[comPiler]

Tanaya Ra rock climbing shoe – Climbing Gear Review
30 November 2011, 3:12 pm





CGR review the good value performance velcro rock climbing shoe from Tenaya. Earlier in the year we reviewed the Tenaya Masia rock climbing shoe and the conclusion then was they were a great all round climbing shoe, that were comfortable, performed well and were a great price. Not a bad combination in todays economic climate.

I was sent a pair of the Tenaya Ra climbing shoes to review over the autumn season. The Ra is a velcro performance shoe and since Tenaya have signed up Ron Kauk to the design team the whole range has had a complete overhaul, for the better. Tenaya have been around for a while and were known for their cheaper, bottom end products. The new range of 6 models has been redesigned to take on all the big players in both performance and materials. The Tenaya Ra is the top of the model range, a high performance shoe.

Tanaya Ra - great on anything steep. The construction is similar to the Masai in that the main shoe material is microfiber with a TXT coated cotton lining. When I saw the microfibre material, red lights started blinking and klaxtons started sounding very loudly. For years I was a major fan of 5.10 Anastasi velcros – but the stench was truly horrifying. I could never keep them in the house and could barely tolerate them in the car. The Tenaya Ra shoe doesn’t smell yet, but I haven’t been using them in warm weather so I am still unsure as to what will happen. I’ll have to keep you updated through the comments section on this one, so keep an eye out. The good news is; if you’re a vegetarian, you can climb conscious free. My normal climbing shoe size in a 7½ but I got into a 6½ and found them surprisingly comfortable. They took about a month or so to become comfortable enough to wear for periods of time.

The toe and arch profile is aggressive and the performance very good, I found the toe profile performed in all climbing situations tested from Grit bouldering through to Lakes trad with some Limestone sport thrown in for good measure. The midsole is stiff which is just how I like it for Limestone sport and I really enjoyed using them in places like Horseshoe Quarry where footwork is essential. They weren’t as comfortable on slabby Grit routes as the toe profile was too aggressive and a softer shoe is preferable.

Tenaya Ra - good for hooking The toe area was reinforced with extra rubber, there was plenty of rubber over the toe area  and with the extra reinforcement this meant there was plenty of area for toe hooking and ‘scumming’ on marginal hooks. The rand continued around into the heel area. Talking of the heel area, I thought the arrangement was a little messy. I’ve been reviewing climbing shoes for some time now and have discovered that the heel area poses quite a technical challenge for manufacturers. The Tenaya Ra’s heel area felt a little bitty, several area were coming together in the same place and I thought these could be an area where the rand elements could start coming undone as the main rand, the heel tension and the heel came together in the same spot. The heel was also a two part construction and I thought the heel would begin to come apart after excessive heelhooking. That said, these are all my anxieties because it hasn’t done so yet and is showing no signs of doing so either.

UK RRP £90.00

Stockists www.tenaya.net



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Tenaya Ra rock climbing shoe – Climbing Gear Review
30 November 2011, 3:12 pm





CGR review the good value performance velcro rock climbing shoe from Tenaya. Earlier in the year we reviewed the Tenaya Masia rock climbing shoe and the conclusion then was they were a great all round climbing shoe, that were comfortable, performed well and were a great price. Not a bad combination in todays economic climate.

I was sent a pair of the Tenaya Ra climbing shoes to review over the autumn season. The Ra is a velcro performance shoe and since Tenaya have signed up Ron Kauk to the design team the whole range has had a complete overhaul, for the better. Tenaya have been around for a while and were known for their cheaper, bottom end products. The new range of 6 models has been redesigned to take on all the big players in both performance and materials. The Tenaya Ra is the top of the model range, a high performance shoe.

Tanaya Ra - great on anything steep. The construction is similar to the Masai in that the main shoe material is microfiber with a TXT coated cotton lining. When I saw the microfibre material, red lights started blinking and klaxtons started sounding very loudly. For years I was a major fan of 5.10 Anastasi velcros – but the stench was truly horrifying. I could never keep them in the house and could barely tolerate them in the car. The Tenaya Ra shoe doesn’t smell yet, but I haven’t been using them in warm weather so I am still unsure as to what will happen. I’ll have to keep you updated through the comments section on this one, so keep an eye out. The good news is; if you’re a vegetarian, you can climb conscious free. My normal climbing shoe size in a 7½ but I got into a 6½ and found them surprisingly comfortable. They took about a month or so to become comfortable enough to wear for periods of time.

The toe and arch profile is aggressive and the performance very good, I found the toe profile performed in all climbing situations tested from Grit bouldering through to Lakes trad with some Limestone sport thrown in for good measure. The midsole is stiff which is just how I like it for Limestone sport and I really enjoyed using them in places like Horseshoe Quarry where footwork is essential. They weren’t as comfortable on slabby Grit routes as the toe profile was too aggressive and a softer shoe is preferable.

Tenaya Ra - good for hooking The toe area was reinforced with extra rubber, there was plenty of rubber over the toe area  and with the extra reinforcement this meant there was plenty of area for toe hooking and ‘scumming’ on marginal hooks. The rand continued around into the heel area. Talking of the heel area, I thought the arrangement was a little messy. I’ve been reviewing climbing shoes for some time now and have discovered that the heel area poses quite a technical challenge for manufacturers. The Tenaya Ra’s heel area felt a little bitty, several area were coming together in the same place and I thought these could be an area where the rand elements could start coming undone as the main rand, the heel tension and the heel came together in the same spot. The heel was also a two part construction and I thought the heel would begin to come apart after excessive heelhooking. That said, these are all my anxieties because it hasn’t done so yet and is showing no signs of doing so either.

UK RRP £90.00

Stockists www.tenaya.net



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Smartwool HiFy Hoody – Climbing Gear Review
7 December 2011, 7:30 pm





Can Katie stay warm enough to crush her problems in The Frankenjura? Performance *****

Quality *****

Value for money ****

Earlier in the year we received some gear news from Smartwool about a new range of Merino products called HiFy, this hybrid fabric promises to be more hardwearing but retain all the excellent warmth and odour eliminating properties of pure merino, we gave Katie a womens hoody to test on her problem crushing visit to The Frankenjura in Germany… I had been given the SmartWool HiFy TML (thermal mid layer) mid full-zip hoody to test a week before my trip to the Frankenjura, and for this I was very grateful.

As much as I know cold weather equals good friction, my body knows cold weather means limbs like frozen logs.  So I was very happy to pack this in with the rest of my warm clothing.

SmartWool are a clothing company based in Colorado; dedicated to creating clothing kindly, sustainably and with a low carbon foot print to boot. They are in partnership with

the New Zealand Merino Company, who have developed Zque, the world’s first Merino wool accreditation program.

This program ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, safeguards animal welfare, and allows them to trace end products to their source.

Smatwool HiFy - toasty on those subzero days. Packed, ready to go and get shut down by some super hard problems, I made the 20ish hour trek by car and ferry and car again to the Frankenjura; the totally freezing Frankenjura I might add. Perfect testing conditions.

At least if I couldn’t make it up anything, I could still sit cozily in my Smartwool HiFy top. They do say their clothing works best when layered with another of their products, but then not everyone can afford to have three layers of merino wool loveliness. So I worked with what I had, and what I had worked well.

The hoody is a mid layer with a central front zip, which they say is made slightly off centre at the chin so it doesn’t chaff, I didn’t notice that too much, but I guess you don’t notice something when it isn’t annoying you.

It has engineered thumb holes, secure hand and chest pockets, and articulated elbows.  It’s made with 64% super fine merino wool and 36% nylon, this is to make the material a little more hardwearing that pure merino.  They say that they make the hoody a little longer to allow for potential (or in my case definite) shrinkage.  It got a little smaller when I washed it, but not by a large amount, it didn’t do the usual thing my clothes do, and turn into a hoody for 8/10yr olds (a good start).  So a wool garment that can be washed without worry.

The hoody I was given was a size small; I’m normally a size 6 up top and this hoody was about one size too  big for me. I looked on the website and a small is about an 8-10, so their sizing is pretty spot on.

They don’t make an XS in this product and I think I was probably pretty lucky to get a small to test! The sizes in this product range from S to XL. Bear in mind, different products do have a larger range of sizes.

There’s a chance it may have felt different if I had worn it as a single mid layer, but because of the sizing I put another hoody on underneath. It did get to -2^oC some days so two mid layers wasn’t such a crazy idea.

Smartwool HiFy - great for climbing in. I like a top with thumb holes, some people may never use them, but for me they’re great, it stopped the cold getting in when i had my gloves on over the top, and when I wasn’t wearing gloves, they made a nice little mid point to bare hands.  The hood is quite fitted, designed to fit under a helmet for skiing, cold weather routes, etc.  I used mine on the coldest days under my bobble hat and it sat rather nicely with no excess bulk.

Now not the most pleasant of topics, but I find when I wear a lot of layers when out climbing, they get a bit sweaty and don’t exactly smell great.  The Hoody excelled in this; if I could rave about anything, it’s that I could climb all day in it, or do a 20 hr car ride and it didn’t smell! The layers underneath did, but the hoody stayed odour free.  I wore it for two weeks and only washed it when I got home because, well it’s what you do, plus I just emptied my bag into the washer and washed everything together, including the hoody. No problems at all with a mixed 40^oC wash, I haven’t tried it at lower temperatures yet but I think it would wash OK.

So the Smart Wool fibres in the hoody are meant to keep a more regulated body temperature, this stops the smelliness, keeping you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold.

I think this may be the part where it would work best as a secondary layer to a SmartWool base layer.  As I was wearing it with a thermal, a t-shirt and a hoody it was pretty tough to tell if the technology was working in the way it is designed to do, but from a very basic level of the way I was wearing it, it kept me warm, it was light weight (a plus) and it was comfortable to wear when climbing.

Smartwool HiFy - stylish and functional From a style and fashion aspect, I really liked the shape and design of the hoody; even though it was a little big, it didn’t really look too big for me, it just looked like a different style to what it would if it were smaller.  It comes in a range of colours, claret, grape or black: all with contrasting zip colours.

I had a look on the SmartWool website to do a bit of ‘research’, yes research, the things I have to do!  It has some fantastic things on it, one of which was a hoody with an interesting design, I mention it because I think it’s one of the only things that could make the hoody better.  It had a ponytail hole in the back of the hood; Useful, very useful. I also found out how easy it was to get hold of SmartWool products in the UK.  Because it’s all good me telling you about a product, but if you can’t get it easily its a bit of a moot review.  You can’t buy anything on the site (thankfully for my bank balance) but it is stocked in several major retail stores as well as many smaller ones.  If you don’t have one near you, they do answer your emails pretty quickly and you can always order online.

If you were to buy the HiFy TML hoody you wouldn’t be disappointed, it looks and does what it says it does and feels really comfortable, no itchiness here.  The price is definitely at the top of the scale at around £150,but it is merino wool and they do seem like a company that take pride in their products. The massive plus for me is knowing that if I buy this product or any of their range, I know it’s history and that they’re doing their darnedest to make it as eco friendly as possible. Thumbs up guys: through the handy thumb hole!

UK RRP £130.00

Stockists:www.smartwool.com



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Smartwool HyFi Hoody – Climbing Gear Review
7 December 2011, 7:30 pm





Can Katie stay warm enough to crush her problems in The Frankenjura? Performance *****

Quality *****

Value for money ****

Earlier in the year we received some gear news from Smartwool about a new range of Merino products called HyFi, this hybrid fabric promises to be more hardwearing but retain all the excellent warmth and odour eliminating properties of pure merino, we gave Katie a womens hoody to test on her problem crushing visit to The Frankenjura in Germany… I had been given the SmartWool HyFi TML (thermal mid layer) mid full-zip hoody to test a week before my trip to the Frankenjura, and for this I was very grateful.

As much as I know cold weather equals good friction, my body knows cold weather means limbs like frozen logs.  So I was very happy to pack this in with the rest of my warm clothing.

SmartWool are a clothing company based in Colorado; dedicated to creating clothing kindly, sustainably and with a low carbon foot print to boot. They are in partnership with the New Zealand Merino Company, who have developed Zque, the world’s first Merino wool accreditation program.

This program ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, safeguards animal welfare, and allows them to trace end products to their source.

Smatwool HiFy - toasty on those subzero days. Packed, ready to go and get shut down by some super hard problems, I made the 20ish hour trek by car and ferry and car again to the Frankenjura; the totally freezing Frankenjura I might add. Perfect testing conditions.

At least if I couldn’t make it up anything, I could still sit cozily in my Smartwool HyFi top. They do say their clothing works best when layered with another of their products, but then not everyone can afford to have three layers of merino wool loveliness. So I worked with what I had, and what I had worked well.

The hoody is a mid layer with a central front zip, which they say is made slightly off centre at the chin so it doesn’t chaff, I didn’t notice that too much, but I guess you don’t notice something when it isn’t annoying you.

It has engineered thumb holes, secure hand and chest pockets, and articulated elbows.  It’s made with 64% super fine merino wool and 36% nylon, this is to make the material a little more hardwearing that pure merino.  They say that they make the hoody a little longer to allow for potential (or in my case definite) shrinkage.  It got a little smaller when I washed it, but not by a large amount, it didn’t do the usual thing my clothes do, and turn into a hoody for 8/10yr olds (a good start).  So a wool garment that can be washed without worry.

The hoody I was given was a size small; I’m normally a size 6 up top and this hoody was about one size too  big for me. I looked on the website and a small is about an 8-10, so their sizing is pretty spot on.

They don’t make an XS in this product and I think I was probably pretty lucky to get a small to test! The sizes in this product range from S to XL. Bear in mind, different products do have a larger range of sizes.

There’s a chance it may have felt different if I had worn it as a single mid layer, but because of the sizing I put another hoody on underneath. It did get to -2^oC some days so two mid layers wasn’t such a crazy idea.

Smartwool HyFi - great for climbing in. I like a top with thumb holes, some people may never use them, but for me they’re great, it stopped the cold getting in when i had my gloves on over the top, and when I wasn’t wearing gloves, they made a nice little mid point to bare hands.  The hood is quite fitted, designed to fit under a helmet for skiing, cold weather routes, etc.  I used mine on the coldest days under my bobble hat and it sat rather nicely with no excess bulk.

Now not the most pleasant of topics, but I find when I wear a lot of layers when out climbing, they get a bit sweaty and don’t exactly smell great.  The Hoody excelled in this; if I could rave about anything, it’s that I could climb all day in it, or do a 20 hr car ride and it didn’t smell! The layers underneath did, but the hoody stayed odour free.  I wore it for two weeks and only washed it when I got home because, well it’s what you do, plus I just emptied my bag into the washer and washed everything together, including the hoody. No problems at all with a mixed 40^oC wash, I haven’t tried it at lower temperatures yet but I think it would wash OK.

So the Smart Wool fibres in the hoody are meant to keep a more regulated body temperature, this stops the smelliness, keeping you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold.

I think this may be the part where it would work best as a secondary layer to a SmartWool base layer.  As I was wearing it with a thermal, a t-shirt and a hoody it was pretty tough to tell if the technology was working in the way it is designed to do, but from a very basic level of the way I was wearing it, it kept me warm, it was light weight (a plus) and it was comfortable to wear when climbing.

Smartwool HiFy - stylish and functional From a style and fashion aspect, I really liked the shape and design of the hoody; even though it was a little big, it didn’t really look too big for me, it just looked like a different style to what it would if it were smaller.  It comes in a range of colours, claret, grape or black: all with contrasting zip colours.

I had a look on the SmartWool website to do a bit of ‘research’, yes research, the things I have to do!  It has some fantastic things on it, one of which was a hoody with an interesting design, I mention it because I think it’s one of the only things that could make the hoody better.  It had a ponytail hole in the back of the hood; Useful, very useful. I also found out how easy it was to get hold of SmartWool products in the UK.  Because it’s all good me telling you about a product, but if you can’t get it easily its a bit of a moot review.  You can’t buy anything on the site (thankfully for my bank balance) but it is stocked in several major retail stores as well as many smaller ones.  If you don’t have one near you, they do answer your emails pretty quickly and you can always order online.

If you were to buy the HyFi TML hoody you wouldn’t be disappointed, it looks and does what it says it does and feels really comfortable, no itchiness here.  The price is definitely at the top of the scale at around £150,but it is merino wool and they do seem like a company that take pride in their products. The massive plus for me is knowing that if I buy this product or any of their range, I know it’s history and that they’re doing their darnedest to make it as eco friendly as possible. Thumbs up guys: through the handy thumb hole!

UK RRP £130.00

Stockists:www.smartwool.com



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Outdoor Photography,  Beyond the Point and Press – A CGR Book Review
18 December 2011, 1:13 pm



We gave our top amateur photographer Chris Wright the new Cicerone Outdoor Photography book. Did he pick any new tips to inspire him…? I have been taking photos for about the last 38 years but I would not set myself up to be any sort of an expert but I have has photos published and would like to thing I can take a decent Photo. I was asked to review a copy of Outdoor Photography People, Action and Places by Jon Sparks and Chiz Darkin by Climbing Gear Reviewers UK.

Chiz Dakin of (www.peakimages.co.uk)is an award winning freelance photograph specialising in outdoors photography and co-author of this book with Jon Sparks of (www.jon-sparks.co.uk) an award-winning photographer and writer based in Lancashire, UK. He has worked on five continents and specializes in landscape and outdoor pursuits.

 

Get up close and personal to your subject. The book is sets out to focus on the understanding rather than the techniques of photograph and that you are a passionate photograph that wants to improve and as the books says “don’t try to go from a VS climber to E6”. It is for people new to digital SLR photography in the outdoors but I also think it would also useful to people wishing to get more out of their SLR than point and shoot and to generally improve their photography. The book is based on an A5 format and is packed with information, tips and techniques along with high quality photographs from Chiz and Jon. This makes it a convenient size for the bookshelf/café table but also at a push you could take it into the outdoors to try out some of the tips and techniques contained within the book. Having said that I don’t think it would last too long if you did this too often.

All of the different outdoor sports and activities that the book sets out to cover are enhanced with good quality photographs many of which contain additional information on camera setting lens used ect… Also in each chapter throughout the book are light blue text boxes letting you in on what the photograph is thinking to achieve the best shot.

Rather than trying to do some think from every chapter in the book I decided to look at chapter 4 Wildlife and Nature simply because it’s accessible to everyone even if it’s only in your Local Park or Woodland. I used some of tips in this chapter and tried to reproduce some of the images from the chapter. So this is my attempt in reproducing the picture on page 92 in the book (a cluster of flowers) and page 95 (the Oystercatcher) but with a different subject matter.

Outdoor photography is more than just landscapes. I would like to have seen more information on what types/how to choose the right lenses to move your photograph forward. Plus maybe some information on selecting an external flash unit and flash photograph as these are the areas that someone new to DSLR would like to know as well. I also think that section on underwater photography while very interesting with some excellent photographs it’s a bit specialised for a book aimed at this market. Having said all that if you consider that most photography magazines cost between £4.00 and £5.00 for a monthly subscription and there might only be one article that is of any use to you. Then at £14.95 I think this book represents excellent value for money and you get a reference book for your bookshelf.

Authors: Chiz Dakin & Jon Sparks.

RRP £14.95

Stockists: www.cicerone.co.uk



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Beastmaker 1000 fingerboard – Climbing Gear Review
21 December 2011, 7:30 pm





Performance *****

Quality *****

Value *****

Can CGR reviewer Katie Mundy crush her problems using the Beastmaker 1000 series fingerboard…? Like many climbers who start to climb in the 7′s I’ve began to find specific moves really blum’n tricky.  As well as needing a lot more technique I’ve had to look at my finger and core strength and work out where my weaknesses lie – I have discovered there are many.  So on this note, I was excited, if not a little nervous to receive a Beastmaker 1000 series fingerboard (it’s a little intimidating to start with).

 In the past 2 years, Beastmaker has fast become one of the leading fingerboard makers; and what started in a small Sheffield cellar has rapidly spread across the globe to become a worldwide brand. It is one which stands for ‘dusty cellared home grown power’, with the ethos that anything is possible given the right tools for the job (and a bit of elbow grease).

Beastmaker-great for training finger strength.  The boards are made from Tulip wood, which is a good strong, malleable wood, and leaves a smooth finish for your pinkies to crank on.  Being wood it also absorbs the sweat from your hands.  Unlike many products which start in the UK, then meander off to faraway shores to be produced; Beastmaker still create theirs right here in sunny Blighty.

Now the reason I’ve never bought a finger board (apart from pure laziness) is that I never knew where to put one.  I don’t want some blue resin monstrosity on my beams or door frames, inside or out.  But being made of wood, the Beastmaker board fits in a little better, it’s a bit more like a piece of furniture.  Saying this, I still wasn’t allowed it inside, so off to the garage I went.  If you don’t want to attach it directly, you can get panels to put up behind the board, (not from the site though, which would be nice).



 With my board now proudly attached to a beam in the garage I began my training… 

Firstly I noted down how much weight I could take off on each of my fingers.  This was where I got my first surprise.  I realised that my index and middle fingers were literally taking all the weight when I climbed, my back two fingers may have well of been making a cup of tea elsewhere!  I told a few people about this and it seems a pretty common thing, given the setup of your hands.  But this is something I would never have worked out had I just carried on climbing away, constantly failing on the same moves.  Inspired to right this wrong I set up a weekly training schedule.

 To really see a difference it’s probably best to train 2-3 times a week but I didn’t really have that much time, so I stuck to once a week 1 1/2 hours a session.  I will add here that I miss read the training plan on my first session and ended up doing a gruelling 2 1/2 hour session! Not advised.

When you first use the board it’s a little slippery with it being wood, but get the chalk on it and have a couple of goes and it feels grand.  So much nicer than shredded fingers on a resin board (you know the feeling).  Being a 1000 series it has lovely big jugs on top for a good old warm up before starting; note this is not the case for the 2000 so make sure you get the right one when ordering.  The 1000 series is designed for people climbing between V3 and V9, improving finger and core strength in a graduated manner. I’ve found there’s a lot of scope for your improvement, with so many hold variations, I’ve been able to really concentrate on specific areas when it’s for a certain move I’m working on.

The 2000 series on the other hand has 45 degree slopers, monos and shallower finger holds, so it’s definitely a next level board, which again has so many variations on it.  Not ideal for warming up on, but if you’ve already got the 1000 you’ve covered all bases.

Back to training and apart from being in a freezing cold garage with my cat looking at me like I’m crazy, all is going well.  I’ve moved from doing drags in deep pockets to the much shallower ones and can put more weight on my two rubbish back fingers.  So after a few weeks I have been noticing the difference in my strength; now this isn’t ground breaking stuff; we all know if you train you get stronger. So what makes a Beastmaker board different from all the other ones out there?

Well, apart from the material they use, the main difference would be the time and research gone behind each and every hold position.  Nothing is there that shouldn’t be.  Unlike many boards which have holds just plonked on; the Beastmaker team say they have rigorously trial and errored many combinations to create the most effective training board; and seeing as it’s what they train on, it must be working! 

So, has the symmetry of the board helped at all?  Well yes, if anything it’s helped to show me my weaknesses, and I’m now super determined to even myself out.  The wood has been kind to my fingers and the board is slowly starting to blend in with the beam.  Even my Nana’s had a little go on it, so family friendly as well!  And at £75.00 I’d say pretty wallet friendly too.

Beastmaker already have a training plan on their website and it’s being updated shortly.  Just make sure you don’t misread it and have a 2 1/2 hour session on your first go!  

 For stockists or to buy online see: http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Dry Tooling at Leeds Wall – Blog
22 December 2011, 3:12 pm

CGR brave the warm sunny weather to crank the new dry tooling routes at The Leeds Wall. We were both short of time today as I had a family  and Kev needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping. A phone call later and the decision was made – we would follow the rumour mill and sniff out the alleged dry tooling routes at The Leeds Wall. We’ve both already been out this season, Kev has done The Jabberwock on Gable las  weekend and I’ve been on a more sedate Pinnacle Ridge (in full blizzard mind), so we didn’t feel too bad about catching a couple of hours indoors.

Kev cranking out the M5 corner I packed my BD Vipers, helmet, leashes and rock shoes and headed down. It was refreshing to be able to turn up whenever and just pay a normal wall fee to climb. There was a sheet to sign, but other than that no extra bureaucracy was enforced. I was given a set of safety glasses and two tennis balls to put over my adze and hammer, Kev having a set of BD Fusions didn’t need them.

We then went into the tower (completely away from the main climbing area) where the routes were set up. There were 10 routes of grades M3 through to M7, the routes are new so needed a little work on them – mostly some small screw on footholds to make the starts a little easier. But otherwise there was a great range of routes with plenty of high steps, hooks and a lot of delicate corners and steep yarding. The holds are plastic backed onto plywood squares, same colour holds for picks and feet.

A great variety of moves on all the routes. I immediately whacked myself in the chin with my adze as I didn’t want to look uncool with the tennis balls on the ends of my axes. Hey ho, I now look even more uncool with a cut chin for Christmas. I swapped to using Kev’s Fusions and that felt better.

Two hours later we were blasted and very happy, deciding that it was a great local venue for dry tooling and super addition to the Leeds facilities. The routes still need a little tweaking and there are plans to add more routes. The best route was definitely the blue M6, left of the door (looking out), some great back and footing lead to a roof and some big pull on small holds plonks you onto a desperately delicate move to a small hold that feels miles away. Well pumpy and well done Leeds Wall, a big thank you from Climbing Gear Reviews.

Kev tries out the new CGR prototype axe - pre order now! Merry Christmas to you all and be safe out there this winter.

Dave, Kev and the team.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! – Video, Adam Ondra Font 8c
25 December 2011, 11:27 am

Wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas from Kev, Dave and the CGR team

Enjoy this gift from us:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=34171412&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0 from BERNARTWOOD on Vimeo.

 

 



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Clif Nutrition Bars – Climbing Gear Review
30 December 2011, 8:25 am





Taste *****

Value for Money ***

Now any food that has a picture of a climber on the packet is going to get my vote. We bumped into the Clif Bar people at the Kendal Mountain Festival this year and they gave us a handful of bars to test. They included Natural Energy bars, Builder’s Protein Bars and Shot Bloks Electrolyte Chews.

The company have been popular in the States for a while now and I have begun to see them on sale in the UK, namely at The Depot in Leeds. They have green credentials priding themselves on using  wholesome and nutritious ingredients and having no trans fats, hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup. Every bar also donates 1% for The Planet. It should be said that due to UK regulations Clif Bar cannot state that the bars are organic or contain no transfats, you should read all the info from the sites and make your own mind up. They tasted wholesome and nutritious to me, and to be honest-that’s good enough!

Mint Choc Chip - what's there not to like? The US range is quite extensive and the Energy Bars alone have 19 flavours. Here in the UK there are 3 Energy Bar flavours (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin & Walnut and Crunchy Peanut Butter) and 3 Builder’s Bar flavours ( Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mint)

I only really use energy bars in high stress climbing situations like winter and alpine climbing, where I need to get energy in quickly; if the food is palatable then that’s a bonus. It also needs to fit in my pocket and not freeze up too much, be easy to open and stay in one piece so it doesn’t make a gooey mess in my pocket.

Clif Bars - fit in any pocket for food on the move. That’s a big ask, I’ve tried: Mars Bars, Snickers, homemade Muesli Bar, Wine Gums, Trail Mix, tubes of condensed milk, various cereal bars as well as specialist bars such as Powerbars and High 5 bars; all are satisfactory but not ideal. So did the Clif Bars have the edge?

Flavour wise we tried the Crunchy Peanut Butter and the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, these were absolutely scrummylicious! Moist and chewy with a real homemade flavour, I could have eaten the Peanut Butter flavour all day, non-stop! The Oatmeal Raisin Walnut flavour was like a chewy flapjack but with only 7.3% fat it didn’t taste greasy like flapjack can.

They all stayed intact in my pocket and I found I could devour a bar in 3 bites which gave me 189 calories. They also felt very filling and the only problem I really had with them was that wasn’t enough in a bar, at £1.30 per bar it can lead to an expensive habit.

Crunchy Peanut Butter - yummy. My favourite was undoubtedly the Mint Chocolate Builder’s bar, this tasted so good as to be virtually indistinguishable from a chocolate bar. These pack 20 grams of protein in every bar, 270 calories and 8% fat plus a whole host of added vitamins and minerals in the 68 grams; just what you need on a day out.

These were also more filling than the energy bars but drier in consistency.

We also tried the Chocolate flavour which was very yummy indeed

So…fantastically yummy and delicious bars that are very palatable, easy to eat on the move and are packed full of nutrition. On the down side I feel that the energy bars need to be slightly bigger to make them better value.

Do keep an eye out for Kev’s review of the energy drinks, gels and food for high intensity sports.

RRP £1.30

For stockists see : www.clifbar.co.uk



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Metolius Woodgrips Compact Fingerboard – Climbing Gear Review
11 January 2012, 7:35 pm



GCR put the Metolius Woodgrips Fingerboard through it’s paces… Quality ****

Performance***

Value for Money ***

Earlier in the training season we published Katie’s review of the Beastmaker 1000 fingerboard. At the same time I received another wooden fingerboard from US manufacturers Metolius - The Compact Fingerboard. This is a compact version of the Deluxe.

I’ve been a fan of wooden holds for many years now, I can remember training with the legendary Paul Craven (training meister extraordinaire!) in 1986 on wooden holds screwed to his attic beam (we shared a house in Leeds just don’t tell the landlord). The benefits of wood are: it has great friction – even with sweaty holds; it’s cheap, environmentally friendly (if sourced responsibly) and most importantly it’s very skin friendly – allowing training to happen even with shredded skin.

Wood is great when your skin is sore The Compact Board certainly looks nice and fitted in well with the décor of my house, Katie decided to mount hers in the garage I mounted mine above the bedroom door – this was more important than you think. I had fought for many years (since the removal of my whole climbing garage to make extra garden space) for some extra training, wood was the marital compromise. The quality of the board was very good, it looked nice and felt very skin friendly. The wood is sustainably sourced Alder, Metolius stated that the criteria for wood selection came down to: suitability for climbing, availability, sustainability, and affordability. The board was not machined from a single solid block but from a block laminated using smaller sections. Very similar to a modern table you might buy from Ikea. The wood is very dark and had an excellent grain for friction.

It was very simple and straight forward to mount, it came with eight deep and aggressive screws and pre drilled holes to place them in. I was mounting to brick so had to find some wall plugs and within 20 minutes I had the board installed and ready to use. There is a video tutorial to help with installation on the Metolius website. It really wasn’t difficult at all, you would need to remember is that you are going to hang your entire weight off it so be careful what you attach it too.

Mounted above the door, it fitted in well with the decor So, how was the board for training on? I am a great fan of fingerboards and have used a homemade wooden one for several years now. The most useful thing about having a fingerboard is the convenience, I can always find 10 or 20 minutes to hang around on the fingerboard, no matter how rubbish I’m feeling. It’s at its most useful after a run, and a great session will include some light stretching, a 40 minute run and up to 20 minutes on the finger board.

There was a good variety of holds, mostly in pocket format. There were two really comfortable jugs and a large sloper on the top. The CNC machining left each hold rounded and smooth to hang off, I didn’t get any skin pinching that can often come with artificial climbing holds. Together with the tight grained wood it felt for a very comfortable training experience.

So, put all these things together. The pleasant aesthetic, the beautiful feel and the comfort I feel that wood is the way forward. You do pay for that, up to £10.00 more than a Metolius Project Board (a similar size) but I feel it’s worth the extra cost. A nice fingerboard that I can see me using for many, many years to come. The only feature I would change is to make the sloper more of a slight 5^o angle as it was flat on the top of it and I found I could hang on for more time than I wanted to.

Finally, I used the board in conjunction with the Metolius 10 minute sequence guides. I have been using these for about 4 years now and found them great as I like the motivational factor of them being 10 minutes – I can always find 10 minutes to train, however busy I am!

SRP £85.00

For stockist vist: www.beyondhope.co.uk



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie – Climbing Gear Review
3 February 2012, 12:07 pm



The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoody Is the The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie up to a north face…? Performance ****

Quality ****

Value for money ****

RRP £160.00

The North Face say: “a lightweight insulated hooded wind shell that offers versatility

in a range of climatic conditions. The North Face Men’s Super Zephyrus Hoodie

is a hooded insulated jacket that can be worn on its own or as a mid layer when

conditions turn ferocious.”

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie below the Eiger North Face I have spent the majority of the last few summer and winter seasons in a clothing

system so packed with colour that it could be likened to a lump of coal, and in

some cases so dated,  that it could well have been a lump of coal. A summer trip

to the Alps with a pack heavily laden with said clothing prompted me to rethink my

wardrobe in order that I might (a) save some weight and (b) maybe one day be more than a

climber masquerading as a shadow in photos.

The Super Zephyrus Hoodie is a Primaloft insulated, hooded windshell. It has Power

Stretch side panels, hood and hem for a snug, comfortable fit. It has two alpine

zipped pockets and an internal chest pocket, all of which are alpine pack and harness

friendly. Oh, and the one I got is lime green.

In the last couple of months, I have worn the Super Zephyrus Hoodie almost non stop.

It’s been worn to the pub, at work, at the crag, skydiving, and for both alpine days and

nights. It’s super comfortable and feels almost criminal to take it off.

When using it in anger, I tend to wear a thick base layer underneath and that is all.

Wearing much more causes overheating whilst I am moving, it really is that warm.

For really cold days, another mid-layer could easily be worn underneath. It has a full

length zip which when fully done up, excludes drafts at the neck and can help regulate

temperature whilst on the move. When stopping at belays, or for a drink, it is easy to

throw a belay jacket over the top and stay warm. The Power Stretch hems with thumb

loops help to prevent any riding up of the sleeves when under a jacket, or whilst

wearing gloves. The Power Stretch panel in the hood helps to give it a more fitted feel

and it is very comfortable (and warm) when worn under a helmet.

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie - the fitted hood was snug, stretchy and comfortable worn under a helmet. Now for the science part so concentrate! The Super Zephyrus Hoodie is insulated with

40g PrimaLoft One and is covered by windproof, ripstop nylon and PowerStretch

where each is most effective. This all combines to make a lightweight (weighing in at

around 740g), warm, windproof mid layer offering light water repellence.

I used a size medium which offered a range of movement beyond my expectations,

especially whilst wearing a harness. When swinging axes above my head and using

my hands to climb mixed pitches, I was not impeded by the cut of the jacket.

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie - thumb loops provide hand and wrist warmth and prevent any riding up of the sleeves when climbing. The one downside that I found to this jacket is the durability of the materials used in

certain areas. At the end of one day I found that I had a 6 inch tear in the ripstop nylon

of one elbow and a tear in the Power Stretch of the other elbow. Fortunately due to the

nature of the insulation, I wasn’t leaking feathers everywhere and the jacket remained

warm. Because the jacket is so good at keeping you warm whilst moving, I was lured

into wearing it as an outer layer when it perhaps isn’t hardwearing enough for use

on ‘traditional’ mixed pitches.

In Conclusion

This is the best mid/ lightweight outer layer I have used. It is rapidly

becoming a staple jacket for all occasions. It is super comfortable has really good

warmth to weight ratio and looks great. The drab wardrobe need never be opened

again.

• Find out more about this product and buy it on The North Face website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

SCARPA Phantom 6000 – Climbing Gear Review
7 February 2012, 2:59 pm



Dave Searle reviews some modern winter boots, the Phantom 6000 from SCARPA… Performance ****

Quality *****

Value for money ****

RRP £529.99

I have been using my Scarpa 6000 now for about a year and on the most part I have been really impressed with them.

General Design and Features

When I was first in the market for a pair of winter boots (and this was my first pair) I was strongly recommended by lots of people to go for the La Sportiva Spantik.  I tried them both on in the shop for hours, in different sizes and came to the conclusion that the 6000 fit me slightly better. This was perhaps the main reason I went for them in the end however I also prefered the design of the 6000 too.  They seemed to be more nimble and precise and I prefer having a gaitered boot any day of the week as it keeps them drier when your wading through snow and it means that the laces aren’t subject to any wear.  The sole unit is thinner than on the Spantik which sacrifices warmth but gains precision.

Dave Searle climbing in the SCARPA Phantom 6000   Fit

I had a slight problem with heel lift after using them maybe three of four times.  I didn’t have this problem in the shop and it was strange that it developed over time. I have rectified that now with sticky back foam stuck to the liners around my heel and a heel raiser to lock my heel into the back of the boot.  I would have probably had this problem in any boot as I do have particularly narrow heels. Now they fit like a dream. If your set on these boots then it is worth remembering that if you have a low volume foot like mine then they can be made to fit.

Lacing

To start with I was a fan of the lacing system, it seemed easy to tighten up and easy to use with big gloves but I pretty soon realized that the locking cleat eventually works itself loose after a few hours of climbing or walking.  I originally combated this problem by tying a normal shoe knot over the top of the cleat but now I have taken it off completely and I just use a reef knot to fasten them.  I never feel the need to adjust the laces when I’m climbing so now when I’m tying them in the hut or at the bivi I use a knot that won’t come lose and this seems to be the best option for me. I think the lacing system could do with a rethink in my opinion as I have had other friends who have had similar problems with it.  Perhaps a beefier cleat or thicker, less slick laces which are easier tie?

Warmth

I have been really impressed with the warmth of these boots as well.  I thought that they weren’t going to be as warm as a Spantik but I have since realised it depends entirely on your circulation and the fit as to whether or not you’ll feel the cold.  I have sat two nights out in them without a sleeping bag and I didn’t have any major  issues.  The first and worst of the two was on the Colton/Macintyre on the Grandes Jorrasses.  Me and my two buddies got benighted at about 4300m with only a two man man bothy shelter and half a karimat to share.  It was November here in Cham and the ambient temperature was close to -15C and felt much more with windchill.  Jim and Gav both had Spantiks and I was in my 6000ers and I was really worried about my feet but the only option was to sit and suffer…. which we did…. for 8 hours.  The night passed slowly and I emerged with very minor nerve damage to my big toe (phew).  Jim had the same and Gav was fine.  I don’t think the 6000ers are as warm as the Spantiks but if you have good circulation then these should be fine for what they are recommend for (winter alpinism and greater range climbing up to 6000m).  I think my circulation is average and for most of the climbing I have done with them (alpine north faces in autumn and spring) they have been spot on.  Light and dexterous enough for mixed climbing, warm enough for the kind of temperatures you encounter out here and stiff enough to plough up a 1000m of ice without your calves exploding out the back of your trousers.

SCARPA Phantom 6000 – perfect for technical mixed ground   Wear

They haven’t shown much sign of wear yet. I had a small nick in the orange fabric after their first days use scrambling over sharp granite boulders on my way up to the Carrington/Rouse on the north face of the Pelerins.  I though that was going to set the tone for how they were going to fair but that is the only damage they have sustained in the year I have had them which I think is pretty impressive as I have done some long approaches on sharp granite moraine, mixed climbed in Scotland and they have been up six 1000m+ north face routes as well as a load of shorter mixed routes.

Crampon Compatabilty

One issue that I encountered with these boots was getting my crampons to fit.  When I first got these boots I had a pair of plastic bailed Grivel G14 (older version).  I strapped them on and started off up without really paying a huge amount of attention to how they fit.  I felt pretty insecure on the first route and it was only on closed inspection when I looked at the set up that I realised the front points were only forward about 5mm or so from the front of the boot as supposed to 25-35mm as I would normally expect.  I worked out that it was because the sole unit is really narrow at the front and it doesn’t hold the crampon far enough forward.  So back to the shop I went for a new pair of crampons. It was a hungry month after that!  So be warned check your crampons on them first.

In an ideal world I would change two things about these boot.

1.    I would make them tighter around the heel to combat heel lift. It might just be that I have really skinny heels but some other guys I know who have them would say the same thing.

2.    I would change the lacing system to something more reliable.  Its pretty frustrating having your boots come undone on you when your ankle deep in snow, trying to hop about getting them done up again.

All in all they are really great boot, and have definitely become very popular out here in Chamonix and for good reason.  After all Ueli Steck was the main man behind the design of these boots and he knows what to look for in a good boot!  I’d change a few things like I’ve said but I’m really happy with them and if I was on market for a pair of winter boots again I’d make the same choice.

• Find out more and where you can buy these on the SCARPA website.

About Dave Searle

Dave Searle is a keen Alpinist and skier based in Chamonix in the French Alps. He runs an excellent and informative website www.chamonixtopo.com and blogs about his adventures here. He describes himself as:

“a 24 year old Climber and Skier based in the mountain mecca of Chamonix Mont Blanc.   I have been climbing for about 7 years now working my way up from scratch to climb some of the biggest faces in the Alps including the North face of the Eiger and the Grandes Jorasses.  I enjoy all aspects of climbing and skiing, but for me the best days are fast and light ascents of long routes on big mountains.  I am a keen skier and I love blasting about the mountains of Chamonix Skiing the steeps, couloirs and awesome faces it has to offer.   I also really enjoy UK Trad climbing and Scottish winter climbing and I quite often miss these types of climbing when I am in Chamonix.  

I hope to branch out into different mountain regions in the near future.  I have many ideas and dreams of adventures to be had all over the world and I am looking forward to getting out and making them happen.

I currently work as a driver for an airport transfer service (Mountain DropOffs) out in Chamonix because it gives me plenty of time to go skiing and climbing whilst also giving me a chance to rest between stints in the mountains.”



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

NEW WEBSITE – www.climbinggearreviews.com
25 February 2012, 9:12 am

We have a new website which has just gone live.

View it at www.climbinggearreviews.com

All future reviews will be published there.

Content on www.climbinggearreviewsuk.com will remain live until we transfer it over to the new site in the coming months.

A big thanks to all our readers and suppliers for your continued support and interest. We hope the new site provides a more straight forward and user friendly experience. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated either by the site’s comments system, our facebook page or twitter.

All the best

Kev and Dave



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Arc’teryx No-Zone 35 Climbing Pack- Climbing Gear Review
23 September 2012, 6:12 am



Has GCR found the perfect climbing pack with the Arc’teryx No-Zone 35? Performance ****

Style***

Value for money ***

Those who have been reading my reviews for while now have been following my quest for the perfect climbing pack. It’s been going on for some time now and I’ve written about and reviewed plenty of packs that although good don’t quite make it to the mark. So how did the new climbing specific offering from premier brand Arc’teryx live up to testing?

Arc’teryx describe it as a: A smaller-volume, robust yet highly comfortable backpack designed for alpine expeditions. The range come in three volumes, 35l, 55l and a whopping 75l and three sizes S, M and L so plenty of range to find one for your requirements. The official stats had it down as 0.95kg and the trusty GGR kitchen scales weighed it in at 1kg, so good enough. Stripped down it weighed 900g, so pretty darned light.

I would describe it as: An excellent all round climbing pack that will suit the majority of your climbing needs. I tested the No-Zone 35l sized M.

Let’s look at the specifics first- the pack is top loading and anotomically designed with a narrow, tapered profile. This proved great for climbing with a helmet on, especially with the lid tucked into the main body. This was one of the best packs I have used for climbing with. It had a very low profile and offered an unrestricted view. The pack rode high when climbing and I had plenty of access to my harness. It wasn’t hydration compatible but this didn’t bother me as I don’t use hoses, if you do it’s about time you stopped anyway! Stop, take a nice drink and soak in the view, refill even from a beautifully cold mountain stream and drink some more.

It was very comfortable to carry, even loaded up. The straps were anatomically designed and fitted my shoulder width very well without chaffing. The straps were thin, so much so that I thought at first they were made using warp technology. But they did have some padding and were comfortable. The sternum strap was adjustable and very stable, alas it didn’t have a strap to fit a watch on or any other way of clipping a GPS on either.

The stays were very comfortable and easy to remove. The pack was stabalized with two extruded aluminium stays, they were easily removed and they had a great, low profile. This has been the only pack I tested where I have kept the stays in. They didn’t impede with climbing performance at all and were labelled to avoid confusion when being replaced. Top marks here. The back also had a non removable, high density plastazote support. This posed a problem for Kev’s mate Gary from Big Red Climbing.  He used the pack extensively in The Alps this summer and complained of the sharp corners creating sores on his lower back. So you will need to look out for this and try the pack under full load to see if it fits your lower back shape, I must say I haven’t experienced the problem.

Comfortable for climbing.

On the Cordier Pillar The sternum straps were stitched in such a way as to make watch attachment a no no. I’ve wittered on about this for a while now- but I feel that in any mountain situation, especially in winter, access to the time/altitude is quite important. A small point but the pack let me down on this. The waist belt was easy to remove but more difficult to get back on the field, especially with gloves on. I would have preferred a method of tucking the belt away for climbing instead.

The construction was very robust, which was amazing as it just felt so light. The materials were totally bombproof and there was double reinforcement in all the high wear areas such as the base, ice axe holders and the front (where crampons can be lashed). The rest was made of a lighter weight fabric which still felt robust. I’ve treated the pack quite badly and its showing no signs of damage at all. There was plenty of bar tacking in all the high stress areas that were neatly hidden away inside the pack. The pack was showerproof, except the lid (more later) and it kept kit dry enough.

A wand pocket, enough to stuff a hat and gloves. When I received the pack I let out a whoop of joy – wand pockets! Only to find that there was only one, and small it was too. The website photos show the wand pocket with a snow probe in it, OK you may need it for that occasionally but I couldn’t get two hiking poles in it – a much more frequent use. I could get my clip stick in comfortably and easily stash wrappers, light gloves, buff, hat or an ultralight windproof.

The compression straps worked easily and were made of 12mm webbing. Both of them had clip buckle fastening, which was handy for stashing stuff onto the side that I needed quickly. You could also stash tent outers, sleeping mats, etc if you were loading it up. The top strap incorporated the ice axe holder, so instead of putting the axe through a loop and attaching it though an elasticated loop. You push the shaft of the axe through the loop in the compression strap, place the pick in the sleeve at the bottom. Clip the bottom compression strap and tighten both compression straps and you’re good to go – the whole system relies on you remembering to tighten up the compression straps. If you don’t you’re in real danger of losing your axe.

The whole system works beautifully with a classic Piolet, and it worked fine with my BD Vipers. But anything that has funky triggers and palm rests or radical curves it may be a little faffy.

The lid was easily detachable with just a couple of clip buckles. It floated and was connected to the main body with two 10mm webbing straps. These were very slippery and I found that if I forgot to keep the lid in place using the stainless steel hook in the middle of the lid it quickly became floppy and loose. When I had the pack loaded enough to need the float it again became loose. I am assuming this will only be annoying until the straps wear enough to develop some friction. But it’s annoying enough for now. The closure was on top of the pack, I can see this being a good idea for easy access, but the zip did leak water when it rained. The key fob was situated in the front and I felt could have been a little larger, I could only just get my whistle, tat knife and car keys on it and getting keys off was faffy at the end of a long day out. The lid was well shape though and had great volume. You easily get two pairs of gloves, two hats, wallet, phone etc. Load it up as much as you like it could take it.

The ultimate Alpine pack? The pack closed with a neat one handed system that had over sized, webbed grabs, very glove friendly. The closures were curiously offset to the right and worked really well for me – but I’m right handed. I was climbing a big multipitch route with a mate who is left handed and he found it a nightmare, especially when the pack was clipped into the belay. I couldn’t see any real advantage to having the closure that way. All the packs I’ve used and tested had closures in the middle and have worked perfectly well, the oversized pull tabs were great though, a great feature. The 6mm micro daisy chains were bar tacked onto the main body in a tapered configuration. The pack came with enough shockcord to thread through and this together with the reinforcement in the body provided a secure crampon attachment. The chains were plenty big enough to clip carabiners into.

Easily packs a full day of winter kit. So, a great lightweight pack that would be suitable for all your mountain adventures from sport climbing to Alpine Expeditions. Is it the perfect pack? I’m afraid the answer is no, there were several minor niggles and we don’t buy Arc’teryx for minor niggles we buy it for perfection. Still it’s a beautiful pack and extremely comfortable, you can load it to the max and will easily swallow up all your kit. It weighs next to nothing and for climbing in it’s a dream, certainly a condender for the best Alpine and winter pack on market at the moment.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Arc’teryx Nozone 35- Climbing Gear Review
23 September 2012, 6:12 am



Has CGR found the perfect climbing pack with the Arc’teryx No-Zone 35? Performance ****

Style***

Value for money ***

Those who have been reading my reviews for while now have been following my quest for the perfect climbing pack. It’s been going on for some time now and I’ve written about and reviewed plenty of packs that although good don’t quite make it to the mark. So how did the new climbing specific offering from premier brand Arc’teryx live up to testing?

Arc’teryx describe it as a: A smaller-volume, robust yet highly comfortable backpack designed for alpine expeditions. The range come in three volumes, 35l, 55l and a whopping 75l and three sizes S, M and L so plenty of range to find one for your requirements. The official stats had it down as 0.95kg and the trusty CGR kitchen scales weighed it in at 1kg, so good enough. Stripped down it weighed 900g, so pretty darned light.

I would describe it as: An excellent all round climbing pack that will suit the majority of your climbing needs. I tested the No-Zone 35l sized M.

Let’s look at the specifics first- the pack is top loading and anotomically designed with a narrow, tapered profile. This proved great for climbing with a helmet on, especially with the lid tucked into the main body. This was one of the best packs I have used for climbing with. It had a very low profile and offered an unrestricted view. The pack rode high when climbing and I had plenty of access to my harness. It wasn’t hydration compatible but this didn’t bother me as I don’t use hoses, if you do it’s about time you stopped anyway! Stop, take a nice drink and soak in the view, refill even from a beautifully cold mountain stream and drink some more.

It was very comfortable to carry, even loaded up. The straps were anatomically designed and fitted my shoulder width very well without chaffing. The straps were thin, so much so that I thought at first they were made using warp technology. But they did have some padding and were comfortable. The sternum strap was adjustable and very stable, alas it didn’t have a strap to fit a watch on or any other way of clipping a GPS on either.

The stays were very comfortable and easy to remove. The pack was stabalized with two extruded aluminium stays, they were easily removed and they had a great, low profile. This has been the only pack I tested where I have kept the stays in. They didn’t impede with climbing performance at all and were labelled to avoid confusion when being replaced. Top marks here. The back also had a non removable, high density plastazote support. This posed a problem for Kev’s mate Gary from Big Red Climbing.  He used the pack extensively in The Alps this summer and complained of the sharp corners creating sores on his lower back. So you will need to look out for this and try the pack under full load to see if it fits your lower back shape, I must say I haven’t experienced the problem.

Comfortable for climbing.

On the Cordier Pillar The sternum straps were stitched in such a way as to make watch attachment a no no. I’ve wittered on about this for a while now- but I feel that in any mountain situation, especially in winter, access to the time/altitude is quite important. A small point but the pack let me down on this. The waist belt was easy to remove but more difficult to get back on the field, especially with gloves on. I would have preferred a method of tucking the belt away for climbing instead.

The construction was very robust, which was amazing as it just felt so light. The materials were totally bombproof and there was double reinforcement in all the high wear areas such as the base, ice axe holders and the front (where crampons can be lashed). The rest was made of a lighter weight fabric which still felt robust. I’ve treated the pack quite badly and its showing no signs of damage at all. There was plenty of bar tacking in all the high stress areas that were neatly hidden away inside the pack. The pack was showerproof, except the lid (more later) and it kept kit dry enough.

A wand pocket, enough to stuff a hat and gloves. When I received the pack I let out a whoop of joy – wand pockets! Only to find that there was only one, and small it was too. The website photos show the wand pocket with a snow probe in it, OK you may need it for that occasionally but I couldn’t get two hiking poles in it – a much more frequent use. I could get my clip stick in comfortably and easily stash wrappers, light gloves, buff, hat or an ultralight windproof.

The compression straps worked easily and were made of 12mm webbing. Both of them had clip buckle fastening, which was handy for stashing stuff onto the side that I needed quickly. You could also stash tent outers, sleeping mats, etc if you were loading it up. The top strap incorporated the ice axe holder, so instead of putting the axe through a loop and attaching it though an elasticated loop. You push the shaft of the axe through the loop in the compression strap, place the pick in the sleeve at the bottom. Clip the bottom compression strap and tighten both compression straps and you’re good to go – the whole system relies on you remembering to tighten up the compression straps. If you don’t you’re in real danger of losing your axe.

The whole system works beautifully with a classic Piolet, and it worked fine with my BD Vipers. But anything that has funky triggers and palm rests or radical curves it may be a little faffy.

The lid was easily detachable with just a couple of clip buckles. It floated and was connected to the main body with two 10mm webbing straps. These were very slippery and I found that if I forgot to keep the lid in place using the stainless steel hook in the middle of the lid it quickly became floppy and loose. When I had the pack loaded enough to need the float it again became loose. I am assuming this will only be annoying until the straps wear enough to develop some friction. But it’s annoying enough for now. The closure was on top of the pack, I can see this being a good idea for easy access, but the zip did leak water when it rained. The key fob was situated in the front and I felt could have been a little larger, I could only just get my whistle, tat knife and car keys on it and getting keys off was faffy at the end of a long day out. The lid was well shape though and had great volume. You easily get two pairs of gloves, two hats, wallet, phone etc. Load it up as much as you like it could take it.

The ultimate Alpine pack? The pack closed with a neat one handed system that had over sized, webbed grabs, very glove friendly. The closures were curiously offset to the right and worked really well for me – but I’m right handed. I was climbing a big multipitch route with a mate who is left handed and he found it a nightmare, especially when the pack was clipped into the belay. I couldn’t see any real advantage to having the closure that way. All the packs I’ve used and tested had closures in the middle and have worked perfectly well, the oversized pull tabs were great though, a great feature. The 6mm micro daisy chains were bar tacked onto the main body in a tapered configuration. The pack came with enough shockcord to thread through and this together with the reinforcement in the body provided a secure crampon attachment. The chains were plenty big enough to clip carabiners into.

Easily packs a full day of winter kit. So, a great lightweight pack that would be suitable for all your mountain adventures from sport climbing to Alpine Expeditions. Is it the perfect pack? I’m afraid the answer is no, there were several minor niggles and we don’t buy Arc’teryx for minor niggles we buy it for perfection. Still it’s a beautiful pack and extremely comfortable, you can load it to the max and will easily swallow up all your kit. It weighs next to nothing and for climbing in it’s a dream, certainly a contender for the best Alpine and winter pack on market at the moment.



Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Kendal Mountain Festival, 15th to 18th November 2012 – Climbing Gear Reviews Preview
23 October 2012, 2:52 pm

It’s almost that time again, Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 will soon be upon us! So what feast of climbing and outdoor fun does this year’s spectacle have in store? Variety appears to be the answer…

The ‘nearly final’ line-up for this November’s Kendal Mountain Festival has been revealed and it seems there’s more variety than ever this year.

Adding to speakers already announced – Fred Beckey, Ines Papert, Liv Sansoz, Paul Rose, Robert Jasper, Leo Houlding, Tom Randall, Pete Whittaker etc – there’s a big new list of people to get excited about. “Looks like we did it again” says Festival director Clive Allen, “We meant to scale back the live programme this year but it seems we just can’t help ourselves.”

Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 Speaker – Ines Papert, Climbing ‘Super Cirill 8a/8a+’ in Parete di Sonlerto, Val Bavone, Tessin, Switzerland. There’s the UK’s favourite ex-miner, alpinist and author Andy Cave bringing us up to date on his latest projects, including a short film from top filmmaker Alastair Lee. The UK’s most enthusiastic climber and adventurer Tim Emmett is fresh back from a climb/BASE expedition to Trango Tower and brings us the story, with contributions from Liv Sansoz who joined him on the trip. Another of Tim’s partners in adventure, ace Canadian alpinist Will Gadd, talks about his ‘Survival Strategies for High-Risk situations’ although Tim may butt in when Will gets onto their joint ascent of Helmcken Falls, billed the hardest ice route in the world.

Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 Speaker – Will Gadd, Canadian ice and mixed climbing legend. Now we know that outdoor adventurer Karen Darke won a superb Silver in the Paralympics handcycling, a brilliant achievement, you can look forward to Karen talking about the whole Olympic experience – plus of course her amazing climbing, skiing and cycling achievements.

Mountain guide and ski-mountaineer Jim Blyth has skied every continent – as he says, “If an area is safe and has mountains and snow, it needs to be skied!” Jim talks about putting turns in where few others do, from Mongolia to Chile, Lebanon to Argentina, Iceland to Japan.

And now for something completely different. Ed Byrne, the Irish comedian (Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You etc) is big hillwalker and general outdoor enthusiast and was keen to come to Kendal on the proviso that they found him a sensible, level-headed person to share the stage with. So they’ve teamed him up with Andy Kirkpatrick. What could possibly go wrong?

Finally for now, news that many Festival–goers will applaud is that camping will be available for the first time for both tents and camper vans – more details on the Festival website.

• See the full line-up and buy tickets here

And it doesn’t end there…

Kendal’s Specialist Sessions focus on specific outdoor sports, bringing the best speakers and films together. This year’s Santa Cruz Bike Session stars mountain biker Steve Peat: nine times British Downhill Champion, Double European Champion, 17 World Cup wins and 52 World Cup podiums… so far. Legend.

Coming across especially from Whistler for the Snowsports Session, the ‘Godfather of free skiing’ Mike Douglas is one of the most influential people on snow. Douglas spent the first part of his career skiing moguls on the World Cup circuit before turning to the backcountry, big mountains, and now filmmaking – his much-anticipated new film Tempting Fear will see its European premiere at Kendal.

The KEEN Wild Water Session is back! An exclusive mix of the best paddlesports action, from wild river running to remote sea kayak expeditions, this year featuring top new films plus one of Ireland’s top paddlers, Adrian Durrant.

The Adidas Endurance Session promises two big draws; first, Kath Jackson and two Kendal Mountain Rescue colleagues will set out during the Session to attempt a circumnavigation of the team’s area boundary in under 24 hours, biking, running and kayaking the 175km – progress will be live tracked during the Festival. And second? Well adidas remains tight-lipped about the athlete(s) they will bring along but watch this space…

Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 – The Brownlee brothers will be speaking at the Adidas Terrex Endurance Sessions Finally the Free Flight Session features everything new and best in the world of paragliding and BASE, hosted as ever by top Lakes flier Jocky Sanderson.

Together with over 70 films in competition, art, literature, the legendary Rab Party, the Mountain Equipment Pub Quiz plus the Boardman Tasker literary prize, it promises to be another unmissable year!

• Dates are 15-18 November with tickets available now
• Visit the Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 Website
• Follow Kendal Mountain Festival 2012 on Twitter @kendalmountain and visit the Facebook Page

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Wenger Ueli Steck Special Edition Knife – Climbing Gear Review
23 October 2012, 4:12 pm

Will the Wenger Ueli Steck Special Edition Knife turn you into a “Swiss Machine”? Well maybe not, but it certainly has some useful features to help climbers, mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts when out on the hill… Performance ****

Style*****

Value for money ***

The Wenger Ueli Steck Titanium Swiss Army Knife box set In the climbing world, Ueli Steck needs no introduction. The man known to many as “The Swiss Machine” is a legend. Speed solo ascents of the North Faces of the Eiger, Matterhorn and Grand Jorasses names just a few of his awe inspiring accomplishments. If the Swiss nation is already famous for it’s precision and efficiency, then Ueli has wholeheartedly embraced both within his climbing.

So,the Wenger Ueli Steck Special Edition Titanium Knife is all the quality you’d expect of a Swiss instrument. Well finished, well packaged and well thought out. Light (100g) and strong. The locking blade is ferociously sharp and just as at home slicing through abseil tat as it is through a block of Emmental cheese. Fitted into the locking 65mm partially serrated blade (50% thicker than standard blades) are 7mm, 10mm and 13mm hexagonal spanners. None of these actually fit my ice tools or crampons though so I must admit I have not used them a great deal. The blade also features a 14mm large flat screwdriver complete with safety lock and into the body slots a 1/4 inch bit adapter which comes supplied with Flat head screwdriver bit (0.6mm x 4.5mm, 50mm) and Philips head screwdriver bit (#3, 50mm), both of which I’ve found to be indispensable for tinkering jobs both on and off the hill.

Other than the blade itself, the features I’ve found most useful are the file which is great for sharpening axes and crampons on route or at a bivi, and the bottle and tin opener! The former being crucial for getting the top of those celebratory post-route bottles of Leffe!

Ueli Steck using the Wenger Special Edition Knife Other features include a wire stripper and bender, key ring attachment which I use to clip it to my climbing harness with a micro-biner, a lightweight pouch and Titanium handles with striations. The whole package is neatly put together in a gift box and includes a North Faces Trilogy DVD documentary about Ueli’s famous speed ascents. These things are nice touches and could make it the perfect Christmas gift for your geeky climber loved ones!

The Wenger Ueli Steck Limited Edition Knife in action on the Grand Charmoz, Chamonix, France. So to conclude, the Ueli Steck Special Edition Knife is a well thought out piece of kit and has lots of useful features for the climber, mountaineer and outdoor enthusiast. It’s not the lightest if you just want a blade for cutting tat and it’s probably not the cheapest either, but the quality and features cannot be faulted. Could be a perfect Christmas present too!

• Price: £100
• Find out more at the Wenger website

Source: Climbing Gear Reviews UK

[comPiler]

Black Diamond EXL Pack – Climbing Gear Review
24 October 2012, 2:12 pm

Black Diamond EXL Pack So is the Black Diamond EXL pack the perfect rucksack for light and fast day missions? Performance ****

Style*****

Value for money ****

Black Diamond EXL pack being used in anger on the headwall, 20 pitches up on the Grand Charmoz, Chamonix, France Black Diamond say that: “The EXL is a highlight from the Velocity series of Black Diamond packs which are lightweight and compact multi-sport packs, designed for on-the-go trail performance, from running to biking to hiking. The EXL is a highly adaptable daypack with SwingArm (see video below for more info on SwingArm technology) shoulder straps for fast & light balance and comfort.”

I have tested the EXL pack extensively over the Summer months using it for running, cycling, hiking and Alpine rock climbing. I can vouch for both performance and adaptability. The pack has a 20 litre capacity meaning that, with careful packing, you can cram it with everything you need for a full day on the hill. I used it Alpine rock climbing and managed to fit everything I needed for both approaching and climbing a 26 pitch route on the Grand Charmoz in France.

Whatever activity I was doing I was very impressed with the way the pack felt to carry. It sits comfortably on your back, high enough so it doesn’t interfere with a climbing harness and not so high that it obstructs vision when looking up. When running it doesn’t bounce around annoyingly, the easy to adjust waist and chest straps and the SwingArm shoulder straps, seeing to this effectively.

Black Diamond EXL pack, perfect for extended trail runs. Used here at Montenvers, Chamonix, France. In terms of features, the EXL has lots for such a small pack:

• SwingArm™ shoulder straps with extended range and OpenAir backpanel
• Zippered panel access
• Side stretch pockets and front compression stretch pocket with front compression cord
• Retractable trekking pole/ice axe loop and bike light slot
• Hydration compatible

I found the open air back panel breathed fairly well when I was exerting myself and didn’t get too sweaty. The zippered panel access was easy to use and the zipper worked smoothly. The tabs were easy to handle, even wearing gloves. I really like the fabric Black Diamond have used to create the stretch pockets. The side wand and zipped pocket were great for stashing snacks and gels and the front pocket swallowed a jacket and pants, secured with drawcord compressor, but still handy enough to grab whilst on the move.

An internal mesh pocket, with key clip, was handy for storing valuables and the external zippered pocket was large enough to take a topo, small first aid kit, compass and other essentials. The hydration pocket is neat and very easy to use and seemed to minimise any bouncing around inside the pack. A neat clip on the shoulder starp secures the tube externally. Other nice touches are a bike light slot (great for night time rides and runs) and a retractable trekking pole/ice axe loop which I used for both and found effective.

With a weight of 700g it’s definitely not the lightest pack in it’s class but I found it carried so well that I was choosing it for my extended fell runs, over another smaller lighter pack that I’d had for the same job. Quality seems to be excellent as we’ve come to expect from Black Diamond. And the fabrics are holding up well to abrasion.

So to conclude, the EXL pack is a brilliantly versatile, well featured day sack for all your light and fast missions from running, to Alpine rock. It would make a great little pack for day ski missions too. I like the stretchy external pockets, ease of carry and well thought out interior. If I could add anything, I’d take away some of the weight but then that is something I’d say for a lot of kit! Top notch stuff from Black Diamond!

• Price: £69.00
• More info and stockists at the Black Diamond website

Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

New Patagonia Calpilene 4 2012/13 range – Gear News.
27 October 2012, 7:53 am



Capilene® 4 Expedition Weight products will now utilize Polartec® Power Dry® High Efficiency™ fabrics starting with the Autumn/Winter 2012 season. By exaggerating the gaps between pillars on the back of the fabric, the breathability of the fabric is enhanced, as is the compressibility and warmth-to-weight ratio. The new Capilene 4 Expedition Weight is light enough to wear very comfortably next to skin, warmer than expected based on weight, and like all Polartec Power Dry fabrics, it utilizes a bi-component construction designed to pull moisture in one direction – away from the body – and then disperse it to the surface for quick drying performance. The new fabric is 91% polyester/9% spandex, with great stretch and recovery.



Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

Blog: A week in the Alps – Goulotte Profit-Perroux, Beyond Good and Evil, Pinocchio – Climbing Gear Review
5 November 2012, 9:49 pm

Just back from a week of icy mixed climbing action in Chamonix with the Beast… Early morning heading down the Midi Arete Friday…2.30pm…leaving work sharpish…driving at pace through the night…Bradford-Dover-Brussels-Luxembourg…stopping…snoozing…not sleeping…

Off again…caffeine…driven by the psyche, the desire to escape. Into Switzerland. Driven by the routes we’d heard about, conditions we’d heard about or conditions we’d made up in our own desperate minds…driven by weather forecasts we wished to be better than they probably would be…

Into Switzerland…snow dumping down now, wet clag…not crisp sun-drenched settledness. The Eiger obsession looking limp like the leaves, sodden and snow-drenched. The car pulled in, heads turned, caffeined, nodded, decided…

Into France to Chamonix. Gleaming goulottes, gorgeous granite, perfect lines. Three days of decent weather from Monday the man said…

But what about Sunday? What about time? What about wasting time? I didn’t want to spend a day going brain dead. Snell Sports…some coffee, a bar, another shop, coffee, pastries, draining away our motivation with each slow step.

Saturday night we arrived. Some pizza, a beer and Belevedere Argentiere for bed. Sunday morning the bleep bleep of the Beast’s watch wakes me…normally I find it tricky to get up…but not this morning. Too psyched we step outside to a thick carpet of constantly falling snow. We defrost the car and drive. Not a sole appears to stir except us. And with good reason. The clocks had gone back!

Goulotte Profit-Perroux III 4 M5, 220m (plus the finish up the Cosmiques Arete) Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix

We did this on Sunday. Usual scene, arriving at the Midi station only to find out it wasn’t running. More info at 10am! We retired for coffee and pain of chocolate. Then returned.

Easy access alpinism, abseiling into the Cunningham Couloir for Goulotte Profit-Perroux 11am it opened. We went for it. Nobody else did. Gear on in the lift. Time was short. The route short but maybe not short enough. Out at the top and round the barrier on the bridge, the temperature and thin air took away our breath. Fingers numbed. We abseiled down. Down, down into the Cunningham Couloir. No guidebook, just a vague notion of 5 abseils. The couloir was carpeted in thick fresh snow. We found the start and started. The Beast led off being beast-like. Easy does it, at the belay. I follow, fingers numb. I stop, nearly barfing with the barfies. I set off and motor on, fingers numb once more. I haul the rope through the plate, once again the barfies come…agony, I think I may cry.

Manbeast on pitch 3, Goulotte Profit-Perroux, Aiguille du Midi  Pitch 3 and things get a little trickier. A short goulotte, maybe 85 degrees. The Beast walks past it not noticing. I dry my tears and follow. Fingers numb again. Pitch 4, mixed about M5. Safe, positive, good hooks and great gear. I belay screaming…more barfies…not ideal. The Beast arrives, looks at me with disgust, and then leaves. We hit the ridge. Time to spare but not loads. We move together past the Cosmique’s crux…deep soft snow, slowing progress…lungs feeling the thinness of the air. Unacclimatized.

Three and half hours after starting we finish. The last bin made but not with time to spare. We ride down. Good day. Good route. Good warm up.

Feeling smug we reflected on cutting it fine and thought about tomorrow.

 

Beyond Good and Evil (CR finish), 500m North Face of the Pelerins, Chamonix

Monday morning and another not lie in. Breakfast French-stylie and a late Midi lift. 9am they decided to start today though. Off at the Midi Plan we started up the track. A line of footprints already in through the fresh snow. We weaved through the boulders, up to and past the Peigne. Stumbling at times, staggering upwards. The line came into view, glinting and gleaming, draped down the granite. Perfectly pristine. We geared up and swam over to the start. Leaving our sacks and taking a lightweight second’s pack.

Heading up to Beyond Good and Evil, North Face of the Pelerins, Chamonix The Beast led off up thinly iced slabs. 20 feet up he climbed down. False start but hopefully not false hope. Up he went again. Thin. Delicate. Potentially dangerous. Then he found the key. He dug out a crack. The game was on. Spindrift dumped down heavy threatening to knock him off. Delicately he soldiered on. I followed, finger ends numb from the previous day. We found our rhythm, steady, not mechanical, delicate. Pitch after pitch of sublime goulotte, ribbons of ice like frozen tears down the granite grains. Never desperate but never safe.



We hit the corner, crux of the lower part. It reared up, steep and thin. Twight aided this on the first ascent. Insufficient ice. It looked like we may have to too. An inch or two thick, a layer of ice, cruddy snow and steep. Hopefully not an impasse. Hopefully not emotional. We carried on in our trance.

Me on the 5c corner, Beyond Good and Evil, North Face of the Pelerins, Chamonix After the junction we opted for the Carrington. Beyond Good but not quite Evil. We hit the top and started to rap. Down, downwards, descending to our packs. The rhythm of the up maintained. We packed and continued down, stopping only briefly to chat to a couple of French climbers, the route’s potential suitors tomorrow. A glint in their eyes, mirroring the glint in ours.

Tedious trotting and we arrive back in Chamonix, just shy of 10pm. Food and beer, but not in that order. Satisfied but dissatisfied. Good but not quite evil.

 

Pinocchio IV 6+, 450m, East Face of Mt Blanc du Tacul, Chamonix

 

After Monday, Tuesday allowed a brief lie in. We packed and headed high late afternoon. The Cosmiques winter room was a plan. The Midi gallery became the reality. A room with a view but not to be advertised (apparently).

A room with a view on Tuesday night. Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix The East face of Mt Blanc du Tacul is home to many a classic icy mixed line. Some hard and some not so hard. Stevie Haston is a legend. So is Robert Jasper. They’ve both contributed here. Scotch on the Rocks, Vol de Nuit…both hard classics. And Stevie’s other route, Pinocchio…a climb I’d wanted for a while.

Wednesday morning we got up early. A beautifully bruised sky, cold and still but far from settled. We hot footed it round and started. Steady snow and easy mixed for the first 2 pitches. I followed pitch 2.

A sedate start in the sun. Manbeast following. Pitch 2, Pinocchio, Mt Blanc du Tacul East Face, Chamonix We swapped and I set off. Pitch 3, my bag apparently. Techy mixed ground. About Scottish 7. Some useful ice and some not so useful crud. Progress was steady…but not startling. I edged upwards to a small roof split by an awkward crack on either side. An overhanging plug of snow threatened to push me out of balance, topple me from above. I cleared it, calmed myself and found some ok runners in the left-hand crack. A couple of false starts and I discovered the order necessary to breach the awkwardness. Feet clearing the roof, crampons on precarious granite edges, the crux. A couple of deep breaths, far out now. A crap runner and forge on. At the belay.

 

Manbeast following the first hard pitch. Pinocchio pitch 3, Mt Blanc du Tacul East Face, Chamonix Beast seconds cold and goes for pitch 4. Innocuously it starts and weaves out of sight. He’s steady, the route kinks up left and he stops. Fiddling in the corner, finding some satisfactory safety. Another roof, this time breached by a thin smear of steep ice. Beast territory, he inches upwards. Calm, steady and solid. Although not the ice or the weather.

It snows hard now. Blue sky is gone. In fact it appears to be snowing upwards. Plastering the rock. The wind nips partially exposed skin and spindrift threatens to suffocate our safety as well as our sanity. I second up and lead through. More thin goulotte climbing, at times the spindrift threatens to knock us from our teetering perches but we inch onwards and upwards. Icy mixed ground to the top of the Pilier Martinetti. We rap the route. Downward momentum exacerbated by the thundering spindrift plumes. Stevie tuts mockingly. He’d probably ski shit steeper than this. And in worse weather.

On the descent…weather now pretty wild…route in the bag! Pinocchio, East Face Mt Blanc du Tacul, Chamonix We hit the schrund, sacks are buried, tracks are gone, wind is high, slopes are loading. We pack and stay roped up against the threat of the hell-holes. The wind rises, howls and nips. We post-hole back across the Vallee Blanche, a slog, even to the fit and acclimatized super heroes that are not us. We have time to spare…we think. The wind howls wilder. And finally we hit the Midi arete. Two figures stumble towards us from the Midi Plan ridge. Jon Bracey and his client, fresh from Fil a Plomb. Perhaps we should all know better we joke.

Heading back to the Aiguille du Midi after Pinocchio, wild weather, Chamonix The Beast finally shows signs of weakness. His face starting to go white with wind chill. We stop and cover up then stagger on against the tempest. A voice in the distance, barely real, barely audible.”Allez, allez!” I hear it now, the lift station staff encourage us on. Five minutes to 4. Time to spare.

We hit the tunnel and are hurried along…high winds, lift closing early…time to not spare.

Victory. MBC bar, Chamonix Back in Chamonix we drink more beer, eat more food and feel more satisfied. The weather window has closed but 5 days, 3 awesome routes and high psyche leave us howling mad for more. It is Halloween after all! The next morning we attempt one final early lift and the Vent du Dragon. But today they close, the wind too ferocious.

 

We head down the valley. Le Fayet, drytooling…winter training…minds already fixed firmly on objectives back home…

Kevin Avery



Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

Patagonia Present ‘Wide Boyz’ with Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker – Climbing Gear News
19 November 2012, 1:13 pm

The Patagonia Covent Garden store is planning to host a film preview evening on 28th Nov to showcase the climbing film ‘Wide Boyz’ to the public.

The film covers a climbing journey of Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker, both of whom will be present at the preview and all attendees will receive complimentary food and drinks, plus a 20% discount on all product in the store on the evening.   





Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

Adidas TERREX Fast X FM Mid Boot – Climbing Gear News
21 November 2012, 9:32 am

Take a look at the award winning ‘fast and light’ boot from Adidas – a great looking lightweight approach  boot.

 

• You can buy Adidas Terrex footwear from the Adidas Outdoor website

 



Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

Arc’teryx Zenta LT Glove – Climbing Gear Review
26 November 2012, 10:20 am

Arc’teryx Venta LT glove The Zenta LT glove is what Arc’teryx call a: “Waterproof, breathable, low profile glove. Ideal for high-output activities in cold conditions.” So, how was it for me? Performance ****

Style*****

Value for money ****

Price: £115

I generally get cold hands (and feet) so I’m always interested in testing out gloves to try and find the right combination of warmth, dexterity and durability. I’ve used the Zenta LT for a lot of different things. Scottish winter climbing, alpine climbing/mountaineering, ice-fall climbing and Scottish and alpine skiing.

Wearing the Arc’teryx Zenta LT gloves whilst heading across the glacier from Mt Blanc du Tacul East Face, in rapidly deteriorating weather and low temperatures. The first thing I’d say about them is that they’re warm. I’ve used the Zenta LT’s in temps down to minus 18 Centigrade and I generally don’t get cold hands in these if I’m moving. In fact I actually find them too warm in Spring through to Autumn (weather extremes dependent of course) and for really high output stuff like skinning uphill on skis or easy mountaineering ground where I’m moving quick. That said, I’m more than glad of them when stood around belaying in the cold on north faces or Scottish mixed horrors in late Autumn to early Spring. And they’re great on ground up to alpine D grade, or if there’s lots of fresh snow and you’re plunging your hands into it or clearing.

The gloves are insulated with a brushed fleece (unlike the Zenta AR which uses 200g of Primaloft) and this is very warm and cosy on the hands whilst being low profile enough to maintain reasonable dexterity. It also wicks moisture away from the hands and through the Gore-tex XCR liner and outer fabric, quite effectively. Moving on to the outer fabric I have to say that the Zenta LT gloves are tough! The Burly™ double weave (50% nylon, 43% polyester, 7% spandex, 275 g/m². A hard-wearing, durable, stretch woven fabric with a smooth outer face and a soft inner face that is comfortable next to the skin) is proving to be pretty indestructible, even after many rounds with Cairngorm and alpine granite, and the Lezanova leather palm and fingers, are totally bombproof!

I think one key thing that adds to the durability of these gloves (and also warrants the hefty £115 price tag) is that Arc’teryx have not scrimped on the leather. The palm is fully covered and the finger tips are seamless and wrapped. Whilst also maximising dexterity so you can climb, ski or faff with taking skins on and off or place protection, the Zentas are tough and don’t fall apart as soon as you scrape a bit of snow off a ledge.

The following video talks about the Arc’teryx design philosophy for their glove range. It relates to the Alpha SV glove but many of the key principles here apply to the Zenta or any of their other gloves.

Ok then, so the Zenta LT is a warm glove, it’s well made, fairly dexterous and waterproof. It’s also durable. So, what is the fit like?

When Arc’teryx first brought out their glove range a LOT was made of the fit and how good it was and how it was superior to many other brands. Well, I’ve already talked about the seamless finger tips for increased dexterity and the stretchy outer fabric delivering super mobility and flexibility in the hand and cuff area. But if you hold up an Arc’teryx Zenta LT glove (or any of their technical gloves) what do you notice? What you should notice is that it’s anatomically shaped (shaped like your hand!), lie it on it’s back and it doesn’t lie flat. The fingers and thumb are pre-curved, like the natural position your hand sits in whilst relaxed. A lot of thought has been put into this and when you try a pair on, you can really tell! There is no excess fabric, or floppy thumbs. Or even baggy palms or wrist areas.

The Arc’teryx Zenta LT glove sorting gear at the bottom of the North Face of the Pelerins, Chamonix. A long day out on Beyond Good and Evil, but warm and dry hands. Note short, slim cuff worn over outer layer. It works just as well under the cuff too. So what else can I say about the Zenta LT?

The Gore-tex XCR liner has kept the glove (and more importantly my hands), dry for the duration of the time I have used them. The only time I get damp hands, and this is inevitable) is during high output activities such as slogging up a non technical peak or skinning on skis or leading a more difficult pitch pitch. And I would normally wear a lighter glove such as the Venta SV for these activities anyway, unless it was really cold . One down-side for me (and it’s really a suitability issue relating to what I just said) is that I don’t find the Zenta LT dexterous enough for my liking when leading steep and technical ice and mixed ground. However I do find them absolutely perfect for general mountaineering, belaying and skiing. And this just proves that it’s really pretty much impossible to find one glove that is perfect for everything. The Zenta LT does come close though.

The Zenta LT is not a gauntlet glove. It has a slim fitting cuff to reduce layering bulk and I found this worked best layered under my jacket cuff, rather than over. It does work the other way too, but I found that with these gloves it was tricky to get it to stay one way or another and if you want full storm protection you’d be better with the Zenta AR gauntlet. To strike a compromise I found that wearing a baselayer with thumb loops, then any potential cold spots in the wrist area could be alleviated.

A couple of nice features that I’d like to mention to finish off are the leather tabs on the wrists to help with getting them on. You can also attach bungee retainers to these to stop you dropping them. The karabiner loops on the finger ends are also a useful touch and mean that you can clip the gloves to your harness, upside down and hopefully they won’t fill up with snow when you’re climbing!

Conclusion

The Zenta LT is a great all round waterproof and breathable mountain glove, perfect for skiing, mountaineering and climbing. It is dexterous but perhaps not quite dexterous enough for harder technical leads. It is well made and fits superbly. The shorter cuff may put some people off, but then go for the Zenta AR instead. Not the perfect glove, but not far off. Worth the £115 price tag for fit and quality alone. Nice job Arc’teryx!

Reviewed by Kevin Avery

• You can find out more about the Zenta LT gloves and where to buy them at the Arc’teryx website

Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

JON WALSH TO RECEIVE THIS YEARS “GUY LACELLE AWARD” – Climbing News
27 November 2012, 10:50 am

Jon Walsh to receive this year’s Guy Lacelle Award Jon Walsh – winner of this year’s Guy Lacelle Award Arcteryx Equipment is honoured to announce that this year’s recipient of the Guy Lacelle Pure Spirit Award goes to Jon Walsh.

In December 2009, Canadian climbing lost one of its finest souls when Guy Lacelle died in an avalanche in Montana. Since then, three of Guy’s sponsors — Arc’teryx, Petzl and La Sportiva have teamed up to continue to honour Guy’s memory through the Guy Lacelle Pure Spirit Award. This award is given each year to a Canadian climber who embodies Guy’s path, combining world-class talent with humility, grace and a fierce commitment to the right way to climb.

This year’s recipient has all these characteristics in spades: in the last decade, Calgary’s Jon Walsh has compiled a stunning résumé, with major ascents, including many firsts, in Canada and around the world. Jon has been one of those climbers who has been shining just below the horizon, quietly involved in some of the cutting-edge climbs on the world stage, especially in the alpine, where he’s put up new routes in the Bugaboos, on Robson, in Greenland, in Patagonia, and in the Himalaya.

Jon was overjoyed when he got news of the award, and said, “I’m lucky to be surrounded by so much climbing spirit, and I believe that Guy and many of his partners are largely responsible for building that foundation in our community.  Guy’s psyche, modesty, and blissful approach had a strong influence on me, and his achievements are incredibly inspiring.  I’m deeply humbled and honoured that the award committee feels I share a similar attitude and values.”

Thanks to the generous commitments of all the sponsors, Jon will receive an award of gear equivalent to the amount that Guy would have been given in a year. Previous award winners were Eamonn Walsh of Canmore, and Quebec’s PeeWee Ouelette.

Watch this video which pays tribute to the life of Guy Lacelle



Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com

[comPiler]

Yorkshire Gritstone Guide – Climbing Gear Review
2 December 2012, 9:01 am

Dave Sarkar, local Yorkshire climber takes a look at the new 2012 Yorkshire Gritstone Guide. Quality ***

Content*****

Value***

I’ve been living and climbing in Yorkshire for over 20 years now and this is the first YMC guide that I have not been involved in. I’m still smarting from my mate Matt Edwards beating to the front cover of the 1989 guide. That was the ascent after me, still I’m not bitter.

The new guide is a bumper edition that will be split into two volumes. This volume Almscliffe to Slipstones covering the Central and Eastern half of the county with Volume 2 Ilkley to Widdop due out in 2013 covering the West.

It’s very weighty so I’ll be trying to persuade friends to carry it up to more remote crags like Simons Seat but I’ll be satisfied that it’s comprehensive and will contain every route in detail when I get there.

The photographs of the routes, crags and action are all very good. I’ve looked very hard and I’m not in it! Better luck with Volume 2. There’s a great combination of modern and historical shots to really fire up your psyche. I really have enjoyed looking at the photographs and the route ones are a great improvement on the hand drawn diagrams as they show so much more detail.  The old hand drawn crag shots were a fantastic labour of love that is dying out as we get busier and busier. I particularly like the aerial shots of the crags to help you get your bearings.



Almscliffe (know locally as The Cliff) is my local stomping ground so I am very familiar with its intricacies. How astonished I was to find routes of my grade I hadn’t done! Praise indeed. I couldn’t find any faults with the grades or descriptions and thankfully little in the way of grade inflation. I still climb with folk that think that nothing can be harder Yorkshire VS.  I loved the Alan Austin profile – I’ve even got a jumper like that. I think I’ll start wearing it at the crag. There are plenty of local star profiles they are a great read, some brilliant Seventies shots.

Like the last guide bouldering is included and the grades are Font grades, there is substantially more bouldering in this guide that the previous. This is why it is such a large volume but I feel that it detracts from the routes. Yorkshire is well serviced for bouldering guides.

All the climbing areas are covered in detail as you would expect from a comprehensive guide, even the more esoteric crags (which are mentioned in the main crag sections). There is a graded list for each crag and a comprehensive graded list of all the main routes at the back. All the crags are listed in areas and not alphabetically which aids location. I really did like the addition of GPS co-ordinates in the access sections, which were very detailed.

So the short read is:

I love the photos, historical sections, access descriptions and all sorts of witty Yorkshire banter. I love the fact that it’s written by non-profit Climbing Club volunteers that deserve to be supported.

I don’t like the weight, it’s flippin’ heavy.  The very flimsy cover which will last no time at all before falling off and the addition of the bouldering. God is not pointing at Almscliff and we all know God made it especially for Yorkshire climbers and cows in the winter.

There’s a wealth of beautiful climbing in Yorkshire and there’s  something for everyone in this great addition to the YMC stable. It would be suitable for the holiday tourist and local alike. Well done everyone you’ve done a great job keeping the faith.

RRP £24.00

Buy from Cordee: http://bit.ly/TAYlOA



Source: CGR climbinggearreviews.com