Oh, and you don't choose your boots. Your feet do.
It almost worth using rental boots to give an indication of how important good fit really is.
Bad fitting boots are ******* awful
Silly skiers with your silly boots 🙂
Now, now! Let's not bicker about oo's boots are better than oo's!
😀
right, you've all been to a man, f****** useless!
Now put your willies down and tell me what Im looking for in a boot (apart from fit) and skis (apart from fluoro colourway)
Nah I love skiing, it's brilliant . But the boots...! I look at stairs like I imagine a Dalek would. Good feeling when you take them off!
I have no advice on ski boots sorry!
Now put your willies down and tell me what Im looking for in a boot (apart from fit) and skis (apart from fluoro colourway)
A good tightish/firmly snug fit, but not so tight you cut the blood off to your feet and they fall off. That would be bad. Flashy is right tho, you don't choose your boots, they choose you.
I personally wouldn't bother buying a beginner boot, I'd go straight for a WELL FITTING intermediate piste basher. (This might not be good advice, it's just what I'd do myself in hindsight)
At this stage I'd just rent skis. I didn't admittedly, coz I saw some skis in a shop and they was all like shiny and stuff.
I learnt last year, best decision I'd made in a good long while 😀
I think you'll probably find some brands fit, some don't.
Like ordinary shoes.
But with added crippling agony.
what Im looking for in a boot (apart from fit)
Erm. Fit. Oh yes, and fit.
That aside, there are a few types of boot;
Race - As the name suggests, no compromise lunacy like this;
[img] 
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Stiffer than a stiff thing, Tight fit. Fast.
Nu-Skool RADnezz! - Thusly.
[img] 
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For the park rats, innit.
All-mountain (Think Enduro in bike speak!) - Such as the Salomon Quest;
[img] http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/SummitSports/360978_360978_1?$400$ [/img]
Light, stiff, some touring ability, usually have a "walking" setting, but above all, light, stiff and comfy. All rounders.
Touring - Gnarmac meets bikepacking;
[img] 
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Better for touring, hiking sections, skinning and the like.
Noobs - Thusly;
[img] 
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Heavy, massively uncomfortable, cold, shit, shit, shit.
Steezy goodness! - Thusly;
[img] 
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This is how I see you, Stoner. So very, very you.
wow. I need more pink to go with those Star Wars trooper flipflops.
So if I were a piste basher, then something like those salomons. Three ratchets and a velcro band. ANd Im guessing a fairly neutral posture?
I ended up with these http://www.lange-boots.com/SP/SP/xt-100_LBE7080_product_skiboots-men.html they really would have been fine to learn in. Might be different without cyclist/hill runner legs.
Based primarily on fit, they certainly where not the ones I had I mind when I was web shopping.
But they fit superbly.
Has anyone mentioned fit yet?
Somebody mentioned Enduro, which reminds me of ski boots due to voluminous quantities of marketing bullshit involved.
So if I were a piste basher, then something like those salomons. Three ratchets and a velcro band. ANd Im guessing a fairly neutral posture?
Get custom insoles
So if I were a piste basher, then something that fits. [s]like those salomons. Three ratchets and a velcro band. ANd Im guessing a fairly neutral posture?[/s]
As before, those are indications of type, not fit. Pick the type of boot you're after, and/or speak to your fitter about what you want to do, then let your feet/fitter do the rest.
FWIW, I use 120 flex, heat moulded Salomon Impacts, with custom insoles and they're lush! Stiff boots for my [i]athletic[/i] physique, moulding to get a comfy fit over the axe wound on my left foot. Yes. Really.
They're excellent. I usually forget they're on until the third or fourth post ski beer, and then loosen them a bit.
stevomcd .. lol @
😉"Ah..... Non."
mrs S has custom insoles, so I get the idea. Will make sure theyre on the list.
Will make sure theyre on the list.
Along with a sikk colorway, braw!
😉
Joking aside, fit is paramount. Ridiculously so. As before, get an idea of what you think you want to be doing in them, both now and in a couple of years time, and then talk to a good fitter. Colin at Solutions4Feet is very good indeed. I pulled some favours for mine, but if I hadn't, he'd have been one of the people on my list.
Ned, What is your itinerary for the Greenland trip? How long are you going for? Looks amazing.
I'm not going this year, I went a few years ago with a few friends, using Tangent Logistics. Stopover in Iceland. Landed at Constable Point in East Greenland, hour and a half skidoo with kit, camped, rode, got picked up, went home again.
Digby's going on April with Neil McNab, with broadly the same plan, I think.
Exup
Enough piste to keep an experienced boarder happy
Best description for Steamboat is rolling. There are steep sections but there are flat sections. It's more blues than anything else though.
enough mellow piste to accommodate inexperienced skiers?
The beginners greens are relatively good down at the base, however the greens up the hill are mainly cat track with a shit load of people banging down them. The blues at the top and mid mountain are pretty rolly with some sudden short steep sections. The blues descending to the base are steep, scratched off and a bit scary. The gondola drops of at the mid mountain area, and will take back to the base to avoid the ratrun cat tracks and steeper blues.
good pubs downtown? Eating out costs etc?
I didn't bother with the bars downtown just chilled in the hotel bar and bought six packs for the room. Resort prices on food, around $50 for two entrees and a couple of beers. There was a brewery type place on the main street (in the old town) which was cheap for burgers (better than Five Guys) and had alright micro brew beer (it's Colorado!)Make sure where you are staying is near the town or has a shuttle. The main section of Steamboat town is about 2 miles from the resort base and resort shit. There is a pretty good small pizza place in a strip mall near the resort base.
Lift tickets come in at £60 a pop, is that about right as far as you recall, if so it's a bit steep!
I think tickets when we were there were $115 per person per day. The exchange rate may work in your favor then or may not. You may be able to buy 5 pack or 3 pack tickets (3 or 5 days) which work out a bit cheaper. Nowhere in Colorado is all that cheap anymore. It may work out better to pony up for a season pass now while they're still a bit cheaper if you are going to be there for a week or two.
I'll put up a couple of photos in a bit.
Digby's going on April with Neil McNab, with broadly the same plan, I think
Pretty much yeah! 😀
Stoner, I've learned recently 3 years, 3 sets of hire boots that I've wanted to burn at the end of each day.
2 weekends ago I went to Solutions4Feet and got a fitting done, it really, really is the best thing you can do when on Ski's.
@I_Ache - I went with an Oakley jacket (from the now defunct outlet shop in Letchworth) with no padding, it's bloody great, has a magnetic storm flap, lift pass pocket, good venting and comes up good and high when you are on a cold lift!
Thanks Toby. I have seen a HH jacket I quite like but I'm being a tart as its green and so are my trousers.
toby - Ive just seen that theyre not too far away from me in Bicester.
Can you tell me how much you paid? Are the boot prices inclusive of fitting and in molds?
stevo - That's what I figured - never seen any Kesslers for even a gesture less than full price!
Just really fancy a fast charging board again - had a Duotone MTX 168 which was magic - loved that board, then killed it. 🙁
Currently got a venture split, a shorty Dupraz and a 176 swallowtail which is definitely quick, but so stiff that it's a bit of a handful on anything bumpy. Barely 5cm rise in the nose too - not something you want to straight-line into chop with! But in pow or on smooth piste, it's incredible.
The Ride looks perfect, but unjustifiable, given other things that need money spending on them.
I_Ache - I had a Quiksilver Mission jacket for last season (from TKMaxx) and it was great. Had to take it back though as a seam split (in the UK, not on holiday) and they didn't have another. Fit great as a boarding jacket, and not too much insulation, so no sweaty days.
Anyone know of any operators who do reasonable deals for boarders travelling on their own? The family can't go this year, but I want to get away and try my Jones Aviator. Budget is a bit tight due to building an extension or two at home.
Help me STW, help me.....
Stoner - I'm not Toby, but I did get my boots from Solutions 4 Feet. Iirc I paid £370 for my boots, this was made up of £270 for the boots, £100 for custom made foot beds. I ended up with Lange RX100 LV because I have narrow feet. Think this was about 4 years ago.
Colin spent about 90 mins doing the fitting, generally he just does one person at a time so it is a personal service.
If Bicester is close to you, how close is Cambridge? If you don't fancy custom fitted foot beds the OH got her boots from Ski Exchange, again a really good service - they spend a lot of time with you making sure the boots are right. Foot beds are superfeet, but they have all the kit to shave bits off if needed. A bit cheaper than S4F.
Im the other direction, hammerite.
TBH Im not shy of spending a bit on boots. When I took up boarding nearly 15 years ago a spent a good wodge on some Northwave boots that I still use every year. Theyve held up well, and I dont getg hot spots in them.
I will see if I can book a midweek fitting with him and nip over on the motorbike.
Lots of Arcteryx on Sport Pursuit at the mo. 50% off so it's approaching "normal expensive" pricing.
Tempted by a pair of their gloves, but at £85, I might plump for another wrap of duct tape.
@Stoner - £425 for me all in, boots, beds and fitting cost. So the prices on site are not inclusive. Like hammerite said 90 minutes and a 1 to 1 session. Not cheap, but I'm really really hoping worthwhile in the long run.
You should be ok with a mid-week appointment, I think they said weekends were booked to the end of October when I was there the other day.
cheers toby
Stoner - Not sure what Colin's stock levels are like, but I think most shops are about to get their new season boots in any time soon. We were in EB in MK at the weekend and they had no boots suitable for Jnr (a not very Jnr size 30) as they're waiting to receive their new stock.
Cheers 10, much appreciated.
Stoner, more detailed email to follow (Odd connection probs in da hood today!) but as others have said, prices usually don't include footbeds, but you should probably get them. Also, not all boots can be moulded, some rely on their shell shape alone.
Timely reminder not to litter in the mountains or anywhere really
Hi guys, starting to plan this winter's trip to the Alps. Any tips on finding accommodation?
Looking for a chalet for around 13 people, roughly £500/person for a week, catered would be nice but not essential, not particularly set on any resort, as long as there's good snow!
Any suggestions would be great 🙂
Thanks,
Duane.
finally decided on Avoriaz .
@Thetallpaul check out action outdoors.
http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/ they're the uk booking company for a French based sporting 'charity' called UCPA. The idea being that it provides cost effective winter sports. Action Outdoors specialise in solo travellers really. I've been on their solo travellers feb half term trip for the last two years. 2014 there was about 15 of us with me then aged 27 as one of the youngest. This year there were nearly 30 of us and at 28 more than 50% of the group were younger! Awesome trips though, great people, great food and most of all great snow 🙂
I'm going twice with them this year!
Duane, these guys are really nice, the chalet and food are great. It's a 5 minute walk to the gondola at Courchecal le Praz[url=http://]nhm-ski[/url]
Nick and Heather both know all 3 valleys like the back of their hand and will usually ski with guests to show them around if required. They can usually get you a bit of discount on ski hire too.
Duane . Try Chalets Direct for starters . Get as much detail in your requirements and let the owners contact you.
Stoner. 2nd Colin at S4Feet. I went for custom footbeds , @ £120 not cheap , but a great investment. He measured my feet and flexability and recomended Atomic Hawx for me. Did an Ebay notification thing and got a brand new , never used pair of Hawx for £80.
You cant beat good fitting boots.
Not sure of my winter hols this year yet , potential new job on the horizon might spanner things up. I do have a new to me set of Shoguns to try in the powder if I do get away.
Very timely post singletrackmind. If anyone is interested we're selling Jnr's Atomic Hawx size 28.5 if anyone is after a pair of boots in very good condition. They've only lasted two weeks away plus probably getting on for 50 sessions at Xscape MK (they're about 1 year old). We're after £65 (delivered) for them and will throw in an Atomic boot bag.
Another good report for Ski Exchange in Cambridge too. They fitted Jnr for new boots earlier in the week, usual excellent fit. But it turned out that the bindings on Jnr's skis needed re-fitting (funny that 155 SL skis being used with size 30 boots!). They wanted to check with Head that it would be ok to re-drill them but the office was shut so we left the skis with them. Went back yesterday, they'd checked with Head, drilled and re-fitted the bindings and while they were at it decided to edge and wax the skis for free. Ended up with boots, new bag, re-fitted binding and edge and wax for £190.
STMind - did colin mold footbeds for you and then you took them away and stuffed them in whatever boots you can find then? footbeds arent specific to the model of boot then I guess?
Yep. Although a little bit more scientific than that.
Colin had the Hawx . I have rectangular feet " These are what I would put you in , with a 100 flex " was his recomendation . I have the 80 flex model and they appear absolutely fine to me for my 75kg and 5ft11 body size.
So I went away and sourced my own at 1/4 of his price, although I think if you buy the boots the custom footbeds are reduced
stevo - That's what I figured - never seen any Kesslers for even a gesture less than full price!Just really fancy a fast charging board again - had a Duotone MTX 168 which was magic - loved that board, then killed it.
You could do worse than an Amplid UNW8 or B 10/30. Did all my SBX races on my UNW8 last year.
Tom B - Ta, I'll have a look this evening. At 43 I may well be the oldest by far 😀 . Just have to show these young whippersnappers.....
Just firing off enquiry emails for prices for 3V again next year. ooooooh...exshiting. 😀
Nothing booked but prob a week in Andorra with the wife/daughter and her friend then sending them home and flying to Geneva for a week somewhere with the lads.
