Dukes with Alpine or Rando boots

A snowHead

couldnt see any info on this and am wondering if you can adjust the toe height on dukes to changeover from alpine boots to rando.

i am considering some rando boots and heard that you cant use them with normal alpine bindings. I was hoping to use rando boots for teaching on SL skis but that may be out. any ideas on this?

A snowHead

you can adjust the toe height on dukes to accommodate rando boots. i am not sure that they are truly DIN certified for use with rando boots (you can find some posts by a guy called shirk on TGR about this - he distributes Fritschis so this is a bit of a hobby horse of his) - but you can get the toe height right so although release might not be perfect it is better than cramming your rando boots into alpine bindings

you could take the risk with your SL skis for teaching. the release will likely be srewed up by the extra toe height but maybe that doesn't really matter if you are never pushing it

have you bought your rando boots yet? you could get ones with swappable alpine and touring toe pieces (eg Factors or Titans)

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Arno, thanks mate. i dont know anything about rando boots but am thinking quite hard about doing some more touring next year in prep for the EMS course and my 150 flex plug boots with slippery bottoms didnt give me a lot of confidence when booting up wink

also looks like on the BASI EMS course you have to have rando or tele boots. If could use em teaching indoors it would be a bonus but not essential.

havent even started looking for boots yet but CEM is stocking Dynafit . didnt know you can get interchangable toe pieces, is black diamond the only game in town for that?

also who stocks rando boots in the UK? i cant believe i am needing yet another pair of boots. the other answer could be to learn how to tele properly

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skimottaret, no - the dynafit titan has interchangeable toes too and there are other models coming out (eg Garmont)
Lockwoods seem to have a decent choice in the UK; if you aren't wedded to having dynafit compatibility, you could get some crossover boots - ie an alpine boot with vibram soles and, in some cases, a walk mode. seem to remember that CEM had some Atomics like that; I have Garmont Shamans which don't have a walk mode but do have vibram which makes a big difference for bootpacking, as you say. a walk mode would be nice for long skins but i have proper touring boots for that

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

skimottaret, why do you want AT boots? Dynafit compatibility? Vibram soles for easier bootpacking? Walk mode for lots of skinning? Just because BASI say so? You could vibramize your race boots without too much difficulty - see SZK's Sething thread and related links on TGR.

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Sideshow_Bob, my plug boots are really heavy and super stiff, also quite cold when teaching. wouldnt mind a pair of AT / rando so i dont scare the cr*p out of myself during bootpacking, will be doing some skinning next year. not so much of a basi says so but I really dont like exposed terrain and any help i can get will be needed. dont want to mess with my alpine boots.

probably get cem to order me up some

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skimottaret, how much skinning are you planning on doing?

After all it is free

BTW Markers website says this about the f12

skimottaret, As said, Lockwoods have a pretty sweet range of Rando boots and as far as I can remember have been doing so for around 12 years, should be in a good position to advice what's suitable. All said this is the greatest area of development at the moment, this year there are loads, next year is a bit too much. Some real crap out there beware!!!

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You should look at a free-ride boot rather than a rando boot. I tour a bit, but the ride down is more important. I'm doing my EMS next season. I use Garmont Radiums, they are a downhill boot with the touring bits added, and made a bit lighter. I use a pair of Mythic Riders with Dynafits to keep the weight down on a relatively solid ski, and improve performance over a Fritschi. Really depends on your foot size, Garmont, Scarpa, Black Diamond, Dynafit etc now make an extensive range of free-ride boots. Ellis Brigham stock quite a good selection.

If you don't end up getting a boot with a knobbly sole, they now make ultra-lightweight crampons specificaly for boot-ups / ridges etc. They weigh so little & make it so easy, I now always stick them in if I am going to boot up anything. Got them for the Aiguille du Midi ridge early season before the path is in, but now use them lots.

snow reports

I swapped from Full Tilt Bumble Bee Pro to Dynafit TLT-5 boots a month or so back.

Sport Conrad had the best prices I could find for alpine and AT kit

http://www.sport-conrad.com/page/startpage/

You know it makes sense.

I have Scarpa Typhoons come with both soles 130 flex and walk mode, intuition liners good boots. Smile

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

skimottaret, yes, the Duke/Baron/F12/F10 are designed for either alpine or touring boot (BTW, someone of your stats should steer well away from the F12/F10's). With vibram soles all these bindings are particularly sensitive to toe height adjustment which if not right can lead to pre-releases but if you go that route just call me & I'll talk you through their nuances.

A snowHead

Swappable soles are a much safer bet than trying to put Vibram soles into DIN binders, even if the toe height adjusts. I'm thinking along the same lines at the moment though, just getting into touring and they'd be great for days on race courses when I spend time without skis on. Dynafit Titans look great, but I tried a shell out today and my foot almost burst out of it.

A snowHead

spyderjon, thanks jon will be using the duke / mantra setup i already have and may pick your brains

kitenski, the training will be for some basi courses and i hear 3-4 hours a day is typical

Alan McGregor, good idea on the crampons do you have a link?

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skimottaret, just out of interest have you skied your Mantras yet? How'd you find them?

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Alan McGregor,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Sideshow_Bob, Buy some, you'll never regret it, if you do, drop 'em in to SOLE we've got a waiting list for second hand pairs in good nick.

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SMALLZOOKEEPER, already got a pair with about 25 days on them thanks, just interested in how a fan of thinner-waisted skis finds them Smile

Mine suffered a bit over new year and a fortnight ago in Cham due to lack of snow, let's just say I'm happy there's a metal layer under the base and not wood/foam core.

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Sideshow_Bob, they skied like fat GS skis. quite stiff and at 191 not great in the gullies and had to jump turn to make any turns at all. they held a good edge on long turns but needed huge for aft moves to make decent short turns with. that said when we were off piste in crust and rubbish they were real good and blasted through most stuff easy. I personally wouldnt use em as all rounders as i spend a lot of time on piste but happy with em for my off piste set up with ocassional on piste needs. i want to try some fatter skis for a laugh but they had plenty of float for me so doubt i would buy anything fatter.

After all it is free

kitenski, i just splashed out on the dukes and mantras so they will have to do... boots i may go for as my alpine boots are so tight not sure 3 hours of uphill will work with them

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skimottaret, you're unlikely to win any speed records with that combo but you'll be OK if you do a bit of fitness work beforehand

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

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Crampons are Camp XLC 390

http://www.lockwoods.com/camp--xlc-390-crampon/prod_3840.html

Alan McGregor, interesting, almost every guide I've talked to have advised to avoid alu crampons. Have you found any strength issues with yours?

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

alloy crampons - an interesting one. i've toyed with the idea of getting them a few times but never quite convinced myself. could see them being great for day trips where you aren't too committed. however, as soon as there is anything mixed i would start to get sketched out. so i end up carrying my heavy steel ones even though they are probably the heaviest single piece of kit in my pack

they really are bits of kit which you trust your life with

A snowHead

ww166no, I wonder how the alu ones would cope with descending a small section of frozen waterfall say? You couldn't pop over to Courmayeur and check for me could you? Wink

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

ww166no, Sideshow_Bob, any crampons (steel/aluminium/plasticine) would be fine should one wish to descend a frozen waterfall, as long as you only had one crampon each. Only an idiot would suggest that two crampons per person would be sensible, non?

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Let me guess, the right hand gully if you ski the Youla bowl ? Lot of people, including a very famous mountain guide, have walked back out of there this season !

If you go for super lightweight crampons you have to be aware of the limitations. Suspect they would struggle with water ice, & they are not designed for long sections of mixed either. But for old boot-up tracks with frozen sloping steps, or a bit of work along a ridge, they are superb. They are so light, and pack up so small, they can go in the pack if there is the slightest doubt, or if I might need to help clients on steeper terrain. If you skin all the way to Rosablanche, it's a bit of a bummer if you can't do the last 20m to the top because it is a bit exposed and icy - that sort of thing.

For anything more serious, the Grivel 12-point Fangs of Death crampons would come out, with the corresponding weight & size penalty.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Alan McGregor, no comment Embarassed

Although if anyone does ski it and finds a pair of Oakleys and a ski pole just below the waterfall PM me and I may be able to return them to their rightful owners. Would have been quite easy with a little bit of rope, esp as there was a sling/'biner already set up as an anchor point. Without rope descending it was 'interesting', but all four SHs got down safely.

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Batman_123, ever heard of 'hopping'? Toofy Grin

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I would change 'interesting' to 'scary' or 'painful'

After all it is free

Sharkymark, You try hopping down the arête on the aguirlle de midi. Then being told to re traverse across most of what you've walked down

Help!!

Dukes with Alpine or Rando boots

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