Professional Documents
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GEAR
Putting the
boot on
Bruce Goodlad gets
intimate with leather boots that is
GEAR
3
about on small holds. Generous padding makes the Cerro Torre
comfortable to walk in and a speed lacing system allows for an easily
adjustable fit. Slightly less technical than the Freney, but more versatile.
Despite the label they were never fourseason boots, the cut away heel being a
death trap on snow and the flex in the
sole unit only allowing good crampon
control on easy angled slopes. Despite
this, they have served me well and when I
was deciding what boots to take to Nepal
for some trekking it was straight to the
old carpet slippers. They dont keep the
water out any more but at 13 years old I
wouldnt really expect them to.
After surviving a couple of disastrous
plastic boot purchases, you know the
story; having spent a hundred odd quid on
a pair of boots you tend to suffer the
trauma of using an entire roll of tape on
each foot in some vain attempt to
minimise or at least delay the amount of
pain that is to come. As the inner boots
steadily cheese-grater your feet into red
bloody masses you think There must be a
more comfortable way of going climbing.
The solution was to try something
completely different, so I went out and
63
GEAR
6 Montrail Verglas
4 La Sportiva Trango
Extreme 179.50
190.00
GEAR
Montrails serious
mountaineering boot
uses their Integrafit
technology to hold the
foot extremely well, with
negligible heel lift while front
pointing. The boot features an interesting beech wood board
for rigidity which still allows a small amount of spring for
walking comfort. Thinsulate keeps things warm and
a high moulded rubber rand protects the
leather. The only drawback with the Verglas
is that the radius of the toe is quite big so
certain step-in crampons wont fit.
7 Berghaus M9 Extrem
200
The M9 is an updated version of the
Berghaus Baltoro, fully stiffened with Carbon fibre
and offering a good blend of support and flexibility. The effort required
to break them in was repaid with excellent performance on all types of
terrain, including a number of the hardest routes last winter. Its just a
shame that they are so difficult to get hold of!
5 La Sportiva Nepal
Extreme 199.99
10
Super Mountain 9s are one of those boots that you either love or
hate with nothing in between, the reason for this being the
pronounced plastic heel cup. If your foot fits the
shape of the cup, it will be held in a wonderfully
secure position that eliminates heel lift while
climbing. If it doesnt, your Achilles tendon
will feel as if someone has attacked it with a
blunt hacksaw. Unfortunately I am in the later
category so the plus points on the boot are not mine. The
Thermo is an insulated version of the Super Mountain 9 Guide which
has been around for a few years now, insulation is provided by a
Thinsulate lining. The clever double lacing system enables a precise fit
and plastic around the toe area allows for an excellent crampon fit. An
excellent boot but just be aware when trying them on that the heel cup
is more pronounced than it may appear upon first acquaintance.
Aku are a brand that is not seen that often which is a shame. The first
thing I noticed about the Extrem was the weight as they feel incredibly
light. The boots are lined with Gore-Tex, to help control moisture. The
sole unit on the boot is more flexible than the others tested so the boot
is probably more suited to
general mountaineering
and easy routes rather
than top end use. c
Crampon Compatibility
As the design of boots become more radical,
crampon compatibility is becoming more of
an issue. Most of the boots reviewed here
have a welt at the toe for a full step-in
crampon, but I will generally use a hybrid
crampon (strap at the toe and clip at the
heel) to give me the speed of a step-in
without the worry of a toe bail popping off
if there is any flex in the boot. With wear
this welt will become steadily smaller, so
eventually you will need a crampon with a
toe strap anyway.
Contacts:
Aku:
Berghaus:
Boreal:
La Sportiva:
Lowa:
Montrail:
Scarpa:
Salomon:
01250 873863
0191 516 5600
01433 639433
01286 872222
01228 591007
015396 25493
0191 296 0212
01256 479555
climber September 2000
65