Climbing Report
These kept our testers feet nice and warm even when the temperatures were well below freezing. The tall thick rubber rand kept crampon damage in check. Good lace systems and comfortable footbed and lining. The sizing is is standard and normal so you can order online with confidence. The Lowa Weisshorn GTX is definitely a keeper. A great boot that is at home on ice and alpine routes.go to full review
We think the Petzl Grigri + is a solid belay device. Most of our testers liked it for it’s added anti-panic function and top rope mode. The stainless steel wear plate is a bonus that adds value to the consumer. This belay device will be with you for a long time. When queried, most of our testers said that they would likely still use their Grigri 2 most of the time for lead climbing because of familiarity, size and weight. Consumers will have to decide how much they want these added features..." go to full review
Aside from working well, the Dyon and Dyon mixed Express KS just look great. They do a great job of showcasing new technology. The design also makes for a quickdraw that is as light as it is easy to clip. There are lighter quickdraws, but none that offer this wide of a gate opening (26mm), this strong of an open gate rating (11kN), and are so easy to clip. The CAMP Dyon Express KS is 79 gm and the Dyon Mixed Express KS is 84 gm. Our team of testers were unanimous in giving the CAMP Dyon..." go to full review
The Five Ten Anasazi Blanco also performed well on a lot of our boulder projects that required precise footwork on terrible holds. We did some testing on some slabby sport routes and the Blanco performed pretty well, but a shoe with a softer sole would likely do better at maximizing the grip area on smears. Although the heel is quite baggy because of the high tension rand we didn’t have any problems with it on heel hooks and sometimes the extra room seemed to help smear a bit on slopey holds..." go to full review
The Black Diamond Snaggletooth crampons are definitely different to look at, but for alpine pursuits you quickly forget the design and just got. It’s often not until you encounter technical moves where you’re glad that you have that single point that you remember what you have on your feet. Vertical ice performance is solid. We’re not sure we’d want to exceed WI4 in these, unless it’s hero ice, but most alpine routes sit in the WI2-3 range so the performance shouldn’t lack much, if at all vs..." go to full review
With a shoe that can edge like this, and be comfortable for long multi-pitch routes, you’d be had pressed to find something better for most types of climbing. The MSRP is $140, which is a decent price in a market where shoe prices are starting to rise pretty quickly. The comfort of the upper and the stickiness of the rubber are what most people are looking for at a base level on a climbing shoe and you definitely get that with the Lowa Sparrow Ws. We can heartily recommend this shoe for all..." go to full review
CAMP has some really great, versatile, rock protection that you can add to your rack for not a lot of money and not a lot of weight. It has made our climbing more fun and safe, and frankly made it possible to get up the Finger of Fate, which I don’t think would have been possible otherwise.go to full review
Our testers couldn’t say enough good things about the Wild Country Mission Women’s harness. They praised the light weight and comfortable shape. The performance and features for trad climbing, having easy access to lots of gear loops, is a huge plus. And lastly, not to pigeon hole them because they are women, they thought the colors and design looked really good. A quick scan of prices on the internet show it to be about $95 at most places. We found sizing to be spot on with the Wild Country..." go to full review
The La Sportiva Katana is essentially the shoe you’ve always known and loved, with a few fit and performance updates. The durability is excellent, so far. Though we’ve only had these for a couple of months, the materials used are tough and the rand is holding strong. These classics definitely deserve a place in any climber’s quiver. If you’re a new climber, you can’t go wrong with the Katana. If you’re a veteran climber than you already know the value of a good pair of do-it-all shoes. The..." go to full review
We did a lot of climbing and a lot of testing and can happily say that the Petzl Elia helmet and Luna Harness are solid versatile choices for all of your climbing adventures. Both are reasonably priced and often on sale at a number of brick-and-mortar and online retailers.go to full review