Southwick and surrounding woods

About 6 miles. 2 hrs 15 mins. A couple of showers but nothing really wet. As I got home the sun came out.





Lovely walk, with only likelihood of wandering off track right in the last half-mile or so.

Quite up and down. I parked by Southwick church and walked up to the water tower on the Glapthorn Road, but there's a fair sized lay-by at the top. Of course that puts the uphill road walk at the end.





The track starts about 100 yards past the water tower, to the right.

It runs through at least three fields of this crop - is it bamboo? Pandas next?





(I'm told this is a bio-fuel crop)





It was very windy up on the ridge, but the plants were some protection as they were taller than I am.





The hedges around had lots of blackberries.





For much of the way the path runs beside Short Wood Nature Reserve.









After about a mile or so the track comes to a metal gate leading into a large meadow, and today I was treated to the sight of these two little deer.





I was surprised when they came towards me at first, so I tried to get a shot - usual problem of the wrong lens for the job, and the splodges are raindrops! It was a joy to watch them leaping about. The wood behind the deer is part of Glapthorn Cow Pastures Nature Reserve, famous for nightingales in May, and black hairstreak butterflies in June.The cows were in the lower part of the field keeping themselves to themselves.





The track goes across to another gate, then right on a road leading to Provost Lodge. I followed the path between the two big barns and through a gate then downhill. According to my instructions it crosses a stream, but it looked as though there has been no water in the stream bed for some time. The path goes uphill to another gate, past a gap in the hedge. At the gate I went slightly diagonally left towards yet another gate. Then turn left towards an old farm building - this part of the walk is alongside a ploughed field. There is a bit of grass along the edge, but it's a bit rough in places.

At the old building (Tottenhoe Lodge) turn right and carry on going north, with a hedge on your right until you reach a wooden footbridge almost on the road.





There's a bridge which you have to cross - it brings back memories of cycling over to Suffolk almost twenty years ago, as I remember stopping here for a rest, and Harry drawing Crossway Hand Farm on the hill.





I followed the concrete track towards the farm, turning left just before it, and then along the track towards Boars Head Farm. There is woodland immediately on the right, but no public access as it's a conservation area. The track continues as a grassy path just past Boars Head Farm, going downhill and entering the wood, at its narrowest point. There is a clear path to left and right. We go to the right along a gravel track signed with a horseshoe. As I walked along here, I first heard, then saw a couple of jays - are they burying acorns already?

I followed the route straight through, past three paths to the right. The last one of these leads to Shire Hill Lodge, but the path becomes very narrow for a short distance before joining the track .

Soon there is a small plantation of fir trees on the left, and at the end a footpath cuts across the track. I turned right - it's clearly marked as a footpath, but not for horses. The path turns left after another young pine wood. When it joins a gravel track go straight on, not to the right. A little later turn right and follow this path directly to Southwick.





(If you come out of the wood and spot the Water Tower on your right, a little behind you . . . retrace your steps. If you're out of the wood you should have the trees on your right not your left!)

Spot the statue?

You arrive at the church after crossing a footbridge over a stream and following a small lane to the footpath signs and two benches.

No, it's not the leaning tower of Southwick.

Thanks to 20 Best Local Walks, by Nicholas Rudd-Jones, for this route.

Brighton Beach

If you want see cool piles of ice, Brighton Beach is now the place to be. The ice piles that were so high at Stoney Point earlier this winter are now but a memory. Brighton Beach (also known as "Kitchi Gammi Park") is right on the edge of Duluth, just past the mouth of the Lester River. A visit to the beach is not only interesting because of the ice, but also because of the people. Folks have been going out in droves to see and climb around on the ice, which is nice because it helps add a sense of scale to any photographs that one takes. After spending about an hour at Brighton Beach, I took the scenic drive from Duluth to Two Harbors. As I neared the mouth of the French River, I started noticing quite a few people ice fishing along the shoreline. I noticed one guy who looked like he was reeling in a fish, so I pulled over to the side of the road to watch. He circled his hole in the ice about a dozen times, working the fish, wearing it out. Eventually he dropped to one knee, reached into the hole and pulled out a nice prize. He immediately called out to his buddies who were further down the shore, and raised his fish into the air so they could see. Yes, it was a good day for all to be on the lake!

Sun in Smoke

I tried several different shutter speeds and setting trying to get a shot of the sun with all the smoke in front of it to come out the firey red that it looked like to me, but it just wouldn't come out.

A Most Excellent Adventure :: A Gorgeous Azure Iceberg

Friday, August 27th - - About half an hour after leaving the whales we started seeing small icebergs in the water. There was one in particular that was extremely large and Captain Steve said it was stuck on something as it had been in the same spot for several days.

It didn't look too impressive from a distance but Steve said it was worth taking a look at. He slowed the boat, went in close (very close), and cruised completely around it. The color was so intense and amazing, especially on the other side where the light was better. Incredible, actually.






And even more wondrous things were yet to be seen...

Skyrocket Flower

When I posted a simular photo I said I didn't know the name of this flower. I have found out it is called Skyrocket.

Starting to Grow

Last week, I bought an amaryllis bulb, and it is starting to grow quickly.

Scarpa Phantom Alpine Boots

Check out the complete reviews of both the Phantom Guide and Phantom 6000 posted on the blog in April '10 (Guide) August '10 (6000).

April update.....late this month before we'll see the Phantom Guide...late August before we'll see the 6000.

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/scarpa-phantom-guide-vs-la-sportiva.html

Last issue of R&I has a good write up by DR on the new Scarpa single boot, Phantom Guide. They look and feel even better in person. The newest Phantom 6000 dbl isn't on the web page last I checked. So thought some might want to see it as well.

The two boots in the new Phantom series so far are REALLY low profile and lwt boots. Hopefully I'll be using a pair of the dbls shortly and can give more feedback and a detailed review and comparison to my Sportiva Baruntse (incredible boot btw) and the Spantik.

My take from playing with them @ the OR show is they will be as big a jump in mtn boots technology as the Sportiva Batura and Spantik were a couple of years ago. Crampon fit might be a bit of an issue though with the extremely low profile toe and soles. But the same will make them climb really well I suspect. We'll have to wait and see. The boots should be out to retailers in a month or so. Check Amazon and Backcountry on delivery dates if you are interested. Plenty of time I am hoping for the spring Alaska season. Amazing just how good the gear is getting!

The last generation Scarpa Phantom Lt had already won the enviable reputation of being a more durable boot than the Batura on the long Chamonix mixed routes. I am hoping they continue to live up to their reputation with the newest boots.

Feb 5 update:

Going to be March before we see any of the new boots in the US. In a size 42 the Guide weights 1# 15oz, the 6000 is 2# 3oz. Sizing is better in these boots compared to the older model Scarpas. Instead of a full size smaller they are running a Euro 1/2 smaller than American sizing.

The Guide will be imported in a full 1/2 size run. SADLY.....Scarpa USA has again decided to bring the Phantom 6000 in only in full sizes. Bummer that one as I really need a 45.5 to get the best advantage from the boot. Better I guess than Sportiva who only makes full size shells on their dbl boots. At least I could buy a true 45.5 if I am in Europe or possibly Canada.


Phantom Guide, single boot with attached super gaiter.










New Phantom 6000, looks to be one of the lowest profile and lowest volume dbl boots on the market. I suspect it will be a big hit for some of us.. For my own use I have thought what was really needed was a bit less volume than the newest huge dbls and all the current technology to come up with a boot that was warm enough for most winter stuff and would still climb very well.

I suspect the 6000 has answered some of that request.


The new Scarpa 6000 dbl boot

Putting it all together.

I love a good collage, who doesn't? All those pieces somehow related but somehow not complete.

That's S'matt up theremaking sense of a wild collection of very cool moves.

(click to enlarge)

Mount Rushmore – And a New Camera!

Thursday, August 25th - - You can't go to the Badlands and Rapid City and not stop to see Mount Rushmore, can you? I had been there with my mother back in 1976. We happened to get there on the Fourth of July and since our country was in the midst of its Bicentennial year, there was a big celebration going on with fireworks and everything. It was awesome. From that visit I knew there were some places along the highway that The Presidents could be seen, besides I refused to pay $10 for parking! Call me cheap if you will....



























I had decided to spend another night at Custer State Park and went into Rapid City to take care of some business - I needed a new camera! The one I had was putting a rather large grayish spot in the upper center of some pictures. Not all of them, usually those with a pretty blue sky. If you noticed, many of the shots taken in the Badlands and within the past few weeks were cropped to cut out some of the sky – that's why. Camera going bad. Not good. It also makes a bit of a grinding noise when the lens is extended when turning the camera on. Probably dirt or dust in the mechanism.



I had been looking around for the last couple of weeks but there wasn't a “big box” electronics store in the small towns I'd been through. Wally World had several nice cameras (Canon SX30 IS and a Nikon) on display but they were out of stock everywhere I stopped, including Rapid City. I ended up getting what was in stock and what met most of my criteria:

• A viewfinder (a must under bright light conditions as I often found that I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of!)


• Uses AA batteries (I severely dislike brands that use proprietary batteries and I love the convenience of “regular” batteries, especially rechargeable ones).


• More megapixels and greater zoom capabilities than the current camera.

What it didn't have that I wanted was aposition-ableor adjustable viewing screen (the kind you can flip up or down). But I can live without that.



I played with the idea of getting a digital SLR but I really like the convenience of a smaller camera. I hauled around bunches of lenses and camera bodies when in the Navy and for years afterward. Just didn't want to do that again.



I purchased a Fujifilm Finepix S2940 with 14 megapixels and an 18x zoom. The current camera was 12 megapixels and 12x zoom. Also would have liked a little bit more zoom capability but the 18x zoom is a nice compromise. It is about the maximum that I can effectively hand-hold and not get fuzzy photos! Anything longer would require use of a tripod, at least for me.



The first three photos were taken with the “old” camera (Canon SX120 IS) in the morning and the last three with the new Fujifilm camera in the afternoon. The image of Washington was cropped from a landscape photo only so much as to eliminate traces of the other fellows. The Lincoln image is not cropped at all.



There seems to be a bit of a “lag time” before the next picture can be taken, but overall I'm happy with the new camera and I'm loving the viewfinder! It also has a panorama setting that is pretty slick.



=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=



Update: After using it for five days, the Fujifilm camera went back to the store. The "lag time" between photos was unacceptable. It would take anywhere for 10 to 30 seconds between shooting one picture and being able to take the next one! If I'd had this camera in White River, I never would have been able to take those action photos of the rodeo. It didn't seem to matter whether the batteries were fully charged or partially used or nearly completely used. I really liked the camera but that "feature" made it difficult for me to continue to use it. The other thing that I didn't like was that it did not have an on/off button, rather it had a sliding switch that sometimes didn't turn the camera on when it was moved to the "on" position. I would NOT recommend this camera to anyone! So, I've reverted to using the "old" camera again for a while, until I can find what I want. I'm looking at the Canon SX30 IS and the Nikon P500. Although several "big box" stores have them on display they don't have them in stock, at least in the places I've stopped! Sigh....

The Dynafit TLT6 ski boot, shake and rebake!

Lets see if I can sort through some of the early Internet misinformation and misrepresentation on the TLT6. Admittedly some of it clearly my fault here @ C-T no matter howunintentional.



First up lets talk shells and add some definitivecomparison numbers to the older TLT5.





My boots are 29s. BSL are the same @ 317mm

Power strap is 30g with out hardware. One rivet in the Mtn, two bolts in the P version.



Shells, no tongue but with power strap, one shell



TLT6 P CR 1050g



TLT5 P TF 1010g



TLT5 Mtn TFX 1000g



Liners: for one liner

TLT6 P CR 288g



TLT5 P TF 186g



TLT5 Mtn TFX 326g



*Intuition Pro Tour* 278g



Boots total weight, shell and liner, no insoles, oneboot:



TLT6 P CR 1338g



TLT5 P TF 1196g



TLT5 Mtn TFX 1326g





All are actual weights as delivered by the factory in the US with the available liners.







Walking? Yes there is a difference and you will feel it immediately between walking in a TLT5 and a TLT6. One is a full on lwt ski boot as predicted previous. The older boot is something special and "in between" a mtn boot and a full on ski boot. Because the sole flexes even that tiny 5mmI get substantially less heel lift in the TLT5. Less heel lift walking and skinning means you don't compact your liners as quickly in that same area.And you will have less heel lift on the down skiing I'd bet.The longer you walk on a hard surface in a TLT6 the more you will notice the lack of flex at themetatarsal that the earlier TLT5 boots has.If you are use to walking in a rigid ski boot then the TLT6 will be oflittle notice, easy enough to walk in and likely lighter than anything you have experienced prior, short of a full on Rando race boot. The shorter BSL will help as well for walking. If you have a TLT5 and thought of replacing it with the"better" TLT6 you might want to rethink that. Less difference between a Dynafit ONE and a TLT6 than the TLT5 and TLT6 series IMO. TLT6 might as well be a ONE to walk in. The slightly longer toe on the ONE makes it just that much more clumsy.











Skiing? I don't claim to be any great skier just been doing it a long time now. And to date the most difficult/steepest terrain I have ever skied has been on a TLT5. (Ps and Mtn btw) And I have been veryhappy with the TLT5as a ski boot. Only for durability and small fitissues have I slighted the TLT5 but neverhow the bootsskied.



The TLT6 however is a step up on skiing performance. The distinct lack of metatarsal flex which made walking and climbing more enjoyable in the 5s, is missing in the 6 and sucks by comparison. Please note I said "by comparison". As in a comparison to of 5 to 6. I am a 190# guy and more with kit on. The 2nd turn on a TLT6 I noticed the lack of sole flex. The TLT6is a better ski boot because of the new lower shell and no toe bellows.



Snowboards? Come on guys these are both rigid ski boots by a snow boarder's standards. Both the Mtn and the P versions. And either will rip on even a fat 110mm+down hill ski. If a ski boot is your thing on a snow board I suspect either version will work. You have the option of removing the tongue of this boot in any version. Same with thepower strap. Remove it andmake the forward flex a little softer in either boot. So there are options. Laterally they are both stiff boots. I don't see how the added metatarsal flex of the TLT 5 would add anything to a snowboard unless you actually do a lot of boot packing.











Climbing? I'll say it again. In my experience the TLT5 is undoubtedlya better climbing boot. If you are climbing in a ski boot now there is little incentive to change to the TLT6 IMO unless you are looking to drop weight or better your walk modestrike. Harsh but the TLT6 is not the boot (or it's near cousin IMO) that so wowed me in Chamonix a few years ago. But there it is. I'm not being a hater here. Just giving a honest commentary on the newest TLT6 as I see it. The early bootI was more than willing to fork over a $1000 for. So ya, I am still pissed the design effort went as it has. No one gave me either of these boots. I boughtthem with my hard earned cash. Just to reinforce the fact on how the fit differsI am typing this with a TLT5 on one foot and a TLT6 on the other at this very moment. When you can tell the difference walking down the drive way to the mail box in the boots you can only image how that will sort itself out in the hills. It is not a good sign when a few hours in the boots one is beginning to be painful and one isn't.



One of the things that the earlier TLT 5 series had for the moment was a bit of flex
that not all AT boots have. And now no ski boots use that I know of. It isn't much (5mm?) but it is enough to notice
after a long day in stiff boots. The newest DyNA version had alreadyleft the
flex feature out. It is an advantage in a climbing boot imo. Disadvantage in a
ski boot, plus the added weight is the reasoning behind that
change in the new DyNA EVO and now the TLT6. If you took note you saw thatchange coming.














The Dynafit toe
flex design that allows for a rigid sole boot for skiing, but flexible boot for
walking. And imo the missing link for plastic climbing boots Simply
brilliant..








FIT? Lots of Internet chatter on how wide and nasty the new last was going to be. My first pair of 6s were not my exact size. But I had the suspicion that even in my perfect 29 shell I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between 2mm in the arch/ ball of the foot and 1 mm on the outside ball of the of the foot. And I speculated no one else could tell the difference either. Liners will eat that all up and then some. Nice fit aid though. As are the same two extra insoles that still come in the boot box.



May be we need a world wide "Pepsi Challenge" to see what others come up with for "feel" on the new shell sizing internally?



So I took both myold and worn TLTP TX Palau liners andmy previously heat formedMountain's TF, orthotics installed and slid them into the TLT6. Amazing enough not only was the TLT6 not wider for my foot and fit but noticeably smaller! Yes smaller! Think not? Well same liners, same Super feet and same 29 shells. I have a TLT5 on my left foot and a TLT6 on my right. Been typing for an hour or so and getting up to walk around some.My arch is just starting to cramp and the outside ball of my foot is getting uncomfortably tight in the TLT6. Same old linersTX Palau liner mind you. Same result but a little more comfortable with the Mtn's TF-X. And some how I am not noticing that extra, huge, addition of3mm in the new TL6. I think I know what they did to improve the fit on the TLT6 shell and the added insole might well be appreciated at some point. But the 6's instep is really tight no matter what insole I am using. Funny how I was just warned about that exact same issuethis morning via email. And that owner of a TLT6 hasn't even molded/used his boots yet. For now at least I am not happy with dropping in my old inner boots and orthotic. It is not"happily ever after". The following day I spent a full 7 hours walking around and doing almost every thing you can do in a ski boot with out snow or skiing. Some where along the way the older TF-X liner loosened up enough in the TLT6 shell that it at least felt very close to the TLT5 shell for sizing.But the TLT6 always stayed a little tighter ...like one had added a mid sole to take up space in the TLT6. Which is exactly what Dynafit did to add some warmth to the boot.






A look at the bottom of the TLT5 boot shown above.

This always reminds me of a mid '80s boot maker's unfinished answer.











A look at the bottom of the TLT6 boot shown above..

I like the additional insole and certainly makes the boot appear more finished.

No question it has changed the fit for me. I get a tighter boot despite the added volume internally.




I also tried the unmolded CR liners for a little over ahalf day in both boot shells. 6 hrs total in that combo. Again no skiing just trying to figure out what combo of what I have will fit me the best for the intended use. For the third time I still give the nod to what feels like a smaller volume internally with the TLT6. I'll repeat the the specifics of my observation. I have less room in my TLT6 than I do in my TLT5s using the same minimalistic Palau/Dynafit TF foam liner or the TF-X andmy cork Superfeet. YMMVbut that is my personal experience to date. If I didn't know the inner volume had changed I would guess that Dynafit made no changes in the shell pastadding the new, warmer insole.






left to right TLT5 and aTLT6


I have since heat molded the CR liner on a tower heater/blower. I found the CR liner to mold much easier and quicker than the previous TF-X liner. I also felt it compressed easier while molding. And I'll need toqualify in more detail to be surebut suspect the additional boot shell insole has compressed as well with the little extra heat the "hot" liner transfered to the foot bed of the boot. With my Super feet corks installed during fitting process by the time I was done itfelt like I actually did indeed have more internal space compared to the TLT5.



I have no doubtthat teh tLT6 will be easier to fit customers in the store. How all that wiull work out for a performance fit on the hill I have yet to see.



Bottom line on fit? No matter how good you think your boots fit in the store. Be sure to have them heat molded by a boot fitter you trust. The difference is signifigant everytime. And seemingly always a better fit as the end result..





and

External volume?The cross section of the TLT6 shell at the ball of the foot is 6 or 7mm less thanthe TLT5. You can see it easily with your eye on a side by sidecomparison ofshells, less so in a picture. In the world of climbing, generally less volume is a good thing. Not that it will matter from what I can see at this point but I'll take it.







Tongues? Now you get a pair of tongues with the 6. A black *stiff* and a lt green *soft*. I thought I could tell the difference between a hand flex ofthe black P and the green Mtn tongues on the 5s. You most certainly can tell the difference hand flexing the TLT6tongues! And as I had hoped softer and harder than the original TLT5 tongue of any color. The newest TLT6 tongue is ever so slightly shorter in height but works just fine in the TLT5 for those that wondered. I couldn't tell any difference rug flexing/testing the black tongue in my TLT5 Mtns compared to the standard green MTN tongue however. Much as I wish it might be so.



Power strap?The TLT 6 has a new power strap. Gone is the big bump that kept the strap caught by the metal loop. I always just cut mine off. Now they have two small bumps on the strap end and you can take it out of the loop easily if you want to and the bumps keep it retained if you would prefer that option. Nice detail addressed from the previous boot. The strap however is much longer now than previous. (at least mine are) With ankles and the bottom of my calvesthe size of an 11 year old girl's it is now unworkable for sizing. Way too big with the Velcro barely engaging on full wrap and no tongue installed. It is slightly better with a tongue installed. If anyone has a pair of TLT5 power straps in decent shape that are two small I'll trade you straight up!?? These (the new longer ones) are now virtually unusable for me.



Liners?






left to right, CL and CR liners

Photo courtesy of http://mountainski.eu/






TLT6 P CR 288g



TLT5 P TF 186g



TLT5 Mtn TFX 326g











On the left is the TLT6 CR liner. PreviousTF-X liner on the right. Lower positioned sock "stop", fewer laces but covering more on the inner boot. Almost a full inch taller and a much beefier tongue. And still the new CRliner is 38g lighter.


That pretty much says it all. Newest liner is not much lighter but it is some lighter. Impressive with the added features and hight. I don;t question it will be themost comfortablefor skiing up hill or down. I am a big fan of the last generation of TFX lines as well. And as much as I like the original,the Palau TF liner, it could be more comfortable. I use an even lighter version in my PDGs and have similarissues on fit. Good but they could bothbe better. I have to use a customorthotic in both shells to keep my feet happy for the day. Easy enough to mix and match or add a after market liner. Be sure to heat form your liners if you want the very best fit. No matter what Dynafit suggests. If they can be molded...mold them. No one in their right mind would ski a Intuition without heat molding/forming them. Get on that clue bus for all of Dynafit's liners as well.



Comparing the TF-X liner to the the newest CR liner? Besides the drop in the weight on the CR you get a slightly taller inner boot, much more reinforcement in wear areas and a deeper throat for easier entry and exit. The laces have eyelets higher on the inner boot and lower as well. The idea is a better fitting inner boot. The tongue of the CR inner boot resembles a full blown ski boot now. It is stiff and reinforced although you have to look closely if you don't have it at hand.



The flex portion of the cuff is more flexible going back wards and as rigid or more going forward with a limiter strap on the back of the inner boot. Not sure it works as they intended but no question Dynafit has made areal effort at having offering amuchbetter all around inner boot.



Shell mods/boot fitting: At least now folks will not be so hesitant about blowing out the boots for fit issues. The metatarsal bellows made that all rather problematic on such a thin boot. A good boot fitter should be able to do it with rather easily now by comparison.



Variations? To date I have seen 5 versions of the TLT6. and 3 models. By levels of stiffness in the cuff material, more to less.. Carbon cuff, Fiberglass cuff and a Pebax cuff. Two liners, (maybe even three) which are the CR or Comfort Ready and the CL or Comfort Light. I am still a little unsure what we will see for actual liners but those are suppose to be their names with actual liners pictured below.






Photo courtesy of http://mountainski.eu/




TLT6 P CR

TLT6 P CL

TLT6 C-ONE CL

TLT Mtn CR

TLT Mtn CL













Durability? Guy have been getting a couple of years from the boots generally. Some are still on the same boots from Fall of . That amazes me. I am gentle on my gear for the most part and was worried about my own TLT5s in either version from theski cutting I experienced on theboot shell. I have been reassured the Grilamid is more than up to the task. But then I have neither the desire northe pocket boot to test them to failure. Seems a silly thing to worry about in a $1000 boot. I have not had problems with the hinge rivet however. Or the buckles for that matter other than not always wanting to stay shut.



The Buckles? The new buckle system for the most part are a nice improvement. More of them however. Still only 2 but they have added more adjustments and hinge points on the buckles that are there and an extra latch over the instep. Only a tiny gain in weight because of it. I really like the "snap" of the lower buckle and it now dbl pegs to lock it down. The first TLT had no peg on that buckle. The 2nd gen boots offered a single peg in the same buckle which helped. This new dbl peg buckle should have that issue sorted out. So I am hoping the instep buckle now stays shuton the crusty boot packs.The shell has a "dam" built around the lower instep buckle as well. That will help keeping the buckle closed as well.












Last year, Dane's new G20s and
a perfect fit!


Crampons? Grivels seem to be made for this boot. They fit like a glove out of the box. The others? Not so much. I've use the G20 and G22 on different occasions and prefer the G20s. Unusual as I am not generally a fan of mono points.





A BetterComparison?

A better comparion now on ski boots instead of the TLT5 and 6 IMO is the TLT6 and the ONE PF-TX. Just 5.5oz/156g between the two boots, and $450.



It has been nawing at me for a week or so. I seem to rememebr Lou over at Wild snow "asking" for a TLT ONE at some point in the recent past. Without a doubt that is exactly want theTLT6 is now.

Not sure what the weight is of the third buckle and two added Pbax straps are. The liners are off by one ounce. Add the spoiler,bigger power strap and extra sole lenghtand the grams add up quickly.

Sometimes it is easier to just ignore the obvious in front of your eyes.











More?



I've written a lot on the TLT Series of boots over the last couple ofyears. If the TLT6 is your introduction to the TLT family you have some catching up to do. I have no doubt the TLT5 Series of boots was a "game changer". The TLT6 may well be yet as well. The jury is still out. More here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//06/part-2.html



Finally?

I am not a snow boarder but, I was directedto this comment and asked for a rebuttal if I thought it warranted. I'll insert my comments into the body of the original message.



thread in part is here:

http://splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10958&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=234



barrows sez:

>In my opinion, the 6s are going to be better. The only drawback I see is the additional 1 ounce of weight in the shell of the 6 vs the 5.



Actual shell weights with power strap attached

TLT6 P CR 1050g

TLT5 P TF 1010g

TLT5 Mtn TFX 1000g



50g is 1.7637oz per boot



>Personally, I would rather have the extra ounce of weight and the additional warmth and better buckles, both of which were weak points of the 5 which needed improving.



Buckles yes. Warmth?...not if the boot was used as intended and NOT for riding a lift. Classic case of using a piece of gear for something it was not designed for and bitching about it. It was originally designed as a Randoboot made for climbing and skinning UP and skiing DOWN.



>There is no need for the forefoot flex of the 5 in my opinion, in fact, the amount of flex was so miniscule (unlike the Scarpa) as to be almost non-existent anyway.



See my previous comments. Uneducated at best.



> As far as the liners go, all the Dynafit liners are weak



Again uneducated at best and simply untrue no matter what liner you'd like to compare with.



> I use Intuition for more comfort, warmth, and weight savings.



You might gain some warmth although I don't find that to be true if the boot is fitted correctly. No morecomfort either if the liner is heat formed correctly. And that weight savings? Ya, not so much.



TLT6 P CR 288g

TLT5 P TF 186g

TLT5 Mtn TFX 326g

DYNA EVO/PDG liner 150g

*Intuition Pro Tour* 278g



weight is listed for ONE liner boot



49g savings at most or 1.72842oz in my size 29s or a 11.5US with a Intuition. Or using the lwt Dynafit liners as much as 123g saved on the Intuition or 4.3387oz. And that is doubled counting both boots so just over 1/2#. That kind of weightstarts to really count on the up.



> The Dynafit Mountain was also never available in the US with the lighter (and better) Palau made TF liners



That is true but theTF liners alone have been available on occasion as is the Palau DyNA/PDG liner that will work in the TLT Series as well and only 150g.



>you could only get the heavy and less moldable TF-X liners



Ya, flatly untrue on "less moldable: The TFX liner is very moldable and actually more comfortable for most than the TF liner was. Which is the reason we have a new CR liner based on the TF-X liner in the new TLT6. Spares are available as well from your Dynafit dealer. See my previous comments on fit and liners above.



>As for riding performance: the 6 Mountain should be the same as the 5, as the cuff is the same plastic and mold, so will flex the same, and the no tongue option is still available.



Almost right :) The TLT6 liner is beefed up in the tongue quite a bit. Think more of a full on ski boot tongue in the 6. My long time climbing partner and avid snowboarder for the past 30+ years (and in the TLT5 mtn as well for a hard boot which is not typically his fancy)says it won't change how the boot boards very much either way.



Given the choice for a hard shell on a split board bootI'd want the PDG. 2# even per boot in my size 29. No tongue or power strap. It is too thin to ride a lift with on a really cold day. The PDGreally is a "ski running boot".