Guido Valota

Ski instructor

The heart and soul of the Light and Race categories, Guido is a cross-country ski instructor and former competitive ski mountaineer

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"Buyer's Guido" has been a fixture with this guide since its beginnings. He's been trying to retire for years now, but he hasn't quite managed it. Although we have lightened his load a bit, so all he's done here is dipped his toes into the lightweight boots category. With an eye for detail he developed as a cross-country skier, a keen mind, and just the right sprinkling of sardonic humor, his reviews are always one of a kind.

Worked on

these are the products they worked on

Pro's Choice Light 2026
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Scarpa
F1 XT
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.145 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Scarpa
F1 LT
Buckles: 2
Weight: 990 g
tested 2024
Boots
Light
Fischer
Travers CS
Buckles: 2
Weight: 980 g
tested 2024
Boots
Light
Salomon
MTN Summit Sport
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.250 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Atomic
Backland Ultimate
Buckles: 2
Weight: 788 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
La Sportiva
Solar II
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.185 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Scarpa
F1 SE
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.380 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Atomic
Backland Pro
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.170 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
La Sportiva
Skorpius CR II
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.190 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Dynafit
Blacklight
Buckles: 2
Weight: 990 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Dynafit
TLT X
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.030 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Tecnica
Zero G Peak
Buckles: 2
Weight: 980 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Tecnica
Zero G Peak Carbon
Buckles: 2
Weight: 990 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Roxa
RX Scout
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.290 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Atomic
Backland Carbon UL
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.021 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Salomon
MTN Summit Pro
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.150 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Salomon
S/Lab MTN Summit
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.050 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Atomic
Backland Carbon
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.162 g
tested 2025
Boots
Light
Roxa
RX
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.290 g
tested 2026
Boots
Light
Dalbello
Quantum Evo
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.050 g
Intro
Bindings: a thousand flavors

Choosing the binding that best suits your needs can prove tricky, as it is a mechanically complex component of the setup

Intro
Ski poles: they’re in control

They’re an excellent investment. The least expensive piece of kit, but one that has an outsized influence on technique, both on the way up, and especially on the way down

Intro
Skins, one and done or multiple transitions?

The average alpine touring outing involves much more skinning up the mountain than skiing down, making climbing skins one of the most important parts of any setup. These long, thin strips of fabric can make all the difference when you’re out on the mountain

Tutorial
Bindings: watch out for the drop

The drop, or delta, is the difference in height between the heel and toe; a figure that’s still all too variable between pin-system bindings, and an important factor in maintaining the correct stance when skiing. That’s why it’s important to consider the boot/binding pairing, as well as possible modifications