Koflach Boots ???

[wadester]

I am considering purchasing a pair of Koflach Mountaineering boots. Most likely the Degre. I don't live close to any real mountaineering shops, so my choises are quite limited. My intended use would be mostly snow and glacier travel with little technical climbing and long approaches. Along with a little winter camping. Has anybody used these and can recomend them. Or has used them and hated them. Or can recomend a better boot based on quality. As I will have to decide best fit. I am pretty much limited to what REI sells though as they are the only local shop with any selection.

[Greg_W]

I have Degres and they work well for slogs. However, I wouldn't do a long approach in them and I wouldn't size them much more than a 1/2 size above your street-shoe. They aren't a bad "entry level" boot; now that I've done more, I'm looking for better performance and slimmer profile.

[swaterfall]

Are you set on getting plastic boots for a particular reason? Leather mountaineering boots might be worth considering, unless you are climbing in extreme cold.

[wadester]

I was considering the plastic boots over the leather because of the extremely wet snow I encounter here in the winter. My other concern is also the price. I was concerned that a leather boot with equal warmth and waterproofing would be to expensive. I have to keep it under $400.

[KWH45]

I have a spare pair if your interested, 121/2 or so. not great shape but i'll let you have them for 75.00

[Alex]

Plastics have really limited use, in my experience. I used to use plastics for winter-ish trips, now I use leather boots (Scarpa Eiger, Freney) exclusively. They are lighter, cheaper, more comfortable. You don't have to get a La Sportiva Nepal Top to get a worthy leather boot.

 

There are only two instances that I use plastics now: week+ long trips to snow country (like, the Alaska Range) and -25 degree days ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies. The leather boots do everything else, better.

 

If you can, take a long hard look at good leather boots.

[fenderfour]

Check out sierratradingpost.com. They have a few plastics on sale right now.

 

I agree with everyone else. My plastics only get broken out for ice climbing or for big slogs (Rainier). Otherwise I am using my ghetto-ass REI Monarchs for everything. $99 and Merrell quality with a gortex lining. Pretty hard to beat. They are super comfortable and accept strap-on crampons as well as anything else.

 

I climbed the North Face of Shuksna in them this year, and they performed beautifully.

[specialed]

For plastics (I think anyway) your best bet is to buy some cheap ones (used is good) that are maybe a half size too small. Plasic boot shells are essentially all the same, its the liner you pay for. Should be able to find some for around $100.

 

Throw out the ghetto stock liner and get some Intuition thermofit liners. I don't know who in Boise has these, but I think they run just a bit over $100. They're lighter, warmer, and WAY more comfortable than any stock liner. You should be able to get a good setup for around $200.

[iain]

You ain't skiing jack in anything like the nepal top or scarpa leathers. I still climb some stuff in invernos just to avoid having to slog down if skiing is an option. However, the difference in climbing performance between invernos (and I would assume the koflachs) and good leathers is pretty significant.

[cj001f]

You ain't skiing jack in anything like the nepal top or scarpa leathers. I still climb some stuff in invernos just to avoid having to slog down if skiing is an option. However, the difference in climbing performance between invernos (and I would assume the koflachs) and good leathers is pretty significant.

A recent BC ski guide (publsihed this August) suggested using old Downhill Ski boot cuffs w/some modifications to increase the ski performance of plastic boots (alot like the old Tele Cuffs). Worth a try?

[specialed]

Climbing performance may decrease in plastics compared to leathers, but its a balancing equation. You give up some performance as far as sensitivity, but gain warmth and stability. For long routes in which you'll be on your front points a lot, I think its kind of nice to have a big beefier boot. Also kind of nice to have more protection when your kicking your big toe into hard ice every two seconds for 2000 feet. Plus if you got to ski, as Ian said, leathers suck.

 

On another note: One good trick for skiing in mtneering boots is to tie a piece of cord from the tips of your skis (thats why the frenchy randonee jobs have holes in them) to just below your knees. Provides enhanced stability and control.

[iain]

A recent BC ski guide (publsihed this August) suggested using old Downhill Ski boot cuffs w/some modifications to increase the ski performance of plastic boots (alot like the old Tele Cuffs). Worth a try?

 

Not to hijack this topic, but that's exactly what I was thinking. Some kind of cast around the lower leg that is really light. I thought Grivel had something like that on the market a long time ago. I would think there is a market for it.

 

I definitely agree that plastics are really nice for extended front-pointing stuff and in really bad conditions. Really scary when your toes go numb for a week after extended front-point sessions in the cold in leathers You can definitely hang out for a long time front-pointing in plastics.

 

I've heard about the string from tip to knee for skiing stability but I already look like a geek and need no additional assistance.

[specialed]

I've heard about the string from tip to knee for skiing stability but I already look like a geek and need no additional assistance.

 

Save that technique for extreme situations only. Or atleast when the fashion police aren't around.

[Dru]

Didnt I see a picture of Beck with those knee strings on

 

Plastic boots rock. I wore my Koflach Vario's on a 20 hour spring climb (long alpine ridge) and was the only one to have warm dry feet. The leather booted partners got cold wet feet.

[icegirl]

I LOVE My plastic boots. They so rock, they never blister my heels, they always keep my feet warm on those sub-fucking-zero-dinner-plate-fest-in-the-making mornings, they climb just fine for my ability level, yadda yadda yadda.... Koflach Vario's here too, got em on sales cause i have pigymy feet... If I got another pair, I'd probably go with the Lowa's just cause they are lower volume, and a bit more sensitive.

 

Yes. I have leathers. Nice ones. They still don't stay uber warm like my puffy fluffy down pillow feeling koflach's.

 

Of course maybe i just have issues with cold feet.

[Beck]

I use dual knee strings, both fore and aft, and don't use plastics much. But the Lowa's would be my choice for plastic boots.

[pete_a]

Paul Ramer actually built a prototype AT binding back in the 80's that had an integrated plastic ankle-calf brace built into the binding (which released with the binding plate when you crashed)....there was an old picture of it in Backcountry or Couloir several years ago when they ran an article highlighting all his ski mountaineering inventions. You could go downhill skiing in any boot that has a toe-heel bail on it with this binding...very cool idea for getting good ski performance out of climbing boots.

I've tried using an old Lange ski boot cuff with foam wrapped around the inside and clamping it to the top of my Koflachs (used these cuffs back when I had leather teleboots). The cuff stiffens the Koflachs a little, but doesn't eliminiate the sloppy fore-aft flex...the knee-string thing actually worked better than the Lange cuff idea.

[ketch]

I have to add another vote for looking at leather or composite. I have to favor a foot and I use Scarpa Freney XTs Great boots. Scarpa bills them as Ice boots but they have done me good the other three seasons even in summer slogs I've never had wet feet and are good to walk around in. If your really set on plastics I think that Mountain gear in Spokane was running a sale on Arctis Expes that was worth looking at.

[SublimeSalamander]

I couldn't make'em work for my wide feet. I've heard others that have wide feet say the same thing. I went with the Scarpa Inverno and they work fine. Just something to consider.

[tomtom]

Thermofit liners will make anybody's foot fit in plastic liners.

 

Plus their warmer.

 

Plus their lighter.

[AaronB]

Check out The Benchmark on Vista ave. They have good stuff, and are helpfull. And are right accross the street from a titty bar if you can't find anything your size and want to spend some money.

I like my Asolo AFS Guidas. They have a stiff enough and high enuf backs to keep my legs from getting chewed by my Snowboard bindings..

 

Here are some REVIEWS

 

[wadester]

Can anybody tell me more on these Thermofit liners? Cost? Where can I get them?

[pete_a]

www.cheapsnowboards.com has Morrow snowboard boot liners for $30 that are the same as thermofit liners and are considerably cheaper than other options (though they used the sell those liners for about $5).

www.life-link.com also sells thermofit liners,I think their liners go for about $100.

[cluck]

Hey Wadester - check out The Benchmark (on Vista near downtown Boise). If I recall correctly, they have some pretty serious mounteering gear down in their basement and might have options that REI doesn't.

[wadester]

Yeah the Benchmark has about the same selection as REI, But the customer service sucks. So I try to avoid them unless I absolutely have to.