Duke and alpine boots for touring ...

I want to use Duke for outbounds and non-lift served primarily. Good idea? I know it is too bomber and heavy for long tours but I want some bomber stuff. Boots used will be some Lange Banshee 110. Not that stiff. I can withstand all day in them so no problem for me to use alpine boots for hiking / touring instead of proper AT rig. Is it total nonsense to think that i wound be possible to hike 5000ft vertical on Bros / Goats with Dukes and in Lange alpines which fit my feet well and are comfy? sorry for fu@king jong but I want to know who is touring in alpine boots XY thousand ft and is ok with them.

Sure you can do it, but if you are going to climb 5,000ft get something lighter. You can also drag a boat anchor uphill, but why?

If you you were just doing some slack country, then no problem, but that sound like a pretty long tour in alpine boots.

sure, you absolutely can. but do you want to?

i personally don't mind a setup like that, but that does not mean you will.

As stated above, of course it is possible. I know folks that climb cascade volcanoes in Freerides and Alpine boots. Have seen people doing long tours with trekkers even.

But most folks that get serious about this upgrade to lighter gear. Especially true with the new generation of 4 buckle/stiffer AT boots.

a few times i've been on my heavy rig (goats, lange130wc, FR+) and a quick jaunt into the resort sidecountry has turned into a 5000ft day cause the snow was worth staying out of bounds and touring...but I wouldn't wanna give up my dynafits for backcountry specific days.

if you're really fit and/or don't mind the weight, then no problemo...but if your primary reason for wanting heavy gear is so that it is bomber, dynafits are more than capable bindings for just about any backcountry skiing and it'll save you tons of weight.

I use my Kryptons all the time.
I've always used my alpine boot w/ AT unless there's lotsa rock and scrambling.
There are times I wish it was lighter but I'm a phatazz.
Shasta from 14K it was worth the weight.
:p

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Originally Posted by Bud

dynafits are more than capable bindings for just about any backcountry skiing and it'll save you tons of weight.

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this is GROSSLY over-generalized.

^
as someone who drinks the dynafit koolaid, I agree

dynafits are not for everyone

which is fine by me cause I, "Do want MOAR!!"

People can tell you this setup or that setup, but it completely depends on your style. I have skied cascade volcanos - 8000+ vert in alpine boots with trekkers, because I didnt' have the money to afford more than one setup. It sucked, but I made do. Now I have dukes on gots and dynafits on lotus 120's. I never tour on the gots. They are too heavy, I don't huck much and normally tone things down a bit in the backcountry. If you are a big person and or huck dukes are probably what you want, but if you are the average bc skier out for pow turns a lighter set up is the way to go, in my opinion.

What about you try it and then decide?
For me it's akin to doing all-day epic Mtb rides on a 45lbs, 8" travel DH rig while wearing full body armor and fullface. Some people are up to it condition-wise and others are required to have such burly gear due to their agression level and/or skills.
The most important thing is to assess yourself honestly and decide if you fall in one or the other category.
Perhaps a 30lbs 6" AM rig is better suited to what you want to do...I'll let you find out what the skiing equivalent is...

My back country rig consists of G3 Reverends, light but at the heavier end of the scale for serious touring, about 188 Bro weight or even a little more. They are mounted with 05/06 white Freerides and I have just switched from Garmount Adrenalines to Endorphines. I found the Adrenallines heavy by touring standards and the Endorphines are even heavier, but much lighter than most any Alpine boot. I would consider my gear heavy, and it would be way lighter than your setup. It is Ok to do big day tours on and even have done some overnighters, but would not want to do long tours on anything heavier. The rig you describe sounds great for resort back country though. I have Gotamas mounted with the Freeride Plus for side country and have considered mounting Dukes on them. I prefer to use the Endorphines if I am considering any skining, because the walk mode makes quite a difference to me.

i know its a pretty broad question cause 5,000 ft can mean different steepness and conditions etc.

but whats the average it would take someone to climb 5,000 ft.

I came off trekkers so touring with my dukes feels like heaven.

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i know its a pretty broad question cause 5,000 ft can mean different steepness and conditions etc.

but whats the average it would take someone to climb 5,000 ft.

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Personally, with the dukes on a heavy ski and moving at a comfortable pace, i'm usually about 1000 vert. in 50 minutes. Very subjective. So many variables. Just go for it.

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Originally Posted by bigpetey05

i know its a pretty broad question cause 5,000 ft can mean different steepness and conditions etc.

but whats the average it would take someone to climb 5,000 ft.

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First of all, there are very few places in North America that you could actually ski tour 5,000 ft of vertical. Time variables include; weather, snow conditions, speed of the slowest skinner, etc,...
I have done a 4,000 ft. tour in as little as 2.5 hrs. That same tour in different conditions has also taken me 4+ hrs.

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Originally Posted by DropCliffsNotBombs

First of all, there are very few places in North America that you could actually ski tour 5,000 ft of vertical.

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Bullshit on so many levels it's difficult to know where to start.

I did 4500 feet yesterday with Dukes, Gotama's with Tecnica's. I have blisters on both of my heels but that is another story. I have Dynafit's but I wanted to get some time on my Dukes and see how I felt after a day. I think you could do 5000 vert with out to much problem.

I skinned a few hundred sidecountry vert today in Atomic RT 150's and Dukes on Bluehouse Districts. It was my first skin on the Dukes and all worked fine. One note (anyone else notice this?) was that I noticed that since the Duke in tour mode moves the binding backwards a little bit, it was a little more difficult to get the tip up and around when doing a switchback turn. It should be noted however that I am a gaper, especially on skins, and this issue is likely entirely dependent upon mounting point.