A text message flashed across my screen, “Will you climb the Scenic Cruise with me this year?”

“Of course,” I replied, “that climb rules. I would do it any day of the week. Actually every day of the week if I had the chance.”

Internally, I wondered about my friend’s request after our last ignominious trip to the Black together. The one that ended with my friend refusing to leave the picnic table and rack up because he insisted that there was no way he was going back “there”, into the depths of the canyon.

On the phone later, he described his sudden change of heart as part of his goal setting for the year, professionally and personally. That prompted an exchange of emails with beta and photos and route descriptions.

In the process, I also started exploring the routes I wanted to complete next, in the Black and elsewhere. I began rummaging through the many guidebooks on my shelves, and one book I always go back to again and again is the latest edition of Yosemite Big Walls, the 3^rd edition by SuperTopo, published in 2011.

Yosemite is widely considered the greatest climbing area in the world, and with good reason. Towering walls of perfect granite grace the famed Yosemite Valley, with access almost as easy as a sport climbing trip to Rifle. Thousands of well established routes, from the smallest boulder problem to the biggest walls in America, draw the attention of a wide array of climbers each year.

The latest edition of Yosemite Big Walls improves upon the popular formula developed by SuperTopo for which it has gained fame in the climbing guidebook genre. Chris Van Leuven spearheads the latest effort, and he’s certainly qualified to be at the helm of this project. Chris has spent much of his life living in the Valley, quickly moving there after high school in a classic “Yosemite University” experience. You could say he stayed for his doctorate work, living there for over 10 years, off and on with seasonal stints elsewhere.

Chris brings his own experience and style to the latest book with an increased focus on free routes and free climbing beta. Having climbed with Chris on the Big Stone (El Capitan), I can appreciate his desire to ditch the aiders and don the free shoes, traveling light and fast. Not surprisingly, the book’s cover photo features Nico Favresse free climbing on El Cap instead of someone grabbing a pin on aid, as was the case in the previous edition.

What I like about the latest edition:

• Same accuracy of detailed information that has come to be expected of SuperTopo books. Routes have been updated from firsthand experience and through beta posts on supertopo.com. The topos are detailed and filled with information such as pitch lengths, gear advice and notable terrain features.
• The book includes 14 new routes, with the same number of pages as the prior edition, including some of the storied free climbs you read about in the magazines. Even if free climbing El Cap is a pipe dream you will never attain, the book offers a great resource for information and inspiration. I love being able to grab this book while reading about El Cap stories such as Tommy trying to free the Dawn Wall.
• A number of new pictures grace the pages which will leave many salivating at the chance to get their hands on some Yosemite granite.
• A number of small improvements like articles on clean aid tricks and the geology of big wall climbing.

What I don’t like:

• They removed the ratings “beta box” that went along with each route. Perhaps it was deemed unnecessary but I liked having a quick reference to look at when considering a route and whether it was what I wanted to do. It gave you a sense of mandatory free moves and was a quick check on how many pitches were easy or hard.
• I love the stories and the brief biographies of key players in Yosemite but I was hoping for an expanded history to make this an even finer coffee table worthy book. I understand that printing full color pages are expensive and that space is a premium but I was really looking forward to some fresh history. In fairness they did update “about half” of the histories but I was hoping for something more. I feel like the players section at the back could be better utilized.
• They added GPS coordinates but having been lost or severely confused on more than one Yosemite approach or descent I could see the value of having pictures to help visually show the start of climber approach trails or other tricky spots.

Yosemite Big Walls is a great guidebook and one that is befitting any climbers’ bookshelf. It is a book that most any climber can find something to make a goal of, short term or long, and start plotting and scheming for a road trip to the Valley. On these cold winter nights I often find myself flipping through its pages, eager to turn the many possibilities found between the covers into a reality.

Mike Schneiter eagerly anticipates his next Yosemite roadtrip. He is the owner of Glenwood Climbing Guides.

The winter show is always a little quieter than its summer counterpart, especially on the rock climbing front. Most of the new gear on display will be coming out in the fall, so usually that means new ice gear, winter clothing, etc. On the flip side, the gear that we could only look at in the summer will likely be hitting retail shelves soon, so it’s exciting to see what will be coming into play for the spring season.

Despite my social director (Tracy) being absent, I still had some good times on that front. I want to give a shout out to Edelrid and Sanuk for the appointments with most laughs. Ran into David from Climberism, who looked to be all business. Finally met Brendan from Semi-Rad.com, and had some good laughs as people were scooping up his stickers left and right from the booth we were chilling at. And a big thanks to the Rab ladies for getting me out to the free Franti show on Thursday night, it was phenomenal. Even got some exercise in, hitting up Momentum and the Front, unreal how good those facilities are. OK, enough of that, onto the gear!

This time around there was the usual fun stuff from a variety of folks, although a few booths were fairly quiet. Here’s a recap of (almost) everything we saw:

Black Diamond

The big focus here was all the fun skiing stuff, but that’s a topic for some other website. This spring there’s a slew of new rock gear coming out, including the Flight, Siren and Focus harnesses and the new Vector helmet. For the Fall, keep an eye out for the new hooded Oz and Oz rackpack. The Oz is now hot forged, so even with the hood it still weighs only an ounce. Also in the fall comes the Aspect and Lotus harnesses, getting more upgrades in materials.

Evolv

The new Astroman, which debuted at the last show, got some refinements, including the now popular love bump under the toes. This gives it a more high performance edge, but I’m wondering if it’s crack jamming abilities will suffer without your toes being flat. Time will tell, it’s due out in early summer. Also, picked up a pair of the Cruzers, the new lightweight approach shoe, and wore them around the entire show. Surprisingly comfy given their minimalistic feel.

Five Ten

This was a pretty quiet show in the Five Ten booth, and they’ve actually parred the line down a bit for next year. (Adios Supermocs and Hornets). They do have a new slipper coming called the Outlaw, which will offer a more narrow fit then is usual for the brand. They’ve also tweaked the Anasazi High Top, which offers the performance of an all day shoe in the convenience of a slipper. I was told the summer show should be more exciting, as they will have their feet under them from the Adidas buyout, and will be pushing forward in their usual manner.

Gregory

The Alpinisto is a new alpine/ice climbing pack, available in a 35L and 50L sizes. A bunch of great features on this one, including my favorite, a side zipper that allows access to the inside of the pack.

Mammut

For Fall, there’s a couple new jackets, along with a new helmet. The Alpine Rider will appeal to the jack of all trades, as it’s certified for use in snow sports as well as climbing and mountaineering.  And keep an eye out this spring for the enviro friendly Transformer rope, and the stylish El Cap helmet.

Metolius

Some great stuff coming out this year, including the SafeTech Crux helmet, which I’ve been wearing since October and absolutely love. They also have two new harnesses, the SafeTech Trad and comp, both featuring speed buckles and lighter weight materials than their predecessors. Boulders will want to take a look at the Bouldering Shield, an item taken from the stunt world to help better direct falling climbers onto pads.

Mountain Khakis

Having earned a permanent place in our hearts with the wonderful Lake Lodge Twills, they continue to put out high quality lifestyle clothing. They’ve also got some new bags, including one that uses recycled rope as the handle.

Native

A new lense was the big news here, which blocks up to 40% of infrared light from hitting your eyes. The result is that your eyes get less tired, and wont get as dry without all that heat reaching them.

Outdoor Research

Some fun stuff here, as the company continues to pump money into R&D. First up, the Lodestar jacket and pants, which blend “the warmth of a puffy with the moisture-wicking properties of fleece and the protection of a softshell,” and are sure to appeal to those spending most of their time ice climbing in cold weather. The Salvo utilizes Windstopper X-Fast material, and should bring a smile to the light and fast crowd, and the Incandescent is a new puffy made with Pertex and filled with 800 fill down. I got warm just looking at it. The other thing that stood out was the Feedback Flannel, which looks and feels like a cotton shirt, but is really synthetic, offering some style as well as performance. Lastly, the Mixalot glove looks to be an excellent light climbing glove for those spend most of their time on the steep stuff in the winter months.

Prana

These folks are jumping full steam ahead into more winter wear, with a wide selection of jackets that bring a lot of style to a somewhat boring space. They’ve also got a new women’s hemp yoga collection that sure to please the enviro friendly crowd.

Patagonia

Some fancy new digs going on at this booth, including the Nano Puff Hybrid, which features a Nano Puff top combined with R2 fleece on the bottom for an ideal active-in-cold-weather jacket. Not content with that fantastic creation, the mad scientists at Patagonia have also combined Polartec Wind Pro with Power Dry to make the Piton Hybrid, the perfect softshell for long alpine climbs. Many of the colors on display here were more reminiscent of the latest trend in the ski industry, with lots of bright neons, and anyone who had fun in the early 90′s will surely be nostalgic for those days when they see the Fall ’12 lineup.

Petzl

Probably the most innovative new gear at the show was on display here with their NAO headlamp, featuring a reactive lighting system. There is a sensor on the headlamp which detects the ambient light and adjusts the output of the beam accordingly. So imagine you are climbing the Grand, and you start in the early morning dark. As it gets lighter with the coming of the day, your headlamp automatically adjusts the brightness lower and lower, saving a bunch of juice in your batteries. It’s also programmable with multiple modes via their Petzl OS software. Also, the Elios/Elia gets an upgrade, the e+LITE is brighter, and the large Ange biner is coming soon.

Rab

The usual sickness was on display here, and the highlight for me was the new Generator Alpine Jacket, a 21 oz synthetic shell with 100 grams of insulation in the body. The Ice Fall looks like a great ice climbing jacket, both bomber and highly breathable. And there are some new offerings in their MeCo line, which features a blend of Merino wool and recycled polyester that dries five times faster than standard Merino.

Scarpa

The new Boostic is coming this Spring, along with the Crux, an everyman’s approach shoe at the reasonable price of $99. The Gecko gets a sole upgrade, making it more versatile in a wider range of conditions, and the Tech Ascent will be a new mid top approach shoe with GoreTex.

Sportiva

No longer just about footwear (and skis), they have introduced a new clothing line, featuring everything from base layers to hard shells to puffy jackets. In all there are 48 different pieces in the line, each bringing some Euro style to the market. For the spring, the Futura is on the way, along with a slew of new approach shoes, the most interesting to us being the featherweight Vertical K. I also spoke with president Jonathan Lantz about the production issues that have been problematic for the brand over the last year, and he gave me a glimpse into the fascinating world of high end cobblers and Italian labor laws. Rest assured for the loyal Sportiva fans out there, they should have everything back on track very soon.

We also saw great stuff from Sanuk, Osprey, Nau, Vapur, Treksta, Deuter, Patagonia Foootwear, and others. Thanks to everyone for a great show!

December usually turns my attention towards ski season, but winter has been slow to come to Idaho this year. Instead of sliding down hills, I’ve been climbing in a t-shirt, belaying in a puffy, and taking advantage of the diverse nature of the Black Cliffs to test out the new Evolv Geshido.

As anyone who has climbed at the Cliffs can tell you, if you want to send, you had better bring your feet. The columnar basalt offers everything from technical face holds and smearing, to cracks and overhanging roofs. To climb well here, you need a shoe that can do it all, on a variety of styles.

The Geshido, as I’ve found, is just that shoe, somehow climbing like both a bouldering slipper AND a trad shoe at the same time. It kept my foot in a downturned position while climbing under and over roofs, and then flattened out while pressing into technical face moves and smears. Also, the downturned last was surprisingly comfortable at second pitch belays, and I was shocked to find that it was not painful to jam into cracks.

The versatility of the Geshido is accomplished through its unique VTR3D variable thickness rand and concave plastic midsole. The sole of the shoe is thicker and thinner at strategic points, which allows it to switch from a downturned shape to a flatter last with minimal pressure. There is a noticeable concave divot in the rand located at the ball of the foot, which keeps the toes in a downturned position but can be easily depressed to straighten it out. A plastic midsole gives the shoe solid support for crack climbing and standing belays.

Departing from their synthetic standard, Evolv gave this shoe a real leather upper that molds and stretches to your foot. This is good news for people who like their shoes to feel like old friends, but bad for the vegetarians out there. In fact, I know many people who choose Evolv shoes because they have traditionally been made of synthetic material, instead of dead animals, so this shoe might not appeal to them. Another thing that might turn some heads is the price. The Geshido retails for $135, which is a bit on the high side from other shoes in the line, especially for those of us not buying their shoes at pro-deal prices.

That being said, if you are looking for a versatile shoe that excels at all types of climbing, and you’re not afraid to throw down some dough, the Geshido should be your next climbing shoe (assuming you’re not a vegetarian, of course!) It’s certainly become my shoe of choice for the Black Cliffs in Boise, and I’m psyched to get it out to other climbing areas soon.

For more info and tech specs, check out the Evolv website.

Jeff Cole is based in Boise, Idaho. His climbing travels have taken him around the world, from the limestone of Oman to the choss of Ecuador.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!

Mountain Khakis Lake Lodge Twill Pants

“I feel like a super hero in these pants.”
“You look like the Joker.”
For my birthday climb, I was in a festive mood, and deiced to sport my new Lake Lodge Twills from Mountain Khakis. They call the color Mint Julep, which is just about the most awesome green color imaginable. In fact, I’ve received countless comments and compliments about the pants (being told you look like a Euro is a good thing, right?) The pants are the perfect blend of cotton and spandex, my favorite combo for climbing, offering excellent stretch and durability. This is the best climbing specific pant MK makes, and one of the my all time favorites. For the less fashion included, they come in normal colors, but you can also get them in a nice bright red as well.
Get more info on their website.

Mammut Neon Gear 45

This might be the ultimate sport cragging pack, as no feature has been overlooked (how very Swiss). First off, the bag has a great cube shape, which makes it easy to stuff all your gear in. The back panel zips open, allowing for instant access to everything you have inside. The bag comes with a rope tarp, so you can strap your cord to the outside, and then flake it on the tarp when you get to your climb. There’s a mesh pocket for storing your shoes, and, my personal favorite, there’s even a little zippered bag to store your chalk bag in, so you don’t get chalk all over your stuff. For sport cragging at places like Rifle, Clear Creek Canyon or Wall Street, this bag is tough to beat!
Get more info on their website.

Metolius Feather Nut Tool

A perfect stocking stuffer, this is about as light as you can get for nut tools, weighing in at a scant 21 grams. It doesn’t seem as burly as other, well, more burly tools, but so far it’s held up well on several multipitch endeavors. Small and simple, this one is sure to make any trad climber smile.
Get more info on their website.

The Climbing Dictionary

Maybe THE climbing gift of the year, this one is sure to provide countless hours of enjoyment year round. It’s become a permanent addition to my bathroom reading arsenal, right next to the Official Dictionary of Sarcasm (another excellent read). No longer will you be scratching your head when your friends talk about a drill sergeant, grabbing a crozzler, holiday grades, or the elusive pudpoint. Truly one of the greatest literary achievements of our time.
Get more info on their website.

Native Bolder Sunglasses

I have a love/hate relationship with sunglasses. I love that they protect my eyes, and feel naked if I forget them at home. I hate how they tend to get abused so quickly and soon end up in the scratched pile. I’ve been wearing the Native Bolder’s since the summer, and so far they’ve held up incredibly well. All their lenses are polarized, and every pair comes with two different options, which are easy enough to swap out. Every model features venting to keep you from sweating in your eyes, and they’ve got some stylish frames to choose from.
Get more info on their website.

Nau Down Shirt

Nau is a very cool company based in Portland, OR, whose goal is to make sustainable urban and outdoor apparel. I’ve known of the brand for some time, but hadn’t ever checked out their stuff before this fall, when I scored the new Down Shirt. A quick perusal of their site will reveal a fashionable take on outdoor staples, and the Down Shirt is no exception. Offering incredible warmth for its weight, it will feel right at home when you go out to dinner with the in-laws over Christmas. They’ve got a bunch of other great stuff worth checking out, and it’s a welcome change from other brands that tend to look like they are passing around designers each year.
Get more info on their website.

Primo Chalk

To most folks, chalk is chalk, but not for these guys. Their chalk uses a blend of 5 different oils and a natural drying agent, which they claim is superior to other forms of chalk. It makes your skin less dry, while offering better grip, and you don’t need to reapply as often. Most folks probably don’t have any problem with the current chalk, but if you get really sweaty palms, this could be the perfect gift this holiday season!
Get more info on their website.

Prana Stinger Jacket

This is one of those jackets you’ll end up taking everywhere. Light enough you wont think twice about throwing in the pack, but warm enough to block a cool wind on a chilly cragging day. A generous cut comes low and keeps the cold at bay. The side panels are breathable fleece, giving it more breathability than the usual insulating jacket.
Get more info on their website.

It’s been several years since that day in the desert, and 80m ropes are still a rarity in the US. My sources overseas tell me it’s become more common place in Europe, but here in the land of the free, 60m seems to be holding strong as the standard. I’d been wanting an 80m for awhile, as we spend a lot of time in Indian Creek, where the pitches can be very long, and sometimes require two ropes to get off. I knew I’d have to get a small diameter, to justify the extra length, but after climbing the last two years on a 9.4, I was ready to make the jump. This fall we got a 9.2 Bicolor 80m Sterling Nano, and it was off to the races to see what this thing could do.

On our first trip to the Creek, I was a little hesitant, but that uncertainty was soon put to rest: it was a dream to climb on. The skinny cord clipped with ease, and at the top of a long pitch, you didn’t notice the weight, or the drag, nearly as much as on something like a 9.8. It’s fairly stretchy, but feels about the same as our 9.4, which we use for everything. And with 262 feet of rope, we could now get off pitches that were over 130 feet long, without having to tag along another cord. Which leads us to the other reason we fell in love with this rope.

There’s a climb at Red Rocks we had been on once before, but ran out of time due to a variety of factors, so we were headed back as a team of two to get it done. Normally you’d need two ropes for the nine rappels, but looking at the pitch lengths, we knew we could do it with a single 80m. It was a great day of climbing, where the pitches flew by, the climbing supremely enjoyable, and life at the belays made all the more simple by not having to deal with the cluster of a second rope. Now, I truly hate climbing with two ropes, as the added complexity of the situation is offensive to my sense of aesthetics, so for me, to be able to leave the ground with only one was incredibly liberating. It also gave us one less thing to worry about on the way down, as there was no knot to get snagged on flakes each time we pulled the rope.

I’ve only got one complaint so far, and that’s how kinked the cord was/is. It’s taken a long time to work out 262 feet of twists, which gets to be a pain after a while. I’m also a little concerned about the durability, as it’s such a skinny line, but so far I have no complaints.  If you spend much time in the desert or anywhere with long pitches, or just want a light and long rope for multipitch routes, be sure to give this thing a look.

You can get full tech specs and more info on the Sterling website.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!

Yet again it was one of the filmmaking competition shorts that probably got the most laughs of the evening, with the Climber Kid/Karate Kid spoof. After that, things got kicking with Ice Revolution, which was a cool look at the most bizarre ice climbing on the planet. Even though it’s obscure, it was hard not to get caught up in Will and Tim’s enthusiasm, and Helmcken Falls looks like a truly surreal place to climb.

Next up, Cold, which I saw at the 5Point Film Festival, and which has been winning awards left and right in the film community. First time around, I thought it was a brilliant and raw glimpse into the world of extreme high altitude mountaineering. Second time around, it was just as powerful. The moment after the avalanche when Cory Richards is looking into the camera the look of raw fear on his face is simply unbelievable. My only gripe the first time ’round was the excessive use of f-bombs, which I thought detracted from an otherwise excellent film, so I was pleased to see it was edited for Reel Rock into a much more polished version.

And then finally we got some rock climbing, with another glimpse at the Dawn Wall project on El Cap with Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. Billed as the “hardest big wall” in the world, their efforts on the ultra techy granite are truly impressive and inspiring. The segment was a little shorter than I would have liked, but since it remains undone, I’m sure we’ll see more in the future.

I was hesitant about the bouldering segment, only knowing it revolved around a nine year old kid. It seems like every year there is a feature on some uber-strong grom who by the next fall has fallen off the map because the stress of high end rock climbing is just too much for their young minds. This one, however, ended up being my favorite film of the night, as it had a real story to it. I’d always wondered what happened to Obe Carrion, and this film shed light on his rise to stardom, his burnout, and his return to the sport he loves. In a way, it was just as much a film about him as it was the incredibly talented, nine year old Ashima, who puts down a V12 in Hueco in impressive style.

The second half of the show kicked off with an overly long segment about the speed record on the Nose. Those of us who went to 5Point a couple years ago felt like we were seeing Hans Florine’s slideshow from that festival turned into a movie. It’s certainly interesting, and crazy to see some of the risks these guys take. “No gear don’t fall” is yelled by Potter as he and Sean Leary near the top, and it’s hard to imagine being that high on El Cap, that tired, with no margin for error. I think this would have been better as a shorter segment in the first half, and they could have used this space for something a little more interesting to the masses than a speed record which, these days, comes down to mere seconds.

And then there was the last segment, about a sketchy fellow named Andy, who apparently is the top slackliner in the world. He spends his days cooking up insane tricks and free solo high lines between desert towers. I honestly felt like I was watching an episode of Jackass, where they recruited a bunch of dirtbag climbers to do all the dumbest stuff possible. I also cringed as I thought of all the high school kids in the audience, watching these guys pull off stunts that should not be emulated by kids without much technical savvy. This one left a sour taste in my mouth, and it may sound harsh, but no one will be shocked when we learn that this guy has perished. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for a film like this, but why feature it in the closing spot? I’d much rather go home with something inspirational like the Obe/Ashima piece swirling through my thoughts.

Overall, a fun show to be sure, and always fun to see the local community come out of the woodwork. Hopefully they raised a bunch of money for the high school, it seemed much better attended than last year’s event. I think overall the Tour wasn’t as impressive as year’s past, though the first half of the show felt cohesive and complete. I would have preferred to see the spotlight in the second half given to something with a little more substance, but I guess there’s always next year!

If you don’t have offset nuts on your rack, you haven’t really lived. I was converted several years ago when I checked out the new-at-the-time DMM Offsets, which were a reinvention of the popular, but out of production, HB’s. Instantly I was hooked, as they offered myriad opportunities for placement, and regular nuts just seemed so bland and limiting after that. Those first DMM’s were only offered in the larger sizes, however, and I only picked up a couple of the smaller ones when they were released, so I was psyched to check out the new offering from Black Diamond.

The shape is a little different than the DMM’s, and they’ve used bronze, instead of brass, which reportedly helps with durability. I haven’t abused them enough to comment on this, but I trust those smart engineer guys when they tell me this is true. These nuts are being touted as the pro of choice for things like flaring cracks and pin scars, but I’ve found them to be versatile for just about any kind of rock where you’re carrying a set of nuts.

From granite cracks, to basalt and sandstone seams, they tend to work where nothing else will. The smallest sizes are recommended for aid climbing only, but I like to think of them as my “it’s OK, just put them in and keep climbing till you find something better” pieces. Also, the folks who frequent the big walls of Zion and their copious flaring pin scars will likely find them an indispensable part of their rack.

Reaching out right, I was able to slot one of the BD offsets in a perfect section of dark, varnished sandstone. It wasn’t the trucker number 5 that could have been staring me in the face, but it was enough for me to move upward with confidence, and finish off the stellar pitch.

For tech specs or to purchase, head on over to the Black Diamond website.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!

Now, let it be known that I am a guidebook junkie. I prefer to have the complete tome to an area I visit, versus a bunch of Mountain Project print outs I’ll probably lose, or some skinny select book that shows me what this climb is, but not that one next to it. However, heading down for the weekend like we were, if I wanted comprehensive beta, I’d need to bring at least a half dozen large books to cover all the crags in the area, which seemed a bit absurd for two days of climbing. Instead, I decided to roll with a copy of the recent Best Climbs Denver and Boulder, figuring that should get us where we wanted to go.

With mornings and afternoons free, but shows in the evenings, we wanted something with a quick approach, that wasn’t too far from I-70, and in the shade. We settled on Clear Creek, as I’d climbed there once before and really enjoyed it. The steep, featured stone feels just like home, and some of the routes are LONG, which is always nice. We checked out two different areas in the book, and the beta was spot on.

Perusing the pages of the other areas it covers, it’s got all the usual classic spots you would expect to find in a book like this: the First Flatiron, Castle Rock, Redgarden Wall, etc. The full color photos make finding routes a snap, and there’s some great action shots sprinkled throughout, including one of local Nick Chan getting after it on his way up the Naked Edge. The directions seem to be accurate, and there’s fun tidbits of “trivia” like info scattered throughout.

As I said before, I generally prefer to have the complete beta for an area I’ll be visiting, but in this case, a “select” book was perfect. Anyone spending a couple days on the Front Range, looking to hit a variety of classics will likely find this a helpful book. And at $18.95, it’s WAY cheaper than the several hundred dollars you’d have to throw down to get all the guides you’d need otherwise.

I had met up with BJ and his wife Tracy the night before in Las Vegas to see if we could remember how to climb multipitch routes after a winter of skiing. In the morning, as we got our gear together, I pulled out my old skateboard helmet because Tracy, AKA Captain Safety, insists that I wear one while climbing with them. They looked at my helmet and then at each other as if I had just pulled an amputated arm out of my bag. Naturally, I was insulted, as I was making a huge concession by wearing one at all, and my skateboard helmet was the only one I could actually stand to have on for any length of time.

For me, climbing helmets are similar to hybrid cars in the sense that I like the benefits they provide, but they’re ugly and they suck to drive. I don’t usually wear one, as I find it hard to focus with an uncomfortable piece of plastic strapped to my head. Also, I’m not a vain person, but I think most helmets look silly, and I generally don’t like any gear that makes me look dumb.

Before I had a chance to defend my point of view, BJ pulled out a new helmet he’d just received from Black Diamond, the updated Half Dome. He said it was surprisingly comfortable and that I should give it a try, as it would probably work a little better than the one I had. Begrudgingly, I took it, but made a mental note to complain at the first signs of discomfort.

A couple hours later, I found myself halfway up a thousand foot climb, completely unaware of the helmet I was wearing. I was shocked. This was the first helmet I’d worn that I didn’t want to rip off my head as soon as I put it on. It was svelte and well ventilated, and had been easy to adjust at the base of the route. The straps were well placed and didn’t rub uncomfortably on my beard or ears. And if that wasn’t enough, it even looked kinda cool (or at least I didn’t feel dumb in it.)

Since I first wore the Half Dome that week at Red Rocks, it’s come on all my climbing adventures this summer, from big walls in Yosemite to single pitches at my local crag in Boise. It’s changed the way I think about helmets, and I can happily say my skateboarding one has been sitting at home, gathering dust.

For tech specs and ordering info, check out the Black Diamond website.

We’re glad Jeff is finally wearing a helmet, as he spends much of his time on chossy basalt cliffs in Idaho. This is his first post for SplitterChoss.com.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Like that makes a difference …

With that in mind, I’ve given a lot more thought to what I’m wearing on my feet these days. Stiff shoes have generally fallen off the map, as I want to be able to feel what it is I’m standing on. That being said, I’ve never been into slippers for outdoor climbing, and when I got the Python’s, I didn’t have any big plans or high expectations. I used them on plastic a couple of times, and they were nice, but everything changed the day I took them to Rifle.

I felt like I had stumbled across a door to a secret world, so this was what it was like to feel the holds under your feet! From that day forward, I’ve used them three to four times a week, all summer long, and they’ve become my go-to shoe for steep sport climbing. For the majority of this season, I’ve been climbing vertical to overhanging limestone, with foot holds that range from big, glassy ledges to small dimples and pockets. The Pythons allow for precision when standing on the most marginal of features, and even on the mirror-like bumps at Rifle I could stand with confidence, because I could FEEL the hold.

The fit is intended for lower volume feet, and the single Velcro strap helps cinch everything tight. The sole is a thin 3.5 mm XS Grip2, which is Vibram’s softest and stickiest offering. The unlined leather stretches to your foot, so be sure to get them a little tight. I have an 11.5 street shoe and went with 42′s, which was perfect. Being a slipper, they come on and off quite easily, which is nice since you’ll probably have them sized pretty tight for performance. And the toe hooking aficionados out there will find plenty of rubber on top for when the beta calls for fancy maneuvers.

Of course, these shoes aren’t for everyone, but those who appreciate a high level of sensitivity for steep climbing should find them to be an excellent choice. They’ve certainly allowed me to push my limits with new confidence this summer.

Retail on the Pythons is $130, more info and tech specs are available over at the La Sportiva website.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Like that makes a difference for how much we beat the crap out of it …