buying mountaineering boots...need recommendation

[gohawks]

I want to buy a pair of good general-purpose mountaineering boots. I will use these boots for scrambles, glacier climbing, and low grade rock climbing. They should be comfortable for hiking, particularly for approaches. My foot width is average, and I over-pronate due to flat feet.

 

Today, I own a pair of Tecnica Altitude Plus boots. My main complaint about these boots is they are poor on rock. They are made for ice climbing, and so they do not have the flexibility for friction climbing on rock. I want a more versatile boot.

 

The boots I hear most about are:

La Sportiva Eiger

La Sportiva Makalu

La Sportiva Trango

Salomon Super Mountain 8

Merrell High Cascade

 

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

[Dru]

Scarpa Freney.

[Mr._Natural]

the trangos will be the best rock climbers, except for possibly the merrels which I have not seen. make sure your toe boxes are narrow enough for the sportivas or you will be in a world of hurt. i have a pair of trangos and a pair of nepal tops and love both although rock climbing in the latter is challenging.

[Alpine_Tom]

The best possible advice is: go to someone who knows what they're talking about, and has a good selection to chose from.

REI has a wide selection, but I don't know if I'd trust the salespeople much, and you'd have to do a lot of the research on your own. I'd try Pro Mountain Sports if you're in the Seattle area, or Marmot, or Feathered Friends.

 

The thing is, different boots (or shoes) fit different feet differently. (That's why the pro football players who get $$$ for endorsing one brand of shoe often wear a different brand, with the endorsed brand's logo magic-markered on.) So a boot that fits me, or your climbing buddy, perfectly, might fit you poorly. And a poorly fitting boot, no matter how high a rating it gets from Outdoor Review, is NOT your friend.

 

[slothrop]

I tried on Kayland Multitractions and they might fit the bill. They're a little flexible for comfier hiking and have a good sole and rand for climbing. They're relatively light, too. Worth checking out to see if they fit your feet.

 

I recently got La Sportiva Trango S-es, which are similar, but stiffer.

[bunglehead]

From my painful personal experience, if you have wide feet, I'd recommend avoiding Makalus like the plague. Which, I think we can all agree, is one thing an individual would want to avoid at all costs.

[kurthicks]

I have a pair of Salomon Super Mtn 9's. i love the things. they seem to do just fine on any terrain you can throw at 'em. you mentioned that you have flat feet and overpronate and i do to. these seem to combat all of that well. i especially like the inner lacing system on the tongue for that custom fit...and they've never given my any blisters even on the long death marches and cascade slogs, even when they were new. that's my $.01

[allthumbs]

I've always found Scarpas in wide sizes...even double wide in some cases. Base Camp was a Scarpa dealer, but alas, no more

[chris_w]

I have a pair of Solomon mountain 8's and love them. They are sooooooo comfy. If they haven't changed the design around the heel, you can expect he stitching to rip after 1-2 years. Dave page says he sees them all the time with the same problem. I use them for everything. No Breakin time was necessary.

 

I also have a pair of makalus. They are very stiff and I don't like them as much. I think they work a little better in the snow. I might have gotten them a little to big and only use them in the winter time when I need to wear 2 pairs of socks. I use them on my split-board in the winter because of the step-in compatible crampons, one thing the solomon's don't have.

 

Best suggestion is to try them all on, walk around and see what fits the best. When I bought the solomon, I took them home and wore them for a day, returned them, got a bigger size and wore them for a day and kept them.

 

My $.000002

[Quien_Sabe]

I have had 2 pair of the eigers, and I loved them since they were lighter than their other boots (since the eigers are summer boots) but they always would blow out in the back.

 

I now use the Trango S which are the shit,

 

especially on rock. Not the same support as the others, and traversing steep snow with crampons is not fun IMO because of the ankle support not being there, but they are super light.

 

I also got a new pair of the Kayland K1's,

 

but have not had the chance to wear them but once this year (they are replacing my plastics)

 

My feet are narrow, so la sportivas always worked for me, and salomons never fit as I would swim in them.

[ncascademtns]

I'd tell you to go out and buy a pair of Scarpa Eigers but that was the biggest mistake Scarpa ever made was to discontinue the boot.

By far the best boot that was ever on the market.

I burn the rubber on them about every other year and Dave Page down in Fremont is always happy to re-sole them.

[kklimber]

I had a pair of Sportiva Nepal Tops (when they first came out) and they were a super pair of ice climbing boots. Much better than plastic. Too stiff for rock. But what you should know about La Sportiva (besides the narrow foot) is that unless they've cleaned up their act, the hardware on their boots sucks. I was constantly in Fremont getting the shortstring lacing hardware replaced. It was every few trips. Really, really bad.

[Ryan]

I have a pair of Garmont Pinnacle boots- they're great for summer mountaineering and heavy duty backpacking use...and they're crampon compatible, with a toe and heel bail...I used them on snow in the Tetons back in May, and they performed very well- I'd recommend them for sure!

[Dustin_B]

Quien_Sabe said:

 

I now use the Trango S which are the shit,

 

My feet are narrow, so la sportivas always worked for me, and salomons never fit as I would swim in them.

 

I have the Trango S and they are awesome besides the fact that they are in no way waterproof. If you spend much time in wet snow your feet will get wet. They are very light though. I have the LS Nepal Extremes and they for everything, wouldn't own any thing else. Pretty comfortable for short to moderate approaches, totally water proof, climb anything like a dream, but heavy at 5.5 lbs.

[johndavidjr]

Garmont--- I think was brand. Just saw two models in shop in Olympia-- a lighter one, quite a beauty, apparently discontinued? with rubber rand & heel welt for strap-on crampon, & slightly heavier model with similar design --- Both ultralight-- probably lighter than the Trango, a tad less high,?? but inspired by that design. I'd be interested in any comments/experience with the brand????

[Rodchester]

See PMS's web-site. A lighter more versailte version of your ice climbing boots. I have them and I am very happy with them as an all around mountaineering boot. Rock climb well too and are pretty easy on the feet on approaches.

 

Tecnica Ascend

(Replaced by the Dunagiri GTX. Some stock still available.)

$215

 

The all new Ascend Bio-Flex TCY model sets new standards for high-end backpacking footwear. The Tecnica Bio-Flex closure system combined with a highly abrasion resistant upper, will outperform normal leather boots in this category. The Ascend Bio-Flex TCY features a Vibram Ice Trek outsole, which is pneumatic crampon compatible, and an asymmetrical tongue.

 

Color: Anthracite/Red

 

Size: M: 7-13

 

Weight: 3 lbs. 10 oz.

 

Upper: Kevlar/Nylon

 

Lining: Tecni-Dry (TCY)

 

Power Core/Insole: R Super

 

Removable Footbed: Excel

 

Outsole/Midsole: Vibram Ice Trek