Maurice

Erik I'm not following the relation between my question and your response. Are you promoting divergence from the subject?

Just to get a little more off subject. On utilise quoi comme sous vetements sur la face nord d'Hood? Commentaires?

I wonder if people that have ordered stuff from europe have had to pay duty.

Is it possible that Americans don't care that they pay astronomically inflated prices for boots, crampons, axes, etc?

I would like to know why climbing product prices are so high on french and italian products. In the US, we pay twice the french retail, while they buy our products for the same retail as we pay. Why is it unfair in this way? All the while they include a 20% sales tax in their retail prices and their currency has lost 20% of its value to the dollar over the last two years. Yet somehow their consumers are making off like bandits and we are getting the shaft and a poor selection. Could our import taxes be particularly high on this type of product? Anyone who knows, please fill me in. ------------------

Speaking of boots, I've a question. Why are european boots and alpine equipment twice the price in the US, when the american products have the same retail ( cheaper when adjusted for 20 % sales tax) in europe (france at least, as I know Sweden is spendy) Could the import taxes be so high? Also I've got La Sportiva K2 (I paid 160$ retail) and it took me only a one mile hike to break them in, the next hike up Adams was painless. I love them.