A decade ago, I was on the Argentiere glacier, with my double ice climbing boots clipped in to a pair of silvretta bindings. Functional - in a clunky and heavy sort of way - but then I bumped into some Chamonix guides jumping on the North Face of Les Droites with their TLT5 Dynafit boots and lightweight skimo race setup. I never looked back, after I flew home.
However, the gear is pricey. I have cut costs by the repeated process, of selling off old and still quite serviceable gear, and then upgrading to slightly used or end-of-season lighter gear. This season's upgrade is a three year old Dynafit PDG setup. My Madshus nordic race skis, bindings, and Salomon skate skis weigh in at 1400 grams, my skimo race gear comes in at just 1700 grams.
Of course, about to turn 70 the notion of "cutting edge" is not in the cards, but there are plenty of "walk-ups" that are still worth skiing down. As the article hits home many times, skiing down has a much higher fun quotient than hoofing out from the base of your climb.
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