Garmont Boots

[Nelly]

The Garmont Pinnacle and Mountain Lite GTX look like good canidates for an all around North Cascades climbing boot. Does anyone have any first hand experience with these boots? Good, bad, indifferent?

[bobbyperu]

nelly check out la sportivas "trango s" all synthetic, lighter, perfect for cascades, just my 2 cents if you dig la sportivas

[fleblebleb]

Feathered Friends has Kayland Multi Tractions, same kind of boot.

[Keith]

Try the Garmont Tower GTX. They have some flex which makes them comfortable for approach hikes but they are rigid enough for semi-pneumatic crampons. Because they are Gore-Tex there is no breaki-in period. Even better, they are light. The other two boots are stiff so will not be very comfortable on long approaches.

[jhamaker]

Whoa Nelly! Garmont boots chew up my feet. My T-3's (Scarpa) are the most comfortable plastic boots I own. W/ a Raichle therma-fit liner my feet are tottaly toasty below 0 degrees F - and they have never cracked in the cold. Shipped from CND you don't have to pas GST! Try MEC.

 

Rem: They run way small. My men's 8 us foot fit in a size 6.5 three yrs ago.

[iceaxe23]

I second the Garmont Tower GTX boots very very comfortable and quite some flex to them ( i have a pair and love them...my other boots are sportiva nepals). You could also try the Kayland Multitraction wich I heard is a great boot and way comfortable...

[David_Parker]

Garmont Boots "will take you further than you think." Wayne wore the Tower GTX's on Goode which he swore by. 15 mile approach and he really like the rubber for the climb. I believe I heard him say "the best boots I ever worn!" I actually wore Garmont Passos on the same climb. Now that is PROOF they will take you further than you think! I used Trango aluminum crampons on the glacier. Comparing the 2 boots, I think I was more comfortable on the hike, we were equal on the climb, and Wayne had the advantage on the hard snow. I have now ordered the Towers to be my boot of choice for the Cascades and Olympics! 2 weeks ago they were on sale at Feathered Friends. Limited supply and will not be reordered.

[wayne]

Yes, I did have the advantage, but I may have missplaced it. The Towers ROOOOOOOCK!!

[fredrogers]

quote:

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Originally posted by wayne1112:

Yes, I did have the advantage, but I may have missplaced it. The Towers ROOOOOOOCK!!

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Okay, so I've called around and have apparently missed out on the Towers (can't find them in my size and they've been discontinued). The Garmont Ferratta was suggested as an alternative. Any one have experience with these boots or have a recommendation for a mid-duty boot for some one with wide feet (Sportivas are out)?

[Bronco]

quote:

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Originally posted by Keith:

..... Because they are Gore-Tex there is no breaki-in period....

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What does Goretex have to do with break-in period?

[mwills]

check this thread for info on the trango s - this boot rocks.

 

as for the garmont towers - check this site, they have them in stock but not sure about sizes.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by Keith:

Because they are Gore-Tex there is no breaki-in period.

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sounds like something i heard at REI.

[David_Parker]

I now own Garmont Tower's and did my first climb in New Hampshire on Mt. Chocorua. New, out of the box: 9 miles total and no blisters! I'm stoked to have 'em and will put them to the extreme test this month on my next super alpine mixed climb.

 

If anyone is SERIOUS about getting them, I can help. PM or email me.

[fredrogers]

Ended up buying a pair of the Trango S's. Put 8-10 miles on them with no blisters this weekend. Very light- almost like a high top- and climb very well. If you buy these boots, do yourself a favor- replace the shitty factory insoles before you hike 100'- I didn't and was sorry.

 

A little too ghetto bling-bling with the bright red, but that dulled considerably with trail dust. Picked them up at Second Bounce- they have a few pairs in stock still.

[TimL]

quote:

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Originally posted by fredrogers:

A little too ghetto bling-bling with the bright red, but that dulled considerably with trail dust.

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Fred Rogers aka the mountain pimp daddy

[sterlingclimber]

I just purchased a pair of these boots. Love them.

[Keith]

The Gore-Tex minimizes the break-in period as compared to leather. Traditional leather boots are stiff and can take many miles of blisters before they really fit your feet and get soft. Not so with Gore-Tex.

[fredrogers]

quote:

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Originally posted by TimL:

quote:

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Originally posted by fredrogers:

A little too ghetto bling-bling with the bright red, but that dulled considerably with trail dust.

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Fred Rogers aka the mountain pimp daddy

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If'n I iz the mountain pimp, you be my ho', biatch.

[David_Parker]

quote:

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Originally posted by Keith:

The Gore-Tex minimizes the break-in period as compared to leather. Traditional leather boots are stiff and can take many miles of blisters before they really fit your feet and get soft. Not so with Gore-Tex.

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Here's a tip (from real cowboys) to minimize the break in period for leather boots. Get the boots soaking wet and wear them until they dry out on your feet!

[BigWave]

yo, gore-tex is a plastic baggy type stuff that is stuck to some thing. it matters nothing when breaking in boots (except it may retain moisture to help with the get your feet soaking wet part)the material the boot is made of i.e. leather, fabric, syn. leather, or what ever is the part that determines break in, and is usually proportionate to breakdown time. Either way though, keep puttin one foot in front of the other.

[TednCda]

The Garmont Ferratta was suggested as an alternative. Any one have experience with these boots or have a recommendation for a mid-duty boot for some one with wide feet (

[TednCda]

Oops, climbing before the belay was on.

 

I used the ferrata for a trip to

Glacier Peak in Montana and they were extremely comfortable both in and out as well as kicking steps and on 4th class rock. The sole is rigid enough to give a good edge.

The real question is how do they fit you. If they aren't a good fit, then all the good recommendations won't do you a bit of good

[David_Parker]

I climbed this:

 

 

with these!

 

 

Colin did same route with the Ferratas. Basically same boot, but in leather.

 

These are AWESOME all-round Alpine climbing boots for the Cascades. Lightweight, enuff flex for long hikes, stiff enuff for edging and crampons, great rubber for smearing. Best "do-it-all" boot I have found. THANK YOU GARMONT!

[Coondog]

David Parker & the other Garmont fans-

 

How waterproof have you found these boots to be? Worthy of multi-day trips filled with stream-crossings & rainy bushwacking???

 

Just finished bushwacking my way out of Ptarmigan traverse early due to weather & people having to return to their stupid jobs, and my feet got absolutely destroyed by my Sportiva Makalus... in fact, I seem to recall swearing to either burn them or turn them into planters... though they'll probably really end up on a shelf at 2ndAscent soon...

 

Point of story: roughly 300 miles in my Makalu's, 4 pairs of socks in rotation, moleskin + 2ndskin + neosporin + voodoo & my feet got shredded --> Makalu's suck... maybe I'll feed them to some friendly local snafflehounds...

 

Thx in advance-

--cd.

[SEF]

After 1 season of moderate use of the Garmont Towers, I mostly like them, but they are showing abnormal signs of wear. The fabric portion is starting to fray, and the seam with the leather is coming apart over the ball of the foot.

 

On a recent weekend I spent most of a day kicking steps up snow in them, and my feet were wet at the end. Folks in leather did not have that problem.

 

But they do offer a nice compromise in weight and stiffness, and I find them reasonably comfortable though I am prone to heal blisters in them, as well as most anything except sneakers.

[David_Parker]

quote:

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How waterproof have you found these boots to be? Worthy of multi-day trips filled with stream-crossings & rainy bushwacking???

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Try Extra-Toughs sold at Fisheries supply in Ballard.

 

Mine are pretty new and my feet get wet because I think they sweat a lot (doesn't seem to matter what I wear). I have not really put them to the test you describe. PM Wayne and ask him, but he stayed relatively dry on Goode and we had plenty of wet snow for the descent and he was dry for the most part. Personally, the "wet" part is not a concern as much as what the boot does technically. In this case, I'm looking for the best all-round boot for the North Cascades. I'll give it high marks for that.