Thankfully things have moved on in the rock shoe world and the Voltage though undeniably a performance shoe was surprisingly comfortable. I’ve become a little wary of some of the more extreme shoes around with ‘powerful’ heels and severely down toed soles – at the more modest grades at which I climb there is often little or no advantage to such specialisation. However the Voltage proved to be perfectly at home on local grit, vertical limestone and indoor overhanging plastic.go to full review

After three months of use the Tech Machines are holding up brilliantly. I’ve loved climbing with them and my old Nomics have gone into retirement. There are the usual scuffs and scratches but no damage as such. The picks have as always proved bomb proof and required the minimum of touching up with a file. The multilayer handle is holding up equally well. One improvement I’d like to see is the metal of the spike extended to stand proud of the lower finger rest slightly so that when the tool..." go to full review

Black Diamond knows axes, and they know not to mess with what works. The Raven lineup has expanded to four: the Raven, Raven Pro (lighter), Raven Ultra (lightest) and Raven with grip. The updated Raven Pro gets a little work done to improve an already stellar design, but don't worry, they haven't ruined a classic like Pamela Anderson did with all her "updates."go to full review

Perhaps the best news is the great price point. If the usual top consideration is simply wearing a helmet as opposed to leaving it in the trunk or your pack, even more important is having, which means affording, one at all.go to full review

Is the Grivel Stealth perfect? No. Is it a durable, light and versatile option for ice, rock and alpine climbing? Absolutely. Especially if you have a medium- to large-size head.go to full review