Please forgive my ignorance, but I live in Minnesota and there are no mountains here.

My question is what kind of skiing climbers are doing when they ski from base camp to the start of a climb. In Extreme Alpinism, Mark Twight writes, "learn to ski in climbing boots while carrying a pack."

What kind of skis and bindings do I need to be able to do this type of skiing? Can I ski like this with ice climbing boots? Or typical downhill ski boots?

Thanks for the help.

You would probably want telemark skis or randonee (AT) skis. Randonnee skis are the closest to downhill skis, where they perform like a downhill ski on the way down, but allow you to free the heel of the binding for ascending. The boots are different for each type of skiing, and they are also both different from downhill boots. These boots have a more flexible mode for uphill skinning, and can lock down into a stiffer mode for the descent.

You could also consider crosscountry or backcountry skis.

You can get light AT or touring skis with bindings (Silvretta) that accept mountaineering boots for the approach. But don't count on having much control on the way down. You can descend mild slopes in these types of boots but you'll eat shit on anything steep. I downhill ski in soft AT boots so I'm used to a lack of precise transfer of power, but trying to carve a turn in my Nepal Evo's is nearly impossible.

If you're just skiing into an ice climb of something, wear your AT boots and bring your ice boots in your pack. If you want to do serious alpine with skiing involved, get a Dynafit setup. There are Dynafit compatible boots that ski alright and work quite nicely for mountaineering.

Thanks for all the information. If I decide this is something I want to try, I'm basically just concerned with getting there (to the climb) and back, more cross country skiing than downhill. I want to use my ice climbing boots, so as far as I know, that limits me to these bindings: http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/CMP/KN>>>>>
Does this sound right?
Thanks

Yup.

I'll pretty much echo what has been already posted. I used to own a pair of old Silvretta 400s. They are the predecessors to the 500s. You can do mellow stuff but it's more survival skiing. There is no such thing yet as a climbing boot that skis well or a ski boot that climbs well, though they are making advances.

If you really want to ski in your ice boots, go with the 500s, especially since there really isn't anything else that will work.

My Leather ice boots fit into my fritshe free rides, I do feel weird approaching climbs with my gotama's because of the size of them, but prefer them to snow shoes

Matt, I am sure you realize that though the ice boots fit in the freerides, they are not designed to release like they would with an AT or downhill boot...but for simple approaches, likely no big deal.

I tele'd in to an ice climb, swithched out boots to ice boots and back...I would not suggest it the boots are sweaty when you get in to the climb, and FROZEN trying to get back in to them at the end of the day...

depending on what you are climbing, plastic boots and silverettas work ok, it's certainly survival skiing, but even Tele skiing out on an approach trail is survival skiing, especially if there are snowshoers, or other folks wandering around like in RMNP

Silvereta 400's, a used cheep pair tele ski's, and my plastic boots work great for me. I know people who can ski in leather's but I can't. Too many screws in my ankle I guess.

This setup is much faster then snow shoes both on the way in (up hill) and out (down hill). Keep in mind its pretty typical to leave your climbing skins on your skies on the way out, if you're wearing ice boots. It helps slow you down as you're skiing down steep(ish) single track trails.

All that being said, there's still a place for snow shoes. Trails above treeline here in Colorado tend to go back and fourth between wind scoured bare rock and snow snow drifts. Skiing a trail like this will either wreck your skis of you'll spend a lot of time taking them off and putting them back on. With snow shoes, you just walk right over the rocky sections.

The dynafit setup can be a bit fiddly, and don't expect to go bang moguls on em either BUT they work great as a mountaineering/travel setup and can ski down well.

This is my first post so hopefully I don't sound too stupid. I split board on a Voile Mojo and wear the same boots that I wear for ice/mountaineering (La sportiva leathers or Asolo plastics). I've been doing this for about a year with great results and am looking forward to the upcoming season with some big plans. Voile makes some great bindings that are essentially the same as a step in crampon binding, easy in and easy out, also very light weight. Good luck!

With practice you can get pretty good just wearing climbing boots and something like silveretta bindings 400's. It's all about balance...

Or just get a pr of Karhu Metas nice n short, have bindings that accept (snowboard style)any boot come with the 1/2 skins ski and glide really well and cost right around 200 bucks.

I have been using this set up for the past coupleof years to approach ice climbs and for alpine stuff where I need to strap em to the pack while climbing.

They are kinda like a skate ski in that they are only 120cm long
but the dimensions are 135/110/120 being A short ski makes them very easy to turn I've had no problems with this unlike the silveretta/Ramer climbing boot set up's I've used in the past

Yea you ain't going to be hucking yer meat in em but they work and you won't be spending 500-1600 bucks on a At/Telly/Split boardset up ether

FYI, Sports Plus, a used sporting goods store on Gaylord Street in Denver, has two Silvretta 400 equipped sets of skis with skins included for $100. I forget what skis are in the setups, but they looked fairly older designs.

What were you looking to spend, anyway? Perhaps you could convince the store to mail you the skis.

I'm looking to spend under $250.

I have a pair of Silvretta 404's. Used a couple times in Alaska. In decent shape. $100. Let me know if you're interested.
DJ

if you can find the silverettas cheap get em, you can always go to a ski store and sort through the scrap pile for a decent pair of older shaped skis. usually the ski techs will also tune them up for a sixer or two...i always did back in the day...no reason for new skis here either then it doesn't matter too much if the conditions get a little sketchy with rocks, branches, etc.

Hey Garrett. For the approaches you will do around the Midwest including Ontario (moderate up and downhill) you should be able to wear your ice boots for the 'ski' and the climb. Yes the downhill control sucks, found out the hard way in New Hampshire, but it is workable for the rolling terrain commonly found around here. Of course this all assumes you can ski......

Good luck......