Gear Review: Garmont Cosmos/Celeste Boot
These boots will power through whatever conditions nature decides to throw at you.
[all-conditions boot]
In a single run down Apache Peak in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness, our tester skied the Cosmos (women’s is the Celeste) in everything from high-altitude mank to sun-softened corn to slush that was so wet he could hear water running beneath it. He also took the boot to Mt. Hood in early spring, where he pushed skis with a 110-millimeter waist through everything from “sketchball ice” to leftover, wind-affected pow turning to mush. But in each scenario, the Cosmos made him feel balanced, aggressive, and confident no matter how much the conditions varied. And it’s the lightest four-buckle boot on the market. The Cosmos shell is made with a stiff, lightweight nylon called Grilamid that makes the boot incredibly sensitive to the slightest ankle bend (for touring comfort) or weight shift. Testers also liked how the Cosmos encouraged an aggressive stance—weight slightly forward with ankles flexed to put the body in a “ready” position. Cool feature: two forward lean adjustments (Allen tool required). For low-angle terrain, stick with the more upright, 13-degree forward lean. For pucker-up steep pitches, adjust to 11.5 degrees. Bottom line: Choose this boot if you ski all kinds of terrain and spend 90 percent of your time in the backcountry. $699; 6 lbs. 6 oz. (m’s 27); m’s 25-31.5; w’s 23-27.5; garmontusa.com