They are important for anyone who skis. They have to do their job – direct your skis – be comfortable and last the course. It was the one thing I always had trouble with, making them last. I was forever wearing out ski boots in no time at all.
My current pair of boots however were bought early in the season of 2008/2009. They have seen some service. A quick count up comes to about 730 days of skiing since then.
The inner boots are flat as a pancake. The soles are wearing. Last week one of the micro adjustment buckles micro adjusted itself straight off the boot and is somewhere on the Mannlichen – Kleine Scheidegg – Wengen circuit. These boots were made for skiing and that’s what they have done. It might be time for a new pair though.
On the mountain today, it was pretty much Mrs IS and me and no one else. The cable car was so busy it had to be unloaded a couple of times as we had exceeded the weight limit. We eventually left a few people on the platform and made it to the top, but then we seemed to leave everyone else at the top station, it was so quiet. Where does everyone go?
Mrs IS baled out in the early afternoon and from then on, I had the place to myself.
When I got back to Wengen, I skied past the awards ceremony for a Europa Cup downhill. As always for the Europa Cup, it was a quiet affair, but a reminder still that all will be different soon, when the World Cup circuit hits town.
Peace and quiet brought 8,600 vertical metres in 19 lift rides and 48 kilometres travelled.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 
Central have a huge range of buckles and straps and don’t charge much to mend boots.
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