In reply to James Gordon:
> Never tried climbing in Ski Mtn boots and although they obviously make the ski in and out easier I wondered if a big plastic with a power strap would be better (I am a good skier) . Most of all I wonder if you can get a thermofit (or alveolite?) liner into a plastic shell to give warmth, fit, extra skiing support??
While I certainly ain't in the caliber of Andy when it comes to messing around in the mountains, this peculiar point is something I do have experience...
Ski mountaineering (ie. AT) boots work well for climbs where highly precise feet ain't needed, nor are really highstep or any other funk foot technique. So for your basic snow & ice and some mellow rock, AT boots work well.
And yes, you can fit thermofits inside the shell to get a warmer and more precise fit. In fact, most of the AT boots in the market actually come with thermofits, but naturally you could get a better one from Intuintion (sp?). Just size the shell accordingly, ie. do a good shellfit with about 1 to 1.5cm behind your heel when your toes touch the toebox of the shell.