kingslug
Well-known member
I got into AT boots and bindings 8 years ago when I took an Avi course at Alta. You have to skin up. Ever since then I'm hooked. Both my skis now have AT bindings. Marker Tour F12 on my 105 Wagners and Fritchi Pros on the Head Kore 117's. Just got the new Soloman Quest 130 boots. I used to have Garmont Endorphins but wore them out. These new boots are even lighter. My point here is that a lot of people never have tried setups like these. I think they are missing out on many advantages. Even if you never skin up a mountain there are many advantages to these things. Weight. AT boots and binding are much lighter than convention alpine types. Every pound off your feet is like 10 lbs off your back. I find them much easier to swing around and jump off whatever I feel like. Just sitting on a chair lift with no foot rests is a lot nicer. Walking around. With vibram lugged soles and a walk mode you can walk around normally. Up and down stairs, which is required at every resort, the bathroom is never on the floor your on, is much easier. I cringe when I see people walking sideways, or falling down stairs on their plastic soles. Ice is a killer for the poor souls walking around the resort. With these boots I can run up and down stairs, walk up the hill to the lift and climb. Climbing if you ever try it is impossible in Alpine boots. With a 130 flex you will never overpower them. This seems to be what keeps people away from them. Always the question can you use them at the resort..yes you can. The rail type bindings are as strong as Alpine ones. Marker has even come out with a new technical binding. The Kingpin. They claim its as strong as an Alpine binding at half the weight and is fine for resort only use. Hell just walking around the airport with them on your back is much easier.
The problem is the demo. I don't know where you could demo these things. I just did some research and got them. The Quest boots are great and very form able. I have tough feet to fit. All they did is heat mold them and they where good to go. My Endorphins took hours. Just find a good shop that knows about these things. My shop could not adjust the bindings, they did not have experience with them. Shops at Stowe and Sugarbush have experience as a lot of people are out there skinning up.
The problem is the demo. I don't know where you could demo these things. I just did some research and got them. The Quest boots are great and very form able. I have tough feet to fit. All they did is heat mold them and they where good to go. My Endorphins took hours. Just find a good shop that knows about these things. My shop could not adjust the bindings, they did not have experience with them. Shops at Stowe and Sugarbush have experience as a lot of people are out there skinning up.