I have probably spent more time in plastic double boots that any other style of mountain boots. Two decades to be exact. I was climbing in leather single boots before that for the most part with the occasional foray into leather doubleboots. But the older and better double leather boots were heavy. Really heavy even compared to a good single boot and a Super Gator.
So what I ended up with was a very good pair of leather single boots (Haderer) and a custom pair of Carmen/ChouinardSuper Gaters that weremodified by addingmore insulation (synthetic pile) and a zipper down the front that was backed with flaps and Velcro.
Once I got into a pair of Kolfach Ultras (shown above) I never looked back. Even if that did require a few layers of mole skin every week during the first winter season climbing andguiding in them.
So 30 years later you might ask how did those original plastic boots compare to what we have now? A recent conversation on a Internet forum made me ask the same question myself. But this time I wanted a more complete answer. Some times we get caught up in the newest, lighter, better, warmer and eventually more expensive product and loose sight at what we once had. It is called institutional memory. This blog is one way I have tried to keep our climbing history and its institutional memory alive.
Sometimes it is not better to reinvent the wheel every few years. It might actually be better to build a better tire for that wheel and take advantage of the best technology first.
If you look at the original idea behind double boots the biggest advantage is to keep your boots (inner boot at least) unfrozen and if required dry on multi day outings. You can put the inner boot in your sleeping bag and dry it out over night or at least keep it from freezing if needed.
The disadvantage of double boots is that they add volume to your feet. Volume means extra warmth everything else being equal. But as we all know nothing is ever "equal".
So if we have a huge volume boot you have warm feet. A Sorel or other double layer cold weather bootsare a good example.
Warm butseverely lackingon most technical ground.
So what is really required is a certain level of warmth but at the same time the real key is to keep the over all volume of the boot as compact as possible so it is easier to climb technical ground in.
Make sense?
Big volume for warmth.
Small and sensitive to climb technical ground in
So some where in between we should be able to come up with a double boot that is both warm and sensitive. But it isn't as easy as you might first expect.
A multitude of materials to make a boot from these days. Plastics, fabrics and the old stand by, leather. And all have advantages and disadvantages.
So first I think to have the best boot you need to look at the last. The last describeshow the boot interior is shaped. Currently we have literally bath tube shaped lasts (some plastics) and very ergonomic shaped lasts that match the foot almost perfectly (again some plastics). And boot lasts that are every where in between.
In the old days a cobbler or boot maker would have literally hundreds of hand carved lasts. Once measured and your foot matched to a specificlast the boot fit could well be phenomenal. With the ability of good leather to mold to your feet the fit just got better with use.
With a boot built to your foot the amount of insulation added to the bestdouble boots simply made the warmer. With a generic boot last the boot just got heavier than required and may or may not have gotten warmer for your foot.
The answer for that was "give them a bath tub" and let the inner boot take up the slop. That would give you a warm boot if the inner boot and bath tub last actually fit your foot. But it was also heavier than required if the last had been done correctly to fit your foot.
It is not happen stance that the best lasts on good leather double boots like a Haderer double or a plastic boot like theDynafit TLT look like your foot.
This isthe best example I can easily show you of what I am trying to convey on boot lasts. The Koflach Arctisis over size and bath tub shaped. The TLT 5 is very anatomical lasted. Even with just a ski boot sole the TLT5 is easier to climb in for feel.
I have heard a great manycomments on how cold the TLT Series of boots is compared to other down hill ski boots. I'll challenge those comments. You really need to look at the amount of insulation before you start to make comparisons for warmth.
How do youmake a boot warmer the easy way? Add volume. This is the answer from Kolfach with two different boots, both the same marked shoe size. In this case a 11.5 US.
So let me back up a bit here.
I have summited Denali a couple of times in Koflach Ultras with foam inner boots and simple nylon knee high gaiters. I have also turned aroundat 17K on Denaliin really cold temps with the same boots and had really cold feet. But the issue wasn't that I didn't have warm enough boots. I did. The reality was the temps were too cold for me to be climbing.(no one else summited that week either btw) My feet getting cold were just the first sign of that cold. That and a thermometer that bottomed out during the night at 17K.
So when it comes to double boots I think there is a distinct disconnect between what the manufactures make us and what we really need.
La Sportiva Spantiks seem to be the most common boot for winter climbing in Chamonix by a huge margin.
Some type of double boot and generally a insulated over boot seems tobe required (or at least suggested) for Denali. More likely a Olympus Mons can be used above 14K on Denali in early spring and over kill later in the season. And a Spantik won't be enough boot for Everest or K2 or winter climbing in the Himalaya. There are and should be options forvolume and sensitivity.
Current Koflach "Guardian"But actually the last gen Ultra shell, which was/is an excellent boot.
If a 30 year old Kolflach Ultra will get you to the top ofany Alaskan peak, and keep your foot warm and dry how much more warmth do you need? My answer would be none. If I need a warmer boot I can use a Spantik or a Scarpa 6000 which both have a bigger volume. The Spantik slightly larger than the 6000 by what I can tell. And just a tiny bit warmer as well form my experience. But when you start getting cold feet in either of these bootsisn't going to be a boot issue but your hydration and food intake is my guess. The Olympus Mons and its close mates made by other brands are the next and final step up for cold feet btu the boots are huge!
So what I think is missing is a totally different boot.
One with the volume or something similar to a old Koflach Ultra or better yet the newest TLT 5s.
Modern material, fabrics, plastic, leathers,open and closed cell foam all make great materials to work with. San Marco made a single boot in the '80s that had a plastic lower and a leather upper. It would be easy enough to come up with something similar now. Think of a Nepal Evo with an anatomically cut plastic lower and leather upper and a thin, easily heat formablefoam inner boot?
It is a boot that would easily replace the Spantik everywhere but Denaliand the greater ranges. But perfect in the rest of Alaska or Mt Blanc most of the year. I suspect it would bethe boot of choice for everyone from the Canadian Rockies to Chamonix if done right.Basically a boot that we all really need but that no one has even thought about making. Might be because simply no one asked until now.
These days I don't care how good the outer boot is or how good the anatomical shape of the last is. If your inner boot isn't easily heat moldable you are behind the curve.The liner needs to be air permeable as well. We can do better than a VBL. But the innercan not retain any moisture. It is possible. But itis frustrating to see all this technology out there and no one taking advantage of it. I think it is too easy for the boot designers and manufactures to get tunnel vision. instead of going back to the basicsand requirements at thedrawing board level
A short design list for the new doubleboot I want made:
Less over all volume, more akinto a high quality technical single boot.
Double boot so you can dry the inner or keep the innerfrom freezing
simple inner boot lace system for fit
Lace system for the outer shell so it is one handed and most importantly reliable (no Velcro it wears out)
Anatomical last on both inner and outer so you use what insulation you do haveto best effect
Plastics and synthetics for the lower boot for waterresistance.
Upper of fabric or leather for a close and flexible ankle fit
Split the insulation between the inner and outer boot so the fit can be optimised in the inner but the outer offers good insulation above and below the sole
Use the smallest sole lugs and stickiest rubber technical climbing soles possible.
Honey comb carbon mid sole for rigidity long term and most importantly warmth through the sole
As much as I really like the "super gater" boots they are a design dead end. All of them. Simple reason. The newest pant fabrics allow the pants to be easily used as a breathable gaiter now. Adding a gaiter, no matter the material, slows the moisture coming out of the boot and slows theevaporation. So the attached gaiter is not a help in design as you might first think,
Our climbing clothing, from boots to hats are really now more than ever a system. Attached hoods on the base layer, help us eliminate one additional layer. Mid layers with attached hoods allow us to use a lighter mid layer for warmth.
Boots and the gaiters we use are a part of that system as well. As are gloves and the gauntlets on the gloves and seals on the jacket sleeves.
Gaiters on the boots aren't required and in fact lower the performance of the boots. Remember the basics..."you must stay warm to stay dry". Adding a feature that keeps you from staying dry or thatslows the drying is a feature you don't need.
double click this one to see them all
Any of the current boot makers have all the technology to make the boot I describe and market it for $700 or less than the current price tag requires on some of the boots today.
These are the two lightest true mountaineering boots available that Iknow of.
La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz 992g
Scarpa Phantom Ultra new model 2#3.5oz 1006g
1000g or less in a size 45 four season mtn boot is a magic number.
Here is the list and pictures of the current double boots that I can lay my hand on easily.
And a few odd ball combinations that I have used. Check out the over all weights and the inner boot weights.
I know it is possible to build a light weight technical double boot in my size (12 US/45/5 Euro) that would come in under 1000g per boot. And be the warmest and best climbing technical boot currently available. But I am shocked no one is doing it yet.
Euro size 45.5
La Sportiva Spantik 1370g
liner 252g
La Sportiva Spantik with a Baruntse liner1290g
liner 172g
La Sportiva Baruntse 3#2.5oz / 1503g
liner 172g
Euro size 46
Scarpa Phantom 6000 newmodel 1230g
liner 234g
Scarpa Phantom 6000 Baruntse liner 1200g
liner 172g
US size 11.5
Scarpa Omega 1110
liner 140g
Scarpa Inverno 1450
liner 318g
Koflach Arctis Exp 1440
liner 462
Koflach Degre 1160
liner 184g
Koflach Ultra (1980 vintage, white) 2# 10oz or 1190g total
Kastinger foam liner 234g
29.5 Mono
Dynafit TLT 5 Performance size 45.3-29.5 mono, (no tongue)1210g
TF liner 232g
TLT 5 Mountain TF 1200g (no tongue)
TF liner 232g
All the current double boots are within ounces of each other. 1110 being the lightest..the Scarpa Omega. And the Kolfach Arctis the heaviestand likely the biggest boot by volume@ 1440g. Volume wise the Arctis compares to the Spantik. And is bigger imo than the 6000.I am still impressed by the original Ultra now called the "Guardian" by Koflach. Sadly it seems to be soldover sized with the Arctis' liner. That shell, properly sized, with an Intuition liner would still be one of the best climbing boots available and around the 1100g or less instead of the 1258g Koflach lists.
More here on the Kolflachs:
http://www.koflach.com/en/parsepage.php?tpl=tpl_index
More on Scarpa's plastic boots here:
http://www.scarpa.co.uk/Products/Mountain/high/
Bottom line here? Some really good cold weather boots available today and all of them climb well on ice. The price point of the plastic boots make them a reasonablealternative if the $700+ is a little hard to swallow on the most popular models.
I have been turned around with cold feet but I have never been turned around on technical ground because of wearing plastic boots. The temps that did stop me would still do so in a Spantik or a 6000 today. I found it easier to climb 5.10 rock in a pair of the old Ultras than I do in the bigger volume Spantiks.The reason is simple..less volume means a better climbing and easier to climb in boot. Plastic boots make sense on hard technical rock or vertical ice in cold conditions if you can get a decent fit in them. If I could get my hands on a pair of the current production Koflach Guardian's easily, I'd be climbing in them this winter instead of my 6000s or Spantiks.
That doesn't say a lot for the current state of the art in double boots imo when a 30 year old boot technologyand1/2 the retail price of the upper end "state of the art models" available is thebetter option most days out today.
I'm lucky enough to have almost any double boot available to me. But if I had to choosejust one pair of mtn boots for every condition, any seasonand mtn range...it would be a rather old school pair of whiteplastics from the current Koflach production run.If the idea of a ultra modern, super light weight and lowvolume double boot interests you, make sure to add your own comment to this blog post. More on the idea here:http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=475986
An early René Herse mixte with twin lateral stays, (c) 1947. To me, it brings to mind a woman in a shimmering evening gown with perfect posture, holding a glass of champagne in a slender hand as she looks out into the sea. Am I anthropomorphising? Well, maybe just a little.
Beautiful lugs and fork crown.
Lugged connection points where the lateral stays meet the seatpost. (This is so much nicer than the welded plate behind the seatpost on my Motobecane mixte.)
How amazing to see a 1940s derailleur. Notice the unusual derailleur hanger design off of the chainstay.
Original Lefol Le Paeon fenders. Velo Orange now sells a beautiful Honjo remake of these.
I am curious about the handlebars. They seem to be Northroads, but weren't these bicycles fitted with the Champs-Élysées bars that these are based on? I would love to see the original Champs-Élysées bars on an early Herse mixte like this one. More photos of this bicycle in higher resolution available here.
Here is a later model of a René Herse mixte - a touring bike (c) 1964. It is incredibly well preserved and part of a gorgeous touring pair. I know that some people do not like mixtes with drop bars, but I am not one of them. The beauty of the mixte is that it is versatile, and I think that the drop bars on the above photo look as natural and elegant as porteur bars. The frame design now features a single top tube branching off into twin stays at the seatpost. Personally I prefer the earlier design, with continuous lateral stays, but still this bicycle is gorgeous.
A close-up of the stays attachment point. I am not certain when the switchover from the continuous twin lateral stays design took place, but possibly in the late 1950s - early 1960s.
And this is one of the later original René Herse mixte designs, again with single top tube branching off into twin stays at the seatpost, (c)1972s.
Stay attachment looks a bit different from the '60s model, in that the stays lie close to the main tube. Because Herse made bespoke bicycles, I am not certain whether this reflects a change in design, or a customer's request.
These wrap-around seat tube lugs are not typical for a mixte. See here for more photos of this bicycle from different angles and in high resolution.
Of course with all this talk of drought the weather decided that this day was a good day for a drizzle of desert rain while we were sight seeing through some of the shops. The rain only lasted about 10 minutes. Long enough for Sarah to get wet and chilled while she run back to her van to roll up the windows she had left cracked open for the dogs. (Yes, we had her dogs with us since we had started the morning by going to the river and had returned to her house yet. They are used to being in the van lots as she takes them with her as long as it is not middle of the summer weather.) But there was a nice rainbow afterward over the Mesilla plaza. Being November the trees around the square where still in their fall colors and they flashed color brighter colors to us after being washed by the rain. Old Mesilla (pronounced Ma - see - a, the double ll's on most Spanish words are silent.) was a stopping place for travelers going from Texas to California. Many of the building were built in the early to late 1800's. Mesilla was a stage stop for the Butterfield Stagecoach Company. It is said there was a population of .. in Mesilla in about 1860. Mesilla became part of Las Cruces as the two towns grew into one. Las Cruces being named for the Three Crosses that were put over the graves of three travelers or priests that died when they were attached by Indians. Now there is some non-religious person saying that the name of the town needs to be changed because the name Las Cruces or The Crosses has to much religious meaning. I am not a religious person, but the name has been there for so long it should always be there and as far as I can tell it really doesn't have any religious meaning to it. Most graves have a cross over them. That doesn't mean the person buried there was religious. I can not believe that so many people are going against our historical names here in New Mexico and other parts of the southwest and Yes, all over the United States and trying to change any little part that seems religious to them. Again I am not religious but I still say 'under God' when I say the Pledge of Allegiance because that is what I was taught in school, although research has shown that the first Pledge didn't have those words in it.
Desirae and Dustin in the rain.
Many of the shops and business in Old Mesilla are adobe building that have been remodeled to bring them up to code but still have the old look.
