Both the Joker 9.1 and its Soft version handle extremely well, however the testers actually preferred the regular version of the Joker for two reasons. Firstly, the Soft version was so soft it curled occasionally when feeding into the GriGri, causing it to jam while belaying. Secondly, when flaking the rope over a hand to throw, the slightly stiffer rope kept the loops separate and were less likely to bind when thrown. These however are very minor points.go to full review

I find that most mountaineering crampons perform well when mounted on a stiff pair of ice climbing boots. However, the softer the boot gets the less performance you can squeeze out of a pair of crampons. Of course this means that soft mountaineering boots appreciate a technical crampon when the going gets steep and icy. And this is where the Alpinist crampons really shine! They feature a unique heel slide design which adds rigidity to the crampon while all but eliminating any play between..." go to full review

As with any boot, there’s a trade-off between climbing performance and walking performance. Generally, stiffer boots climb better, while softer and more flexible boots walk better. As you would expect, the very soft Trango Tech walks quite nicely. However this soft Strobel lasted boot walks well because the toe flexes, which takes away from performance in snow and ice where a stiff platform is needed. The boots are quite stiff laterally though, which allows them to perform reasonably well on..." go to full review

The Taiss Light Mid GTX is a new lightweight mountaineering boot from Mammut which debuted this spring. While the colors may be understated, at least for the 2019 version, this boot is anything but. Exceptionally lightweight but still quite stiff and very dexterous, it walks well and climbs even better. I actually feel faster and lighter just putting these sick new boots on! Definitely one of my favorite boots of the summer and my new go-to for almost any type of summer alpine climbing,..." go to full review

A very cool device that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing with. I especially love the smooth assisted brake when rappelling and often take it with me on routes requiring technical descents or half ropes. However, if I’m using a single rope I’ll also bring a stitch plate so I don’t need the Giga Jul for belaying my second up.go to full review

An absolutely fantastic three season mountaineering boot. If you’re looking for something that does it all well (ice, snow, rock, trails, etc.) then you should definitely be checking out the Ribelle HD.go to full review

The new DART crampons also worked quite well when I tested them out on some dry-tooling. As they’re quite light, climbing steep or overhung sections is bit easier on the core. And the angle of the shortened mono-point made toeing in on small ledges and cracks fairly secure. I’m really quite impressed that Petzl could make the crampon so light without sacrificing either features or strength/rigidity.go to full review

My one complaint actually has to do with the logo. The Vibram® logo on the bottom of the shoe is placed under the front of the foot. Several times I found myself blowing feet and it took a little time to figure out why. Once I realized, I took some sandpaper to the logo, and problem solved!go to full review

A very versatile and durable rope that’s a pleasure to climb and belay with. Ideal if you’re looking for something for ice, alpine or red-pointing. I’d give it a pass if you’re looking for a TR cord and go for something with more heft. The 9.5 or 9.8 Crag Classic ropes are good for workhorse cragging and TR.go to full review

All of this adds up to one of the best choices for a technical climbing tool on the market! While you will notice how nice they feel in hand at your local gear shop you truly will be impressed the first time you take these out on real ice. These are a perfect choice for the ice climber who only occasionally (or never) climbs hard mixed routes. They excel on WI3+ routes. I would still reach for the Petzl Quarks for WI2 or more alpine type objectives but for ice cragging at Frankenstein, Ouray..." go to full review