I absolutely love my Ergos, but I spend a lot of time on steep drytooling routes, as well as having the luxury of multiple sets of tools in my gear closet. It’s hard to justify so much money for tools that may not get used on a regular basis, especially when the Nomic is a better all-around tool, and only gives up a bit of ground on overhanging terrain. But if you want a dedicated pair of tools for steep ice and overhanging rock, I can’t think of a better choice than the Ergonomic. They are..." go to full review

The updated Redline Strap is a radically downturned, asymmetrical beast (Mad Rock calls the shape a “spiral last”) made for gym climbing and steeps. These shoes are tight: I usually wear an 8.5 or 9 rock shoe, but here needed a 9.5. Perhaps this was because the molded heel cup is so deep that there’s little stretch; the forefoot is also narrow, which made the Redline great for smear-edging. These may be the best shoes I’ve tried for technical heel hooks, specifically on small gym holds. On a..." go to full review

As I reacclimated to volume and coordination problems, it struck me that the Theory felt like a combination of the Solution and the Futura—Solution-style big-toe bite for edging and jibs married with Futura-style softness, sensitivity, deformation, and scumming fluency. This made for wicked versatility, with reliable performance on toe-in-and-grab monster overhangs, funkedelic coordination slabs, and vertical crimp ladders. On one problem, up bulbous yellow balls, I desperately scummed..." go to full review

My second trip with the Ribelle HDs involved a much longer slog up to Mt. Hector, a glaciated snow and ice peak in the Canadian Rockies. Once again, I felt pretty balanced in third-class sub-alpine trails through the talus. In fourth-class terrain, I was still a bit hesitant to completely trust the rockered sole. Once on ice, the HDs felt stiff and coupled well with the Petzl Irvis crampons. The snow was pretty bad, so I hit a few holes. I didn't wear gaiters, so eventually my feet were wet..." go to full review

After testing the Opera at the crags of Index, Washington, I embarked on a seven-week road trip in the Cascades, the Sawtooths and the Wind River Range. Before I took the rope into the mountains to try some technical and difficult alpine routes, I had my partner yank out the slack from the Grigri to simulate a lead fall, just to make sure the device locked up well enough on the thin rope. It passed the test. With a newfound confidence, we then hiked up to cast away on a sea of alpine granite..." go to full review