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What are those two boots pictured?

Ouray had 75 (?) kids go thru their "kids college" - some as young as 4 y/o! Can there really be 'pons for these booties? Bill

Thanks for the link, Colin - I had not seen this. That reminds me I have an old Charlet Moser straight shaft "3rd tool" with similar grip size & wt. - both should be good for preteens & older. For the little tykes I'm trying to use up a dozen pairs of old but never used kid's ski poles & just as old ice pro (most never used)- and the combi (esp. the 6.4 oz. wt.) seems best aimed at smaller kids. Bill

I'm building a few small kid's ice tools and wonder what's available or what's been done. Are there 'pons made for little warriors? My tools use kid's sturdy fiberglass ski pole handles & shafts, slotted for a [unnamed & unpopular hooked ice protection device], wound with fiberglass strapping tape & finished with red tape matching the shaft. Took 15 minutes, 12" long with sweet swing, 6.4 oz., feels solid when shattering freezer ice just like real tools. May remove significant metal to make the "stick" easier for small kids. Wrap rather than epoxy makes for quick disassembly. My search didn't find much - any suggestions for ice tools or 'pons? Bill

Certainly hope it's not that hole in the grip (Ergo photo)....

My Cholatse GVs (GTX) arrived but are WAY bigger than any 12 I have ever seen: they measure 12.25" INSIDE which on one chart indicates size 14! One climber has first dibs, but if other Portland bigfoots want to check out the fit, pm me. I need to avoid shipping. [see todays yard sale] Note: to test sole stiffness, I place the heel against my chest & try to bend the toe by pulling toward me. These boots gave the most resistance of any non-plastic boot I've tested - even stiffer than my new 46 Nepals! And as Trogdor points out, these are not as "roomy" in the toe box as the Nepals. Asolo reports they are "narrow with high volume - offering a good fit to a wide range of feet."

The sole flex issue has been confusing (to me). For mixed, salespeople (I hear your warning, Dane) have been recommending boots that I find have less sole rigidity than the Nepals (in 45+ sizes). My pitches of recent mixed convinced me (1) the Nepals were plenty rigid, and (2) this 'ol body needs more than my Trango Evo S can offer. I had hoped the Cholatse's rigidity would be close to the Nepal's. Fortunately, I have 30 days to test & return the Cholatses. Background: I'm about ready to return my Nepals after weeks of trying different sizes, sock combis & lacing, despite knowing they are THE boot for my needs - just can't get a stable fit. Thanks for the help, Bill

I waited a couple of hours today hoping someone would explain the two opposing reports, then went ahead & ordered the Cholatse after rereading Jens' post about his Cholatses being narrower than any of his 5 other pairs of ice boots, including 3 Sportivas. Thanks, Troy, for confirming my choice of who to listen to. Bill

Duane Raleigh claims Asolo Cholatse are great for blocky, hi-volume feet. Another cc vet says his are even narrower than Sportivas. Any other narrow/low volume climbers out there who have used this boot? Thanks, Bill

I'm still having trouble fitting my low volume feet in the Nepal. Usual boot/shoe size is 12 which approximates La Sportiva's 45.5. Tried 3 different pairs of 45s, 45.5s, and 46 - each pair fit slightly differently even in the same size, reportedly because they are hand built. One pair of 45s felt best, but I feared they would not allow me the 1/2" growth my feet go though on a long day. Used the lightly broken-in 46s this last week on mixed at Ouray and they felt almost as clumsy as my old plastics. Laced them at least 12 different ways with different sock combis & only found a stable system once - which I was not able to repeat (yet); I suspect lacing must be EXTREMELY sensitive with these new Nepals - at least until broken in. Bill

Mine occured in only ~ 5 hours of restricted circulation in saturated boots continuously immersed in ~ 40 degree water. Doc said tiny, numb nerve endings would grow back at 1 mm/week - 6 weeks later the feeling came back. Since then major portions of my feet go completely pale & numb when cold - but I have been relatively OK with old plastics down to around zero. Bill

looks like the shark attack fang lost its bite - is there more to the story? old bill

waterproof inner? - do you mean you use a separate wp liner like a hospital glove?