Climbing Report

My usual tools have a curved shaft very similar to the Cassin X-All Mountain tools, so the slightly altered swing was very natural for me. The thing I noticed right way was how clean they stuck in the ice. The first time I used them the ice was pretty brittle, my usual tools would have been knocking dinner plates down from the wall left and right. The X-All Mountain tools have a slightly thinner pick. The teeth start about 1cm from the tip giving a nice clean stick, making that confidence..." go to full review

Evolv has produced a very solid shoe in the Addict. Both advanced and beginning climbers can appreciate the Addict with it’s great combination of comfort and performance. After a bit of stretching you won’t need to take these off between pitches, perfect for a day of climbing at the crag or gym. MSRP is only $99, which is a pretty good bargain for shoes of this quality. We definitely recommend checking out the Evolv Addict.go to full review

If climbing trad is what you’re after then the Evolv Astroman should definitely be a shoe to consider. It has what the trad master (and the trad grasshopper) needs, solid toe for solid edging, full foot and ankle coverage, and all day comfort for big walls and desert towers.go to full review

Five Ten has ticked all the right boxes for making the Anasazi Guide a durable and comfortable all day climbing shoe. If you’re looking for something that you can wear day in and day out, have it last a long time, and provide really good climbing ability you should definitely check out the Five Ten Anasazi Guide.go to full review

I immediately noticed the difference in comfort the first time I slid my foot into the Stonelands. My big toe moved right into position, instead of having to be crammed and bunched up. The rest of my toes nestled into place. I had to adjust a little from where I normally place my foot on small nubs with the Anasazis that I often climb in, but the adjustment was easy and I still retained the power to see progress on one of my projects. The one area that I saw a decrease was with pockets. The..." go to full review

If price has kept you from pulling the trigger on the La Sportiva TC Pro shoes, put that problem aside. Though I’ve only warn these shoes for a few days of climbing, I found the construction to be great, comfort to be superb and the value, once you figure you can probably re-sole these a couple of times, to be fantastic.go to full review

We tested this device on a night ice climbing outing. The temps were around 15-20F and the route was pretty wet. Great conditions to test the limits of a belay device. We testing the auto locking feature and found it to engage well on our thin 7.8mm half-ropes. When giving slack for clipping pro you need to pull on the thumb catch on the bottom of the end of the device. This keeps the auto-lock from engaging. Other than this minor change from the usual lead belay everything else is the same..." go to full review

Metolius Master cams work great for strait up trad rock routes, but are also a valuable part of any alpine climbing rack. There are plenty of times when slotting a cam comes in very handy, whether it be running protection or to set up an anchor from which to belay your second. Investing in and building up a climbing rack is something I think every climber enjoys. The Metolius Master cams are a good choice for anyone.go to full review

Four asymmetrical gear loops are provided just where I like them, near the front and sides. The gear loops are stiff and stick out just enough to allow for easy gear clipping. Edelrid also added two ice clipper points for use in winter. The leg loop straps can be completely opened so you can put the harness on without the hassle of removing crampons. Though, in actual usage the straps are fairly difficult to get in and out of the buckles. The problem is caused by a hard plastic cap on the..." go to full review

Nice added touches to the Vector helmet are integrated headlamp clips and a number of different color combinations. We tested the Blizzard colorway (White shell/lime green straps and accents), but the Vector is also available in three other color combinations. The ratchet adjuster and straps push up out of the way into the helmet making it easier to stuff in a pack. The Vector comes in two sizes and weighs in at 8.1 oz (S/M) and 8.5 oz (M/L).
All in all the Black Diamond Vector is a..." go to full review