AT Boots, Bindings, & Skis w/ Sebastian Steinbach (Ep.145)

Blister Outdoor Gear review Crested Butte
Jonathan Ellsworth in the Lange XT3 Tour Pro, Crested Butte, Colorado.


Today we’re talking with Sebastian Steinbach, the owner of Blacksheep Sports Freeride Shop in Munich, Germany, about a bunch of ski touring gear, including the new Tecnica Cochise 130, Lange XT3 Tour Pro, Dalbello Quantum Free 130, Plum Summit 12 binding, Moment Wildcat Tour 108, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

  • Tecnica Cochise 130 (3:30)
  • Dalbello Krypton with tech toes (25:50)
  • Dalbello Quantum Free 130 (36:13)
  • Lange XT3 Tour Pro (48:19)
  • Plum Summit 12 binding (58:13)
  • Moment Wildcat 108 vs Wildcat Tour 108 (1:02:59)
  • Augment Skis & the Augment AM98 (1:08:43)
  • What We’re Celebrating (1:12:51)

RELATED LINKS:

17 comments on “AT Boots, Bindings, & Skis w/ Sebastian Steinbach (Ep.145)”

  1. Super interesting. This is maybe somewhat relevant. I have ~100 days on the 18/19 mach1 lv 120 professionally fit from a very good shop. Started getting sloppy around ~80 days so ordered the new liners that go in the most recent version of the LV mach1 and put in my same custom beds. Absolutely BRUTAL fit. Through great suffering and getting somehow thinner socks I have gotten it in a good place (maybe took 8 days to feel okay). Skis amazingly well now.

    Also own the zgtp in the same size as a dedicated touring boot. I actually fine it goes from intolerable to tolerable to use in bounds IF I switch the liners (with spoilers) from the zgtp liners to the mach1 liners. Touring on this set up is not ideal, but its actually pretty great with a shift if you are spending a lot of time hiking in bounds as walking in the zgtp is much more enjoyable than the mach1, especially on rocks / icy no-fall sections.

    Anyway, liners matter a lot.

  2. I don’t understand because even in a Shift or Duke you don’t ski down in the pin setting but with a normal toe. ???!??

    Sounds like this boot is for somebody who has more than one boot but only skis with tech bindings. So the Skimo racer when he spends a day in the resort he takes that boot?

  3. I can see why they make the Dalbello with Pins and no walk Mode. I own Kryptons and Technica Cochise boots. On the downhill the Kryptons are just so much better. I also own and use old Technica Bodacious boots. They have no walk mode but Pins. They too have a much better downhill performance. So, why do I use them? It is all for the downhill fun. I also accept the suffering when it comes to the uphill sufferfest.
    PS.: I use Dynafit Beast 14 and 16s.

  4. I think the Dalbello Krypton with tech toes makes sense for some skiers in European Resorts due to the amount of insane terrain we can easily access from the lifts. Once the resort gets tracked out on powder days there are still really good lines to ski that are a mission to reach boot packing through really deep snow but with skins only take 10-30mins. Certainly in the resorts I ski in, loads of these lines take you straight back to the pistes and lifts.

  5. @Jamie: sure, but why would you do that with a tech toe? I have skis with Shifts for those days.

    Are you skiing in the resort with tech bindings the whole day?

    • Hi Luke F. By tech toes I meant the pin inserts in the boot haha. I was trying to describe using the Krypton boot with bindings such as CAST/Shifts/Duke PT for people who don’t do any significant touring but want to ski lines that are essentially inbounds but require a short skin to reach. I don’t see the point in using the Krypton boot with bindings like the Kingpin/Tecton or dedicated touring pin bindings.

      For example on resort powder days I use my Moment Bibbys with Lange RS130 boots. I’ve tried those skis with my Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 touring boots and way preferred the power and suspension of the Lange boots. It really was a significant difference especially in resort powder day conditions. If I could have pin inserts in a dedicated alpine boots such as my Langes and use them with a Bibby+CAST/Shift/Duke PT binding then to me it would be the perfect resort powder set up for here in France!

  6. @Obi1K: so you are touring in the Kryptons like a touring boot just with the difference that they have no walk mode, which you are happy to sacrifice for better downhill performance?

    Fair enough, I can see that application . You must be an extreme skier though to find a cochise or Dalbello Lupo not enough boots. And the again, shouldn’t you ski on a Cast system/duke/shift in that extreme environment.

  7. Hi Luke F,
    yes somestimes I tour in my old Technica Bodacious (no walk mode). However, by touring I mean something about only 1 to 2 hours uphill. I mostly happens when we are skiing in the resort all morning and move out to the backcountry around noon. For that purpose I would buy the Kryptons (which I like a lot) with pins.

    I am not really an extreme skier, but I am quite heavy (225lbs.) and rather tall (6.2 ft.). With this height and weigh most boots and ski feel more soft to me. Sure, I do like to ski fast and the Cochise starts to feels like it comes to its limits. Something I will probably never will be able say about the Kryptons.

    And yes, your are totally right about my choice of bindings. I should use Duke PT or Cast for that purpose. I am about to invest in this area.

  8. Thank you, that is interesting. I haven’t walked with a boot without walk mode for a while and honestly, since I have a light set-up (F1, ATK12 and MTN Explore 95), my heavier set ups are not fun in the ups, but then so worth it on the down. Sometimes I ski the Bibby Tour with the F1.

  9. The problem on those hybrid boot is more on the weight side than on the walk mode I’d say.

    I’m personally happy to ski the last iteration of the Cochise inbouds but I’m disappointed that the new one is coming at around 1800grams. All the brands are going towards lighter hybrid boots and that comes with a worse suspension when skiing through rough snow.
    That’s where the new Krypton stands. A boot you can tour in (with your CAST or Duke PT) for 1-2 hours to reach a gnarly line which is on the side of the lift. And then ski inbounds normally.

  10. Also don’t understand the Krypton solution. In Euroland most of the « steep » side country is bootpackable so I take my Alpine boots. If skinning is required the ZGTP is great (with Movement AT 106). I find I’m hardly using my Hybrid boots. Any reason to look at Plum over ATK which looks pretty bomber and is lighter?

  11. My understanding with the new Krypton was that the lower part of the boot was the same dimensions for the Krypton and Lupo. Therefore, having the pins on the Krypton seems more like a process streamlining since the mold would now be exactly the same for both models.

    Maybe someone with more specific knowledge could confirm this.

  12. Marketing is winning for this new krypton.
    Dalbello is obviously not adding pins to a krypton, they are added Gripwalk to a krypton by putting a solid cuff on the lupo lower.
    The lupo and pre 22-krypton, while fitting the same do not share the same mold. Dalbello is just releasing a lupo clog with a solid cuff such that they can offer the krypton 130 with GW without creating a new mold for GW soles that fit the old krypton and IL Moro. (Case and point non of the pre-22 krypton can fit gripwalk soles and the 22- IL Moro is not offered with GW nor can it fit GW soles from the other lupo models.

    The pins just make the boot sound badass, which it is.

  13. You guys need to talk more about Scarpa boots. They kick the literal shit out of every product you mentioned on this pod and should be stop #1 for every person looking for a 50/50 or touring boot. Jonathan, the only reason you need 2 boots is because you don’t fit well in a Maestrale R.S. And Luke “hobbitfoot” Koppa, you should ask Scarpa to do some custom moldings for you. Even Euro Gearmaestro Sebastion admitted that the Scarpa has the best liner and he tours on the F1. Shots fired.

  14. I’m apparently the odd one and think the Krypton with pins is brilliant. It’s a dedicated alpine boot that I can still use with every ski in my quiver. If they fit my foot there is high probability that they are my next boot. I would never seriously tour on them. If the plan for the day was to hit a longer hike to side country line and be inbounds for the rest of the day I could see myself bringing the hoji’s with vipecs and skins instead of having to carry the skis.

    • I agree, I would totally welcome pins on my dedicated alpine boot. Even if I would only use them a couple of times per season, it’s a win and there is literally no downside to having them. Unfortunately, dalbello refuse to make their “good” boots with a 100mm last for some reason (which I do not understand why – they obviously have 100mm lupo molds since they offer the 120 in 100mm and the krypton seems to be the same mold.)

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