Arcteryx Procline ski touring boot is intended to cross over between climbing up and heading down.
I still have to pinch myself when I keyboard phrases such as “Arcteryx ski boot.” I guess it was inevitable, seeming as ski touring has become so big — and even when less popular was still one of the core mountain sports. But still. It feels strange. One wonders at the next brand to enter the mad fray.
I’ve just spent two days skiing and fiddling with the Arcteryx Procline boots and Voltair airbag rucksack. Nice opportunity for more than simply looking at new products. How about a review of the Procline?
As mentioned in my first look, a Procline design philosophy sprouts from the needs of alpinists who both climb and ski. Root of this is the old “why can’t they make a climbing boot with some tech fittings?”
Turns out sticking tech fittings in a climbing boot is tough. Mostly, doing so requires a toe that is simply too wide. More, the boot has to have a modicum of resistance to twisting. While most climbing boots are quite stiff in the sole they’re nothing like a ski touring boot.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Louis Dawson has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain. He published his memoir, Avalanche Dreams: A Memoir of Skiing, Climbing, and Life in 2024.
