jesselillis Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Last year I bought Silverettas to access climbs in Quebec, seemed like a killer solution to avoiding carrying two pair of boots or slowshoeing 16 miles into Parc Jacques Cartier. I used them once on a short approach to make sure they didn't fall apart (they did a bit, but probably because my DIN is too low/I am terrified of them breaking my ankle- anyhow they go back together easily). Then I brought them to PJC and skiied 16 miles on them and they absolutely destroyed my heels- biggest blisters of my life. Imagine your entire heel was a blister. Obviously my ice boots don't articulate like my AT boots. What is the solution? I tried looser, I tried tighter, neither seemed to help. Quote
dave schultz Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 What is the solution? A ski boot that climbs. Find a TLT5 that's your size or go with the TLT6 - though it's rumored to not climb as well. Quote
counterfeitfake Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 I don't have a solution but wanted to say that the same thing happened to me. I went from never having used the gear before, to skiing about 14 miles in two days. I got the blisters and worse, hurt my achilles badly enough that I had to bow out of a trip to Alaska when I hadn't recovered a month later. Maybe easing into using the boots/bindings/skis would help. But I also think the skiing just exacerbates any flaw in the way your boots fit. I'll be reading this thread if anyone has any suggestions. Quote
christophbenells Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 they tend to do that...the combo of a tight fitting heel cup on aggressive ice boots and the pivot point in front of your toe create lots of leverage right there where you blistered. i think they were designed more to work with higher volume boots like a plastic koflach or an inverno. I use these splitboard bindings, they move the pivot point right under your toes and i think they tour a bit better. No release, but they're cheap! You can create a cheap diy heel lockdown by drilling a hole in the plate and using a door latch. http://www.voile.com/voile-splitboard-bindings/voile-mtn-plate-kit.html Quote
trainwreck Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 (edited) I am currently using 404's and very vintage skis to break in a set of La Sportiva Baruntse boots. I haven't had any issues with heel lift or rub in the doubles and have logged around 20 hours skinning on variable terrain. Considering that I haven't cooked the liners of my boots yet, I'd say they're a solid combo with Silvretta bindings. I will try with my Nepal Evos to see if they give me any trouble. If you can do the climb in ski boots that use tech bindings though, do it. The weight savings for the approach, as well as the ability to actually ski down even moderate terrain is huge. Edited February 11, 2015 by trainwreck Quote
BootsandPants Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 they tend to do that...the combo of a tight fitting heel cup on aggressive ice boots and the pivot point in front of your toe create lots of leverage right there where you blistered. i think they were designed more to work with higher volume boots like a plastic koflach or an inverno. I use these splitboard bindings, they move the pivot point right under your toes and i think they tour a bit better. No release, but they're cheap! You can create a cheap diy heel lockdown by drilling a hole in the plate and using a door latch. http://www.voile.com/voile-splitboard-bindings/voile-mtn-plate-kit.html This is a fantastic idea. I think I'll do this with my now defunct touring skis since this season has core shot them to hell and back. Nice, light, short approach skis! Quote
Jake_Gano Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Sorry if this is a little off topic, but how long until we see a something new on the market for people that want to climb hard and ski on the same setup? I understand the latest dynafit-style tech boots and bindings are making improvements, but (I think) most people climbing routes like the Cassin are using Silverettas on the acclimation and climbing in the newest double boots like Spantiks. No country for ski boots. I can only speculate that with Sportiva making climbing boots, bindings, and skis, it's only a matter of time before they put together and offer up some sexy system. Quote
Zoran Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 I have Silvretta 404 on Hagan's 130 Extreme but till can't figure out how to ski safely downhill in climbing boots. It is terrifying experience. Jake I also hope La Sportiva (or Scarpa?) can do something in that field. Quote
christophbenells Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Sorry if this is a little off topic, but how long until we see a something new on the market for people that want to climb hard and ski on the same setup? I understand the latest dynafit-style tech boots and bindings are making improvements, but (I think) most people climbing routes like the Cassin are using Silverettas on the acclimation and climbing in the newest double boots like Spantiks. No country for ski boots. I can only speculate that with Sportiva making climbing boots, bindings, and skis, it's only a matter of time before they put together and offer up some sexy system. People have climbed much harder than the cassin in touring boots. I believe that stephen koch did the ffa of the north buttress on hunter in scarpa ski boots...the picture in the supertopo AK book shows him rappelling with what look to me like ski boots...also saw a blog of an englishman climbing deprivation on hunter NB in scarpa maestrale.... http://willharrisclimbing.blogspot.com/2013/06/www.talkeetnaair.com.html#!/2013/06/www.talkeetnaair.com.html however for cassin you would need some overboots, but only after the technical portions. I think you could climb cassin in tlt 5/6 boots no problem. Fit em with warmer intuition liners and badda bing badda boom. Edited February 21, 2015 by christophbenells Quote
Todd Anderson Posted November 5, 2015 Posted November 5, 2015 I will try with my Nepal Evos to see if they give me any trouble. How did they work? I am in the process of acquiring 404s for skiing with my Nepal Evos. I was planning on mounting them to some kind of metal-edged, sidecut, waxless, 160cm/75mm touring ski; what sort of skis do you (and others) find to work well with Silvrettas? Quote
Mar Himmerich Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Old thread~ but a perpetual issue with ice boots. TELE-turn by flexing the ankles with the heel locked. Pressuring the skis is identical but with flat feet. Stability is in triangulation with the fore and aft "tele" stance and by shifting the hips fore and aft to maintain the optimum sweet-spot between transitions. The icier the conditions, the tighter the stance. I've been doing this in California and the Rockies since the 80s. Mar' Quote
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