for the different kinds of climbing we faced. Nowadays, though, a modern light AT boot may have been just the ticket, although not as versatile as a plastic climbing boot for alpine ice, etc.

Great pics of you and your brother(?) Lowell! Thanks...