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Garmont Radium Ski Boot

2010
04.23

Purple! The Garmont Radium is a ski boot that I have skied in for 2 seasons. I got them to switch over to a new Dynafit setup. Last season I was decently impressed with the boots. They weren’t my favorite boots of all time, they didn’t seem responsive enough and had an awkward fit for me. Also last season I picked u p a pair of Salomon ghosts, I was greatly impressed with those boots. Turns out When I got my brand new pair of skis mounted with my old Dynafits this changed my perception of the Radium. The skis I used to ski the radium with were destroyed. The ski sucking actually made me think the boots were the problem. But having put most of this season on my Radiums over my ghosts I began to realize that the radium really is a great boot.

We will start off with what I was looking to get out of the winter season. For me living in Alta, and walking around most places, usually in ski gear, the fact that the Radium had a touring sole made it the obvious choice. The Garmont rubber on the bottom is in great condition even after walking many miles on pavement and rock. A din sole boot would have its plastic worn down and begin to compromise how well it worked in my bindings. Another reason I skied the radium most days this season was that I could ski my Dynafits in-bounds. I think i found a great setup with my Line Prophet 90s, Dynafits, and Radiums. The light weight is easy on the body, and when you are trying to ski all of the time you cant be tired from dragging your now super heavy legs around. My Motherships, Dukes, and Ghosts are nowhere near light, though the ghosts are a light boot with great feel. I have also often used the Radiums and Mothership/Duke set up. I only notice a problem when the snow gets hot, I would rather have my alpine boots.

Zipper lines to deep arcs, big airs to Wasatch wiggles this boot is great. Comfortable in moguls and driving skis into slalom or GS turns. I can even switch them to walk mode and smoothly drive my car, a manual 5 speed.

About 150 ski days in the radium.

I love the Radium in the fact that the liners are really amazing because you can leave them out in the cold, and with in 5 minutes your feet are warm. Leave any other boot over night in your car and see how long you can ski…… There was even a day up in Alta when the air temp was -10F and my feet were cozy. All of my friends in their alpine boots had to call it quits due to impending frostbite. When I took my boots off that day the liners were completely iced over, but my feet were warm. This is huge especially if you are winter camping.I also love the fact that I put on the liner, then slide it into the boot, then buckle my boots. It makes everything really easy. The same when the boots come off, unbuckle pull foot and liner out, then take off the liner. Then the liner is out and drying off for your next ski day.

It was -10F this day, I was one of the only people on the mountain, thanks to the radiums.

Touring the boot feels great. Its very comfortable on my foot and in walk mode and top buckles loosened gives a great feel. Also the top 2 buckles have a cool gizmo that holds the buckles in place so they don’t fall off when open. Also the walk mode is simple and I have never had a problem with it breaking or not engaging….cough cough black diamond

Radium has a metal bar with teeth that assist holding the top buckles in. You simply buckle the boot to engage it, then push the shinny silver tab to release.

Garmont should develop their own Dynafit attachment on the toe. Sometimes I click into the plastic of the boot without knowing. That doesn’t last long and hopefully you don’t get hurt when that happens. I think all boots use the same dimples for Dynafit but it seems like they could be easily enlarged, I can’t be the only one with that problem.

Showing wear from rocky ascents, but no other signs of damage or loss of performance after 150 days.

Do yourself a favor and go out and try on the Radium. I highly recommend the boots, they stand out from my pile of gear! The only thing i did to the boots was added SUPERFEET insoles and installed Booster Straps on them, which give any boot a better feel, and i think makes it easier on your knees by getting rid of any slack between your shin and boot tongue. One thing I would change aside from dynafit dimple size is its buckles, 4 buckles seem to be a thing of the past (my ghosts have 2) I love the instep buckle too on some boots. Get rid of some buckles and they would weigh less too.

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HIGH BOY PARTIES 4/18 4/25

2010
04.19

Posted in Trip Reports | 1 Comment »

The party spot.

The Alta High Boy party is a sacred tradition amongst most Alta skiers and visitors. The party takes place the day before the mountain is closed. The idea of it is to hang out in Alta as long as possible to bid the mountain and friends a farewell. This is considered an advanced party for experts only because of its location. It takes place on a rocky sub peak at the end of the high traverse and ontop of some of Alta’s finest expert runs.

Storms Threatened

The day much like last years party was a beauty. Most of Alta’s terrain was open even the hike to the summit of Mt Baldy. One should never get drunk and ski, but even 1 beer on the peak could get one buzzed. A pre-party was gathering on the summit starting around 2 until 330 when ski patrol rounded everyone up and sent them towards highboy. I skied down little chute on very firm conditions. Loaded my backpack and headed for the real party.

But Beauty Reigned

Mt. Baldy

" WHO BROUGHT THE LADDER MAN?" Probably my Favorite Photo. Dude on a un-supported ladder to nowhere with intrigued onlookers. Top of Mt Baldy

High Boy

Yea right down there!

HEY

MAGIC HAT, LUCKY CAT & PAT

Best part of the party, is you ski.

Mt Baldy glowing in the background as the sun sets

I decided to leave after sunset, obviously feeling the effects of the day. This photo is probably about as good as my real vision was. Luckily at this point High Boy (ski run) had iced over. Making the skiing tough for my condition this year.

The High Boy party is always bitter sweet. Its the end of something you know really well. But its a great gathering to relax with people most of whom you don’t but all having a great time. It was even rougher this year because alot of my friends that help make high boy what it is were hurt, or decided to leave. Never less it was a great day for anyone in Alta.

P.S. Dont litter. Actually there were only 2 leaf bags of trash that i gathered on the top this year. I think Dan said there was alot more last year. I brought the heavy one down today , someone else get the other one.

4/25

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Devils Face Crusher (incodent report-ish)

2010
04.12

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Thursday the 8th of April a good pal Orange Hat Dan and I were up enjoying turns in Devils Castle in Alta. We met up at the bottom a (well not so random since we both want first turns) I had skied the wall of the castle he had skied an apron already. I wanted to go up to the apron and ski above everyone else. We rode back up supreme, cruised up the sidestep and then the boot pack. On the way up the boot pack I noticed a cliff that i hadn’t noticed before. It was big and awkward. It had a rocky take off about 60 degrees opposite the fall line, the landing was flattish but super deep and consolidated. I set the sidestep onto the top of the beast and spent about 5 minutes up there planning the attack. The plan, point in from about 20 feet above, pop 5 feet before the end of the cliff, rotate my body into the fall line, back splat. All went according to plan except the massive yard sale that followed the impact. It was the biggest air that I could remember taking, though I came nowhere close to landing it, it was an insane rush. I ended up leaving my pole in the landing and skiing down with one ski and one pole. My other ski was in Dan’s hands at the bottom of the run. I decided to go back up for the pole since they are antiques.

The air, the camera is facing down fall line. Just going off and not compensating would lead to a nearly uphill landing.

At the top of the boot pack my mind was on milking some powder turns all of the way back to the groomers and take it easy the rest of the day. I have no idea why (probably the deep powder and the fact that I didn’t get hurt) Dan said “would you recommend that air to a friend? “Only if he is needing an adrenaline rush” I skied away got my pole, and milked some fun powder down to the base of the apron. I saw Dan line the cliff up caught his breath and then sent it in my tracks. The impact that followed was a horrendous sound that echoed off of the walls of the castle. He laid there for about 2 minutes not moving. Not good. He got up dazed and skied down to me bleeding severely from the face. I told him immediately that he should sit there and wait for help or ski down to the clinic. At the time he couldn’t see through the blood, but skied down anyway. Patrol met him and brought him across the flats to the clinic.

Take off is upper left snow ramp. Top pole is Dan's bomb hole, bottom pole mine. Only a few vertical feet but almost 20 feet apart (flat landing) also Dans landing started about 40 feet from the cliff

Long story short, they sent him from the clinic down to salt lake, where he had to wait reconstructive facial surgery. He turned some of the bones in his face to dust, and broke the bone under your eye that keeps your eye in place. Titanium plates and mesh now sit on his skull. Also they discovered he broke his L4 vertebrate. Dan is a tough man, without a doubt. He pushed through everything so far with a positive attitude. He even made it up to his good friends wedding reception less than 24 hours after his surgery . We were all glad to see him there because it said a lot, but it could have been a lot worse than it was. And he just wanted to come up and hang out and drink a free beer fresh out of the hospital!

3 day old bomb holes, skis show the direction of the hole. Dan's the upper one is at an angle that amplified the impact. It also didn't help that Dan tried to take it to his feet.

Now hes gotta take it easy for a few months but he will be back skiing stronger than ever, and his face will look as good as ever, but now maybe big hucks won’t be in his/our bag of tricks anymore. Hopefully we can all learn something that even the smallest miscalculation can lead to something really bad. It doesn’t hit home until it hits home, I know this for a fact. It seems like people get hurt, and unless u really know them or watch it happen, not many people take lessons away from that. But seeing a good friend get hurt or worse sucks big time. Take it easy out there and ski tomorrow. Send some hippy healing vibes to Dan too!