Overall, the Reactor is a versatile and well-engineered tool that provides an excellent new addition to the Black Diamond family of ice tools. The only major shortcoming is the lack of a hammer (which must be bought separately). Although this is fine on most routes (and maybe preferred by some climbers), you'd need to make an additional purchase if you were planning thin, mixed or alpine routes that required specters and/or pitons.go to full review
The updated Nomics (585g each with standard accessories included, 500g without) are only slightly lighter than their predecessors while adding useful features including an integrated bi-material rubber grip over the shaft (making tape unnecessary), a built-in smaller hammer for pounding in pins, a steel spike at the bottom for use in cane mode, and tapered pick weights that slot better in cracks.go to full review
Black Diamond designed the Ultralights to fill a specific niche—mainly ski mountaineering, glacial travel, and big alpine adventures. For these pursuits, where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard, and I would rate them 5 stars. However, after several days of climbing frozen waterfalls using both Ultralights and traditional Express screws, I noticed some design limitations that, in my opinion, were not offset by the reduced weight when used..." go to full review
Considering these boots were designed for three-season use, I was a bit apprehensive about taking them out in August, which is peak summer season in the Colorado Rockies. To my surprise the Gore-Tex membrane did an excellent job at breathing, allowing my feet to remain comfortable while I hiked out in the blistering heat of lower elevations. Likewise, the boot remained warm in the cold mornings at higher elevations, even when I wasn't actively moving around. One morning I spent a few hours..." go to full review
The reader can assume from the number of stars I awarded the boots—two—that I was not impressed. The reader would be correct in this assumption. To be fair, the Stetinds have some redeemable attributes and can serve the right situation well, such as high-altitude treks. But for technical alpine and ice climbing, I would not recommend these boots to anyone. This is unfortunate, because my first pair of rock climbing shoes back in 1992 were the Boreal Aces—so Boreal's products hold a fond..." go to full review
When I put on the Nepal Cubes the next morning, the boots were surprisingly comfortable despite them sitting in a freezing tent vestibule all night. My fellow guides in three-season boots complained bitterly all morning as their feet slowly warmed. We tackled Joffre's "S. Ridge" route and I found my Cubes to jam and edge easily as we moved up some 5.8 pitches where, again, the lighter weight was notable. I was very pleased with the Cube's ability to transition from rock, to ice, to snow, and..." go to full review