Alpinist

Because of these drawbacks and its high price, I would categorize the Radion as a go-to niche screw. Though Radions will never become the backbone of my rack, I also will never leave the ground without a few on an extra cold day.
Pros: Sharp teeth bite well in cold ice; solid, low-profile arm offers great crank leverage; unique thread design fractures less ice; floating hanger allows leader to clip into a partially placed screw.
Cons: Long crank arm gets caught up on textured ice..." go to full review

The Hotwire carabiner is the classic wiregate for both winter and summer. As the first to use the wiregate concept, Black
Diamond opened the door for others to follow, and by God, they have. Virtually every manufacturer in the industry now has at
least one option in this category and in a wide variety of shapes and sizes as well. No wonder, since the wiregate outrivals other kinds of carabiners with its reduced weight, freeze resistance, better snow performance and even safer..." go to full review

This spring I have managed to get my hands on the new Metolius SuperCam. Its wide range, 1.55 inches to 2.77 inches, is twice that of most cams currently on the market. It also has wider cam faces, i.e. surface area, that give me more confidence on softer rock, as well as a range-finder feature with color-coding to congratulate me on my bomber placements. The new asymmetrical design looks so dramatic when the lobes are inverted that it is hard to imagine the cam is set properly. However,..." go to full review

When Craig Luebben assigned Curt Love and me Cloud Tower for the last day of our AMGA Rock Guide Exam, we were psyched. Our first question was, ""Can we borrow your rack of new C4s?"" The weight difference, at 20-percent less, was very noticeable. While the drilled-out camming units themselves reduce weight, they also allow better overall balance. The expanded range per unit enables Black Diamond to remove one size, as well as to increase the size of the largest (number..." go to full review

There is a reason the Ecrin Roc is the most rented helmet in the world: it is nearly indestructible (more than we can say for our noggins), extremely adjustable and unquestionably comfortable. Yeah, there are less expensive, lighter-weight options out there, but the Petzl classic has been relied upon countless times and for numerous years by guides, clients, kids, etc. Its dial adjustment system works for all type of head shapes: mongoloid, egghead, pinhead, and so on. Combine it with a..." go to full review

[Review written for the original GriGri]
The Petzl Grigri self-braking belay/descender device is a true industry standard. What can I say about the Grigri that has not been said over the years? Sure, some people will tell you that the Grigri does not give a dynamic belay and therefore increases forces on gear placements, blah, blah,...these are the ones still using figure-eights. However, proper use should negate this issue. I have used the Grigri to climb sport routes, long free..." go to full review

Sterling twists the sheath yarn in production, making this baby last longer. The rope is also versatile: the manufacturer claims the Ice Thong is a good choice for ski mountaineering, alpine/mixed, mountain/expedition and ice climbing. I will definitely carry the 7.7mm Ice Thong in my pack in the future.go to full review

Trango has given me everything I need in a biner with the Superfly family. Now if only I could halve the weight of the rest of my gear.go to full review

At $79.95 retail, this harness is a great value. Although it will excel as a lightweight alpine harness, it has all the features to make it versatile enough for sport climbing and trad as well.
Pros: Women-specific and comfortable fit; easy buckle system; compactable and lightweight for the alpine; great value
Cons: Gear loops are placed relatively far back for my likinggo to full review

Right now I have eight of these units on my rack. My bag is packed for a five-day adventure in my favorite part of my backyard: the Bugaboos. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day to send my ongoing project, and the C3s will be the key to protecting its tricky fingertip cruxes. I can't wait to be climbing above them again!
Pros: Great balance between stiffness and flexibility; easy to place; interlocking lobes offer a slim profile; stellar performance in winter conditions
Cons..." go to full review