Gear Junkie

The Edelrid Pinch is my new go-to belay device. Every assisted belay device has compromises, but the Pinch has the correct alchemy of characteristics for me. Admittedly, it also handles most closely to a GRIGRI, and adopted familiarity is a big plus. The Edelrid Pinch also connects directly to the belay loop, delivering advantages that vaulted the device to the top of my list.go to full review

Evolv generously sent both the “normal” Zenist and the LV version, both in 44. The LVs were decidedly tighter all around other than length. Both versions had the “performance fit” feel to me, but the LV version was just a tad more “performance.” The added tightness around almost every millimeter of my foot added a touch of sensitivity and power. After alternating between the shoes for weeks, I concluded that the “normal” Zenist would be my go-to training shoe. I could keep them on for up to..." go to full review

If you’ve got narrow feet and are in the market for an aggressive, durable sport climbing shoe, the Ocún Sigma is an excellent choice. The Sigma caters to those with a strong foundation of technique and who are looking to push into higher outdoor grades. It’s worth noting that at an MSRP of $180, it is $30-50 cheaper than other comparable aggressive sport climbing shoes, like the La Sportiva Katana ($220) or the SCARPA Instinct ($210).go to full review

I tested the Edelrid Rage ice axes on 400- to 600-foot-tall waterfall ice in the backcountry surrounding Palmer and Valdez over a weeklong excursion in February. The routes were at or near my limit of ice-climbing ability. This season in Alaska was particularly snowy and cold, so the ice was often brittle, but the routes were solid. Temperatures ranged from 0 to just over 10 degrees.go to full review

True to its name, I felt the Evolv V6 was an excellent shoe for taking a boulderer and sport climber from post-beginner to near-advanced status. If I had to put bouldering grades on it, I would say the shoe caters to climbers roughly in the V3 to, you guessed it, V6 range. The shoe has moderate levels of all the main attributes: softness and sensitivity, support and power. It is well-versed in heel and toe hooking and has enough outsole thickness to last through the..." go to full review

All of this is to say the Edelrid Neo 3R 9.8 felt, handled and performed as a sub-10mm, high-end dynamic rope should. The 50% recycled material was a bonus. I considered the rope a victory in making climbing more sustainable. There were zero perceptible downsides, short of the unavailability of a dry treatment for keeping half a rope’s material out of the landfills.go to full review

In short: The Zenist Pro and Zenist Pro LV proved to be great fitting, powerful, and supportive shoes with just enough sensitivity for high-end bouldering. They excelled at pulling and edging on holds appropriately sized for harder bouldering. They have more structure than a slipper but maintain enough sensitivity for precise footwork and competent smearing at steep angles.go to full review

With their forgiving last and rounded toe, the Method isn’t the most precise shoe, nor is it meant to be. But they were plenty comfortable, with good ventilation thanks to the split, woven tongue. And they did stealthy-good heel hooking thanks to the 3D molded heel cup, which was deep and supportive without being overbearing. The shoes are also well-crafted — especially for the price — and will hold up well to multiple resoles. In fact, the Black Diamond Method may only improve with age by..." go to full review

The SCARPA Vapor Lace-Up shares a niche with shoes like La Sportiva’s Katana Lace and TC Pro, and the Five Ten NIAD Lace.  But it offers a thin, 3.5mm sole and a slightly softer, more sensitive feel — for the genre. They are an amazingly light, breathable edging shoe with solid crossover into midsize jamming and slightly overhanging rock, both sport and trad. They were ideal for almost all granite venues, as well as sandstone face-and-crack areas like Eldorado Canyon, Colo...." go to full review

La Sportiva has been a staple in the climbing shoe industry for decades, and the Skwama Vegan is another example of them pushing industry standards. The La Sportiva Skwama Vegan possesses all of the performance, double the comfort, and potentially half of the guilt compared to the originals. It’s great to see a company make such an excellent shoe in a vegan-friendly way without any performance compromise. These will be my new go-to steep climbing and bouldering shoes.go to full review