At first, I hated the Quantum VCS. The fit was simply wrong, it was too wide at the front; I felt like I haul at the straps to make them fit snugly. They felt clumpy and over built. They just weren't for me. But then something weird happened…they became my number one shoe.go to full review

One small feature that led me to choose the Reverso over the ATC Guide is the orientation of the guide mode loop. The loop is oriented horizontally in relation to the device (perpendicular to the tubes), meaning that when it’s clipped into an anchor, the tubes are naturally oriented in the direction of pull. This is not the cause on the Guide, which has a loop oriented vertically.go to full review

The Edelrid Jayne II was my first climbing harness. In truth, I showed up to the shop, looked for an inexpensive option, and just grabbed one off the shelves. At the time, I didn't know what to look for in a harness, but I was lucky enough to have grabbed a great option without even knowing. The Edelrid Jayne II is a highly adjustable harness with Easy-Glide buckles that make adjustments a breeze. It's a fantastic harness for beginners: it is generously padded, reasonably priced, and doesn't..." go to full review

I remember the first time I felt a heel hook. Not the first time I ungainly draped my hoof on a hold, still taking all my weight on my arms. I mean the first time I placed the heel and turned the toes out and down to engage my mighty buttocks and hamstring. It was a revelation. It was like the first time that I put on seeing spectacles after fighting against the tide of blindness for years and realised that trees were not watercolour smudges but were instead fractured and you could make out..." go to full review

It feels bomber in hand cracks and when wiggling up off-widths. The lacing configuration didn’t create any pressure points, and the leather was very comfortable. I felt very secure and comfortable whenever I’d lock in a good foot jam.go to full review

It’s really important that the crampons fit well when you abuse them on rocky sections of your climb. Tweaking the front points onto small rock ledges or cracks will show you in a heartbeat whether your crampons have a tight fit or not… I am always happy having the Sarken on my boot with their solid connection from boot to steel to rock.go to full review

In a nutshell the SITTA is a lightweight fixed leg loop harness designed primarily for mountain and big route use. It has four gear loops and a small rear haul loop; two attachment points for ice screw clippers; a reinforced belay loop (reassuringly there has been no weight saving here - thanks Petzl!); elasticated leg loops and an exceedingly comfortable waist belt secured by a single speed buckle.go to full review

Overall the Scarpa Maestro is an excellent all-rounder which gives more performance than you might expect from a flat shoe, and particularly from a jack of all trades. Whilst the Maestro is comfortable to wear initially, I have experienced some discomfort when wearing it for longer routes due to the softness and lack of support. If you're looking for a flat shoe that will enable you to edge, smear and heel hook effectively without wrecking your feet, I would highly recommend the Maestro; but..." go to full review

Overall, after testing the Grigri + across a six month period on a variety of climbing terrain, we decidedly prefer the Grigri + over the previous models. For rope control alone, the Grigri + is worth a look, not to mention the introduction of other features including its steel plate to reduce wear and the model changes from lead climbing to top rope belaying. For us, the new safety features of the Grigri + are a good addition to the device but fell short of what was expected and were often..." go to full review

This purpose built mixed tool can still climb ice acceptably and is well suited for the aspiring and experienced modern winter climber who wants to spend significant time on rock.  The simple and consistent pick mounting system and modular handle means that each climber has the opportunity to experiment and fine tune what they prefer individually as well. As a motivated weekend warrior, the Fuel Hammer has earned a place in my gear closest and will make an appearance on my pack any day ice..." go to full review