The word is out: Atomic is going big in regards to backcountry ski gear, and the proof is in their new Backland line of touring skis, skins, packs, and poles. But the big story for the 2015/16 ski season is the release of the Backland Boots – light weight, two-buckle touring kicks in the vein of the Dynafit TLT6. I was lucky enough to have a sample of the Backland Carbon sent to me for a quick test, so I immediately beelined it to the Wasatch.
Well, first I tried them on at home. As I took them out of the box, my wife exclaimed, “those boots are bananas!” Astute observation. The Backland Carbon color-scheme is a gorgeous orange and black. Light-is-right features jump out, such as a two-buckle system, removable tongue, carbon throughout the shell, lugged rocker sole, and a beefy walk/ski switch on the back.
I spent a lot of time fiddling with them. The liners are pretty thin and the front is covered by a layer of fabric to keep the elements out when the plastic tongue is removed. Optional laces can be used to tighten the liners (which my skinny legs appreciate.) The two-buckle system of cables and an unusual, under-buckle latch system takes some getting used to, and I had concerns about making my ski partners wait around during transitions from uphill to downhill modes. All that fiddling is a time vampire, and not easy to accomplish with gloved hands. But in the living room, the boots felt comfortable and stiff. It was time to ski.
To test, I brought the Backland Boots, uncooked and not custom fitted, to Mill D North Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The approach to Reynolds Peak is long, but not too long in case I experienced any issues. I had to adjust my Dynafit Radical FT bindings to accomodate the short sole length. In a size 26.5, these boots have a BSL of 288mm – compared to my size 26 Scarpa Freedom SL with a BSL of 300. This is because there is hardly any toe piece to speak of, which also means these boots will not work with frame-style or WTR bindings – tech only. After screwing my bindings down to their smallest length possible, I started skinning.
Climbing. Wow! With the plastic outer-tongue removed, these boots feel like sneakers in uphill mode. The range-of-motion is insane (74 degrees) which is more than the human ankle can accomplish even when not wearing anything. Seriously, I think I could do squats and lunges at the gym in these ski boots. Duly impressed with both the ROM and the light weight of these carbon boots, I cruised up Mill D to the top of Reynolds Peak.
Transitioning. Switching to ski mode wasn’t as difficult as I had feared. Inserting the tongue takes a bit of muscle (and so does removing it) but it pretty much clicks right in. After a little practice, adjusting the cables and two buckles is a snap, and everything works together to make the boot nice and snug. A power strap on the upper cuff makes them even more stiff for the descent. I really like the walk/ski mode switch on the spine. It’s easy to grab with gloved hands and there’s no doubt visually what mode you are in.
Skiing. We first skied a run in the north-facing trees off the peak into Big Water Gulch. We found recrystalized, protected powder. Immediately, my forefoot was swimming in the boots. So I cranked the buckles down as far as they would go, and still they felt too roomy. I’ve skied in 26.5 Black Diamond Quadrants and currently use 26 Scarpa Freedom SL boots, and have had no issues with fit in those models/sizes. But the Backland Carbon in 26.5 feels bigger, even with a 98mm last (which should be a better fit for my low-profile foot.) These boots feel large to size. I probably could get away with a 25.5 size boot, while cooking the Memory Fit liners and shells. The lesson? Try them on before purchasing.
Besides the fit, the boots perform very well considering they are so light weight. After four laps and on our final run of the day, we skied variable snow on the main bowl of Reynolds Peak. The snow alternated between sun/wind crust, hardened old tracks, and recycled powder. I skied aggressively to see what these boots could do. They are responsive, very stiff laterally, and I never felt like I needed more power out of the 120 flex despite being on 181 Voile Chargers (112mm underfoot.) Impressive. The only complaint I have is that after skiing, my shins felt bruised. The liner is rather insubstantial, especially in the front, and aggressive skiing caused some shin bang.
It’s hard to give a full thumbs up after only one day of touring, but what I’ve seen and felt is positive overall. If I get more time in the boots this season, I can mess around with the fit by inserting after-market foot beds to fill up some volume, and perhaps find more cushioned socks to avoid that shin bang.
UPDATE: After posting this article, I discovered that the boots liners I tested were prototypes, and that the production models would be different. These changes include:
1. A thicker, more supportive liner for Backland Carbon, Backland, and Backland W models.
2. A thicker insole and optional shim for volume tuning.
3. More durable water sealing on the shell.
4. The instep protector (small strap that velcros over the shell buckle) will be stitched on, rather than removable.
5. Lock-open-function of the cuff buckle will be stronger/more positive, and the cable guide on the medial portion of the shell also gets a stronger/more positive click when putting the cable through.
To get a better sense of the production-version liners, I got a pair and took them out for one last backcountry ski day at the closed Solitude Mountain Resort. Eyeballing them, they appear to have a higher cuff, and stiffer tongue. Not much different really. But on the mountain, I could tell the difference. Skiing down, my shins felt more supported when turning, and the liners provided more support overall. They still are not alpine-style liners and veer more toward the rando spectrum, but the production version is a step up from the prototypes I previously tested.
Atomic is definitely on the right track with their first foray into super-light, backcountry touring boots. The walk mode is crazy good (and will probably spoil me when I use any other backcountry boots) plus the downhill performance is strong for such a low-profile, light weight boot. I look forward to testing them out in other conditions to see what they are capable of.
Below are some specs from Atomic if you’re interested in the fine details:
- Free/Lock 2.0 mechanism frees the cuff from the shell for 74° cuff mobility.
- Frictionless Pivot creates smooth movement.
- Quick Click Tongue system means you can remove the tongue for effortless climbing.
- The lightest boot (Backland Carbon Light) weighs in at just 987g.
- Carbon Spine provides extra strength but keeps weight down.
- Cross Lace system wraps the foot securely.
- Free/Lock 2.0 mechanism lets you adjust forward lean for skiing.
- Extra supportive tongue can be inserted for skiing.
- Liner is breathable and washable.
The Atomic Backland Carbon will be available along with all the Backland Series of boots this fall with an MSRP of 629€ (about $710 converted to dollars.)
For more about the new Backland series check out their multi-media Backland page on the Atomic website.