UKH

Does anyone have any experience of climbing snow and ice in Dynafit Vulcan (or Mercury) ski touring boots? Likely aspirations Scottish 3 to 5 level in the Alps.

I am aware that a lot of winter climbing gets done in TLT 5 and 6 boots, but the Vulcan is a bigger, heavier boot. Suspect I may have to cart along my Asolo's after skiing to a route!

Cheers

In reply to HammondR:

It'll probably depend on your general fitness and max grade. Afterall, Tom Randall led London wall (E5) in a pair of teenies approach shoes!

If you mean Grade III, it'll be heavier on your feet which can be great for ice!
If you mean grade V, and if that has been your max grade in normal boots then it is unlikely to be a great idea.

Usually people ask the contrary, can I ski in my climbing boots. It is always a compromise. You will always lose something out. If the main slant for the day is skiing, pick easyish route well within your grade and it shouldn't be a problem (BTW, you nice ski boots might get battered!).
If your main aim for the day is climbing, lug the extra pair (but find a way to keep them warm).

I have climbed grade IV ice in ski boots in the past... it is possible, I was glad it wasn't too long!

In reply to HammondR:

The Vulcan's are lighter than my old Radiums which were fine for mixed climbing in Chamonix. I think you might be surprised at how well they climb to the point where lugging an extra pair of boots in would be silly.

FYI:

https://www.wildsnow.com/7553/dynafit-vulcan-review/

In reply to HammondR:
If they're sized ok (room for your toes etc.) they they should be ok. Mixed is harder, but ice is fine. I've done WI4 in my old (v heavy) scarpa tornados.

I probably would have climbed more in my Mercuries but I have them sized snug for skiing, so I can't stand around in them or I'd lose toes! I generally skied to routes in my Mercuries and had Spantiks in the bag. It does mean to need a mighty big bag!

Certainly routes like the Swiss Route, Fil A Plomb etc. get done in ski boots regularly.

In reply to HammondR:

Hi,

I have climbed all sorts of routes in Ski Boots in the past, up to relatively hard stuff (for me!). I have a pair of the Mercury boots at the mo, and don't rate climbing in them actually, except dead easy stuff.

The way the buckle system works means if you have them slackened off then the buckle sticks out quite a bit on the side and is really prone to being damaged whilst climbing mixed/rocky ground.

Standard touring boots with a 'normal' buckle system are better for climbing.

The Mercury do ski very well though!

Just my 2p!



Jack

In reply to Fultonius:

I have Mercuries and have climbed in them a fair bit. They are great for ice, possibly better in some ways than climbing boots due to the support you get from them and considerably less calf pump. I've seconded a mate up Nuit Blanche (WI6) in them and whilst my pathetic endurance meant a cheeky rest or two was needed, it certainly wasn't the boots holding me back.

They are ok for mixed if it's not too techy but have performed well on alpine mixed routes where the mixed moves tend to be fairly straightforward - I guess for me around Scottish IV would be their limit but plenty of people have climbed much harder in similar boots. I use them for everything - touring, lift served off piste, ski access alpine routes - and find them great for all of it. I'm not exactly setting the world alight with the grades I'm climbing though (up to TD/Scottish V) so it probably depends on your objectives.

Cheers,
Rob

In reply to HammondR:

Hello,

I wouldn't call myself a good climber by any stretch of the imagination, but I've climbed 4/4+ ice in my Vulcans, (and French 3/4 rock, can't recommend it), and have never felt the need to complain too much, however I wasn't on anything too lengthy.

They do climb, and I'm sure they could climb harder things than I'm likely to take them on if they were on a pair of fitter, braver feet.

In reply to Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor:
That was a significant part of my concern. Rob84 must be more twinkle toed!

In reply to Rob84:
So Rob, what's your secret?! How do you manage to not bash the buckles in in "walk mode"? Are you able tuck them in your trousers or something, or do you keep them locked in ski mode?

Only planning on using them for shortish old bloke stuff with an abseil or two back to the skis. They were purchased as downhill skill compensators for the backcountry. Sadly, no one seems to make boots which compensate for that AND enfeebled climbing!

Thanks to all for the replies. It seems I have run out of excuses not to give them a go this season........except perhaps I could force my Rambo 1's not to fit!

Cheers

In reply to HammondR:

The buckle isn't ideal, but my bib trousers have in internal snow gaiter which does a pretty good job of keeping it under control and kept open rather than flapping about. Another option could be to lock the buckle down in a very loose position I guess, but I would rather have the ankle flexibility of walk mode whilst climbing.

I'm certainly not twinkle toed - you clearly haven't seen me climb The buckle could be a pain if you were doing lots of grovelling around in chimneys or wide cracks I guess, but for the relatively non-technical mixed climbing I do in them and just about any type of ice it hasn't presented too much of a problem so far. I had a pair of Scarpa Maestrale's before the Dynafits which were admittedly better from the buckle point of view but absolutely destroyed my feet as they were too narrow so I'm more than happy to take the minor additional annoyance of the buckle for comfy boots.

I love alpine mixed climbing but not living in the Alps I do a limited amount each year and spend more time on skis touring and skiing off piste using lifts, so the main priority for me is that they ski very well and as a secondary that I can climb in them. If you are going to spend most of your time in them climbing, there are probably better boots out there so I guess it's just a case of weighing up what you're going to be doing most of the time. Good luck!

Rob

In reply to Rob84:
Thanks Rob, I suspected as much. Only considering them for snow and ice (and dragged up by some young toughie at that).

Wise words about priorities and the boots to be used. Almost bought the TLT6 in the Chamonix end of season sales, then I got real and accepted that 90% of my time was going to be skiing. If you see an old bloke in CX this winter not living up to his boots, it's probably me.

Cheers

In reply to Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor:

I have a pair of TLT6s, which have the same buckle system as the Mercurys and many of Dynafit's other touring boots.

For mixed climbing I put a ice screw cap over the pin which stops the buckle engaging the 'ski mode' but allows me to have the buckle flipped round to the back of my calf, which I feel is less obtrusive, and less likely to damage either the buckle or my trousers.

In reply to MJF:

Nice! I shall try that. Cheers.

J