UKC

When I started fell running it was such an insight into the fact that soaking wet feet don't really matter as with light materials walshes soon dry out. Also that a boot with lots of support is actually more unstable if you are moving fast. This started me thinking as to the ideal alpine boot for summer alpinism. Leather is an obvious no no as takes ages to dry and is heavy. All that is needed it seems is a carbon fibre shank, lacing to hold your heel firmly in place and enough thinsulate to cope with summer alpine temps and a Kevlar shell. Lots of models seem to be available but they still seem more boot than trainer- even the new Scarpa Freney.

What's your ideal alpine boot and what would you say comes closest to it in the current market??

In reply to Simon Overton:

La Sportiva Trango S would seem to fit the bill.

Have used them in the Alps and on multi-pitch climbs in the UK.

Still definitely a boot cv. a trainer but everso light.

In reply to Simon Overton: 5:10 cragmasters- no I'm not joking, I've spent entire summers in the alps using these almost exclusively, strap on crampons go on well enough to get across neve/down the midi arete, and you can climb rock up to a pretty decent D+ TD standard in them. Not exactly ideal for iceclimbing but the way alpine summers are going not really a problem.

In reply to vs:

Good point- I think my current trainers which I picked up for £20 (some kind of salomon ones but with an edge on the toe) would also fit the bill in that case- at first I couldn't drive in them they were so stiff.

I think the problem is though that on mixed ground- say the normal route on the Tour Ronde- a little front-pointing is required. However for the rest of the route trainers would be fine. So why don't companies simply make a pair of trainers stiff enough to be categorised as b3 or b2??? With an all rubber rand crampons fit wouldn't be a problem.

In reply to Simon Overton:

have also read numerous accounts of the sport of "alpine fell running" which seems to involve much running across glaciers in special trainers with crampons.

In reply to Simon Overton: Wasn't Alexander Bukorov (the Russian guide during the fated Everest disaster) well known for using running spikes (track shoes) up to above camp III?

In reply to Geoff W:

I have tried to emulate him on expedition with mixed results

Anatoli Boukreev.
Indeed he is.

In reply to Anonymous:

The orange laces went down well didn't they Jon?