Outdoor Gear Lab

This is a durable and classic design. Chris Mac says he has never worn out a pair and has not seen any wear out. Because it doesn't have any extras, this aider is relatively light and less bulky than most other aiders when clipped to the side of your harness.go to full review

Chris Mac says, "I used these a ton and never managed to wear them out. And that was after my friend Mark used them a ton." These are the most bomber aiders we tested. One big advantage of not having urethane or big steps is that this aider is less bulky when clipped to your harness for free climbing. Also, this aider won't get stuck in cracks as easily and is easier to free when it does. This aider is only sold in the 5 step length. If you are going to do a lot of free climbing, like on The..." go to full review

The Metolius Alpine Aider is surprisingly comfortable considering how light and non-bulky it is. The Biothane step-stiffeners keep your feet relative comfortable despite the thin (0.80") webbing. The aider is not bulky so it feels nice when clipped on the side of your harness. Most of all, it is a great value considering how high it scored compared to other light aiders.go to full review

The Metolius 5 Step Aider is the best etrier-style aider we have tested. Chris McNamara has used this aider on more walls than any other aider and says it is comfortable and easy to walk up in due to its reinforced Biothane step. It is also the best aider at top-stepping of all the aiders we have tested because of the many sub steps. The only downside is durability, which only matters if you climb a ton of walls. Also, it is not quite as comfortable as the ladder-style aiders with spreader..." go to full review

This is a pretty versatile aider. It works well on hard aid but is also light enough to work on walls with free climbing, such as The Nose (especially if you cut off the bottom steps as Chris does).go to full review

The Yates Speedwall Ladder is a lighter and thinner version of the our Editors' Choice winner, the Yates Big Wall Ladder. The steps are 1" wide compared to the Big Wall Ladder's 1.75" steps. That means this aider is not as comfortable to stand in for hours but is lighter when clipped to the side of your harness. While the Big Wall Ladder comes in a 6-step and a 7-step length, the Speed Wall Ladder only comes in a 6-step length (67"). This is the aider Ammon McNeely uses to set El Cap speed..." go to full review

Chris says, "I have used these a lot after Ammon McNeely showed them to me then gave me a pair (thanks Ammon!). Up until that point, I was a diehard user of the standard aider style or "etrier" style. But after using these for one wall I was a convert to the Yates Big Wall Ladder. I have used them for every aid-instensive big wall I have done in the last five years."go to full review

The La Sportiva TC Pro has a serious fan club, but there are also a few detractors. Some of these detractors are just grumpy contrarians, but criticism about limited sensitivity and poor performance on overhanging terrain seem warranted. Nevertheless, the TC Pro is easily one of the most popular shoes in the granite climbing areas of the American West, and it's easy to understand why. Its excellent balance of comfort, edging performance, and sensitivity remain unmatched by its rivals. To get..." go to full review

There are no significant disadvantages of the Index, and it's a great performer on the wall. Like other types of wall climbing gear, you're likely to feel more comfortable with familiar equipment. The Index provides the Petzl Ascension with some stiff competition and is worth purchasing if the index finger operation is something that you would use. We liked this feature and found the added versatility to be useful.go to full review

The Kong Lift slides well up the rope, but its cam trigger can only be operated with a thumb and isn't as comfortable as models with molded plastic or rubber triggers. The teeth aren't nearly as aggressive as those of other mechanical models that we tested, but this didn't seem to make a difference during testing. Our testers' chief complaint about the Lift is that the bottom hole is too small to fit a locking carabiner's gate. This isn't a huge issue, but it can be an inconvenience when you..." go to full review