UK Climbing

The Togir 3 Slide is a decent all-rounder, fully adjustable for four season use and equally suited to summer cragging and ice climbing. Well-made and reasonably priced, it is all the harness that a jack-of-all-trades would need. On the plus side it is very compact in the bag, and has a minimalist low-profile feel when in use. The plastic guard on the tie-in point is an excellent addition too, if only for peace of mind. On the other hand its lack of padding becomes a disadvantage when you're..." go to full review

If you're looking for a harness that ensures you are carrying the absolute minimum up the wall, then the Flash is for you. I can't help thinking it looks like a car seat belt due to the predominantly black material on the outside of the waist and leg loops. However its simple design is comfortable for working those long sport projects without excess weight and bulk, and that's what matters. The front gear loops are great, but rear molded gear loops would be nice; however for sport climbing..." go to full review

At the time I was putting the Lace through its paces I was trying to climb (and failing) The Groove at Malham week in, week out for around two and a half months. Anyone that has been in this situaiton knows you try everything that you think will make a difference, so I used one, then then other, and the Lace came out on top every time. The unrelenting quantity of small, polished footholds that feature on this route provides the perfect testing ground for any edging boot and the Lace..." go to full review

In terms of the performance, the VS is - as suggested by my all-rounder statement - a good blend of performance and comfort, stiffness and sensitivity, edging and smearing. I have not only used them for 8a redpoints, E6 trad and 7c boulder problems, but also all day VS/HVS missions on the Grit, climbing the Old Man of Hoy and too many other days to mention. In short: the Instinct VS really has been my 'shoe of choice' over the past 12 months.go to full review

The Pitch is tough and it handles well. It is well able to cope with abrasive granite, grit or the wear and tear of long routes in varied conditions. They are a little on the heavy side for very dedicated 'fast and light' alpine routes, but if you want a pair of versatile ropes that you know you can hammer relentlessly, wherever you are going, whatever the season, then these are for you.go to full review

With its soft catch, the Jul 2 is a really nice forgiving indoor and sport climbing belay device that can be used on a wide range of rope diameters, from 8.9-11mm. For less experienced belayers it has an advantage over some of the more complex assisted braking devices with moving parts in that the key action, holding a fall, is basically the same as with standard belay devices, only with the added safety benefit of the assisted braking. There is a flipside to this however, which would be of..." go to full review

The Skwama is a soft, sensitive shoe that offers a good balance between comfort and performance. At home both on projects and circuits, the Skwama is definitely a good all-rounder, albeit in a very different way to the Otaki (i.e. a bouldering all-rounder as opposed to a trad/sport all-rounder).go to full review

If you're after something suitable for a wide range of rock types and disciplines, then the Otaki is a very strong contender. It's built to last, and comfortable, yet it offers a level of stiffness and support that few other boots can match.go to full review

An exceptionally sensitive shoe that performs well whilst bouldering both indoors and out; but a shoe for trad climbing this is not. Due to its soft nature it isn't the strongest performer on the smallest edges, but whilst smearing it is absolutely in its element. Surprisingly comfortable and a joy to climb in, the Drago is perfectly suited to anyone from the competition climber to the hardcore boulderer. go to full review

I found the Realization Pant to be a great concept with some good design features, and the individual components of the harness and trousers to be very high quality. For sport climbing and DWSing routes that you have to abseil into they are perfectly suited to that job, but for the British climber who wants to do a variety of activities they are less suitable for trad climbing as it is not possible to fit a large amount of equipment onto the two gear loops. They are also great to climb in..." go to full review