Rock and Ice
The Pythons are versatile: flat-lasted enough to use on single-pitch finger and hand cracks; and high-performance enough for sport climbs, especially ones with pockets. I recommend them for the gym, Indian Creek, Wild Iris/Sinks and the Red River Gorge.go to full review
After a full year of hard toeing, twisting and torquing, the Miura VS has suffered no dip in its performance—amazing unto itself—and it still excels on dime-edges, heel hooks (maybe the best?), and finger cracks. The shoe has stretched a bit, but not that much (not nearly as much as its older sister, the lace-up Miura tends to). This is due to Sportiva’s patented P3 platform that retains the shoe’s shape, and hence performance, over a long lifetime.go to full review
The Katana Lace is a sleek, sharp all-around weapon, especially excelling on edges and smears. I tested the shoe on limestone and sandstone of all angles and slipperiness, and was pleased with its versatility as well as the Vibram XS Edge rubber’s stickiness. Another upgrade, the asymmetric Katana Lace is slightly down-turned, which gave the sensation of a performance shoe but managed to retain the comfort of a flatter all-arounder. Sportiva’s proprietary randing system, the P3 (Permanent..." go to full review
Performance-wise, the Jeckyl starts out as relatively stiff, but the midsole breaks down and the shoe winds up being soft and pliable. I like a soft shoe since it allows you to bend the sole and latch holds on steeper routes without having to endure a radical downturn, a feature that invariably turns my toenails black and causes my gallbladder to produce painful green stones. Sportiva markets the Jeckyl as a gym shoe, probably because it’s comfy and has the easy on/off Velcro closure. I..." go to full review
"The shoe actually lasts longer," a representative from La Sportiva told me, explaining one of the benefits of the No Edge concept. The logic is a bit weird: no edge, nothing to wear down; ipso facto, longer-lasting shoe. It’s the same paradox we face with zombies: How can you kill something that’s already dead? But it seems to be true. After six months of use, my Futuras—even with their scant 3mm of Vibram XS Grip2 rubber—look the same as they did out of the box. I’m curious to..." go to full review
Arc’teryx isn’t known for making cheap stuff, and at $169 the I-340A is their most expensive harness. It is, in fact, the most expensive harness, period. I tied into the harness between 300 and 500 times, however, and the harness shows minimal wear. Although the I-340A feels flimsy, I’ll give it an “A” for durability, and I anticipate getting a couple more years of regular (two to three days a week) use out of it. Seems the old axiom holds true: You get what you pay for.go to full review
The Diamond is two to three grams per meter heavier than some comparable ropes, and has a somewhat stiffer hand, but the increased durability seemed worth the extra weight. I didn’t experience any unusual twisting, even when new, and the diameter seemed right on the money. (Sometimes ropes will be assigned a diameter but seem thick in the hand, especially after heavy use. If anything, the Diamond seems thinner than it’s given 9.4 mm, more like a 9 mm rope I compared it to.)go to full review
I gave the Arial 9.5 mm rope four stars because the rope is one of the best sport climbing cords I’ve used. The diameter fit squarely in the Goldilocks realm—not too fat, not too skinny. Plus, handling the rope is a treat. From the factory coil, the Arial is slinky and soft. The only downside is the cost.go to full review
One thing I really like about Millet ropes is the anti-twist packaging. Unlike many ropes, which seem to maddeningly twist and knot in snarls that could best even Alexander, the Opposite is packaged so that it is easy to uncoil and put to use.go to full review
The draw has an fumble-resistant stiffness that I like, and the sling is wider at the bottom than the top, making a nice gripping handle for pulling through bolt-to-bolt.
Weight is middling. At about 100 grams for the 17-cm and 93 grams for the 12-cm version, these draws aren't featherlight. They are solid, beefy draws that can take a lot of wear and tear. They are especially durable for temporarily fixing on projects: Their thick H-frame construction lets them tolerate bolt..." go to full review