The Black Diamond MiniWire are the smallest and lightest quickdraws we have ever used. They are designed for long alpine single push missions, where saving weight really matters, and make for a poor draw for sport climbing due to their miniscule size.go to full review

For the time being, the HotForge Quickdraw represents the top end of Black Diamond's quickdraw lineup, although it doesn't offer the same high end performance as the highest scorers in this review. It is a good budget purchase for those who like to clip their rope to a bent gate on the bottom.go to full review

The Black Diamond HotForge Hybrid are a new quickdraw that present excellent value, which is why we gave them our Best Buy Award. If you want a solid draw that is easy to clip, very easy to see, and has an easy to remove keylocking upper gate, all at a reasonable price, then look no further.go to full review

After months of use the only damage to these is normal wear on the rubber. The uppers and lace holes are bomber. At nearly $200 it’s nice to have a shoe that lasts well beyond burning through the rand, with plenty of life left for a resole, if you’re into that kinda thing. Overall, I’m pleased with the new Testarossa, it’s a welcome and much-improved update to the classic. More power to the toe, more function in the heel, and a longer shelf life thanks to better materials. Yes, more of..." go to full review

The well tested toe rand is similar to the Drago and Furia and offers plenty of surface area for toe hooking and even the occasional crack. It has also kept the shoe profile as it should be without any stretch.There is also a grey power band (the PAF system) that encased the arch of your foot to help keep the shoe tensioned and offer some performance enhancement by giving the Veloce a slight down turn to help push the toe into the toe box. How tensioned the heel is is shown by how many holes..." go to full review

My first impressions of the harness were that it was going to be a bit clunky: at 420 grams this thing is at least a middleweight in any head-to-head match-up. But the more I wore it, the more I liked it. The waistbelt is wide and soft. The upper lip of the waist belt is rounded and cushioned—it dug into my hips perhaps less than any harness I’ve worn. This is the harness you want if you know you’re going to be doing a lot of hanging, but not necessarily climbing at your limit when weight is..." go to full review

The new Phantom Tech’s drawbacks are few. I thought they were a smidge less warm than their predecessors, but to such a minor extent that the weight savings and comfort were worth that sacrifice. Additionally, while the spiral zipper has been improved, the actual zipper pull-loop could still use some work. It was a notorious weakness of the last version—the pull loop would break if you yarded too hard on a snagged zipper—and has carried over into the new boot as well. It seems the hope is..." go to full review

At 845 grams per pair, with a replaceable monopoint, the G20 Plus is one of the lightest technical crampons that has removeable frontpoints. They have become my go-to crampon for steep ice and mixed routes, but the ultralight design will also make it an attractive option for alpine routes. Sometimes a lightweight design can mean that the metal is softer and prone to dulling faster, but I think this crampon holds up Grivel's reputation for extremely durable steel.go to full review

Overall, I think these boots are great for mild alpine and mountaineering adventures as well as technical ice and mixed climbing. If I had more confidence in the waterproofing of these boots, I'd be keener to recommend them for larger objectives, as they are very light and comfortable. If you do take these boots deep into the mountains, add your own waterproof layer and bring extra socks!go to full review