Boots for Pacific Northwest

[schmitt68]

I am trying to pull the trigger on my next boot purchase. I want something for year round alpine and ice climbing.

 

I am looking at the either the Kayland Hyper Tractions or the M11+. It seems the only difference is extra warmth (not much difference in weight). Does anyone in the area use these boots and what is their preference?

 

Thanks for the tips...

[EastCoastBastard]

I just bought some M11+'s - I'll let you know how they go. I met a climber out east (actually an RMI guide) who had the 6001's and said they were "the absolute best boots I've ever had". He said they "toed the line between warmth and performance" - the best balance between the two he'd ever had. AAI has a pretty stunning review of the hypertractions on their website. A friend of mine has both the M11+'s and the Hypertractions and says that the comparison is like a trango to a nepal (respectively). I think the M11+ is a little burlier than a trango, a little less so than a nepal, and the hypertraction is a little burlier than a nepal. He loves both, but apparently prefers the hypertraction for long, steep routes, and the m11's for the really hard stuff.

 

Hope that helps

Edited March 23, 2011 by EastCoastBastard

[joshzielinski]

can't compare the two but i live and climb in the NW and the M11 boots have been pleasant. haven't used them in warmer conditions but they seem to keep my feet pretty toasty (and dry) in these miserable winter conditions. comfortable and just the right amount of support for most casual alpine adventures (mountaineering with the occasional second tool/mixed endeavor).

 

hard to pull the trigger on any product in our conditions. wet, mild temps and some of the best climbing in the world make gear selection interesting around these parts.

[BigSky]

I've climbed in both and love both. Hypertraction gets the nod for me with a little more stiffness.

[BigSky]

Just a heads up, I saw that prolite has a 20% coupon going so if you're thinking Hypertraction you can save some $$$. Coupon

[divnamite]

If you want M11+, mountaineer has them onsale at 30%.

 

http://mountaineer.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MTR&Product_Code=M11Plus&Category_Code=55

[wdietsch]

a bunch of M11+'s just got dumped onto eBay as well

[JasonG]

I think for the summertime both of those boots would be way overkill for anything not on a volcano. Maybe you do a different sort of climbing than I do in the summer, but these look just about right: http://en.kayland.com/details.php?id=38

 

That is the problem with buying a boot for all seasons around here. With the large swing in conditions between the seasons, two boots really make more sense. I understand it isn't cheap, however.

[Dane]

the problem with buying a boot for all seasons around here...with the large swing in conditions between the seasons, two boots really make more sense.

 

Throw in a good pair of good runners as well for most every alpine approach..makes three pair.

 

All the Kaylands in the discussion are pretty stiff soled boots. Great for climbing...tough to walk in.

[builder206]

these look just about right: http://en.kayland.com/details.php?id=38

 

It doesn't look like those can take a step-in crampon. Do you know one way or another?

[JasonG]

Good point Dane, I was trying to hold back a bit. I agree that three pairs of footwear (four, if you include rock shoes) makes the MOST sense.

 

Builder, most lighter weight boots nowadays are designed to accept crampons with a toe clip rather than bail: http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/crampons/sabretooth-crampon

 

The MTX does not accept the old style step ins.....

[OlympicMtnBoy]

No, if you include rock shoes you can easily get above 4. ;-) But yeah, I wouldn't wear any of those for summer except a volcano where I was starting on or very close to the snow. Although really for summer if you are just starting out a good pair of hiking boots will do a lot, pair them with a pair of strap-on aluminum crampons and you can get up a lot of great moderate summer routes. You don't always need step-in crampons, super rigid boots, and sticky rubber fancy lightweight mountaineering boots if you are climbing 5.4 and moderate snow.

[JasonG]

True, true. I still think one of the best purchases I ever made was getting a pair of these 10 years ago: http://www.everestgear.com/421100.html. They are worn down quite a bit now, but still work great.

 

I often go on summer outings wearing approach shoes or leather hikers, knowing that my crampons will work on anything. You are right that a good pair of hiking boots will get you up most of the summertime classics, but the prices for a new pair (full retail) aren't much different than lightweight moutaineering boots like the LaSportiva Trango Alp or Kayland MTX. I'd stay away from the Trango S (and ANY boot that uses that kevlar weave stuff)- my pair only lasted 11 months before they blew apart. So far the Alp is much more durable and still climbs really well.

 

One last point on the Kayland's- unless they have changed the interior lining they used about 6+ years ago, I'd steer clear. I had a pair of the Multitractions (http://www.itchyfeet.com/footwear/womens_footwear/boots_womens_107/w_multitraction.htm) that I wore the lining out before they needed a resole. Great boots otherwise, but that is just unacceptable. You should be able to resole a pair of $300+ boots before they wear out, shouldn't you?