Damaging Dynafit Inserts While Scrambling Over Rock ?

[Scottish_Skier]

In the last year two friends have damaged dynafit inserts on touring boots due to them be used them for scrambling over rock.
Both cases resulted in chipped inserts and worrying ski pre-releases.
Just wondering how prevalent this problem is ? Interestingly both friends had their boots promptly replaced under warranty.

Maybe if you tour exclusively in the high alps where there is lots of snow this will never be an issue.
But here in Scotland the tours frequently involve using rocky paths or scrambling over boulder fields to reach the snowline. (hard Cairngorm granite can be really tough on ski boots!).

I am currently considering modifying some cat tracks just to protect the inserts on my boots whilst scrambling over rock... Perhaps this is a little OCD.
Wondering if the TGR collective had any thoughts or alternative solutions ?
Totally sold on dynafit bindings (switched over this year for touring) - but the prospect of damaging the boot inserts when hiking is a minor worry.

[neck beard]

I cover a fair bit of rock in early and late season. The plastic around my toe inserts has worn out and the metal inserts actually protrude slightly. Never had any deformation. The rock I am on is nearly always loose talus or sharp loose volcanic rock, so perhaps less impact force than you guys are having on your rock? We certainly have nothing as nice as hard slabs of granite!

[Sinecure]

This is one of the reasons I like having boots with replaceable soles. I figure if I screw up the inserts, or wear through the rubber/vibram, I can just replace them.

[LeeLau]

I wore out the rubber enough on my boots that I always had to ski with them in tour mode and even in tour mode i could force the boot out of the binding; fixed it by gluing some crap on the binding so my toe couldn't drop the binding down too much. The inserts were definitely scored but it wasn't messed up. So its not ideal. I suspect you'll rip the cat-tracks right off but it depends on your rock

[snoboy]

What brand(s) of boots?

[powdherb]

One time I was in courmayeur this season and they day before we had a dance party in the parking lot. I was skiing some hardcore gully james-bod shit when I got on the gondola and realized that I had ripped the hell piece of out my Mobe's. I'll put pictures up one day.

[Johnny Deep]

I've only lost the rear piece. Broken screws, mostly.

[Scottish_Skier]

> What brand(s) of boots?

One pair Garmont & one Scarpa (both belonging to friends).
Though I have no reason to believe there is a specific issue with either of these brands.

It doesn't take much imagination to see that any metal insert could potentially get damaged or chipped by hiking over jagged rocks - especially if its sharp granite.
Though I have no idea how often / likely this is to actually happen...

[snoboy]

I asked because of the general idea that Dynafit made inserts are generally higher quality, better spec, whatever.. but AFAIK Scarpa uses Dynafit inserts... so not applicable in this case anyways...