Climbing

Do you have that one partner who continues to cling to their tube-style device because belay-assist devices are “too expensive”? That excuse is out the window with the sleek, fast-feeding, price-point Birdie (reviewed in issue No. 371). I’ve been battering mine for months. At 7.4 oz, it’s a little heavier than the Grigri, but the all-metal Birdie hasn’t worn out, and continues to feed and take in rope as ably as on day one. (The Birdie works with cords from 8.5 to 10.5mm.)The Birdie..." go to full review

The first thing I noticed about the updated Phoenix was its retro style. The mustard-and-yellow leather upper and green R2 rand give it a nice 1970s vibe. But it doesn’t just look groovy; it performs well, too. The 1.8mm compressed polyester midsole combined with a perforated EVA tongue (which I haven’t seen on any other shoe) provides support below and above the foot, ideal for multi-pitch and crack climbs. And the Science Friction 3.0 sole edged and smeared well on both rock and plastic. “..." go to full review

Taking the push toward über-comfort plus performance that peaked in the Furia Air, Scarpa has designed a soft gym shoe with many of the same traits. Geared toward intermediate climbers wanting sensitivity and advanced climbers who keep their shoes on for extended sessions (e.g., bouldering, boarding, ARCing), the mildly downturned Veloce has proven to be a soft, light (7.4 oz per shoe), flexible training friend. It has a Flexan half-midsole that provided reliable edging, and Scarpa’s grippy..." go to full review

Limestone aficionados and fans of pockety face will love the Mystix—they have a long, stiff, balletic toe married with an aggressive downturn and visibly asymmetrical (“banana”) last that yielded big power for steeps and precise micro-standing. Lasted for lower-volume feet, the Mystix have a supportive, CAD-drafted, two-zone RC-Flex midsole and a 3.5mm XS Grip Sole that offered reliable smearing for a stiffer shoe, while a wide, single-pull Velcro strap made for easy-adjust sizing. A..." go to full review

Five Ten has upgraded their fleet, minimalist gym/bouldering/sport shoe with a low-stretch microfiber upper and broader, more customizable single-strap closure that torques down hard for limit sends—imparting mad focus through the downturned precision toe. Meanwhile, thanks to the siping (gills) on the scum patch and split-sole design, helped also by the super-sticky Stealth C4 sole, the new Hiangle flexed more than its predecessor for smearing—just the perfect amount. Of special..." go to full review

When the Booster first came out in 2007, its fierce torque plus balletic precision made it a redpointing beast. The Booster got a big makeover for 2020 with Scarpa’s new PAF heel, which splits the tension rand behind your Achilles, letting you downsize for max precision. (I dropped 1 size from the Booster S.) The resulting “bite” on micros is peerless, and the new heel is a soft, suctiony dream. The Booster has a Flexan midsole and 3.5mm XS Grip 2 outsole, and uses the same Alcantara toebox..." go to full review

The gym-focused Solution Comp features a softer midsole, bigger scumming patch, and narrower heel than the original—and was a runaway hit with testers. It broke in quicker than the OG model and performed better on volumes and smears, but the sensitive, form-fitting heel was the most winning tweak. “It’s more pared-down, which made it super-glommy around arêtes and on volumes,” said one tester. The updates paired perfectly with tried-and-true features like the pointy, precise toebox,..." go to full review

The first thing that caught my eye with Beal’s new assisted-braking belay device was its steampunk aesthetic: The Birdie is all stainless steel, with a gleaming silver body and colored handle. It just looks cool. Weighing 7.4 ounces, the Birdie is 1.2 ounces heavier than its main competitor, the Petzl Grigri; however, the Birdie costs $34.95 less. Both devices use an internal cam to assist with braking and have a similarly positioned lowering handle—if you’re fluent at one, you’ll..." go to full review

I’ve long been a fan of the Acro, a steep-rock/bouldering shoe with a passionate following. The Comp builds on its low-profile last to create a much softer (hence “Comp”) offering with volume climbing in mind—and that excels at its métier, in particular toe hooks, given the enormous scumming patch, which had me glomming around arêtes and under Kilter stalactites as if I had a tail. The Comps have an almost “gummy,” slipper-/sock-like fit and feel, and close with a high Velcro strap; coupled..." go to full review

The first few times while switching modes, I had to pay close attention to the diagrams on the device. Also, feeding rope while in brake-assist mode was initially clunky, and my partner rained vulgarities upon me after I short-roped her at the crux of a Boulder Canyon sport route on day one of testing. However, even though the Giga Jul has the longest learning curve of any tube-style device I’ve used, once I was up to speed I loved its multi-functionality. (Watch the online demo videos and..." go to full review