Anyone use Scarpa Rebel Carbon GTX?

[John H.]

Found a pair of Scarpa Rebel Carbon GTX in my size on the remainder rack at a local REI, and since the price was good I decided to try them around the house. These are the completely uninsulated ones which I gather are being phased out in favor of the more insulated Rebel Pro.

 

My LS Trango S Evos are pretty worn after a few seasons and I'd planned to replace them soon with another pair of Trangos. The Rebels fit my feet nicely and are even lighter, and seem functionally comparable to the Trango S. The carbon fiber shank design makes them very stiff across the inside of boot but more flexible on the outside, so they are actually stiffer than my Trangos when I stand on the inside toe, but are at least as comfortable to walk in. My guess is they'd be as good or better for front pointing with crampons than the Evos, though I haven't tried them outside the house yet since I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to keep them (yes, I know REI will take them back even if they are trashed...).

 

Anyone have experience with these boots? Do they hold up as well as you'd expect considering they are fabric boots and not going to last forever? I'd use them mostly for summer alpine stuff where a boot would be better than approach shoes (class 2-5.easy rock with some possible snow or alpine ice mixed in).

[JasonG]

Well, Ueli wouldn't use crap, now would he?

 

Maybe Sepultura could weigh in- I think he has had these for a couple seasons and is happy with them. They're pretty good looking if you can find a deal like you did. Pretty spendy for full list.

 

I wouldn't expect them to be any more durable than the Trangos.

[John H.]

Not more durable than the Trangos is OK as long as they aren't way less durable. The Trangos wore better than I expected, given their fabric construction.

Edited October 1, 2013 by John H.

[JasonG]

Watching Scott wear them choss dogging over the past few years, I would expect them to wear about the same. They're crazy light though, as you know.

[RafalA]

Here's my take: http://www.thealpinestart.com/2013/07/field-tested-scarpa-rebel-gtx-carbon/

 

They've held up very well, considering all the sharp scree they've been subjected to. The sole is still doing well after 1.5 years, and the upper looks almost unscathed.

 

Highly recommended. Nobody I know of who has a pair can figure out why Scarpa NA is taking these out in favour of the Rebel Pro (which is a much, much warmer boot).

[John H.]

Thanks, Jason and Rahal. Good info. I've been a lurker on this site for some time, but figured I'd ask the question here as the signal to noise ratio is better than many other climbing sites.

[olyclimber]

Thanks, Jason and Rahal. Good info. I've been a lurker on this site for some time, but figured I'd ask the question here as the signal to noise ratio is better than many other climbing sites.

 

[Coldfinger]

Just a quick note on fit, I had the Scarpa Maverick (same Uehli Steck line as the Rebels) and they have a tighter fit than normal for Scarpa boots. Reason given is higher performance. Also, the tongue is very stretchy, so it further reduces boot volume through compression, but the fit is very good, provided your feet are not wide.

[John H.]

I was actually surprised how well they fit. I have fairly low profile feet and I've always thought that I was a better Sportiva fit than Scarpa but so far these have fit perfectly. Fingers crossed that the govt. shutdown will end before the snow comes to the Sierra - they'd be perfect for some climbs I want to do in Yosemite and SEKI NPs.

[Bronco]

FWIW - I ordered a pair of Rebels from REI outlet this summer (they still have them for $320) and wore them around the house for a week. Loved the fit but decided the Rebel is not different enough from the pair of Scarpa Charmoz that I currently own and have a couple of seasons left before really needing to be replaced.

 

The issue that really cemented returning the Rebels is that the heel piece on all 4 pairs of crampons that I own are too wide for the heel of the boot, leaving a lot of space between the metal "tabs" and boot heel on the sides. Dane has some info about this on his blog. I think there are some crampons available that fit the boot better but I couldn't justify new boots and crampons.

[John H.]

My Newmatic G12s (which is what I'd use in these) fit about the same on the Rebels as on my old Trangos.

[johnnygraec]

I got a pair right before climbing the north ridge of baker a couple months ago and they worked great if that helps you decide. I thought the rebel's were supposed to be lighter than the trango s but they were nearly the exact same weight by my scale. For me the rebel's walk way better/feel more natural than the trangos and climbed moderate ice great.