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Gear News – Montane receives prestigious Polartec European APEX Design Award 2011
29 June 2011, 7:27 pm

Montane Sabretooth Gloves Sabretooth Gloves triumph in Polartec®’s prestigious European APEX Design Awards 2011. Our Sabretooth Gloves haven’t yet hit the shops but already they have won their first award. Due to go on sale this Autumn as part of our Autumn / Winter 2011 range, they have netted a prestigious Polartec® European APEX Design Award.

Constructed from Polartec® Power Shield® soft shell fabric which is both highly breathable and water repellent, the Sabretooth gloves were designed for high exertion activities in cold conditions. Taking advantage of the stretch and durability offered by Polartec® Power Shield, the close-fitting Sabretooth gloves feature roll tip finger construction for improved dexterity, a seam-free inside lower wrist for comfort, and a brushed tricot lining throughout to increase wicking and drying.

These yearly awards are presented to designers and companies that push the limits of Polartec® fabric with innovative garments and accessories. Items submitted are judged on innovation, design, style, workmanship, fit, and functionality. Winning products are then showcased at both the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and OutDoor Friedrichshafen shows on the Polartec® stand.

For further information on these awards, please visit http://www.polartec.com.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Totem Cams – Climbing Gear Review
1 July 2011, 12:44 pm



 

Performance ****

Quality*****

Value for money***

…in fact Kev was moved to cry out ‘ I bloody love these cams’ Sometimes, with a little luck (that you’ve made for yourself) you get to review a product that is just a little different and new. That’s what happened with the Totem Cams. I came across these in an issue of Vertical, fired off an email and Totem agreed that we could review a set of these great and different looking cams. Now cams have come and cams have gone, there are still plenty of brands out there that try to differentiate themselves from the main 3 big brands: Black Diamond, DMM and Wild Country, all with their own new and updated camming devices. So how can a newcomer carve a niche in such a mature market?

Totem are situated in the Basque country, an area in the North West for Spain home to some of Spain’s best climbers including the Pau brothers. They own their own CNC and testing machines, so can retain control over their QC and when they arrived in the post we could immediately see that they oozed quality and loving care, a lot of time had gone in to developing the hardware and it showed.



They looked very different to any other cams on the market with that U shaped tape and A shaped stems, both of these features proved very useful when we tried them out climbing. The spacer that separated the stems felt comfortable to use with both my thumb tip and the in Thenar (the area where your thumb meets your hand) area, there was a slight issue with gloves on, but the flexibility of the stems did allow the stems to widen out. Further up the stem lead to the trigger which was made from injection moulded plastic, this was ergonomic enough to use with my fingers but if you’ve got fingers like sausages then they could become a little more uncomfortable with prolonged use, flattening out and enlarging the trigger would solve this easily.

There was no sizing printed on the cam but a comparison with DMM 4CUs was as follows:

Colour	Totem size	DMM 4CU size	BD Camalot size
Blue	0.65	0	0.3
Yellow	0.80	0.5	0.4
Purple	1.00	1.00	0.5
Green	1.25	1.5	0.75
Red	1.50	2.00	1.00

Doubled up in breaks-bomproof! It is important to note that these comparisons are really for racking purposes as the range is much better on the Totem cams than the DMM and is comparible to the Camalots but without the double camming weight. This increased range has been achieved with the design of the cam, it has a flattened and elongated head which has a knurled edge to enhance the friction and ‘bite’ in place. When the trigger is pulled the cam head is pulled down and then pops back into position with the aid of springs. A little Physics here will help explain this, most cams rely on springs to return the cam to the open position once the trigger is released, usually the spring is wound around the axle and attached to the cam but on the Totem cam the spring is located on the stem wires pushing the cam heads back into position; so 4 springs pushing cam heads back making the whole action incredibly smooth, especially in the larger sizes and they were a joy to use on the crag, in fact Kev was moved to cry out ‘ I bloody love these cams’ when using them. We both found them great, easy to place and remove in all the climbing situations we used them on.

Totem Cams - the compact head was perfect for Limestone pockets. They were superb on Gritstone, simple to use and easy to place. They never overcammed and were in fact next to impossible to overcam as you just couldn’t pull the trigger further than the smallest point of the range; not that they should be used this way as with all cams you need a little play left in the trigger in order to get the cam out. They also worked really well on Limestone where the compact head meant they could be easily placed into pockets, the only rock type I felt a little trepidation in using them was smooth slate where the knurled head didn’t quite feel aggressive enough to keep the cam in the exact place I set it.

The U shaped tape came in very handy when I felt I needed a shorter tape length (low to the ground first runner, or straight off the belay) as I could just clip it into the sewn section above, this didn’t work so well with very small carabiners where the lower sling could interfere with clipping the rope. But the tape was very burly looking and  inspired confidence at all times.

2 cams are better than no cams! Back to the head, this was where I was a little perplexed as it felt overly technical, there was a lot going on here, the top of the head was showing 8 wires all the thickness of a Rock 1 wire.  I thought that although the action was very smooth there could be a lot of wear at this point; I was also able to pull one of the wires off the head, this did not interfere with the action and the cam but it could be a problem if it caught on spikes when you were trying to remove it.

Kev also gave the cams a good test and he adds… Totem Cams perform well on many rock types and I’ve tested them on everything ranging from perfect granite right through to shaley choss, with everything in between! The thing that strikes me most about these cams is the smooth action, which dare I say it, may be the best of any cam I have used. It almost brings a smile to my face when I place one, which whilst meaning that I probably “need to get out more” they are actually bloody good cams and handle superbly. The large thumb loops add to this and make them feel very sure footed, even when placing them with gloved hands. This makes them ideal for UK winter climbers and also for Alpine use, yes there is a lot going on, wires wise with the trigger and head but it seems to be doing the job nicely.

Totem Cams at home - Grit cracks. So do Totem Cams have many advantages over other cam units on the market? Well Totem Cams do  everything your standard cam will do. They don’t have the increased range of some of the double axle units out there but they certainly have the ease of use and holding power. What Totem Cams do have however, is an ability to be placed on two cams (yes you can place any cam on 2 cams) in a way where each stem transfers the load to it’s own two cams only. This apparently gives better holding power in such placements and whilst Totem Cams prescribe this as a tool primarily for aid climbing it would certainly be better than nothing when you’re shitting it, way out on some UK trad horror!

RRP £54.95

Available direct from Totem MT



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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The North Face Prophet 40 – Climbing Gear Review
7 July 2011, 3:06 pm





‘The North Face have certainly been working hard to simplify the design, in fact the new Prophet bears little resemblance to it’s predecessor’ The North Face Prophet 40 - a great all round mountain pack. Price ****

Quality *****

Performance***

The North Face have had a Prophet model in their extensive pack range for several years now; I owned an original blue Prophet 45 several years back and eventually sold it as I thought it was over designed, heavy and the straps were a nightmare during those windy howlers on The Ben. The model also had a make over 2 years back which improved some the issues such as weight reduction and a restyle, but it still seemed overly technical for an Alpine pack. So I was very keen to see if the new 2011 Prophet 40 was an improvement on my original pack and whether it would perform better.

The North Face have certainly been working hard to simplify the design, in fact the new Prophet 40 bears little resemblance to it’s predecessor, it’s sleek, light and stripped to the bone. It’s a full 400 grams lighter than the Prophet Mk 2 and the features have been obliterated, it now really does look the part: slim, lightweight and stylish. Gone are the detachable lid, crampon pocket, lashing cord, removable bivvy mat and wand pockets; in are super light indestructible fabrics, a fixed lid and a very cleverly concealed and useful side pocket.

The clever, concealed pocket - big enough for guidebook and food. Firstly the über technical fabrics, the main body is made from 314 denier Cordura Bombastic™. This fabric is used in car airbags, no kidding and is the sort of real innovation that only a large corporation with dedicated design teams could pull off. It certainly felt superlight and at first I thought it wasn’t going to stand the test as it feels very flimsy, but it has withstood some real stick, including chimney thrutching. The base is double layered and the high wear ice tool area is reinforced with Hypalon™. The ice tool loops are made from SuperFabric™ a fabric you’ll hear more about in future outdoor products and was developed for NASA, so another innovative use of materials which helps the pack stand out in a very crowded market.

And onto the features, its all well and good having fancy fabrics but a pack lives and dies by its functionality. I’ve had more packs than I care to remember, all of them have had funny quirks that I didn’t quite like and so it proved with The North Face Prophet 40. The fixed lid and snow valance is another innovation; the valance is sewn into the upper part of the lid. This made the lid closure very simple and efficient; pull the cord and the lid falls down over the front of the pack, all very neat. In use it proved more awkward as it was very difficult fold the lid over and fill the pack and it quickly became a pain, especially on a belay when I was trying gain access to kit in the pack and had it clipped by the haul loop.  It became even more pronounced when I removed the aluminium backstay, the closure performs better with the stay in; it was a nifty way to close the lid though and with a little more work would be great. The lid pocket was vast; I could easily fit a lightweight belay jacket in plus gloves, hat, some food and camera. It had a mesh inner pocket and key clip that was big enough for my Blackberry, car keys and a wallet. It also had 4 cord loops so I could attach cord for lashing crampons or sleeping mats on; all the loops had reflective strips that were pretty effective in the dark, so it would be easy to locate with a headtorch on. Overall I found the lid excellent.

TNF Prophet 40 - easily big enough for a day at the crag. I would have liked to have seen more cord loops on the main body as these are extremely useful for lashing extra bivvy kit on. Also located on the main body are the ice tool holders, tough elastic stitched onto a textured Hypalon patch and adjusted using a glove friendly, chunky cord locks. The tool loops, as said earlier are made from Superfabric™, a material developed for the space program. It looked just like any other woven pack webbing, but is much tougher ad lighter; again the loops are backed by a protective Hypalon patch. The loops are adjustable but not easily so they would have to be preadjusted to fit at camp or at home. The lid closure is a standard double buckle design which I find neat and tidy, there were no problems closing the pack, even with winter gloves on. There are 4, easy to adjust and close compression straps and a very clever and useful hidden side pocket that was big enough for a guidebook and a little food.

The waist tucks in for climbing, it is also removeable. The waist belt is made from 50mm webbing, sewn into comfortable waist padding, it had 2 gear loops although I would have preferred ice clipper slots and tension straps for load stabilisation. The whole belt is removable via a hook and loop pad at the lumbar pad. The shoulder straps are a little too wide for me, but were comfortable under heavy loads, the sternum strap was adjustable on rails and there were two D rings sewn in so that I could clip on my GPS, watch or camera. A nice feature that more pack manufacturers should copy. The tension straps were easy to locate and use, even with gloves on.

Inside the pack was another, handy key clip. The single, aluminium stay was one of the easiest to locate, remove and replace that I have come across. There was also a removable polypropylene insert, but due to the materials the pack became very floppy when it was removed. Overall the pack performed much better with all the support in place. The pack volume is 40 litres (for the Large) and proved to be of Tardis like proportions, there was no way I could fill it with enough kit for a normal cragging day in summer. It easily swallowed all my winter kit with room to spare. It would be a great pack for an overnight bivvy or even a multiday backpacking/mountaineering trip. It would be perfect for a multiday glacier/mountain hutting trip and I wish I had it when I completed the Stubai Glacier Tour last year when space was at a premium.

TNF Prophet 40 - useful for ultralight backpacking. The large nature of the pack though did impede when climbing and the length got in the way when looking up on technical ground, especially with a helmet on (but could have been down to the sample pack size which was a little too big for my back). So in conclusion, a great multiday, lightweight mountain pack that will suit all your mountain activities. A little too large for a cragging day pack and a definite improvement on the previous models.

The North Face Prophet 40 - good climbing stability. I would have liked to have seen wand pockets (for stashing poles); daisy chain or reflective loops for attaching lashing cord on the main body; ice clipper slots instead of gear loops and slightly narrower shoulder straps. It’s a good offering from TNF in a crowded market and a definite improvement on both the original and revamped Prophet model. For those who are planning expeditions that need bigger packs the range also includes the Prophet 52 and the Prophet 65

The North Face Prophet 40 comes in two sizes:

S/M 38 litres; M/L 40 litres

RRP £130

Stockists: www.tnf.co.uk





Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Kudrati Naturally – Vegetarian Freeze Dried Curry.
19 July 2011, 4:10 pm

Tasty freeze dried bivvy scoff… Taste*****

Value***

RRP £3.25

Kudrati Naturally - just add boiling water. Strange things sometimes appear in the office – we get all sorts of small but useful products which don’t really qualify for a full review but …… That’s what happened with the food parcel that appeared one day: ‘Ey Up Dave you’re a backpacker and lentil lover so off you go’ said Kev passing me a packet of Kudrati Dhal Tadka (Lentil Curry). Anyway I found myself on a weekend trip in The Lakes, scrambling around and taking product shots for review kit. I like to make the most of the weekend so decided on an overnight camp in and around Coniston Old Man. So I fired up the stove and waited for the water to boil. I’ve been a fan of freeze dried bivvy food for years, I like the ease of preparation, I find the food tasty and I like the no washing up bit. I’m not eating it for days on end so not overly bothered about the nutritional value in terms of vitamins and minerals; more important is taste and calories. The Kudrati range provided plenty of taste, the Curry made up very easy, just boil up water and fill to the convenient fill line (so know guessing how much 468ml or other such nonsense is), wait a couple of minutes and hey presto! Yummy curry, I added the extra 100ml of water and made it a very filling soup, the addition of some noodles made it very filling.

So quality vegetarian bivvy scoff, ridiculously easy to make and most importantly very, very tasty!

Kudrati Naturally - easy to make and tasty too.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Gear News – The Muka Stove From Soto
20 July 2011, 3:27 pm

The Muka stove from SOTO is the world’s first non-priming liquid fuel stove! Soto Muka Stove ‘SOTO’ means ‘Outdoors’ in Japanese

Soto Outdoors – experts in creating innovative burners from conception to production.

Soto Muka Packed Up The Muka stove from SOTO is the world’s first non-priming liquid fuel stove.  It has revolutionized the common understanding of a gasoline stove’s characteristics, no longer does the user need to put up with a dirty sooty stove, cumbersome preheating and endless maintenance before and after use.  Even with the use of commonly available unleaded petrol the stove burns clean and maintenance free.

This gas stove combines a reliable powerful output with ease of care. Muka is not a simple gasoline stove but the next generation of stove.

The stove ignites and burns like a gas stove and the soft, elongated and narrow diameter hose enables safe and easy operation.  The burner is controlled by the flame control knob located on the pump and gives excellent flame adjustment and incorporates an emergency stop button and pressure indictor.

The SOTO MUKA stove comes complete with a hose, pump, maintenance tool, carrying case and 700ml fuel bottle and retails for £175

Follow the link below to see this amazing and highly innovative stove in action:-

http://www.youtube.com/user/sotooutdoors/

Specifications:-

Output: 4,000 kcal/h 4,650 W 15,800 BTU

Applicable fuel: Unleaded petrol and white gasoline

Duration: Burns approx. 56 min. at maximum output

using 480ml (16.3 oz.)car gasoline.

Weight: 160g (5.6 oz.) without pump, 320g (11 oz.) including the pump.

Dimensions when in use (stove body only): 13.5 x 13.5 x 8cm (5.3 x 5.3 x 3.1 inch)

Dimensions when stowed (stove body only): 8 x 6.5 x 8cm (3.1 x 2.6 x 3.1 inch)



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Trekking the Stubai Glacier Tour; Stubai Hoehen Weg + Guidebook Review
31 July 2011, 6:37 pm

Having a great time on the Wütenkarsattel A CGRUK destination article in the Austrian Alps… beautiful Alpine scenery and fabulous food! I had a week off and no partner so last year I tagged along with the Austrian Alpine Club on a tour of The Stubai Alps. I was in hallowed company with the leader being the Cicerone guidebook writer for the area and also the president of the UK section joined us. With great company and brilliant accommodation it’s probably a perfect week’s holiday, weather permitting but more of that later. The tour takes in all the main glaciers, high mountain huts and takes in some impressive alpine scenery. It’s a non technical tour so would be an ideal first adventure, but you do need to have crevasse rescue knowledge and be comfortable wandering around wet glaciers.

I caught a flight from Manchester in the UK to Munich in Germany. I then caught a train to Innsbruck and booked an overnight stay at The Weisses Cruz, a Ye Olde Worlde hotel just a stones throw from the Golden Roof with the added bonus of being able to leave baggage at the reception to be picked up after the tour.

Sampling the Metropolitan delights of Innsbruck The tour itself starts at the village of Neustift, a half hour bus ride from Innsbruck. The purist can walk up to the Franz Senn hütte from the village; those with cash can catch a taxi to the car park at the Oberrisshütte. This has the advantage of gaining plenty of height and leaves you with a 1 hour walk to the hut. If you have even more cash you can send your rucksack up via seil bahn; pop your sack in the carriage, call the hut and up it whizzes, leaving you with a lovely stroll to the hut. The, excellent hut is well stocked and has hot showers, a variety of via ferrata, rock climbs, zip wires and lovely 4 course meals (these were a feature of the week and I found it hard to lose weight – which is one of the reasons I do these types of trip).

Day one can be a training day, a long but satisfying day that walks up to the Rinnennieder pass and drops down onto the Lusener Ferner glacier. Rope up here and a traverse of the glacier and short climb will land you on top of the Lusener Fernerkogel. Retrace your steps to the pass and back to the Rinensee tarn. From here, if you still have energy you can climb the Rinnenspitze a great little climb that has some excellent rock sections well protected with wires. Or just go and do the Rinnenespitze and then spend the afternoon climbing the great Via Ferrata which are a stones throw from the hut. Or you can whizz straight into day 2 if you feel fit and acclimatised.

Heading towards the Wildgratscharte - look for a red arrow in the V Day 2 the tour proper begins, follow the valley to the bottom of the glacier (red splashes), rope up and gain steady height on the Alpineiner Ferner glacier. Your first navigation test then begins as you need to locate the Wildgratscharte pass (3170m). You need to have spot on navigation as it can be difficult to locate, especially as not many people use this pass any more and way is not marked. But as soon as you have gained the initial height and come to a rocky bluff, start looking to pass over to another small glacier on the right. You should know you are heading in the right direction as if you look carefully the pass is marked with a big white circle. You are looking for a red arrow on the rock to the right, as the new way over features rocky, exposed scrambling, well protected by wired via feratta. As you reach the top of this section you can look down and thank your lucky stars you haven’t had to climb the grotty old way up the ‘couloir of mud’! Drop down, still wired, until the wire stops. If it has snowed you will need a short abseil to reach the next section of wire which will deposit you on the Schwarzenbergferner glacier, all exciting stuff and you can relax in the knowledge that you’ve completed the technical part of the tour. If you are still bursting with energy, then head due west to the right of the Schrankogel and climb it, dropping SW, following red markers to pick up the path to the Amberger Hütte. You can also reach this point traversing the glacier in a SW direction and dropping down until you pick up the same red markers to the hütte. Hot showers, beer and another 4 course meal await. This is the longest day of the tour.

Heading up the wired section on the Wildgratscharte Day 3 is a straight forward day but covers some beautiful mountain scenery. Head due S up the valley and pick up the Sulztalferner glacier, stay on the right hand side of this glacier heading S to the top of the Wütenkarsattel at 3103m, this then has a short drop onto the Wütenkarferner glacier and heads for the magnificent Hochstubaihütte at 3174m. There you will be greeted by the warden with a glass of schnapps and enjoy a real mountain hut experience; the beauty of this hut being that it takes real effort to get to so is populated by keen walkers and mountaineers. No hot shower here but awesome food and great beer.

Day 4 is a mixed day, drop back down onto the glacier and head E to the Warenkarscharte at 3186m, this is straight forward. Getting off can be problematic; there are markers to follow but the ground is very loose and requires real mountain sense to pick the safest line, if it has snowed, you may get some thigh deep avalanche debris, if not it could be scree. You are aiming to head E under the Windacher Daunkogel then SE to pick up the bottom of the ski tows at Bildstockljoch, a short height gain brings to the Jochdohle. It will often be busy here as it is a tourist destination; there is a café and expect a complete contrast to the loneliness of the day you’ve just had. From the top there is a marked piste across the glacier heading SE, more waymarked path leads to another excellent high mountain hut: the Hildesheimer Hütte.

The superlative Dresdener Hutte - if only the CIC was like this! Day 5 – on my trip the weather crapped out here and we went back to the cable car to pick up the Stubaier Honenweg (the famous lower level route) at the Dresdeer Hütte where we still had time to climb two fantastic 250m Via Ferratas. Next day we then double hopped over to Sulzenauhutte for lunch then onto the Nurnberger Hütte. The tour proper makes for the Pfaffejoch (3208m) via some tricky manouvres to gain the Pfaffenferner, then make for the Wilder Pfaff (3456m), the high point of the tour, traversing the ridge EES to hit the Mullerhütte (3145m). It looks a great day and it was a real disappointment to not have done it. On the plus side it’s a great reason to do the tour again!

Day 6 – continue traversing the ridge NE to climb the Wilde Freiger (3418m). From the summit head NE and drop down to the Gamspitzl (3050m), take in the Urfallspitze (2805m) and onto the Nurnberger Hütte. This hut will be more busy as it’s on the Stubaier Honenweg, but it’s a great, welcoming hut with hot showers and once again, superb food. I was treated to the best hut night I’ve ever had with a full oompah band and the hut warden playing traditional Tyrolean music on his harp!

The Pass of a 1000 cairns - very Tolkeinesque! Day 7 should see you heading down the valley due N to pick up the bus at Spitz and heading back to the metropolitan delights of Innsbruck.

A great high level tour taking in some superb high mountain scenery, great food and don’t forget the unmissable Weißbier – just don’t drink too much you’ve got a tough days mountaineering to do!

Essential Kit Austrian Alpine Club membership – not only do you get discounted rates at all the huts, you get great insurance too . You will easily save the membership fee on this trip alone.

Map – Kompass Stubaier Alpen 1:50 000 sheet 83. Bought at Munich airport and covers the whole route.

Silk sleeping bag liner – ooh err, you get to sleep in silky bliss. We booked rooms that had duvets: oh, the joys of middle aged wealth.

I got all my kit into a 35l Häglofs Roc rucksack, with room to spare.

Boots- Scarpa Charmoz + Smartwool socks. No blisters all week!

Crampons- Grivel Air Tech I have tried fancy aluminium ski mountaineering in the past but they don’t last.

Ice axe –  Grivel Air Tech Racing. You can get lighter, and that’s fine. There was no technical use for the axe, but there were sections where you would need to arrest if you slipped.

Harness – Black Diamond Couloir. The perfect harness for this type of trip.

Crevasse rescue kit – 5 x screw gates, prussiks, ice screws and a variety of slings. I also carry a WC Ropeman and Petzl Tibloc.

Clothing – Paclite jacket, paclite overtrousers, softshell trousers and jacket. Montane Bionic t-shirts, 2 x Smartwool socks, Arc’teryx Atom jacket, baseball cap. Shades – cat 4.

Basic toiletries – you could shave and there was the odd hot shower. Linx bullets are the business for the odd ‘french shower’.

Wide mouthed Nalgene bottle. Stuff it with snow when you run out of water.

Guidebook Review Trekking in The Stubai Alps, Allan Hartley, A Cicerone Guide. What can I say; I can’t give an unbiased review about a guide that I feature in! The trip was designed for Allan to update the guidebook and May 2011 saw a new, updated version. It’s important to have the updated guide as the Glaciers will have changed since the last version. The guide is well set out and in order explains each day of the tour, with the highlights, quality photographs and snippets of history or hut lore to add interest. The diagrams are a clear aid to navigation and are backed up with any technical information you might need to help make your day an enjoyable one. The timings are about right, although if you go ultralight and are well versed in glacier travel you would beat them. The guide also offers hut excursions as you could extend your time on the glaciers by climbing several summits from most of the huts. The guide also covers the lower level and more extensive Stubai Rucksack Route.

I would have liked to see some mention of the rock climbing and via ferrata that were available at some of the huts. I would also liked to have seen some of the more important navigational features given WGS84 grid references to aid GPS programming as these are becoming an essential item of kit.

So, an indispensible guide for the trip, well laid out, accurate maps and timings and plenty of interesting anecdotes to keep you informed. The photos are good quality and will inspire you in your planning and my favourite part is the back pages where you can collect your hut stamps.

Do remember to join the Austrian Alpine Club before you visit as it’s worth its weight in gold and thanks to Allan Hartley (www.allanhartley.co.uk) for allowing me to use some of his great photos.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Marmot Centaur 38 Rucksack – Climbing Gear Review
31 July 2011, 7:27 pm

 Marmot Centaur 38...available in a range of colours  Marmot Centaur 38 Rucksack – a fully featured pack for year round use Performance ****

Quality *****

Value for money *****

RRP  £110.00

Marmot Centaur 38 front view Features:

- Removable Lid with Zippered Pocket and Key Clip

- Stow-able Waist Belt with Gear Loop and Carabiner Sleeves

- Hypalon Reinforced Haul Loops

- Storm Collar with Top Compression Strap

- Hydration Sleeve with Hanging Zippered Pocket

- Molded Back Panel

- Removable Frame Sheet – Versatilty

- Dual Ice Axe Loops

- Lid and Front Lash Points

- Integrated Vertical Rope Carry System

- Silicone Touch End Points on Webbing

Marmot Centaur 38 back view Specifications:

- Weight: Medium 2 lbs 13 oz / 1276 g

- Volume: Medium 2320 cu in / 38 liters

- Main Material: 210d Nail Head Nylon

- Main Material: 420d High Density Nylon

- Reinforcement Material: 840d Ballistic Nylon

 

 

 

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There are a few rucksacks around at the moment that fall into the day sack/cragging, 38 litre range. Of these, the Centaur 38 from Marmot, is the newest on the market. This is obvious when you first see it. It has that ‘modern’ look. It is also available in some funky colours too, all very important to the performance of a good rucksack.

Adam Lincoln tests the Marmot Centaur 38 Rucksack on some technical scrambling ground Now I have a rucksack I use for sport climbing days out. What I needed was something that is going to be up to a day out on Scafell, and days out on the sea cliffs of the UK. For this, a few things are vital. First and foremost, size. I can get my rack, rope, climbing shoes, chalk, spare chalk, food for the day and 2 litres of water comfortably in this sack. On top of that, you might want spare clothes as well. This will all fit in nicely. If you need that little bit more space, the rope can attach to the top of the sack, just under the lid via a retainer buckle. This buys you some more space inside for a few more essentials…or a bit more cake.

Marmot Centaur 38 on the way to the crag with Adam Lincoln

“…it isn’t just a summer cragging bag. It has full winter functionality too.”

The next factor, and as important as the size, is the comfort. When slogging up to Scafell, the last thing you want to be worrying about is the heavy load on your back. Now whilst the sack doesn’t have the thickest padding around (it is cut for climbing specific activities) you won’t have any complaints either. It is fully adjustable too, so if it doesn’t fit quite right for you then you can make it fit. I had a little air pocket in the lumbar region on mine, but this was due to not getting the right size, and this could very easily be rectified. Just make sure when trying it on, you fill it up loaded with weight in the shop, and make sure you get the correct size for your height.

Marmot Centaur 38 arrives at the crag The good thing about this ruckack is that it isn’t just a summer cragging bag. It has full winter functionality too. This means you don’t need to have two rucksacks if you go winter climbing. You can attach two ice axes easily, and the straps retain them very well indeed. Well, it did in the comfort of my living room, but then walking up to Scafell with some ice axes on my back last weekend (in summer!) might have raised a few funny looks. These straps are also removable so they don’t get in the way on summer cragging days. Just remember where you store them, so you don’t lose them.

The sack also has numerous haul loops and belay attachment points. Very useful when at the belay of the chosen route, and you don’t want the sack taking the ride down any steep slopes. The haul points are very strong and well stitched, so if the sack does need to be dragged up a pitch, or lowered down one, you can feel safe in the knowledge the point won’t fail. Also the ballistic nylon does a great job of protecting the sack from any abrasions and sharp edges.

On top of all the above the Centaur 38 has some other added features to make life easier. It is hydration pack compatible, very useful on long hikes when stopping for water is not ideal. It also has a floating lid. This means you can fully remove the top lid/pockets for reducing weight further, or just for making packing the sack, accessing the pack a much simpler process. All these features are designed to make life easier.

So in conclusion, if you are after a fully featured pack, that can give you year round use, that is just at home walking into Scafell in summer, or Ben Nevis in winter,  single pitch cragging at stanage, or multi pitch epics in the Dolomites, then this is the sack for you.

• Find out more about the Centaur 38 Pack on the Marmot Website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants – Mountain Gear Review
8 August 2011, 5:50 pm



Haglofs Rugged Mountain Pants - indestructible! CGR tries to destroy the indestructible Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants with the ultimate power force – the UK mountains! Performance****

Quality*****

Value for money****

Haglöfs, based in Sweden are renowned for making high quality and innovative mountain clothing and equipment. The kit they produce is well designed and made to last and so it proved with the Rugged Mountain Pants. When I unpacked them I honestly thought they were a pair of rigger pants, they looked and felt absolutely indestructible. I tried them on and was instantly looking for my cordless drill and a white van! So with such a rugged look and feel did they fit the bill? CGRUK tried to destroy the indestructible with the ultimate power force – the UK mountains!

Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants - great technical mountain pants. Firstly the style – the pants certainly look and feel the business: rugged feeling materials and heavyweight. The website does state that they are a heavy weight item and they felt heavy (760 grams) so they wouldn’t be suitable for a summer walk. Although I did wear them on two very hot days and the venting made them tolerable, just. The materials are a mixture of Haglöfs own Climatic Rugged™ which felt like proper canvas material and FlexAble™ fabric for the seat and knees which also felt very rugged, this was bonded to a smooth inner so as to aid movement over the knee area and reduced chafing.

Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants - good articulation makes for easy climbing movement. They come in two colours, the test pair were black with orange pocket liners and seat liner, this made them easy to get on in a dark tent or mountain hut when wearing a headtorch – a neat feature. The DWR is a chemical free treatment and worked well until the pants became saturated, I have found this typical with all DRW treatments, they will shed a light shower but will saturate in more persistent rain. The heavyweight nature of the fabric also made them a little slow to dry, but nowhere near as bad as cotton.

Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants - massive pockets and handy thigh vents. The size tested was a Medium, I measured them to be a 34” waist and a 32” inside leg. The waist was slightly elasticated so would give a little, I wore them with a belt and there a plentiful supply of burly belt loops. I would have liked to have seen some brace loops as I will definitely be wearing these as a winter climbing pant and I wouldn’t want to wear a belt under a harness. It also closed with a riveted button, thus adding to the rugged look and feel. There were two jeans style pockets at the front and a zipped rear pocket for valuables; there was also an inner folded pocket for hidden security of notes, etc. There were also two zipped thigh pockets that were enormous, I couldn’t even begin to list what I got into them and soon found myself looking like a bee with full pollen sacks. These proved really handy and my only complaints here was that I thought the zip closed the wrong way; they zipped down towards the inner thigh and I thought they would work better closing down towards my hamstring. Also the cell phone pocket was too small for both my Blackberry and Kev’s iPhone, you’d only get a slimline/old school phone in there. Great pockets though, I can see them being particularly useful when winter climbing, on belays when you need everything to hand.

The knees were well articulated and there was also a thigh vent, which proved very useful on hot days or steamy walk ins. All the seams were double and in some areas triple stitched. All the zips were YKK and the insteps were made of a very tough looking reinforced polymide fabric which again looked like canvas and acted as a handy crampon patch.

Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants - handy hem cinch to help keep out dirt or snow. Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pants - lace hook to keep pants in place, a good winter feature. The hem had an adjustable closure system that pulled the pants tight around the boot and there was also a lace hook to hold the pants in position. Although I tested the pants in summer conditions I can see that these two features would be very useful in a winter climbing and mountaineering situations, especially when used with gaiters.

So, in conclusion, the super burly Haglöfs Rugged Mountain Pant are too heavy weight for a typical British summer but would make an outstanding technical mountaineering pant for all other mountain conditions. They would need another layer, such as merino baselayer for use in the winter and brace loops would help hold them up on the walk in. I’ve been wearing these solid all spring and summer and they still look like new. These very durable pants will last you a lifetime, in fact you could leave them in your will to the kids and they will get a lifetime of use out of them too.

RRP £125.00

Stockists: www.halgofs.com



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Tenaya Masai Climbing Shoe – Climbing Gear Review
16 August 2011, 1:17 pm



Tenaya Masai Rock Shoe    ‘…the difference being these fit me and the Anasazi Verde don’t.’ Tenaya Masai - great for heelhooking Performance ****

Quality *****

Value for Money *****

When the Tenaya Masai Climbing Shoe arrived for me to try, they couldn’t have come at a better time.  A long awaited trip to Kalymnos was finally here and I had heard the Masai’s were an ultra sticky, comfortable unisex climbing shoe.

I had decided to try the shoe in a 4 ½, (I normally take a 4).  I’m one of team tight shoe; I take comfort in knowing my feet can’t move around in my shoe at all, but then have to pull them off every ½ hour with a sigh of relief.  This is also a reason I always go for Velcro’s or slippers, easy on, easy off.

The Tenaya Masai climbing shoes are a slim fit lace up with a low volume heel, most women should be getting excited right about now, I know I was.  Most shoes I try on are too wide or high in the mid section, with an uncomfortably high heel which rubs constantly.  These aren’t; with a straight design and shape, if your foot fits it fits, there’s no waiting till you get on the wall for the shoes to fit, they merely mould themselves further onto your foot.

The Masai’s have been likened to the 5.10 Anasazi Verde in design, and I can definitely see the similarity; the difference being these fit me and the Anasazi Verde don’t.

So let’s talk a little about the stats; well the Masai’s are made with micro fibre and not leather, with TXT treated cotton lining, so a good start for all vegan climbers out there.  The out sole is made from Vibram XS Grip 4mm; translation: ‘über sticky’.   And the sizing is pretty spot-on for your regular shoe size, depending on your penchant for foot pain if you prefer the smaller sizes.  Sizes range from 3-13 UK including half sizes.

Well when the Tenaya Masai’s arrived I was still a bit worried about my sizing choice, a 4 ½ is a pretty big decision for me and I was really hoping I’d done the right thing.  I put them on with a little dismay and lo! I found that they fitted perfectly; and by this, I meant they didn’t hurt!  My toes where at the end but they weren’t scrunched up in the usual foetus position; I could wander around in them as if they were my trainers.  Well my first thought was, okay then, I have some cold weather shoes, socks will get in there just fine.   But then I started climbing in them, just at the indoor wall that I work in, and I started to change my mind.  These shoes didn’t need to be tight or arched, they just did their job.  They stayed tight to my foot and stuck to the wall, like glue I might add.

So happy again I packed them up for my trip to Kalymnos; happy because I realised feet expand in the heat and all my other shoes are more for pixies than humans.

Ultra sticky Vibram XS soles for tricky smears. Kalymnos is full of hundreds of beautiful sports climbing routes made from limestone. The temperature was mid twenties and the only worry I had was that the shoes are so sticky they would come off my foot before they came off the routes!

They smeared perfectly when needed and the toe was precise and stable.  I’m a fan of using my heel, if there’s a heel hook I’ll use it, and if the heel slips I quickly lose confidence in the shoe.  The Tenaya Masai’s stayed closed around my heels with help from a wide band of rubber that surrounds the heel, and feels like it pulls the rest of the foot in closer.

I wore the shoes all day in comfort and found them easy to pull on and off.  I have pretty slim feet and found myself tightening the laces to the max to make them fit, so if your feet are any slim you may have to try on several pairs to get just the right fit.

Tenaya Masai - all day comfort on long routes. I’ve worn the shoes now for about 2 months and am finding myself wearing them more and more.  They are my comfortable shoe, the shoe I wear on long routes and don’t want to worry about heels slipping and toes hurting.  Thanks to the materials used, they haven’t stretched and I don’t expect them too.  I was worried that the soles would wear quickly, and they did pick up the characteristics of the limestone when I was away; but their holding firm with no other signs of wear.

I’ve tried the shoe for bouldering and maybe in a smaller size I would be happier with them.  Saying this, they do the job.  For smearing they are great, and I’ve already raved about the heel.  The edging is pretty good on slabs, and I feel confident putting my full weight on my feet in some pretty slim conditions; but deep down, I still like my bouldering shoes to look like a scythe and 9 out of 10 times feel like one too!  But that’s just personal preference, and I’m sure my feet don’t agree with me.

Tenaya made these shoes for long technical routes and that’s what they’re good at.  If all you do is boulder and want hyper performance, there’s a whole host of painful shoes out there for you.  The Tenaya Masai’s do exactly what they say on the tin, no messing.

So do I like the shoe? Yes; in fact I love them for routes.  Confidence in your shoes is a big thing, how much a shoe can really help you is questionable, but when it really comes down to it,  climbing isn’t just a physical sport, its mentally strenuous as well, and to have one less thing to worry about is a bit of a bonus.

And let’s be honest here, if the shoes are good enough for the Pou brothers, they’re definitely good enough for me.

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Katie Mundy in action. About Katie -  Katie Mundy is 28; she lives, works and climbs out of that beautiful hidden gem: Northumberland. She earns her living as a freelance Climbing Instructor and makes a mean espresso at her brother’s coffee house on Holy Island.  She’s been climbing since she was 18; and after moving to Switzerland caught the sports climbing bug and has been addicted ever since.  She spent a further few years climbing, snowboarding and having a fine old time throughout The Alps.  Her hidden talents include: writing her first children’s book about Holy Island, which is where she grew up.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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The North Face – Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, sneak preview! Gear News.
20 August 2011, 6:34 pm



Climbing Gear Reviews takes a look at the forthcoming 2012 collection from The North Face. Taking a morning out of my Lakeland holiday, CGR was invivted to The North Face UK HQ for a sneak preview of the new Spring Summer 2012 clothing range. Perhaps you’ve driven by on your way to complete the Kentmere Horshoe, or bouldered at Little Font or Badger Rock, or even been for fab coffee and cakes at Wilf’s. I bet you didn’t know you were very close to the UK HQ of The North Face, tucked away in the sleepy backwater of Staveley, Cumbria.

Greeted by the lovely and knowledgable Penny I was shown the complete collection for next year, here are some of the pieces I think you should be looking out for:

The North Face Project Alpine Jacket Alpine Project Jacket, a great looking lightweight shell made from GoreTex Active Shell, lighter than Paclite a great looking fully featured fully zipped shell to keep in your pack for when the weather turns nasty.  There is also a stylish womens version.

The North Face Alpine Project Wind Jacket Alpine Project Wind Jacket, a fully featured smock style pullover for when the wind gets up, it’s got a DWR so should even shed the odd shower or two. This looks like a beefed up version of the popular Verto wind jacket.

The North Face Snake Eyes Full Zip Jacket Snake Eyes Full Zip Jacket – is this a contender for the mighty Patagonia R1? Could be; made from Polartec Powerdry and featuring a grid pattern to wick out that burly sweat, a napoleon pocket for the Blackberry and even a couple of handwarmer pockets. Looks versatile enough for all your mountain activities.

The North Face Verto SK4GTX Verto S4K GTX, a new venture for TNF. They’ve been making footwear for some time now and most will have heard of or owned a pair of Hedgehogs. They’ve used that knowledge to produce a range of lightweight performance mountain boots and the Verto SK4 looks a nice lightweight technical boot. It is crampon compatible but its lack of front bale lip means that it’s more suitable for summer alpine or UK winter mountaineering. It looks a nice boot though and I reckon they looked good enough for UK Mixed up to Grade V.

The North Face Gore-Tex Gaiter To go with the boots TNF have produced another first for them – gaiters. You’re either a gaiter fan or not. I am, as I feel my feet are warmer and drier with them on, especially in the bitter December months when the snow hasn’t consolidated. So, the Gore-Tex Gaiter (that’s it, no aggressive name for these) are made from heavy duty 3 Layer Gore-Tex and Bombastic Cordura.  Reinforced with burly Hypalon in all the high wear areas including a separate interior instep loop for emergency repair. They are also colour coded for ‘fast on/off’ (as we know you’ll be desperate to get out of your pit and crank when it’s 3.00am and -12^ºC).

There’s also some other footwear, so look out for the Havoc Mid Hiking boots and shoes which look pretty funky. The Verto pack (which we reviewed this spring) now comes in a 32L version and continues the ultralight, packable concept.

There is also a couple of pairs of climbing specific pants that interested us:

The North Face Highball Pant M The North Face Highball Pant W The Highball Pants – are made from a durable and stretchy

Nylon material and have some climbing specific features

such as diamond gusset, articulated knees and a harness compatible waistband.

The bouldering dudes and chicks also get their way with the funky, urban looking Bat Hang Demin Pants. Double layer knees, diamond gusset, articulated knees and a slight stretch mean you can crank those high steps and rap to your hearts content.

The TNF Diez Jacket- premium fill and ultralight. For Autumn 2011 there’s the timely Diez jacket, designed as a premier layer: Highest Quality 900 fill down insulation combined with Pertex 20 denier nylon ripstop fabric and welded baffles offering lightweight protection during all-out, alpine-style summit attacks. RRP £230

There’s stacks more on offer but we’ve selected the products that we feel would interest climbers so look out for them in the shops this coming winter and spring and Climbing Gear Reviews will be reviewing some of them to help you make an informed decision.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Sprayway Havanna Pants – Mountain Gear Review
7 September 2011, 5:47 pm



Sprayway Havanna Pants. Performance ***

Style ****

Value for Money *****

CGR puts the durable Sprayway Havanna Pants to the test on the hill. Earlier in the year we tested the Sprayway Crux jacket, to compliment this they also sent a pair of the durable and hardwearing Havanna Pants. They’re billed as a … ‘Durable, nylon trousers with DWR and plenty of pockets that look great on and off the hill.’

Sprayway Havanna Pants -  good on and off the hill. My first impressions were that they were, indeed a stylish pair of walking trousers. They were well cut and comfortable, I was sent a size medium/32 and regular length. I’m usually between a 32 and 34” waist and they were a generous fit, so a Medium would fit up to a 34” waist. I needed to wear a belt with them. The regular length was a 31” inside leg so a good all round size. They were a tapered cut with a generous 1” hem, so there would be room for letting them down up to ¾”. The trousers did look stylish and I felt I could wear them casually, whilst on holiday wandering around Keswick, drinking coffee and look smart enough.

Sprayway Havanna Pant - good breathability. The waistband was double stitched, has plenty of belt loops and was closed with a solid metal button fixed with bartacked tape, so you shouldn’t be losing that. The fly was fastened with a YKK zip, I found the zip tag too small and fiddly to grab when caught short. The crotch and seat seams were double stitched, as were the outer leg seams, the manufacture looked to fit the durable image, they felt well made.

There were 5 pockets, two front, two back and one thigh, on the right hand leg. The front pockets were large enough to fit hands plus other small items such as a Buff. The rear pockets were excellent, they were just open pockets, easy to stuff hankies, wallet, phone and all sorts of niknaks. Rear and front pockets aided ventilation  as they were half mesh lined, they high wear area next to the leg was made from the same material as the pants and the other half was mesh. The thigh pocket was bellowed and large enough to fit plenty of small items such as hats and gloves into. It was wide enough to fit a laminated OS map into as well as compass and GPS. The button fastening ensured that items were kept secure, but I found them awkward to use on the go. The buttons were the same as the wait closure and proved difficult to open and close effortlessly, it always seemed to be a faff. After an while I left them unbuttoned, I felt it would be better to have had velcro fastenings.

The nylon material felt very nice next to the skin, almost like hard wearing cotton in feel and look. The weave was tight enough to keep out a reasonable amount of wind and felt breathable when labouring uphill. They dried out very quickly when sweating and didn’t feel sticky. The 3M DWR did a good job of shedding light showers but soon became saturated, they dried out super quick with the lightest of breezes. The fit was generous enough for scrambling and even good for rockclimbing.

Sprayway Havanna Pant - good cut for climbing. They were easy to wash and I just popped them in the machine with my normal washing. 30mins in the tumble drier bought the DWR back to an acceptable level.

So a great 3 season walking pant, suitable for most hillwalking adventures and stylish enough for mooching around town and country too.

They come in 4 colours and there is also a women’s version.

RRP £??.??



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Osprey Mutant 28 Pack – lightweight rucksack. Gear News
7 September 2011, 6:13 pm



Osprey Mutant 28 Osprey bring out a Alpine version of the classic Mutant Pack… The award winning Mutant climbing pack originally launched in 2008 was designed in cooperation with athletes on the quest for the perfect climbing pack. This Autumn/Winter 2011 sees a 28 litre addition to compliment the range of clean, strong and lightweight packs for alpine adventures.

The new Mutant 28 has been designed for lighter, faster and shorter ascents and has a clean design providing the user with essential features only. To give the range a fresh, modern feel, Osprey’s tweaked a few features and given the existing Mutant 38 and the new 28 an invigorating hi-vis green colour-way to give what we feel is the ultimate lightweight mountain pack choice.

The Mutant 28 sports a select, well-researched set of features whilst the Mutant 38 has been revised to bring it in line with this new addition:

•Lightweight, durable construction

Durability and abrasion resistance are crucial factors in alpine pack design. A strategic mix of highly durable and lightweight fabrics enables the perfect blend of lightweight performance and dependable durability.

•Stability

With two sizes to choose from, compression-molded and contoured backpanel, you get a great fit and breathablecomfort. Low profile hip fins (Mutant 28) and a reverse-wrap stowable hipbelt (Mutant 38) guarantee unrivalled levels of stability and control.

•Top ‘X’ Compression

This unique new feature allows the Mutant 28 & 38 to be further compressed once the lid’s been removed it alsoprovides additional closure security against the elements and allows you to “clean-up” redundant straps and buckleswhen the lid’s removed.

•Strippable Features

Weight is sometimes more crucial than features. Fully strippable pack components allow features such as lids (Mutant 28 and 38), hipbelt webbing (Mutant 28), framesheet/bivi-pad (Mutant 38) and compression straps (Mutant 28 and 38) to be easily and quickly removed.

•Hipalon Racking System (UPDATED)

This modern, useful racking method has been refined and now uses Hipalon Racking Tubes and a mini gear loop.

•ToolLock™

A lightweight, easy, innovative attachment for ice axes or modern modular tools.

•Pockets

Lid pockets for quick access as well as internal ‘essentials’ pocket for when the lid is removed.

Colours: Mutant 28 Alloy and Forest

Prices: Mutant 28 SRP: €80/£70/NOK 800

Look out for the CGR review later this Autumn!



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Arc’teryx R320-a Rock Climbing Harness – Climbing Gear Review
15 September 2011, 7:18 pm



Arc'teryx R320-a adjustable rock climbing harness CGRUK tests the versatile and improved Arc’teryx R320-a harness Performance *****

Features*****

Value for Money ****

I couldn’t begin to describe the excitement I felt when I bought my Arc’teryx X350-a  harness, this was the the top of the range harness with state of the art WARP technology. I marvelled at the hyper-thin waistbelt and legloops; I revelled in the sheer beauty of it’s design and amazingly it came in a tin: for goodness sake a harness in a tin, with the Arc’teryx fossil imprinted on it! It felt that I had bought the most luxurious and decadent item of climbing equipment ever. That harness cost me £100 and was the top of the range, I have since used it for all my climbing activities from easy rock days, tough redpoints and ice climbing – it has performed in all the ways I would have expected a piece of Arc’teryx kit: brilliantly.

Arcterys R320-a - verstaile enough for sport or trad The new 2011 Arc’teryx R-320a dropped into the office to much excitement and discussion, it’s not the most expensive harness in the range (the R-360a Big Wall harness holds that accolade), but it is the most versatile. With the x350a being such a brilliant harness I was very keen to see how Arc’teryx could improve it.

The first and immediate notice was…no tin! The harness came in a standard netted package which would make it easier for product display. But hey, a minor point and I’ll have to find something else to put my cakes in. The R-320a, at 347g is 22g lighter but then doesn’t have ice clipper slots and the leg loop is put together in a different way and this all helps reduce the weight. It is important to point out that the R-320a isn’t marketed as a winter climbing harness (they have the über light M-280 for that and the X350-a is still in the range) but as an all round rock climbing harnesss and that’s what I tested it as.

Arcteryx R-320a the new wider waistbelt makes it very comfortable. The harness still uses the innovative Warp Strength Technology, for those who haven’t come across this it’s a way of spreading the webbing fibres over a larger surface area, this thins out the harness and allows a much broader waistbelt and leg loops for a much reduced weight and absolutely no loss in the rated kN. All very state of the art; the waistbelt was indeed very thin and broad and this made the harness much more comfortable than the X-350a. It was a dream on hanging belays: I never had to suffer an aching back or sore hips even when hanging for long periods. This was a definite improvement and by far the most comfortable harness I worn for hanging belays, great stuff.

leg loop attaches differently but the buckles are excellent quality. The buckle system on both the waist and legs was very smooth, it was self locking and easy to tighten and loosen off, even with gloves on. The finish was outstanding and just the sort of subtle detailing you would expect from Arc’teryx. The excess tape was tided up with oversized loops, this was a real improvement on the older models as they could often be fiddly, especially with gloves on. The webbing did come out on occasion, particularly on the legloops as the loops were too wide to secure the tape tightly.

The gear loops had been improved by widening the front ones, this meant that I could put more hardwear where I needed it, I could easily fit a couple of sets of wires, some cams and 5 quickdraws on the front ones. The rear ones remain standard and could easily accommodate some more cams, quickdraws, belay plates, etc. The gearloop design was assymetrical and could be reversed. This was theoretically great as it meant I could reverse the loops so that quickdraws weren’t swinging around my thighs. In practice I could only do this using a Leatherman and it was very fiddly, not something that would be easy to do in the field.

The gear loops are adjustable. The legloops were attached with very thin looking elastic, I’ve had my X-350a for well over a year now and the elastic still looks robust and shows no sign of wear, so I can only expect the same. They were attached to the waist belt with a small, polished, aluminium buckle; this made them easy to detach for toilet visits.

There was a small, plastic D ring on the back of the harness for clipping chalkbags into. I often use this for clipping my prussicks and ascenders into and I would like to have seen this ring made from welded aluminium, steel or even better and small sewn tape. No matter how well moulded the plastic ring it’s going to break eventually and so there is always a tiny worry at the back of my mind. This is a small detail that Arc’teryx should pick up on for future designs.

Great for sport climbing. So a great offering from Arc’teryx and a real improvement on the previous models. The wider waistbelt is very welcome and it will excel in all rock climbing situations. With the addition of a couple of ice clipper slots it would also replace the x-350a and be a most awesome all round harness.

Stockists: www.arcteryx.com



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Hagolfs Roc Hard- Climbing Gear Review
2 October 2011, 8:50 am



Are CGR hard enough for the indestructible Haglöfs Roc Hard climbing pack…? Not content with sending us a pair of Rugged Mountain Pants to try and destroy Haglöfs also provided us with the new Roc Hard pack: the burly, no nonsense all mountain day pack.

Way back in June 2009 I reviewed the new Roc climbing pack series for Haglöfs: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=1916 . I concluded that review with the words…” It is a great all mountain sack. It fits like a dream and swallows kit. It will fulfil all your requirements for a variety of mountain adventures and will last you years. Do all the fancy extras warrant the extra price tag? No, it’s not the perfect sack and so the quest continues.”

We’ll whilst the quest still continues and after testing many packs I still actually use the Roc 35 for many of my climbing activities. So can the Roc Hard help change my mind. There are 5 packs in the Roc range and the Roc Hard is marketed as a bombproof pack that will last. They have used Mountain Guides to help develop this and that expertise shows through in the design features.



The durable image did indeed show through in the materials. The main body was made from a combination of 840 Denier Ballistic fabric, this had a tight weave and looked the business, it was coated on the inside with a white waterproof skin. This helped locate awkward items in dim light conditions. The high wear areas were made from the even beefier 1680D Ballistic material, all areas that might suffer from excessive abrasion such as the front, lid and base were made from this and coloured Gunmetal. It had a tight weaved polymide skin bonded to it to give a double thickness feel to the fabric. So, no namby pamby lightweight materials here, I’d have to physically cut the material with a very sharp knife to pierce it. I’ve been using it all summer for climbing, mountaineering and hillwalking and it’s showing no sign of wear whatsoever.



The lid was detachable with the very clever system that the Roc had used. It loops through a sewn loop on the Roc this sewn loop came unstitched and on close inspection I would have liked to have seen some bartack stitching on these) and the tape remains attached to the lid. The lid can then be left at base whilst you have a lighter summit/climbing pack. The shoulder strap tension tapes could either stay on or unbuckled and stashed in pockets located on the shoulder strap giving a sleek climbing style. The lid also had two pockets, one large top pocket easily big enough for hats gloves, headtorch, map, compass, energy bars and GPS. The inner pocket had a keyclip and was plenty big enough for wallet, Blackberry, guidebook and all sorts of odd and ends. The lid closure was with two buckled 25mm taped straps so provided great stability when loaded up with kit and balancing the rope on top. The main pack had a rope carry so could be used without the lid. All great improvements on the original Roc.



The shoulderstraps were plenty narrow enough for my shoulders and made from the same 1680 D Ballistic fabric in the high wear areas. The padding was firm and the strapped were well bartacked to the main body, and looking at it they were unlikely to ever come undone. The sterum strap was railed on 20mm sewn tape, once again reverting to a tried and trusted burly system. Although the strap was bartacked at the end where it met the shoulder strap, it wasn’t at the other end. One feature I really liked on the original Roc was the sewn label on the shoulder strap, this label meant I could easily thread my watch through or clip my GPS onto, both useful when winter climbing/mountaineering. I noted that the label needed to be more robust at the time. On the Roc hard not only was the label more robust I had two sewn tapes across the shoulder strap! A real improvement and very handy features.



The waistbelt was narrow enough to be unobtrusive and was reinforced with Hypalon. It tucked into the lumbar pad I to help tidy the pack up for climbing. The Interact Suspension system comprised of a single Aluminium stay, two small glass fibre rods together with a HDPE framesheet. All these were removable; as ever I removed the aluminium stay and never replaced it finding it unnecessary in so small a pack. Maybe if I was on an extended ski or snowshoe tour it could be handy, but for everyday climbing/mountain situations I never felt the need for it.

The ice axe loops tucked away to streamline the pack. The ice axe retainers were made from thick and burly, elasticated shockcord and were very glove friendly to use. The loops were made from 20mm sewn tape and could be tucked away by threading them through a small hole under the Hypalon reinforcement, they were a little fiddly to get back in and I preferred the sleeved design of the Roc. Again a neat feature that helps the pack look and feel sleek for summer rock climbing. The snow valance was large enough to extend by 4 litres and was closed with cord, I would have liked to see 4 or 5mm prussick cord used here, this is what I did the Roc and it’s just an insurance feature in the Alps or Scotland in winter.

The back length was great for me and I could climb unimpeded with a helmet on brilliant there aren’t many packs I’ve tested where I can do that! One other interesting note was the lack of a hydration bladder pocket. This is the point that verified the claim that the pack had been designed with the help of Guides. I have rarely seen a Guide using a hydration bladder and dropped using them myself a long while ago for the following reasons – it’s difficult to regulate your liquid intake, the end will always freeze no matter how much insulation you put over it and it’s never wise to fill them with boiling liquid (in the winter). So, a real feather in Haglöfs cap.

In conclusion it has some great features and is an improvement of the original Roc. I’ve been using it all summer and will continue to use all Autumn and for mountain activities in Winter. At 30 Litres it’s a little too small for winter climbing but will be fine for skiing and snowshoeing. I would have liked some tabs for adding lashing shockcord so I could lash crampons, etc. It’s missing wand pockets and I prefer the sleeve system for ice axe retention and at 1400g it’s no ultralight, namby pamby carrier bag type pack. It will last for years and is truly a Ballistic pack, a great buy if you want an all purpose day pack that will outlast your knees then this is the pack for you.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Trousers – Climbing Gear Review
5 October 2011, 1:24 pm



Patagonia Men's Rock Guide Zip-offs in Forge Grey Two for the price of one on rock climbing legwear from Patagonia…. Performance *****

Quality*****

Value for money *****

RRP £80.00

Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Trousers, Retro Khaki - full leg mode rock climbing at Malham Patagonia describe their Rock Guide Zip Off Pants as being: “Stretch woven, technical zip-off pants that are lightweight, stretchy, and dry fast with 40-UPF.”

Now I’ll be honest, when I see zip-off convertible trousers I usually think,”woah, bit uncool, my Dad would wear them!” But as Patagonia are a brand renowned for quality, no messing technical products, I thought I’d reserve judgment until I’d worn and tested them.

The sun's coming out!!Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off trousers, zipping off on a warm seaside day, Carn Kenidjack, Cornwall So what are they like? Well, as far as I can tell the Rock Guide Zip Offs are pretty much the same as the standard Rock Guide Pants except that they zip-off at the knee so you get trousers and shorts in one!! Not quite two for the price of one as the zip offs cost an extra tenner to buy, but not bad either! Perfect for the weight conscious traveler or climber who doesn’t want to carry a pair of shorts and a pair of trousers or for those optimistic days when the sun might just get out!

The trousers feature a tough fabric which is a combination of 96% stretch woven nylon and 4% spandex. This provides excellent freedom of movement and to further aid those wide bridging moves and high steps Patagonia have also included a gusseted crotch and articulated knees. When wearing a harness there is no bunching up around the legs either and the mesh lined waist belt sits comfortably flat and doesn’t interfere with that of a climbing harness.

Considering it’s light weight, the fabric is also proving to be incredibly tough. I have used these on all rock types from nice gneiss to grippy gritstone and granite and so far not even a nick. I’ve also used them for a bit of brambley jungle bashing and a few Alpine trails. The trousers resist wind effectively too but are not 100% windproof. The combination of materials which make up the fabric, coupled with a Durable Water Repellent Finish (DWR) mean they also dry remarkably quickly should you get caught in a shower. This is also handy if you are giving them a freshen up whilst on your travels, they’re not gonna take days to drip dry!

If the sunshine is beating down the Rock Guides also double as sun-screen having been impregnated with Factor 40UPF sun protection. This is perfect for the pale skinned amongst us!

Other features on the trousers are 4 pockets and a single button waist with belt loops and a zip fly. The pocket configuration features 2 front side pockets (standard trouser set up) one zippered thigh pocket and one zippered rear pocket. Both zippered pockets are positioned so that they don’t interfere with a harness and are perfect for keeping your car keys, bit of cash and topo sheet safe whilst you concentrate on the climbing. The zip fly is smooth and the belt loops allow a bit of fit tweaking should that be necessary. Obviously this won’t work as well under a harness though.

Another note on fit is that Patagonia only do these in a standard 32inch leg length. I’m 5feet 9inches tall and usually buy regular length trousers and these were fine for me. I usually put a couple of turn ups in my trousers when climbing anyway, I prefer to have a good view of my feet and the half mast look helps! As shorts the Rock Guide Zip Offs give an 11inch inseam, this meant they were pretty muck knee length on me.

Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off in shorts mode rock climbing in Cornwall So why buy zip off pants? Well, zip off pants mean you have trousers and shorts in one. They might not be the coolest thing around but there’s no denying they’re a 100% functional piece of kit. If it’s hot you can walk-in in shorts then go to trousers for climbing in the shade. If it’s a thrashy vegetated approach wear the full trouser for protection (trust me the Rock Guides are tough enough) then zip them off for the climbs and effort. Basically you can dress for most eventualities with one pair of pants. Awesome for the 4 seasons in one day, British climate! Oh and as an aside, Patagonia do think of everything…the leg zips are cleverly colour coded so you don’t put them on the wrong way round!

So to conclude, Patagonia’s Rock Guide Zip Off Pants are a high quality, tough, well designed and functional pair of pants. Great for year round rock climbing, hiking and weight conscious traveling. They are available in two colours, Forge Grey and Retro Khaki, and a range of waist sizes. I can’t fault the performance of these pants, they do everything you could ask for. I suppose the only downside is they’re still not what the kids would call “cool”!!

• You can buy the Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Pants here
• Visit the Patagonia website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Pants – Climbing Gear Review
5 October 2011, 1:24 pm



Patagonia Men's Rock Guide Zip-offs in Forge Grey Two for the price of one on rock climbing legwear from Patagonia…. Performance *****

Quality*****

Value for money *****

RRP £80.00

Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Trousers, Retro Khaki - full leg mode rock climbing at Malham Patagonia describe their Rock Guide Zip Off Pants as being: “Stretch woven, technical zip-off pants that are lightweight, stretchy, and dry fast with 40-UPF.”

Now I’ll be honest, when I see zip-off convertible trousers I usually think,”woah, bit uncool, my Dad would wear them!” But as Patagonia are a brand renowned for quality, no messing technical products, I thought I’d reserve judgment until I’d worn and tested them.

The sun's coming out!!Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off trousers, zipping off on a warm seaside day, Carn Kenidjack, Cornwall So what are they like? Well, as far as I can tell the Rock Guide Zip Offs are pretty much the same as the standard Rock Guide Pants except that they zip-off at the knee so you get trousers and shorts in one!! Not quite two for the price of one as the zip offs cost an extra tenner to buy, but not bad either! Perfect for the weight conscious traveler or climber who doesn’t want to carry a pair of shorts and a pair of trousers or for those optimistic days when the sun might just get out!

The trousers feature a tough fabric which is a combination of 96% stretch woven nylon and 4% spandex. This provides excellent freedom of movement and to further aid those wide bridging moves and high steps Patagonia have also included a gusseted crotch and articulated knees. When wearing a harness there is no bunching up around the legs either and the mesh lined waist belt sits comfortably flat and doesn’t interfere with that of a climbing harness.

Considering it’s light weight, the fabric is also proving to be incredibly tough. I have used these on all rock types from nice gneiss to grippy gritstone and granite and so far not even a nick. I’ve also used them for a bit of brambley jungle bashing and a few Alpine trails. The trousers resist wind effectively too but are not 100% windproof. The combination of materials which make up the fabric, coupled with a Durable Water Repellent Finish (DWR) mean they also dry remarkably quickly should you get caught in a shower. This is also handy if you are giving them a freshen up whilst on your travels, they’re not gonna take days to drip dry!

If the sunshine is beating down the Rock Guides also double as sun-screen having been impregnated with Factor 40UPF sun protection. This is perfect for the pale skinned amongst us!

Other features on the trousers are 4 pockets and a single button waist with belt loops and a zip fly. The pocket configuration features 2 front side pockets (standard trouser set up) one zippered thigh pocket and one zippered rear pocket. Both zippered pockets are positioned so that they don’t interfere with a harness and are perfect for keeping your car keys, bit of cash and topo sheet safe whilst you concentrate on the climbing. The zip fly is smooth and the belt loops allow a bit of fit tweaking should that be necessary. Obviously this won’t work as well under a harness though.

Another note on fit is that Patagonia only do these in a standard 32inch leg length. I’m 5feet 9inches tall and usually buy regular length trousers and these were fine for me. I usually put a couple of turn ups in my trousers when climbing anyway, I prefer to have a good view of my feet and the half mast look helps! As shorts the Rock Guide Zip Offs give an 11inch inseam, this meant they were pretty muck knee length on me.

Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off in shorts mode rock climbing in Cornwall So why buy zip off pants? Well, zip off pants mean you have trousers and shorts in one. They might not be the coolest thing around but there’s no denying they’re a 100% functional piece of kit. If it’s hot you can walk-in in shorts then go to trousers for climbing in the shade. If it’s a thrashy vegetated approach wear the full trouser for protection (trust me the Rock Guides are tough enough) then zip them off for the climbs and effort. Basically you can dress for most eventualities with one pair of pants. Awesome for the 4 seasons in one day, British climate! Oh and as an aside, Patagonia do think of everything…the leg zips are cleverly colour coded so you don’t put them on the wrong way round!

So to conclude, Patagonia’s Rock Guide Zip Off Pants are a high quality, tough, well designed and functional pair of pants. Great for year round rock climbing, hiking and weight conscious traveling. They are available in two colours, Forge Grey and Retro Khaki, and a range of waist sizes. I can’t fault the performance of these pants, they do everything you could ask for. I suppose the only downside is they’re still not what the kids would call “cool”!!

• You can buy the Patagonia Rock Guide Zip Off Pants here
• Visit the Patagonia website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket – Climbing Gear Review
7 October 2011, 2:19 pm





Nano Puff synthetic insulation from Patagonia, shave off weight and move faster…. Performance *****

Quality ****

Value for money ****

RRP £160.00

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket used as outer wear on the summit of Mt Blanc in August. The clean lines of the garment work well underneath or over a climbing harness. Patagonia say: “Windproof and water-resistant, the Nano Puff® Jacket is warm, incredibly lightweight, highly compressible and can be worn as insulation or outerwear in cold climates.”

Patagonia’s Nano Puff Jacket is a lightweight, Primaloft insulated, windproof and water resistant layering piece designed to offer maximum warmth for minimum weight. It features a full length zip and 2 zippered handwarmer pockets as well as an internal zippered valuables pocket into which the jacket can be stashed. It follows on in their Nano range from the super-popular pullover. The range has now expanded to feature a Vest or gilet (I have one and love it!! In fact I may need to have it surgically removed!!), full zip Hoody and Nano Storm which includes a waterproof hard shell outer.

The first thing I’d say is that the Nano Puff Jacket is it’s incredibly versatile. I’ve used it for wandering around town, as a belay jacket for summer cragging, around campsites on cool summer evenings, worn it rock climbing, on Alpine north faces, skied in it and used it as a lightweight belay jacket in Scotland in winter. That’s a lot of use!! And it works!!

You can wear it as outer wear over a base layer or midlayer and it will keep the wind off and keep you warm.  Or stick it under your hard shell as an insulation piece when the weather is properly foul. When you stop at a belay or for a brew stop it also works well as a simple belay jacket. The outer and inner fabrics glide effortlessly over or under layers so there’s no awkward snagging or bunching when getting it on or off. This is helped by the simple elasticated cuffs and smooth zipper with glove friendly tab.

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket perfect for in-a-day Alpine north faces. Here Kev wears his at the bergschrund about to start Le Ginat, Les Droites North Face, France in April 2011 Featuring a simple set up of 60g of Primaloft One polyester insulation held in place by a stitch through quilted construction, the Nano Puff provides ample warmth for minimum weight and pack size. The lightweight (and recycled) polyester ripstop shell stops the wind and the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish sheds moisture effectively in all but proper rain. And if the Nano does get wet, it still insulates you from the cold! It isn’t a full warmth super duper belay jacket but it does the job as long as you’re not stationary for too long. If that’s what your after then you might be better off trying Patagonia’s DAS Parka instead, which is a real haven of cosy niceness!

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket worn belay jacket stylee during a brief stop on the North Face of Les Droites, Chamonix The fact that the Nano has a full length zip adds to it’s versatility as it can easily be vented should you start to warm up whilst on the move and as I said earlier it slides on and off over layers with no effort at all. This coupled with the fact that you can stuff it into it’s inner pocket and then use the clip in loop to attach it to your climbing harness means you can always have the Nano Puff Jacket ready on a climb should you need it. Otherwise it’s minimal pack size won’t take up much room in your pack either.

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket - perfect for fast moving alpinism. Here Kev finishes off a quick solo lap of the Cosmiques Arete on the Aiguille du Midi. The Nano tackled the cold damp conditions with ease due to it's light weight, great cut, excellent breathability and water resistant outer. Patagonia call the fit of the Nano “standard”. My test one is size Small and this is the size I usually wear in most garments. Whilst it is trim enough to wear over a baselayer for technical rock climbs, it is also accommodating enough to wear over my R1 top and softshell should I decide to use it as a belay jacket. In order to stop any unwanted drafts there is an elasticated hem drawcord which is easily adjusted even when wearing gloves.

Why should I buy this and not a down filled one such as Patagonia’s Down Sweater?

The main benefit Primaloft and other synthetic fibres have over down is that they maintain their insulating properties even when wet. If down gets wet it gets soggy and no longer traps air effectively. Synthetic fibres such as Primaloft tend not to absorb water (they are hydrophobic) and therefore do not have this problem. That means synthetic filled jackets are a very good idea for the UK climate!!

So in conclusion, the Nano Puff Jacket is a well made light weight insulating piece ideal for a wide range of outdoor activities from cold days out walking to light and fast alpinism. It looks great in the pub but cuts the mustard in the toughest conditions too. A truly versatile piece of insulation clothing which marries light weight modern materials with minimalist styling. Good work Patagonia!

• See the whole Nano range on the Patagonia website
• Buy the Nano Puff Jacket here

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Smartwool Microweight Crew and Boxer Briefs – Climbing Gear Review
9 October 2011, 7:57 am



With the feel of cotton and the performance of polyester, Smartwool have come up with a great summer combination of baselayers. During the brilliant winter of 2010 we reviewed several excellent Merino tops from Smartwool: http://wp.me/p14X6I-dM . We rated them a Top Rated Product accolade as they were truly brilliant to wear, so how have the thinner and summer weight tops fared…?

   I was sent a Microweight Crew, long sleeved baselayer and the Boxer Briefs to test throughout the summer to see if they performed as well as the winter models.

I can say I was not disappointed, the top proved a great piece of clothing that I found myself wearing it all summer in all but the hottest days (which were very few). Firstly I could believe how quickly the top dried out, the slightest breeze had the sweat drying out in minutes and one of the real benefits of using Merino is no smell! I wore it for three days on the trot, including sleeping, on a short backpacking trip, absolutely no smell whatsoever.

   The top and pants are made from the lightest of the Smartwool NTS (next to skin) fabrics and felt lovely next to my skin. I often come out in a rash when wearing some technical fabrics but wearing Smartwool felt as comfortable as wearing cotton. The top did get very saturated in hot, physical conditions but the top was plenty light enough to carry another in my pack. I like to put a fresh, dry top on under the climb or later in the day. The material is also a little delicate so you wouldn’t want to be thrutching up a chimney unless you have it protected by wearing a t-shirt or jacket on top.



I am usually a medium is size, but often find I need a size large in t-shirts and baselayers. Smartwool, however, are slightly oversized so a Medium fitted fine. It was a nice fit, just athletic enough without feeling tight. The flatlock seams prevented chaffing when wearing a pack and the sleeves were just the right length.



I have substituted myself for a model wearing the Boxer Briefs as it would not have been a pretty site. They have performed just as well as the top, great next to the skin. For hygiene reasons I didn’t dare wear these for as long as the top so I had two pairs on the trip. The fly was easy to use and the waistband was flat and comfortable under a rock climbing harness. They were too hot to wear on very hot days for me, I have been trying to find a true pair of briefs made from Merino wool for a while now and it’s good to see that Smartwool have included a true Brief in the 2011 range. I’ll be buying a couple of pairs of those. They also have some windproof ones in the range which would also come in handy those cold windy days winter climbing, so there is a great range of pants in the range to suite a variety of weather conditions.

A far as cleaning went, I just chucked them in the washing machine with all the other washing we do from day to day. I have experienced no problems with the quality at all, no holes or threads coming undone.

So, I can’t say just how much I rate these Merino products. I have been and remain a fan of all Merino baselayer products and find the quality and feel of Smartwool awesome. If you don’t already own some become a convert yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

For UK Stockists see: http://www.smartwool.com/international  RRP £45.00



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Smartwool HiFy – Merino Wool and more…
12 October 2011, 7:49 pm



SMARTWOOL LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY BI-COMPONENT FABRIC THAT IS MERINO WOOL AND MORE    

Nearly two decades ago, SmartWool changed the industry with the launch of its extraordinarily comfortable Merino wool socks.  And now the company is doing it again with technical clothing.

Introducing SmartWool HyFi, a bi-component fabric that puts the extraordinary comfort of Merino wool next to the skin and a smart nylon facing next to rocks, trees and bushes. Inside it works naturally with the body managing moisture, fighting odors, and aiding breathability. Outside it’s more durable and ready to perform.

The season ahead sees the launch of SmartWool HyFi, the new high performance bi component fabric which contains a Merino wool inner and Nylon outer to provide greater performance, fit and comfort which goes far beyond the natural benefits of Merino wool.  SmartWool HyFi contains a performance combination of 64% Merino wool and 36% Nylon.

 

Having a Nylon face, SmartWool HyFi offers greater wind and abrasion resistance, faster dry time, improved stretch and the contemporary aesthetic fit that is desired by today’s outdoor athletes.   The Merino wool inner offers the unbeatable benefits of SmartWool Next To Skin breathability, moisture management, temperature regulation and odor control.   Designs which feature SmartWool HyFi also offer athletes improved shape retention and stretch and increased warmth without any restrictive bulk.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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GEAR NEWS: The Kendal Mountain Festival 2011
13 October 2011, 11:33 am

The 17th-20th November sees the arrival of the 2011 Kendal Mountain Festival! The 2011 Festival is set to be one of the best yet with an exciting array of lectures, films and partying! And CGR will be there!

Here’s the first in a series of updates from the festival organisers… Tickets for Kendal on sale, with the majority of the programme in place. “We’re 90% there, with a couple of late slots being tied down”, says Festival director Clive Allen. “The problem is, we do it to ourselves. Every year we say let’s take it easy and simplify the event. But then the programme just builds up, we get great offers from sponsors and filmmakers and suddenly it’s almost impossible to shoe-horn it all in.”

The end result though is yet another spectacular programme filled with a unique combination of films, speakers and special guests that you’ll never get the chance to see in one location again. In addition to the speakers already announced – Lynn Hill, Jim Wickwire, Dave MacLeod, Simone Moro, James Pearson, the Favresse brothers and Nazir Sabir to name but a few – there’s a significant number of new names.

A big new story that’s just been confirmed is that Ed Drummond will be at Kendal. As the climber who made the first ascent of The Longhope Route on Hoy in 1970 with Oliver Hill, he’ll be at the world film premiere of The Long Hope, the story of Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner’s inspirational first free ascent this summer. In addition Ed will do a stand-alone lecture about his life and epic climbs. Now living in the USA, this will be a unique opportunity to see this legendary character and climber.

Ed Drummond will be at KMF 2011 (copyright: KMF) In July Richard Parks made history by becoming the first person to climb the highest summit on each of the world’s continents and stand on all three poles – South Pole, North Pole and Everest summit – in the same year. An incredible feat, achieved within seven record-setting months. Richard will describe a journey encompassing South American rainforests, -40C in the Arctic and the hypoxia of Everest.

Prolific Everest-summiteer Kenton Cool appears not once, but twice over the Festival. On Thursday night he describes to Stephen Venables just how he managed to reach the top of Everest a record-breaking nine times. Then on Saturday Kenton talks about skiing two Himalayan giants – Manaslu and Cho Oyu. British alpinists Matt Helliker and Jon Bracey describe the commitment required to forge a new route up the stupendous Moonflower Buttress on Alaska’s Mt Hunter, plus big-wall specialist Jerry Gore talks about first ascents from Baffin to Borneo and how being diagnosed in 2001 as a diabetic hasn’t slowed him down in the slightest.

It isn’t all about mountaineering of course. BBC producer and director Dale Templar describes filming the Human Planet series, photographer John Beatty shares his superb images and stories from 25 years of worldwide assignments, plus Cameron McNeish and Richard Else talk and show exclusive footage from BBC Scotland’s new series profiling a new long-distance trail from the Scottish border to Cape Wrath.

Together with over 70 films in competition, art, literature, the legendary Rab Party, the ‘specialist’ nights plus the Boardman Tasker literary prize, it promises to be another unmissable year!

• For further details, including a full line up and the opportunity to buy tickets visit the Kendal Mountain Festival Website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Slackline across The Dolomites – adidas climbers realise The Big Idea…
20 October 2011, 10:18 am

Watch these dudes do incredible stuff in The Dollies!

 

 

 



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Adidas Terrex Pro Hybrid Jacket – Climbing Gear Review
20 October 2011, 7:10 pm

Adidas Terrex Hybrid Jacket adidas Terrex Pro – softshell performance from an über label. Performance ****

Style ***

Value for money ****

RRP £140.00

I’m sure I’m not alone in this scenario, I’m in the first bin up the Midi,  standing next to me are a couple of Euro Gods. Tall, thin, bronzed and blonde mini beards; impossibly tiny packs, those white Adidas shades and kitted out in Adidas clothing.  Not t-shirts and running shorts but specific clothing designed for the outdoors. I know it’d be difficult to be as cool when you’re wandering around in the drizzle on top of The Ben, but I’d like to be given the chance to look as cool!

Adidas will need no introduction. They are a massive multi national company who kit out many of the worlds sporting superstars. What they not so famous for in the UK is their large outdoor clothing and footwear range. This is not so on the mainland where many of the top Euro stars are also sponsored by Adidas.

Adidas Terrex Hybrid - trying to look as cool as a Eurogod! My first glimpse of Adidas and climbing came with that poster of John Dunne on The Big Issue in Pembroke. Wearing that white Adidas long sleeve top and looking über cool on what was one of the hardest routes in the UK at the time. That was enough for me to be out buying one and climbing in it all that summer, I’ve still got it.

Adidas have a large range of outdoor clothing which can be viewed here and I’m pretty sure you’ll be surprised at the range of gear on offer. What will, no doubt, frustrate you is that it’s very difficult to find over here in the UK. Well, good news! Adidas have decided that the UK deserve the outdoor clothing and that we are as cool as mainland Euro Gods. So watch out for it in the shops.

We were sent the 2011 Terrex Hybrid Jacket to test. 2011 seems to be the year of Hybrid jackets, we’ve seen and tested several. The buzzwords are Hybrid and Bodymapping, the idea is designers map the body and highlight areas where heat is lost and needs retaining. Jackets can then be made using different materials in different areas depending upon whether you need breathability or protection.

Adidas Terrex Hybrid - great for those cooler mountain days. The main materials the Terrex Hybrid jacket is made from are Gore Windstopper  Softshell and a stretchy fabric similar to Powerstretch. Windstopper Softshell is Gore’s new softshell material; a membrane fabric that has a smooth woven outer, a breathable membrane and a bonded fleece. The jacket is designed for active mountain use in both cut and materials.

Adidas terrex Hybrid - a great cut for climbing. The jacket is constructed so that the front of the torso is protected with the Windstopper, the forearms and back are constructed in the Powerstretch material. The cut was very athletic and worked well in all climbing situations. Adidas have defined the cut as Formotion, meaning that the seams have been located to ensure maximum freedom of movement and comfort. I certainly found the jacket comfortable to wear and didn’t find it restrictive at all. A well designed shoulder area meant carrying a pack was a breeze.

The hem had a drawstring closure and the lower end of the jacket fitted very well under a harness. There was no rise when climbing with a harness on, the jacket stayed put and didn’t move; always a good sign. I found the arms a little too long for my 5’9” average frame. I was given a medium which fitted my 38-40” chest really well, but the arms must be constructed for people with a positive ape index. With no sleeve tabs I ended up having to fold the sleeve hem up.

There were also pit zips on each side, which I thought was a little over the top. Windstopper is a membraned fabric so heat loss can be an issue when active. I would have thought that a hybrid jacket would have had a change of fabric at the pits. The pit zips did work well though and ventilated the jacket when needed.

The zips were all YKK and worked smoothly with no sticking areas. The zip tags were too small for an outdoor active jacket. I would have liked to see more burly tags that could be operated with gloves on, especially the main torso and napoleon pocket zips. I though the zips were designed to keep the jacket athletic and streamlined looking rather than for function.

The collar was well designed with movement in mind, the back of it having an area of powerstretch. This worked great with a climbing helmet on, the collar felt very comfortable when closed up and didn’t restrict movement at all. The pockets were all accessible with a harness on, but again the zips made the handwarmer pockets difficult to access at times.

The overall style was very nice, plenty of Adidas branding including the 3 stripes on the arms. These were printed on and I thought these would wear off if you were carrying a heavy climbing pack regularly. I would have also liked to see some Scotchbrite reflective decals for winter activity.

Adidas Terrex Hybrid, a good all round mountain jacket. In conclusion, a well designed jacket that was probably a little too warm for mid summer but really came into it’s own during the spring, autumn and active winter days. A good cut, if a little long in the arm and very comfortable to wear. The hybrid nature meant that I was able to be reasonably comfortable when active and the Formotion styling gave the jacket good performance when climbing. Most of all you are getting great materials, design and branding from a label that is sure to become big in the UK.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Gear News – Arcteryx Climbing Harnesses
21 October 2011, 7:00 pm

Every wondered how those brilliant by Arcteryx are made? Listen to the designer…  Do you have an Arcteryx harness? We’d love to read your views, why not leave a comment.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Blog – watch the Ice Master, Beat Kammerlander climb trad!
30 October 2011, 6:24 am

Beat Kammerlander well lnown for his Ice Climbing skills climbs his trad project in Austria. I’ve always been been most inspired by the climbers who quietly go about thier climbing business. They’re often off many climbers radars, regular guys with regular jobs, kids, etc but consistently climb at a level I can only dream of emulating. Watch Austrian legend Beat Kammerlander climb this awesome looking trad route; even though it’s trad watch out for the belay technique! OK,OK, I know it’s not true UK style ground up on sight but it’s still great to watch and I wish that crag was outside my house! I’m 50 next year so it’s great to know that all is not lost and that if I keep my psyche and train as hard as I can then I’ll still be able to climb at a level that truly keeps me happy. Happy climbing, Dave.





Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

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Lakeland Fellranger by Cicerone Press –Mountain Review
9 November 2011, 6:24 pm

Can the newer, modern Lakeland Fellranger Guides knock the mighty Wainwright off his perch? I started getting the Wainwright guides as Christmas presents from my 2 sons. I have about 3 now, all the second edition, revamped ones by Chris Jetty. I find them useful armchair reading, but they’re not something I would take on the hill with me. They are, however, the reference guide for all serious Lakeland hill walkers.

Then out comes Mark Richards with his Lakeland Fellranger series of books, an ambitious project to map the lakes with all the routes to every summit. The project began in 2008 and is still in progress. There are six guides to date with two more to come. We were sent to two latest guides to review: The Western and North Western Fells.

The first difference you will notice is the size, the Fellranger format is just about A5 and they pack in the information, so I wasn’t about to pack this in my rucksack. The guide is in full colour and absolutely jam packed full of colour maps, photographs, routes plans and panoramas. The mapping is provided by Harvey, its 1:40 000 scale fits nicely with the BMC Mountain Map series and all photographs and diagrams are provided by Mark. The cover was tough PVC so should last some time.

The mountains were listed alphabetically, which I found very easy to use and find; a quick flick got me to the mountain I wanted to read up on. Once there I found some introductory information about the mountain itself and some lovely anecdotal prose. On top of that there was a colour photo and a map showing all the routes to follow. Routes are coloured red (to compliment Harvey) and starting points in blue. All the routes are then described in great detail and gave up to date information on path condition, cairn locations and safe descents.

Routes were enhanced with both pictorial and photographic diagrams. Other interesting features were photographed and added interest to the walk. Once at the top of you chosen route a full panorama was given from all compass points. Very useful if like me you’re useless at knowing where everything is. The guide did state that downloadable panoramas in pdf format were available from Marks website and I eventually found them in the Lakeland Fellranger section. They are a good resource and save you having to carry the guide with you.

The photography is clear and a great aid to planning your route. Are these new guides better than the Wainwrights…? Yes! I would definitely recommend these guides to someone new to The Lakes; they are much more modern, useful in their layout and will provide plenty of information to offer you a thorough exploration of every corner. I can see me collecting these and buying them for others as gifts.

I would have liked to have seen more use of GPS technology in the guide; A GPS is fast becoming an everyday item in the hill walkers pack. Detailed grid references of summits and confusing areas would be useful for both planning using digital mapping and mountain safety. I would also have liked to seen a tick list at the back with space for date of ascent and notes.

Will they knock the Wainwrights off their perch? I don’t know, they’re too engrained in the British psyche for that but The Lakeland Fellranger guides are definitely more modern and more useful as a guide. If it was a toss-up between to the two for me I’d go for the Lakeland Fellranger guides.

Author: Mark Richards.

RRP £12.95 – £14.95

Stockists: www.cicerone.co.uk



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK