All the fancy marketing lingo seems to be backed up by a fantastic product; these ropes handle very, very, nicely whether climbing or belaying. Edelrid struck just the right balance between stiffness and suppleness to make tying knots easy, clipping simple, and feeding adequate slack while belaying a leader smooth.go to full review

We've seen this shoe everywhere, on pros and dirtbags alike, and our testing reveals that they are immensely popular for good reasons. Their affordability is unmatched by other high-end climbing shoes, they climb all styles well, and they don't hurt our feet. We can't wait to bring them on winter sport climbing trips to Spain and then use them for spring time adventures on desert sandstone. These versatile shoes are an excellent addition to anyone's climbing shoe quiver.go to full review

The Acro helped our testers float up limestone sport climbs in Sinks Canyon, WY, edge on the granite patina of the City of Rocks in Idaho, and even send a few crack climbs in Yosemite Valley. We were psyched to find out that Butora is yet another company producing an excellent product to help us do what we love best.go to full review

The Petzl Sirocco is the lightest and most comfortable climbing helmet you can buy. These reasons alone make it worthy of our Editors' Choice award as the best overall, and it is also our top scorer. If you can afford the slightly elevated price tag, we don't think there is any reason to look further.go to full review

Petzl has been a step ahead of competitors in assisted braking belay devices since the first GriGri was released in 1991. With the GriGri+, they continue to deliver a belay device that is easy to use, functional, and safer than any other assisted braking belay device on the market. Between its anti-panic handle, two belay modes, and universally familiar design, the GriGri+ is an especially appealing option for those who are new to assisted braking belay devices or want to maximize safety..." go to full review

Overall, I think the Edelweiss Energy 9.5 mm is a great rope and definitely worth the purchase. However, there are some considerations to be made. First, the rope is not dry treated and has no water repellent so take extra precaution when using this rope in wet conditions. Second, after a couple days of use I did not notice any tears however, many areas along the rope sheath have begun to frazzle. Always check your rope before, during, and after use for any tears or signs of being worn out...." go to full review

The new Sirocco also ups its overall protection rating through the use of two different materials for shock absorption. The outer is the same, soft, expanded polypropylene that seems to bounce back from impacts and has proven extremely durable in the original orange. I’ve crushed mine into packs, have been hit by ice or rock countless times, and though it has the battle scars to prove it, the Sirocco has never let me down (and over the time I’ve had it, I’ve managed to crush a BD Vector and..." go to full review

I’ve been sport climbing in the Chimera for the past six months, and they’ve held up remarkably well. The shoe stretches about half a size, but otherwise the last remains nearly identical to its out-of-the-box fit—an achievement in shoe technology that may seem expected by today’s standards but was not really possible just 12 years ago.go to full review

Although it is unrealistic to expect any one rope to perform well in all of these categories, the Sterling Evolution Aero 9.2mm dynamic rope does a fine job of rising up to the challenge.  Straight out of the box, the Evolution Aero, with its DryCore and DryCoat treatment, shined in ice-climbing, alpine climbing, and mixed climbing across the winter freezes of Colorado.  As the summer climbing season drew on, the same rope was my top choice for multi-pitch rock routes, alpine climbs, and..." go to full review

In contrast to my 1997 harness this one is sleek and super light yet incredibly comfortable. The harness comes with 3mm of “honeycomb” like padding that gives comfort with very little added bulk. 3mm doesn’t sound like much but whilst hanging for 40 minutes doing crevasse rescue drills my legs and back felt surprisingly comfortable at the end. The single buckle is easy to use and stays snug. This minimal construction means that the harness packs down to around the size of an IPhone and..." go to full review