Jonathan S

Toward the end of what was planned to be my penultimate descent, I noticed what seemed to be some excessive play.  Hmm, ski boot?  No, my (second) pair of La Sportiva Stratos V were still just fine with merely ~318k vert.  Bindings?  No, my decade-old Plum race bindings were still totally tight.  What could be the problem?  Oh dear. … So sad.  But not mad.  Like when a beloved relative dies at age 90++ after a long full life.  And despite having been diagnosed at birth with a congenital defect that foretol...

And for durability, my first pair of V made it to 1.94 million earned vertical feet, with about 2.2 million total vertical feet skied (via some "victory" laps on chairlifts after dawn patrol outings), before some chronic sloppiness in the lower shell nub for the walk-ski switch led to a complete failure on one boot. The other boot is still fine, although the cuff pivots were getting sloppy (and I was unable to disassemble them to assess whether I could insert some small pieces of plastic to take up the slop...

Now that I can compare the VI vs the V: - VI zippered cover in front is the same as the V, but it's part of the new gaiter that extends to the rear of the lower shell, providing enhanced protection from the elements. - VI heel ledge on top of the heel binding interface is noticeably thicker than on the Vi. - VI walk/ski switch is plastic, as compared to metal on the V. - VI shell is ~1.3 oz heavier per foot compared to V (sz 27, both brand new). - VI liner is totally redesigned with regard to stitching plac...

So far I’ve used this in the field only a few times plus for a range test, as shown in the picture. I haven’t had time yet to run it through all the various features, especially those highlighted in the Skimo Co listing. But the predecessor model was a longtime favorite of mine, so even the slightest improvements would be an impressive accomplishment. And as shown in the picture, range is pretty much as long as it gets. Not mentioned (qualitatively) in the Skimo Co listing is that the dimensions are n...

Back in the day, specifically, days that were a couple of decades ago, I used the pioneering BD Alpine shovel (don’t bother searching for it, as the model name is too generic to find any relevant hits) with various CAMP alu ice axes. The BD shovel blade neck was designed to accept pretty much any straight-shaft ice axe, and was impressively reinforced such that it was quite solid for any sort of prying action. Aside from the weight savings of skipping a shovel shaft/handle, that was about the best that ...