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A Carbon Fibre Freeride Boot? — Pierre Gignoux Mountain Review

by Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021
written by Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021
So fast you'll want to take flight...

Skipping over facet pillows in Colorado is about as freeride as this skinny skier gets.

Pulling into Moe’s Bagels in Boulder, fresh off my one-way flight from the east coast as a young 22 year old, I looked around in awe at the fleet of carbon road bikes carelessly corralled against the railings. Just as I was fully kitted out in Prana organic wool for 30-foot, single-pitch, well-bolted sport climbs, so too were my spandex laden friends for their 30-mile pre-beer lunch rides. It was already then that I realized the slimming aesthetics of skin tight clothing worn confidently and definitely even if barely concealing an ever present if not inexplicably toned beer gut. I also knew from a young age that the real goal in life was to grow old doing what you love and one day be able to afford and corral a carbon steed of my own.

However, as I grew into my own early middle age and ever deeper into the outdoor gear industry, my ambitions turned to bringing the unadulterated confidence observed on the cream cheese-soaked pavement patio in Boulder to the sport of ski touring. Although spandex on the backcountry skin track is no longer unheard of, we still have a long way to go. But with the creation of the Mountain, the world’s first carbon freeride touring boot by Pierre Gignoux, at least the carbon slippers have a chance to make it onto the every-skiers feet.

Overview

Pierre Gignoux has an illustrious history of making race carbon ski shoes (calling them boots doesn’t do them justice) for the top level athletes in the world. Seven years ago I donned my first pair of Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400s in an attempt to prove that carbon really could buy happiness (if not a modicum of athletic success and at least delay the inevitable health food diet). However, the irony of a mid pack athlete unnecessarily skiing the world’s lightest boot was lost on a crowd who still thought the act of skinning was to “earn your turns” instead of a sport in and of itself. Years later, rando races in the US are still fringe, but the appetite for weight savings to gain extra precious powder laps is growing every year.

From the moment I unboxed these ski boot stilettos, the tagline “100% Pleasure” from the Pierre Gignoux website rang true. A beautifully sculpted handmade full carbon boot started up at me and I knew the Mountain was the boot to bring carbon fibre in the United States to the dozens if not the masses.

Pierre Gignoux Mountain Pair

Sleek carbon construction is the trademark of Pierre Gignoux

The Mountain features a higher cuff, an extra buckle and a taller liner than any boot created by Gignoux before, yet it still comes in at an impressive 740 grams. A 100% carbon fiber upper cuff attaches with two low friction pivots to a 100% carbon fiber lower and uses a classically “Gignoux” string system to tie it all together into a one lever throw between walk and ski. Unlike the racier boots in its family, the full zip gaiter subtracts from snow in your boot while definitely adding to overall sex appeal.

Boot Design

This design does a shockingly impressive job at simulating a progressive forward flex. For a 740 gram boot in a 27.0, (yes I did weigh it, and for the first time ever it came out exactly as advertised) the cuff height and stiffness of the Mountain is beyond impressive. Equally impressive is how hard it is to put it on. After 12 years of working in ski touring specific shops, I would like to believe I have received my Master’s degree in boot-putting-onology and I am darn close to my doctorate. Even with my higher levels of learning, getting my foot in this boot is a struggle. The retention system to prevent foot slippage is all internal to the high gaiter and it’s easy for straps and pull tags to fold under the liner when you put it in. Once you get over the adrenaline rush of putting on a sexy black boot and take the time to figure out the straps, it is admittedly a practical system.

Although there are two buckles and a much higher cuff, they only go across the top of the boot. The above mentioned lacing and velcro system does not give the same secure feeling of an instep buckle or boa system. Because these tightening straps and laces are under the sleek shin high gaiter, it is quite frustrating to adjust tension during a long tour.

The ball and socket walk lever is quick and easy to use when throwing it from ski to walk. It does take a slight bit more guidance than a typical hook and bar mechanism which has become ubiquitous in manufacturers such as Scarpa, Tecnica and Fischer to name a few. If you are too hasty in a transition flexing the boot forward but slightly internally will cause you to miss the catch. When I was using it as a race boot, I found myself careening down a cat track in the dark, my headlamp glued to my boot cuff as I struggled to send it home. It does seem that more torsional stiffness in the boot is derived from lower tolerances given the ball and socket mechanism.

ball and socket walk mech

The Mountains ball and socket walk mechanism and iconic dental floss sized lacing system.

Fit

In my excitement to get my hands on a pair of these boots, I sprayed my boot size over the phone with little thought. I wear a size 27 across almost all ski boots except in a full alpine boot (which I haven’t worn in 6 years) where I would slam my foot into a 26. I wear a street shoe between a size 11 and 11.5 even while consistently ripping through the fabric at the 6th toe in all their Hobbit splendor. On a measuring device my toe creeps up the the 28 line, but whether through extreme fortune as a boot tester, mind over matter, or just because I have severed the nerve roots in my feet through countless tours, I never have any problem down sizing even narrow boots. DO NOT DOWN SIZE the Pierre Gignoux Mountain.

The first time I put these boots on in the living room, I almost wept out of pain and disappointment that I was going to need to pawn this review off on a smaller-foot colleague. The external shell of the boot was narrower than my foot fully weighted, but the tightest dimension was the vertical toe box itself. The inner lacing system dug into the top of my foot and only after a very aggressive heat mold could I test the ski potential even while fighting through consistent numbness in my bigger left foot.

Thin Gignoux ski boot liners

For an ultra thin liner these boots can really hold a heat mold! I used them with out a footbed for volume concerns and you can see the indent of each toe and the lacing marks on the tongue.

Mountain Internal Ski Boot Lacing

Lacing as close to the foot as possible is the idea, but care must be used to make sure no straps or tabs are folded under the liner.

Uphill Performance

Again this is not a “race” boot, although an uncultured American swine like myself has already used it as such. It does however come in at a confirmed 740 grams in a size 27.0. It also has a range of motion that far exceeds the non double jointed human ankle and almost a zero resistance pivot that blows away my Alien RS sitting idle in the closets. One strange feature of the uphill performance was almost a built in compliance of the carbon on lower angle skinning. The boot seemed to flex slightly under the ball of the foot, but this feeling was not present on steeper skin tracks.

Low friction cuff pivots

The low friction pivot of the cuff is unfortunately reliant on the metal pushing sliding inside the carbon hole. In other carbon boots I have seen this become a weakness and the carbon will wear out and play can increase over time.

Downhill Performance

Of course an all-carbon French boot is light on the up, but the real purpose in designing the Mountain was to make a boot that skied down and could push a bigger ski. I tested it with a Dynafit DNA race ski first, and I felt like it over powered my little toothpicks. After the tragically low snow January, I paired the boot with an all rock ski quiver consisting of a 182 cm Dynafit Cho Oyu (89 underfoot) and a 178 cm pair of Kastle TX98 skis (98 underfoot). The boot drove both skis admirably and I never noticed the complete lack of intact edges or missing base material lost in testing.

In all honesty, while descending the chunky frozen tracks of our local backcountry powder stash-turned-mogul field, I did not look good nor do these boots justice. It was easy to get bucked around, but I was more focused on my own downhill technique and didn’t realize until later I was never focused on the boot. After the first day of testing, my early assessment was I would have preferred my Scarpa F1 LTs as they were a bit warmer and more comfortable and probably would ski a bit better. The next day I was back to the same skin track in my trusty Scarpas and proved it truly was the archer and not the arrow that was the problem. On the same ski run I had felt solidly more in control on the Gignoux than my other light boot. They initiated jump turns quicker and were more lively than the Scarpas.

Scarpa F1 Lt Pierre Gignoux Compare

The Mountain holds a slight edge in cuff height over the much “heavier” Scarpa F1 LT.

Sadly, I have one more dark confession beyond my personal skiing in the less than ideal snow conditions currently in Colorado. The Pierre Gignoux Mountains were the first boot that made me actually contemplate the ramp angle of a Dynafit Speed Radical binding that has received so much perseveration on this website. Dismayed that I would have to use the dreaded toe shims to compensate for its generous forward lean, an email to France and a small metric allen key lead me to the realization that there are actually four distinct forward lean angles while skiing. Choosing the 15 degree placement from the 19, 17, 15 and 13 degree options, my quads were totally saved and I fully fell in love with the balance and control I felt while entering each turn of tooth chattering bliss.

Mountain forward lean adjust

Two distinct positions are available for the bolt to slot through, but flit the pivot piece around and you can access two more.

Conclusion

“These boots are too expensive!” I can already hear the shouts from the rolled down windows of [insert standard Colorado adventure wagon here] with empty roofs where carbon fiber bikes were posted just months ago. At just under 1700 Euros (1541 for the boot and 120 for shipping and beware there are sometimes variable US import taxes on arrival) or about $2000 USD I would almost agree with them. However, these carbon bone crunching slippers are true works of art, hand built in France and meticulous in workmanship. As we saw with their early race boots from 10 years ago, Pierre Gignoux’s super niche design has spread out to influence entry level rando boots and many touring boots hovering around 1000 grams. In its present day iteration, the Mountain scratches the surface of using ultra thin carbon fiber to create the same skiing feel as its polyurethane ancestors and leaves me excited for where the future of boot design is heading.

Although, these boots will still only be sold as a direct buy from France, one single shop in the U.S. is locking down a test fleet so if you can get to Aspen Highlands in Colorado you at least wont make the same sizing mistake that I did.

Perhaps a better testament to the Mountain’s skiing prowess came not from my semi-brag, self depreciating humor, but when I leant them to my ex-racer and far better skiing friend for a long powder day in the backcountry. He was skiing them on a pair of 184cm, 104mm underfoot 4FRNT Ravens. Did he like them? Well, he absconded with them and I haven’t seen them since. In reality this boot is perfect for getting an extra lap for the perpetually powder starved and powder obsessed North American backcountry skier. When conditions are soft and the skiing is easy, a higher cuff carbon boot is really all you need for that coveted extra lap.

In summation, this boot is truly unique as it is several hundred grams lighter than its closest skiing competitor. The equation becomes grams versus warmth, ease of entry and unmodifiable carbon discomfort. One thing is for sure: the Pierre Gignoux Mountain will leave you feeling as fast as it does sexy.

gignoux boot modeling

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30 comments

Kam February 1, 2021 - 8:56 am

As the gear gets lighter, and more expensive, it seems foolish to to try and claim “freeride” performance from every light boot out there.

Maybe in 100% faceted snowpack with light skis and porpoise-in-the-waves technique, but really I think someone looking for freeride is going to either dislike the ski performance of these boots or/and break them in half on the friendly pow stash mogul run. Let’s call them what they are: light boots for uphill and noodling/corn/whatever. They look cool. But not freeride!

I try to have my gear last and will pay a weight penalty (and save $$$) to achieve that.

Reply
Kevin S February 1, 2021 - 9:11 am

Look on the bright side KAM, should they break one can use them to sip an IPA or old world red in the parking lot at the trail head. Granted it will be a rather expensive drinking device but the style of the sipping vessel and your friends envy will make up for the pain of breaking the cuff on these beautiful uphill machines!

Reply
Kamtron February 1, 2021 - 9:46 am

Good point! Those of us in Colorado and Washington could probably figure out a nice way to turn a defunct boot into a well-engineered bong with appropriate mods! Lou Sr, are you listening? 😉

Reply
Kevin S February 1, 2021 - 10:12 am

Interesting thinking! Seems I recall a session back in the late 70s with a multi-tubed smoking apparatus, powered by a fish tank pump….Up In Smoke was the name of the apparatus.

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 11:03 am

Interesting, thanks, I’d been wondering about these boots ever since I first saw them on the PG website. (Although personally I just use my Alien 3.0 boots for all my touring.) A few points: 1) VAT, isn’t that subtracted from shipments to the U.S.? 2) Upper cuff pivot/rivet design, on my Race 400 (generation rebranded as the Dynafit RC1), even after almost 1.4 million earned vertical feet (plus some occasional lift-served “victory laps” after dawn patrol), not even the slightest hint of any slop. 3) Boot entry, look up the Ski Boot Horn, either for purchase, or to make your own — amazing the difference from a simple sheet of plastic!

Reply
Bard February 1, 2021 - 12:31 pm

Freeride? This ride ain’t free;)

Reply
David February 1, 2021 - 12:42 pm

Could you please comment on the width of these boots?

Reply
Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021 - 5:25 pm

Thanks for the question David. My foot measures about 108 mm in the forefoot for a 27 which I would equate to the outer dimensions of this boot. It fits like a medium lasted but in comparison to a Scarpa F1 LT but not anywhere near as wide as a Dynafit TLT8. Again its the vertical height of the toe box that is the tightest.

Reply
Cody February 1, 2021 - 3:15 pm

Wouldn’t be stoked to get a boot for that much and know there is a design flaw in the cuff pivot that’s been known about for years in other boots. PDG, TLT6C… Really amazed PG didn’t implement a bushing into the cuff. Some lead in geometry changes on the walk mode lever could help with the ease of getting it into ski mode. But since PG is a small operation, the changes to that mold would probably be pretty pricey for him.

That’s also a pretty crazy looking heel tech insert. Is the tab at the top to fit into a P49 heel or just a ledge for crampons?

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 3:58 pm

“Wouldn’t be stoked to get a boot for that much and know there is a design flaw in the cuff pivot that’s been known about for years in other boots”
I’m not so sure about that conclusion. My PG boots (Dynafit-rebranded Race 400) are still totally tight, zero slop, even after 1.4 million feet of earned vertical, plus some occasional lift-served.

Reply
Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021 - 5:14 pm

Cody- That is a crazy ledge for crampons. I would say that you have to watch it with bindings with bigger heel turrets as it could interfere with the flex of the ski. However, you would most likely be using it with a light binding and not have any issues.

As for Shefftz observation, I can only speak from my own experience. I did feel the play in my race 400 boots growing over time. Once it starts there is very little you can do about it. I thought it would hold for one more race. Then all the real racers were at the World Championship and I left the final transition off of Kachina at the Taos Rando Rally certain I would out-ski the other two racers at the summit. I thought I couldn’t get my boot in ski mode and spent a precious minute messing with it. I gave up skied to the bottom took off my ski suit and a totally unattached carbon cuff dumped out. Although my vert log was incomplete and I will never know if the fatal flaw comes at 1.5 million in earned vert I can telling you being the heaviest racers out there does my boots no favors. I have a bear of a time on boot packs as the little guys scamper around me as I am post holing if thats any indication. I totally agree that a bushing would be worth the investment.

Reply
Slim February 1, 2021 - 6:35 pm

Have you tried them with crampons? Than ledge seems scary to me. I have had the heel bail and lever move around a bit on some crampons and boots.

Why is the toe so low? All these boot makers who hate my toenails…

Reply
stephen February 28, 2021 - 1:19 am

How is the heel/ankle width compared with Scarpa & Dynafit? And instep height?

Thanks!

Reply
Robin February 1, 2021 - 3:47 pm

Barring further developments with graphene, the lower asymptotic limit for ski boot weight has officially been set. (Ok, I hear you in the back of the room re: no upper $ limit.) Now how about those flying cars!?

Reply
Slim February 1, 2021 - 4:41 pm

Yes, the pricing is incorrect. €1540 ex. VAT outside of the EU, (is $1860 for Americans) plus shipping.
Which might just make it the cheapest carbon boot?

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 4:57 pm

The regular Race 400 is ~$1,650 with shipping to the U.S. Which is hardly inexpensive by any measure, but given that many regular touring boots are $900, not totally insanely expensive either.

Reply
Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021 - 4:55 pm

Hi Slim

Thanks for the comment! When I add the boot to cart it says 1850 Euros (VAT Included) It is $120 Euros shipped. This brings the total to 1970 Euros or 2,377.31 USD. If you can avoid the VAT then I will take it out of the equation. Checking with Pierre Gignoux now.

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 5:00 pm

Checking w/ PG is unnecessary: just adding it to my cart and specifying the U.S. for shipping destination brings the total to € 1,661.67, which is about two grand USD.

Reply
Doug Stenclik February 1, 2021 - 5:02 pm

Jonathan-

Thanks for checking I will update the post.

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 5:24 pm

No, VAT is pretty straightforward that way, no fears of retroactive taxation.
U.S.-imposed import tariffs are potentially another story.
But under section 6401.92.30 00 (I did *not* make that up!), “Other footwear: Covering the ankle but not covering the knee: Ski-boots and snowboard boots.” are free. Although a package delivery service might still try to send an after-the-fact demand for an inspection fee. (When this happened to me years ago, long before all this skimo gear exotica was available in the U.S., I sent back the annotated U.S. “Harmonized Tariff Schedule” and basically told them to get lost.) Or even ask for it up-front, hostage-style, not agreeing to release the package to you before payment (but at least that was trivially cheap the one time it happened to me many years ago).

Reply
Jonathan S. Shefftz February 1, 2021 - 5:02 pm

Also note that PG offers true half-sizes in 26.5 and 27.5, the only true in-between shell sizes for any alpine boot, whether alpine downhill or alpine touring. (Any other in-between sizes are a silly fiction, just putting in a slightly thicker throwaway footbed for the small of the two in-between sizes.)

Reply
TheWoodsman February 1, 2021 - 6:02 pm

I dunno…I still think the *Best* boots come from the country that’s shaped like one.

Reply
stephen February 28, 2021 - 1:23 am

^ That’s not entirely true. For instance, Scarpa boot shells break on whole sizes – 28.0, 29.0, etc, whilst Garmont/Scott and Dynafit break on half sizes – 28.5, 27.5, etc. I’ve no idea what happens with the liners, but that half size in shell length can make the difference between numb toes and comfort.

Reply
andrew February 1, 2021 - 7:23 pm

How about a comparison to the alien 3.0? (which seems to be the most popular full carbon boot in the states)

Reply
steve February 1, 2021 - 8:42 pm

First off, it’s a great looking boot. I would take one if someone gave it to me, although it sounds like it would be a bit wide for my foot.
Aside from the good looks of an all-carbon boot that can function to drive wider skis than 65mm race sticks, what would be the advantage if money was no option? How is it functionally superior to other boots in it’s weight class like the Raceborg, Alien “1.1”, PDG, or backland ultimate all of which come in at a much cheaper price point, easier to put on, are easier to modify, can lock the instep/heel, and can also drive a 100m waisted ski in good powder conditions? I do like the tall gaiter, but that alone can’t quite get me to pull the trigger. Would this boot with it’s semi-progressive flex actually drive a wider ski in a more aggressive fashion?

Reply
Duncan February 2, 2021 - 11:40 am

Seconded!

Reply
bmac February 2, 2021 - 1:45 pm

Valid question. Not having skied this iteration of the boot (only the PG race 400), I’d say ankle articulation while skinning is probably the big gain over the PDG, backland, and the various “sy’s” and “borgs” by La Sportiva. The lower part of the boot doesn’t come up as high which also means no anklebone rub. That’s an issue for lots of folks with the PDG/Evos, and was for me in Syborgs.

The Alien 1.1 is probably the closest competitor to these, as the Alien 1.0 skins almost as well as the PG Race 400s I have. I love the internal lacing/velcro on the PG boots, and actually added a similar set-up to other boots as it eliminates heel lift. The alien 1.0 and PG Race boots do allow for a longer/faster stride than even entry level race boots, and much more so than my Fischer travers. The alien 1.0 does ski better than my full carbon race boots, though some of that may just be the full liner and slightly taller cuff (which this PG version fixes). For me, the PG 400s fit more comfortably overall than the alien 1.0s, syborgs and travers boots all with various punches and mods. So ultimately I could see fit being a driver here since the weight savings over the alien is pretty marginal. Interestingly, you’re not supposed to punch the Alien 1.1, so deciding between the two probably just comes down to which fits best out of the box.

Reply
Skimo Dan February 1, 2021 - 9:28 pm

Great review, exactly the kind of content I want to see on this site. I hope we get a review of that sweet, sweet Dynafit Blacklight pack too!

Reply
Doug Stenclik February 2, 2021 - 2:08 pm

I share the love with so many well informed wildsnow readers for using ultra light race boots for ski touring (when not racing in them). This boot is really not even close to any of the boots that I have (sometimes in pieces!) in my garage. Which include, but are not limited to, raceborgs, syborgs, Alien 1s and 3s, PDGs or Race 400s. As I stated in the article, I do agree with the fine boot makers at Pierre Gignoux. This boot is a ski boot no matter how light it is on the scale. It has a far more surface area contact with the shin and therefore for more comfort and control when pushing a bigger ski. It also has better torsional stiffness than the aforementioned boots.

When comparing them to another boot, I chose the Scarpa F1 Lt (even though I don’t like it as much as the Alien RS) purposefully. Out of all the boots I ski, they have the closest ski performance along with the Atomic Carbon Backland (not ultimate) or the Dynafit TLT 8. When you are comparing ,think of boots in that weight class with ski performance, don’t get caught up with race boots. Sorry that wasn’t clearer.

Reply
VTskier February 2, 2021 - 8:40 pm

Hard to understand the 120 Euro shipping charges. I have ordered Scarpa TX Comp ski boots, from France and only had to pay 28.00 Euros for express shipping, DHL. Boots arrived in 4 days at my home, in Vermont, from Telemark Pyrenees.
As for the PG 400 boots, they look amazing, but I will stick with my warm, comfortable F-1s (not LT) .

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