Photo from Wildsnow http://www.wildsnow.com/4256/dynafit-evo-backcountry-skiing-boot/
photo courtesy of Jared @ http://slc-samurai.blogspot.com/
And yes, they are climbing in Dynafit boots...the upper pair in this picture is the Dy.N.A.and the lightest commercial ski boot in the world.
I saw these boots at OR in Jan of . And choked on the $750 and $1000 retail.Let alone the $1500 retail for the race boots. But a couple of months in the alps and skiing a lot with a pair of the newest BD Primes (retail is $570.00) makes the obvious advantages of a boot you can climb and ski in exceptionally attractive. At that point two pair of boots (adding up tothe $1000/1500 range) seems less attractive.
I've never been a big fan of AT boots for technical climbing. Too heavy and too bulky let alone the other major disadvantages like they generally sucked as real ski boots as well.
I am slow to the party but have been playing with the TLT5 Mountain, in the both the TF-X and the surprising TF versionand the TLT 5 Peformance. A more detailedreview coming asap.
Until then think....skiing and climbing in ONE pair ofboots when it is beneficial.
La Sportiva Spantik 3#.05oz / 1362g
La Sportiva Batura 1st gen. 2#7oz / 1106g
La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 1205g
Scarpa Phantom Guide new model 2#7.5oz / 1120g
Scarpa Phantom 6000 new model 2#10oz / 1190g
TLT 5 Mountain TF 42.5oz./ 1200g (no tongue) 1290g with
TLT 5 Mountain TFX 48oz/1360g - 50.5/1440g
Black Diamond Prime 28.5 mono 62.5oz/1720 (Palau liner dropped 100g)
TLT 5 Performance TF 42.5oz./ 1200g (no tongue) which is a stiffer boot than the Prime which hasa overlapping tongue. Or 1290g with the tongue.
No compromise ski boots (REALLY, as all threeskis better than the Prime) and a decent (not perfect mind you but decent) ice climbing boot at the same weightbut warmer than apair of Nepal Evos! AT boots will "likely" never completely replace climbing boots but there is someamazing technology here that could be used to create a better climbing boot that also skis exceptionally well.
I have thought for a while now that a Spantik with a Dynafit binding system in them would be a godsend. Now I am thinking with a little tweaking on the TLT design and we might well have a better all around climbing boot.
More details and how they ski and most importantly CLIMB coming asap. I'd love to hear from anyone intentionally climbing technical ground in the Dynafits and your experience, pros and cons.
Photo courtesy of Colin Haleyhttp://colinhaley.blogspot.com/
Photo courtesy of Andy Sherpa http://slcsherpa.blogspot.com/
If theseboots interest you...take a look around to see what theInternet pricing currently is. You might well be surprised and most retailers will match pricing.
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