At Realskiers, we confess that our interest in hiking is directly proportional to the quality of what we’re hiking to ski. Were we more dedicated to the touring culture, we’d be all over Atomic’s Backland, with its all-business touring sole, tech inserts and superlight shell. But we’re more into sidecountry jaunts that keep hiking and skiing in balance, which makes the Waymaker Carbon the ticket to ride.
The bane of the backcountry boot as a downhill device is sloppy rear support, an issue the Waymaker Carbon confronts with a carbon mesh that reinforces the spine, just like the racy Redster. The Waymaker Carbon borrows another idea from Live Fit, putting a panel of elastic plastic along the outside of the forefoot, so this area can spread slightly during stride.
The 35o ROM in the upper cuff is more than enough to get your butt uphill, and the Free/Lock hike mode, along with the Carbon Spine, provides the support going downhill that makes the uphill slog worthwhile.