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What Approach shoes/boots climb the best?


layton

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I may be doing most of my climbing in approach shoes or boots this summer so I wanna know what shoes climb the best (edging, smearing, thin crack, wide crack...)

I've always swapped into my rock shoes and used my Boulders for the approach and up to 5.6 climbing. I hear the Montrail D9 is good too. Boulders, Trango series, scrapa cerro torre, fenrey light, solomon pro rock, 5.10 series, vasque super alpinista, etc...

 

It's hard to shop around in bellingham.

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I got a set of free tongue.gif boulders and paid for the five tennies mountain masters.

 

I prefer the 5.10 mountain master low top version 95% of the time. They offer more cushioning for bouncing through boulderfields. They cant climb a thin crack for shit though they smear good and work in chimneys. Less pain for the toe heel....

 

Boulders got trashed pretty fast and I think the 5.10s have held up to more abuse in the hills. The boulders technically climb better though....

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I wonder about the "new" version of the boulders. The sticky dot rubber seems much less sticky and more friable. Also harder to resole.

 

Climbing Mag gave the Montrail D9's the best overall. Anyone tried em? MEC has them, and the boulders. I may have to make the pilgramage (after the 4th of course).

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Greg_W said:

The one I've got my eye on is the GArmont Vetta. It's a 3/4 high top which I like for longer approaches with some 'shwacking. The Garmont Dragontail is a lowtop version and looks nice too.

The Dragontail is the low version of the Ferrata, and is newmatic crampon compatible. The Vetta doesn't have the heel welt, and I suspect it is a bit softer than the Dragontail

 

5.10 has also brought back the Tennies, which everyone seemed to have a few years ago.

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I prefer the 5.10 mountain master low top version 95% of the time. They offer more cushioning for bouncing through boulderfields. They cant climb a thin crack for shit though they smear good and work in chimneys. Less pain for the toe heel....

 

Me too.... bigdrink.gif Mountain Masters have done me right thus far....and lasted in part because I only wear them on climbs. Wear them around town and the sticky rubber will liley wear fast. frown.gif

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I just looked at the D9 today at Alpine Experience in Olympia. I know Climbing recommended them, but they seem like a carbon of the old boulders, which I really liked. I think with approach shoes you have to make a critical decision: primarily for the trail and talus or on the vertical. Heavy (Dragontail) or light (D9). Seems they're either built up from a boot chasis or a running shoe platform.

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michael_layton said:

I wonder about the "new" version of the boulders. The sticky dot rubber seems much less sticky and more friable. Also harder to resole.

 

Climbing Mag gave the Montrail D9's the best overall. Anyone tried em? MEC has them, and the boulders. I may have to make the pilgramage (after the 4th of course).

 

I think the montails are "D7" not "D9". Second Ascent (Seattle) has them. I have a pair of them and they climb pretty well. I've climbed some easy 5.10s in em and used them on Da Toof a coupla weeks ago. They are the first "approach" shoe I've ever owned though, so I don't have anything to compare them to except running shoes. They look a bit dorky in my opinion, but I just bust out my EBs when I wanna look fly.

 

 

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I have the Scarpa Zodiacs and the La Sportiva Superfly's.

 

The Zodiacs are great - comfortable, bomber, and will climb 5.6 - not great for cracks though. They are large and heavy, great for scrambling and they take a lot of abuse. Also newmatic crampon compatible. Scarpa has a new version out this year, it is in the Climbing review.thumbs_up.gif

 

The superfly's were cheap, MEC was blowing them out for $40 CDN a little while ago. They are very light and pack down quite small, but also only climb up to about 5.6. They do not edge at all, being very soft, which also rules out skipping through the boulder fields on the descent. They are the ticket though when you do not want to feel the weight of your approach shoes clipped to your harness.

 

Go with a beefier shoe that will last, the lighter/better climbing shoes are not going to make you a rockband.gif star anyway.

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I am assuming you are looking for some ankle support and a sole. Check out the La Sportiva Mega and the Mega Dru. They are board lasted, high topped climbing shoes that are relatively stiff and supportive. The Dru has a lugged vibram sole.

 

I climb in Kaukulators, which are an earlier version. They are stiff, but they climb very well. Plus, they rockband.gif for offwidth! the_finger.gif

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garmont vettas kick ass! they're basically a hightop version of the sticky weekenders. i took them out of the box and straight up stuart and they worked great. i wore them the whole time except for the gendarme and they climbed very well, and were almost as light as matt's air zooms and super comfortable. they cost a bit much if you pay retail, but man were my feet happy. until the end, that is, when i made them slog over long's pass--man does that ever suck.

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i gots some montrails d-whatever. they kina clunky compared to running shoes but they climb okay. pretty much right on for the odd 5th class move among a bunch of 3rd and 4th scrambling. they much moe comfortable with different inserts.

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