Yep, another 'which boot?' thread, sorry. I've done a lot of searching the interwebs, talking to hikers etc, but I figure the more info the better.
I've been getting into winter hiking over the last couple of years, snowshoeing & some light crampon work on easier hills in VT & NH, but after attending an AMC Advanced Winter Wilderness Travel course last winter, it became readily apparent that my existing winter boots are way too flexible for any crampon work on a slope (and by slope I mean <60 degrees, nothing approaching technical climbing, we had too change our route up Mt Cardigan because most of us had flexible boots....).
So, with winter fast approaching i'm trying to find a decent 'all-round' boot that is reasonably warm, comfy enough to walk 20miles, yet stiff enough for some slope work with crampons. I'm not looking to progress to all-out technical climbing, but would like something that could get me up easier routes in the Presidentials in winter without too much fuss. I appreciate that an 'all-round' boot will not excel in any particular area e.g -30C on Washington summit, very steep slopes, ultimate walking comfort etc., but i'm sure there are boots out that that would suit a newbie like myself.
FYI, my crampons are the Black Diamond Contact 10-point strap-type.
Ideally, i'd like to keep the budget under $400 max, and would prefer to buy locally for the sake of trying different sizes of boots on etc. MEC is my go-to store generally, and they have a reasonable selection of Scarpa, La Sportiva, plus some Mammut, Zamberlin & Asolo products.
Any advice is much appreciated, cheers in advance.