All Around cascade Shoe?

[Blake]

Can anyone suggest a good shoe for alpine trips in the cascades? Ideally it can do all of the following fairly well:

 

Long hikes on trail

 

Scrambling/sliding/edging/sidehilling on loose uneven ground

 

Fairly stiff for kicking steps in snow

 

Moderatey resistant to get soaked on snow/glaciers

 

Some Sticky-ish rubber for easy rock climbing is a plus

 

It doesn't need specific crampon welts.

 

The lighter the better, for stashing in the pack while using rock shoes.

 

 

I suppose I am imagining a trail-runner/hiking boot/approach shoe combo.

 

Thanks a ton.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2007 by Blake

[ClimbingPanther]

Sounds like you almost described the La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX, although I know someone who isn't thrilled with the supposed waterproofness of the gore-tex. I have the older non-gore-tex version, and they are a dream unless I'm on deep wet snow for hours at a time.

 

You are probably thinking more of a shoe than a boot, but if sidehilling is in your game plan, I'd be afraid of screwing up my ankles in shoes.

Edited June 22, 2007 by ClimbingPanther

[Toast]

ditto, Trango S EVO GTX

[TrogdortheBurninator]

you might consider these (garmont vetta plus). A bit lighter than trango S and a fair bit more compact. I have em and like them so far. More boot-approach shoe hybrid than trail runner, but I think that is a good thing.

 

[kevbone]

This is the shoe I have .....very light...I love it.

[Alpaholic]

So you have a compromise between "Fairly stiff for kicking steps in snow" and the "trail runner/../approach shoe combo". So how stiff do you want it (...right)? Most boots with a stiff shank ARE going to have a welt in the back for crampons...assuming you know this, are you looking for something along the lines of this?

http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/502

or this?

http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/imanf/La+Sportiva/idesc/Trango+Guide+%2D+Men/Store/MG/item/203313/N/663

 

Heading further down the trail running side of things, what about just going with an approach shoe? Something like the Montrail D7 would make a good trail runner/fast hiker but still climb well, is light and you can strap crampons on for low angle glaciers. Couple that with an ankle gator and you've got a pretty good light and fast setup. Down sides would be not stiff and not waterproof (unless you find a GTX version).

 

[DirtyHarry]

Everyone I know just uses low-top approach hikers for summer stuff.

I guess a more waterproof version of the same would be cool. The Montrail Hurricane Ridge is close, but still not completely h20 proof and doesn't climb all that well.

[chesterboo]

dito with the trango