AT boots, binding vs A boots

[kingslug]

Went up to Hunter Sunday with both pairs of boots and skis. Garmont Endorphin AT boots, Rossignol S3's with Fritchi pro At bindings, Dynastar Sultan 85,s with Nordica 120 boots. WOW the difference in the AT setup is amazing, felt like nothing on my feet. really like the Garmonts, pretty light, although not the lightest boots out there. The walk feature is the key and rubber sole..I felt bad for everyone else clomping around in there alpine boots, I could ...walk with these. The flex is rated at 130, my Nordicas at 120 but these are specific to the manufacturer..but they felt pretty similar. I spent most of the day on the AT setup, hit everything they had from Clairs to the Belt. The S3's just fly over everything, speed control was an issue....well I could scrub speed off but nowhere near what the Sultans could. Hitting bumps...airborn!!. Once I switched back to my regular setup...man the weight ...heavy. A lot more control but not as fun...very damp, much stiffer but this helped when it got scratchy. I'm thinking of putting AT bindings on the Sultans and just staying with the Garmonts..I really can't stand clomping around in the Nordicas and the weight saving is very significant..you really feel it. Would need Bindings that could handle the pounding, probably Marker Dukes. Oh, the Garmonts took about 3 hours of work at the store to get them to fit right, including a pretty painfull hot liner fitting, like putting you're foot in a vice for 20 minutes. The Nordicas, pretty much fit right out of the box when I got them 2 years ago, but I had custom insoles made for them last month and some fitting done at Surefoot...which took 3 hours. this made them a hell of a lot better...now I have to get the Garmonts over there for the same thing...I could use the insoles out of the Nordicas but they make AT insoles out of a softer material...good deal for $219.00, boot work is free with it...

 

[〽❄❅]

Have you read about this years crop?

...this review may interest you:
www.wildsnow.com/4031/mobe-scarpa-boot-review/

....aside from the Mobe @ 1800g/boot being around 1lb lighter/pair then the Endorphin @ 2050g/boot - the newer AT bindings have less flex and are lighter too:
www.wildsnow.com/379/backcountry-skiing-binding-flex-tests/

Btw, i'm also ditching the alpine gear in favor of lighter AT for double duty on the groomers too. thank you for posting your experience.

 

[riverc0il]

Glad you found a boot that works for ya.

For me, you couldn't pay me to ski in my AT boots (Garmont Radiums) when I am not touring. The performance drop is just massive compared to my alpine boots. The Endorphins are more along the lines of AT beef boots though which might account for your appreciating them in regular application. Touring oriented AT boots substantially more performance drop off I have found, at least for me.

 

[skidmarks]

I don't mind skiing in my AT Rig. The Dalbello Virus Tours have a 120 Flex and the Maker Barons on my Elan 888s work well in most conditions. As a matter of fact that's all I brought to Utah for a 10 day trip last spring.

 

[bigbog]

Big stretches = PEBAX_ALERT: (FWIW...)
If your AT shells are Pebax and the mods(ie shell stretches) aren't much = they may stay, but fwiw Slug...I needed real room in my Endo forefoot for the previous ~5seasons I skied in them. ~5 to 6days after each heatup/stretch and the Pebax would try to contract back to its original form a ways = major PITA, but then again I needed ~.5" of stretch in each dimension.

*All the above = log_cabin story....but thought I should say it in case anyone needs shell-work.

 

[〽❄❅]

Steve, i'm not surprised to hear you say that, given the equipment compromises one way or another to pull off both.
I already have alpine gear. My idea to put together a groomer "acceptable" AT setup isn't entirely based on not having a alternative. More my home location, time, bc access, snow conditions and wanting to try something new, without knowing much more than what i'm reading on the net. The verdict's still out, may be a waste of money or i might find it well suited to my needs, still figuring it out.

Anyway another opinion you may or may not find interesting from my previous wildsnow link of east coast skier Dave B wrt radiums vs moab vs, alpine boot:
" I’m coming off a pair of Garmont Radiums that I never could get to fit my feet, were a nightmare to tour in due to limited range of motion in walk mode, but skied downhill pretty well, or so I thought. The Mobes are far superior to the Radiums for me on the down. In fact, I like them more than my alpine boots (Technica Diablo Flame), and I am plenty fond of those."
www.wildsnow.com/4031/mobe-scarpa-boot-review/

 

[kingslug]

I looked at the Mobes but like the interchangable soles on the Endorphins..I might try them out again this Monday with the alpine soles this time. I've heard that changing them too much could strip out the screws though.

 

[bigbog]

Think anyone with "last" volume/shape issues needing bootwork has to be looking at the materials other than pebax...that's all. Additional problem for me is that my ankle area matches up with a #24 (mondo)downhill shell much better than a #25, and most men's AT boots start at #25(or Scarpa's #24.5=25.0 mondo)....uke:
ahhh the hassles of life..LOL., but some of the women's boots are essentially the same...so if not pebax, one can find an answer...

 

[〽❄❅]

backcountry dot com has BD Prime in a 24.5 -

http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-prime-alpine-touring-boot-mens

they seem to be running a 1/2 size small but 24 is available in the Prime and Quadrant on BD's website:

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/boots/quadrant

also the Atomic Tracker 130 (and 130 INT), a freeride boot/walk mode, has a very snug fitting heal/ankle area and starts at 24, (24.5 int),

http://www.atomicsnow.com/en-US/Pro...ine_boots/5/freeski/ae5001800/tracker_130_int

 

[bigbog]

Thanks....hey I do remember looking at that BD Prime boot. Would be worth it to check a few shops for them...to try on.

 

[kingslug]

Spent the day in my Nordicas...and really missed the Garmonts...some day I'm going to put AT bindings on my Sultans so I can just use the Garmonts...maybe soon as I just don't like Alpine boots anymore!

 

[Edd]

A friend of mine bought BD Factors at the beginning of this season and he's not having an issue with downhill performance as compared with his old Salomon X-Wave boots.

He is using toe warmers daily, though. He never had to do this with the alpine boots. Has anyone else had this problem after switching to AT?

 

[kingslug]

A friend of mine bought BD Factors at the beginning of this season and he's not having an issue with downhill performance as compared with his old Salomon X-Wave boots.

He is using toe warmers daily, though. He never had to do this with the alpine boots. Has anyone else had this problem after switching to AT?

They have less...everything..so yeah my feet get a little colder...so I just move around more...could always get hotronics for them...