Boot Hell: Review of the Scarpa Spirit 3 and Garmont Mega Ride AT Boots

My trusty old ski boots, Dynafit Tourlite All Terrain, started falling apart during x-mas week. Too bad because Chuck Bird, resident pedorthist at Neptune Mountaineering, had adjusted them over the years so I could walk in them all day with NO PAIN. Suddenly I was faced the daunting task of buying new ski boots. And because we were in a big snow cycle in the Tetons, taking days or weeks to choose a pair of boots was NOT an option. I needed new boots immediately.

My trusty old ski boots, Dynafit Tourlite All Terrain, started falling apart during x-mas week. Too bad because Chuck Bird, resident pedorthist at Neptune Mountaineering, had adjusted them over the years so I could walk in them all day with NO PAIN. Suddenly I was faced the daunting task of buying new ski boots. And because we were in a big snow cycle in the Tetons, taking days or weeks to choose a pair of boots was NOT an option. I needed new boots immediately.

Unfortunately, I ended up buying the wrong pair of boots, a $1200.00 mistake: $600 for the wrong boots and $600 more for the right boots.

Here are some things to keep in mind when buying boots:

• Go to a shop with a TRAINED boot fitter, or better yet, to a shop with a resident pedorthist.
• Try on all the different brands before making a decision.
• Avoid buying boots online unless you are absolutely sure of your size.
• Determine the purpose for which you will be using the boots. Do you ski 90 percent of the time in the backcountry with an occasional day at the area? If so, remember that you will spend about 97 percent of your time walking. Get a LIGHT boot that’s comfortable to walk in. Or do you ski 90 percent at the area with an occasional day in the backcountry. In this case, you’re probably better off with the Garmot Adrenaline or Endorphin. Or better yet, get some dedicated alpine boots and skis and buy some lightweight boots and skis for the backcountry. Remember, if you try to get boots and skis that do everything, they will do everything OK and nothing well.

Scarpa Spirit 3

The first boot I tried was the Scarpa Spirit 3. The fit seemed reasonable. The first day out was a big disappointment. First of all, the boots squeezed my foot across the base and caused some pain (not really the fault of the boots; I have a bunion on the outside of my foot). But worse than the pain, which can be fixed by a good boot fitter, they were difficult to walk in. I was used to the Dynafit boot, which skied well and was easy to walk in. Although the Spirit 3 is a three buckle boot, it is very stiff and walks like a Frankenstein’s Monster boot. Even with the straps loose, the high cuff and tongue make it difficult to flex your shin forward on steep uphill climbs.

After one day of pain, I took the boots to Matt Sheets at Wildernest Sports at the base of Jackson Hole resort. He thought the boots might be a half size to big, but thought the fit would be acceptable, especially for backcountry use. He refitted the liners and then kept the boots overnight to stretch them in width. That helped a little with the pain, but on my second day skiing in these boots, I decided it was not the boot for me.

Here are the reasons I don’t like these boots:

• Too stiff for backcountry use. The restricted ankle flexibility makes it difficult to walk in these boots. And they ski like they walk: with great stiffness. I’m used to a little ankle flex, even when skiing downhill. The Spirit 3 was simply too much boot for me. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 165 pounds, and mostly ski backcountry. Maybe a bigger person would find the flex more natural. Or if you’re looking for an area boot that is light enough for some touring, this might be a good choice.
• Scarpa’s ratchet buckles are a real pain: they require micro adjustments each time you change from walk to downhill. I found myself having to adjust them a little tighter or looser each time I went into downhill mode. With a standard ski boot buckle, you make the gross adjustment by clamping the buckle to a set of fixed teeth and you can make micro adjustments by screwing the buckle in or out. Once you figure out which tooth you need and how tight you want the buckle, the buckle fits the same every time. With the Scarpa buckle system, you have to figure it out each time.
• A huge foot area on the boot makes this boot look and feel like monster boots. Compare these boots to the same sized Garmont Mega Ride and you’ll see what I mean.
• Because the boot is so big, it weighs more than the Garmont Mega Ride. Because I spend most of my time walking, light weight is VERY important
• Finally, these boots are orange. Why Orange? They can be spotted from the Space Shuttle. I’m not usually concerned with color, and if these boots did not have all the other negative traits I mentioned, the color wouldn’t have mattered.

Garmont Mega Ride

After testing and rejecting the Scarpa Spirit 3, I needed another Dynafit-compatible, light, AT boot. There aren’t that many choices, but after talking to several shops, I decided to try the Garmont Mega Ride. This is a great boot. Four buckles, fairly stiff flex, easy to walk in, and LIGHT!

Here are the reasons I like these boots:

• Stiff when locked in downhill mode. If fact, they are stiff enough for area skiing when locked in downhill mode, buckles tightened, and power strap on. But not as stiff or restricting as the Scarpa Spirit 3.
• Lots of ankle flex in walk mode.
• Excellent buckles.
• Small foot area that makes boot feel compact and snug on foot.

Note: After skiing these boots for several days in the backcountry, I found their flex perfect for me. However, I am sure that many skiers would prefer a stiffer boot, especially at the area.