Scarpa Omega Boots

[ridgeline]

Just saw this boot on mountgear and I’ve never seen it before.

Is this a new boot? Anyone know anything about it, I can’t find anything on the scarpa website (whatever that is) as of yesterday.

 

Looks basically like a red version of the Alpha. And by the name I’m guessing it IS just an evolution of that boot.

[olyclimber]

Yes, latest update of Alphas.

 

http://www.alaskamountaineering.com/Product.cfm?id=938

[cj001f]

If you have an Alpha on one foot and an Omega on the other do you have god boots?

[rhyang]

Just saw this boot on mountgear and I’ve never seen it before.

Is this a new boot? Anyone know anything about it, I can’t find anything on the scarpa website (whatever that is) as of yesterday.

 

Looks basically like a red version of the Alpha. And by the name I’m guessing it IS just an evolution of that boot.

 

I saw it on the Scarpa UK website recently.

 

As Scarpa is no longer going to be distributed in the US by Black Diamond, I'd guess it will show up on the Scarpa North America site at some point...

[kurthicks]

They look like god boots

[ridgeline]

I'm just curious what improvements they've made to the alpha.

i read a wider toe box, which is good.

Now if they've also made improvements to make the akle tie in more secure/tighter I think it will be a 'god' boot.

anyone acutally tried them on?

[Alex]

From Alpha to Omega in one model year, what will the next model be called??

[Figger_Eight]

The liner is updated and the word on the street is that the plastic will be more resistant to cuts. Other than that, it's a red Alpha.

[fowweezer]

well, just gonna go ahead and bump this post a bit. I'm looking for info on the Scarpa Omegas, and haven't had much luck at either summitpost or Rockclimbing.com (go figure). I posted my exact post on summitpost below and didn't get any respose. Any help here??

 

So, with winter slowly approaching, I'm trying to decide on a boot that will keep me warmer than my La Sportiva Trango S EVO. These are great boots, but they're a bit more summer weight for me, especially since they fit quite snug (impossible to put really thick socks in them). Perfect for scrambling and warm weather stuff, and rock, but not so good in the winter.

 

I had pretty much decided on the Scarpa Invernos, based on their popularity, price, warmth and all that. They are compatible with my splitboard bindings, which was nice, and they're warm enough for Tetons winters, Uintas winters and Alaska trips if that becomes necessary (Denali not necessarily in the forecast, but other Alaskan objectives).

 

I was trying them on at the BD store in SLC again today, and just don't like how clunky they are. The guy recommended the Scarpa Omega as a replacement, and they felt a lot better. Lighter, less bulky, and easier to walk in generally. He seemed confident that they'd handle Tetons winter temps and summers in Alaska, but cautioned me that they are not as durable as the invernos.

 

Has anyone had any experience with these?

 

My specific questions are:

 

1. Are they warm enough for what I want? I know they'll climb and hike better (and ski better for that matter), just based on feel. But will I lose toes? I have poor circulation for someone my age (21), and my feet and hands do tend to get cold easily.

 

2. With molded thermofit liners (free at BD if I buy them there, by the way), they should be a bit warmer, but how much?

 

3. Concerns about wear and tear and durability? I don't abuse boots, but I'm not easy on gear either. I won't be using them daily or even weekly.....mostly reserved for rare (1-2 times per year) trips to the tetons and uintas in the winter, and occasional days in the wasatch in the winter (but I'll also use my trangos there).

 

4. I'm looking at a UK size 9.5 and they felt good with a single thick sock, and a liner sock would be fine once they pack out (the boot liners that is). I'm tempted to make sure I've got a bit of extra room because I would like the option of THICK socks for my poor circulation, but I was warned away due to increased chances of blisters with more socks in there. Any thoughts?

 

5. If they're not warm enough for winter stuff like I mentioned, would a supergaiter or even overboot work well enough with them for long approaches and slogs (removed for technical climbing) to make them more feasible?

 

I think that's all for now. Thanks.

[dbconlin]

I've got Scarpa Alphas with Intuition liners. I think the Omegas should be warm enough for anything in the lower 48. I haven't climbed in Alaska, so I am not sure about that. They should come with Thermofit liners no matter where you get them, not just at BD. Are you talking about the fit that is free? Other shops would probably charge 20-30 bucks to fit you if you don't buy them at the shop. You can do it at home, but you better know what you are doing. If it is a first-time thermo liner for you, better get it done professionally.

 

Thermo liners are much much warmer than old school foam ones.

 

REgarding warmth, I had similar questions when I bought mine. I already had scarpa tele boots with thermo liners, so I had some experience to base my decisions on. I wear only a very thin ski sock under my tele boots and they are very warm. so when I went to buy thermo liners for my Alphas, I asked why not just where a thin sock and let the liner do all the insulating. Nobody seemed to think this was the best idea and everybody always recommended getting a slightly insulating sock or better. however, think of it this way: there is a fixed amount of volume to fill between the shell of the boot and your foot. you can fill this space with the liner or your socks or (in reality) a combo of the two. Wearing a warmer sock doesn't seem to me to necessarily be a warmer overall boot. YOu could be filling that same space with expanded foam liner material, which is really warm. I went with a mid-weight ski sock in my Alphas and they are warm. I do not think I would have gained any warmth by increasing my sock thickness. However, you do gain cushoining.

[fowweezer]

Yeah, I meant the liner would be fit and molded by BD for free if I bought them there.....they said they'd charge $40 otherwise. I've found them for as cheap as $330, so that's not a ton more than the Inverno's new, so I might go ahead and do it. Any other opinions on warmth?

[kurthicks]

i know people who have worn out the liner in the omegas in less than 20 days... not that that should dissuade you. I think they also increased the arch height in the omegas compared to the alphas, or at least that's how it felt to me.