We’ve skied just about every generation of the Scarpa Maestrale Ski Boots — and its predecessor, the Spirit Three. In 2023, we likened the Maestrale to the Toyota Tacoma of alpine touring ski boots — a utilitarian backcountry ski boot that gets more capable with every generation. The new 2024 Maestrale turns up the performance with a lighter, stiffer, and… Read More
Measure twice. Buy once. Ski Boot Fitting Tips Whether you’re shopping for ski boots at your local ski shop or buying them online, knowing how to measure and size your foot plus understanding how a boot should feel are the first steps to getting the best boot fit. Buy boots that are too small, and you’re guaranteed cramped, sore feet…. Read More
Uphill Ease, Downhill Power – La Sportiva Vega We ask a lot of our ski boots when backcountry skiing. They need to be light and flexible enough for easy uphill travel, stiff and responsive enough to drive skis in a wide range of conditions, and comfortable enough to wear all day long. The new La Sportiva Vega ski boots check all… Read More
Lightweight and Powerful with a Wide-Ranging Walk Mode Alpine touring ski boots must balance weight, power and durability with walkability, flex and comfort. Generally speaking, the more downhill-focused the boot, the less walk-friendly and heavier the design. The new La Sportiva Vanguard ski boots break that trend by being lighter and more powerful than similar boots while setting a new… Read More
Ski Mountaineering – Ski Crampons and Boot Crampons Guide Climbing skins can only get you so far when it comes to summit attempts, climbing couloirs and spring ski mountaineering objectives. From firm boot packs to firm skin tracks, lightweight boot crampons and ski crampons are the ticket to efficient ski mountaineering travel. Ski Crampons Ski crampons are an underrated tool… Read More
La Sportiva Synchro AT Ski Boot It’s no secret that we spend more time climbing uphill than we do skiing down when backcountry skiing. Nonetheless, downhill performance remains high on the AT ski boot requirement list for most backcountry skiers. As a result, our boots need to walk the line between being lightweight and uphill-friendly while maintaining the ability to… Read More
Scarpa F1 Ski Boot Review I’m no rando racer, but I still have a solid appreciation for the trend in lighter backcountry ski gear. Following design innovations pioneered in the randonee race world, alpine touring boots have benefited from the slimmed down, lighter designs born of the rando race world. These new svelte boots still offer strong downhill performance and are gaining momentum amongst the… Read More
Scarpa F1 Ski Boots Alpine Touring boots are lighter and more svelte in design than ever. The result is a growing collection of ski boots that challenge the status quo of what a ski boot feels like and is capable of doing. The latest boot to challenge the norm is the Scarpa F1. Following in the mold of the F1 Evo, the new F1 drops… Read More
Arcteryx Procline Ski Boot Review Joshua Cole – Guide and Owner, North Cascades Mountain Guides – AMGA Ski Guide Notwithstanding the ski industry’s “quiver-of-one” marketing hype, most diehard skiers sport a quiver of skis – the rock skis, the powder skis, the spring skimo skis and probably a pair of straight skis you’re keeping for posterity. The new Arc’teryx Procline ski boot is… Read More
La Sportiva Spectre AT Ski Boots Finding the right backcountry ski boot has a lot to do with good fit, but it’s also important to find the right combination of uphill functionality and downhill performance. La Sportiva nailed both in the Spectre alpine touring boot. The La Sportiva Spectre AT boot offers great walkability with the flick of a lever… Read More
Scarpa Freedom SL Ski Boot If you are in search of one boot to serve your resort and backcountry ski needs, you’ll be stoked to see the new boots coming from K2, BD and Scarpa. The past couple of seasons have offered a great selection of lightweight three- and four-buckle boots for dedicated touring and this upcoming season looks… Read More
Ski Industry News Blown-In — a semi-regular look at the latest ski industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features a new avalanche beacon from Pieps, a new teleark ski boot from Scarpa, how to become a sponsored adventurer and… Read More
Ski Industry News Updates Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features fresh outerwear news from Norrøna, PHANTOM Glide for Nordic skis, new backcountry gear from HEAD/Tyrolia, a new AT ski… Read More
Skis, boots, skins, poles, goggles, beacon, pack, shovel . . . It’s time to scour your garage, search the basement and rummage through the closet. Winter has returned, so wherever you stash your ski gear for the off-season, it’s time to dig through the boxes and round up your backcountry kit.But is your backcountry ski gear ready to roll? Check… Read More
Breathability vs Weather Protection When evaluating waterproof, breathable ski jackets and pants, the question is rarely how waterproof they are; rather, it’s whether they are actually breathable enough to keep you comfortable while working hard on the skin track. Breathability, however, is a somewhat relative term. We all heat up and sweat at different rates, and some breathable membranes are… Read More
