Flashback - Skiing in Climbing Boots

Love it! I remember skiing Muir Snowfield after my first climb in 1985, telemarking in my Ramers and Kastingers, on 205 Atomics. I didn't even have the heel part of the binding attached. A couple more friends from B'ham always skied tele with Ramers and their Koflachs. Fond memories.

It's a parallel universe !

Yes, although my parallel universe is the reverse of the post's title, and would read climbing in skiing boots.

Circa 1995 climb to Camp Muir 100% of the way in a pair of Rossignol alpine racing boots. This was my first "backcountry" skiing experience.

Some of us are boneheads, you know. Had a great  day though! Remember it fondly.

Thanks for the post Lowell!

I had my Kastingers back in my Ramer days too but was too scared to ski in them. I figured my ankle would get torn in a bad fall well before the binding released. Without an actual upper cuff on the boot, I figured there would be poor transmission of force into the binding. I used Scott boots. No walk mode, but very light and for multi day spring tours I could easily dry the boots out by removing the liner foam and wiping it clean along with the inside of the shell. That foam did not take on moisture at all!

I used the Marker Rotamat TR also for a while with the Scott boots. The limited rise worked okay for short climbs but I blistered badly on the first day of a trip with CMH to Stanley Mitchell hut. The guide blamed it on the boots but I knew it was the binding. Some tape kept me going and by the end of the week the blister effect was gone. Somehow, I did a whole week with the limited rise and no heel lifters and no walk mode. After experiencing the freedom of the TLT6 and Vipec this year, I'd probably cash it in if I was limited by the old gear nowadays!!

I picked up telemark skiing directly after my first ski trip with Koflach climbing boots, silveretta bindings, and Rossignol ST skis. The ski experience was so hateful for me that I put those skis in the closet and never took them out again. The tele set-up that replaced it was lace-up low top leather boots, three pin bindings and K2 KVC 200cm skis! Ha! I sure love my modern equipment.

Lowell, you and your brother sure made it look easy. The photo with the five day pack is amazing.

If skiing in climbing boots helped Gordy learn that "perfectly centered stance" then maybe I missed out. I've never seen him off balance, even in the worst conditions! (I believe it was more than the climbing boots!)