GearFlogger

La Sportiva Ganda approach shoe

Let me just say I think Gollum would have been a cooler name for La Sportiva's new approach shoe, especially since he climbs like 5.18 or something. So he kills midgets and other small game, even a mutant has gotta eat, right? Anyway, it's weird, they didn't ask me so we've got the Gandalf... oops! Copyright alert: new name: Ganda. Also, now available in a high-top Guide version.

I've had mixed luck with the approach shoe category. They are either too much like a rock shoe or not enough. That's changed with the Ganda: it fits like a glove, laces to the toes and with a combination of slip and board lasting it smears and edges well enough to work your way up 5.10 or beyond, depending on ability of course.

It also hikes comfortably. The dot pattern tread is not so deep that it collects too much mud, but is just featured enough to provide decent scrambling. Bring a brush to clean 'em up at the base of the climb and you're all set. The Ganda can definitely replace a hiking shoe/rock shoe combo for easy to mid difficulty multi-pitch and big wall climbs with big walk offs.

All approach shoes have to trade off durability of the sole for friction purposes, but the Ganda is designed to be resoled. With Sportiva's Italian-made quality this shoe deserves consideration, even if the price tag would make Gollum blink. Guides and other climbers who work as much as they play in the vertical world will rejoice.

$215.00 at Moosejaw

First Ascent Downlight Vest

First Ascent is like the Avengers, a team of climbing superheroes traveling the world to bag peaks. Officially known as Eddie Bauer/Whittaker Mountaineering First Ascent (it was so quiet you could hear a name drop...), we'll just refer to them as plain old First Ascent.

We're always suspicious of nameplate gear, but here's the low down: First Ascent is built to work high up. Down vests are a good test piece: if a company makes a good down vest, you can rely on the rest of their gear, and the First Ascent Downlight down vest is absolutely awesome. It starts with 800 fill down covered in superlight 1.06oz 20 Denier ripstop DWR nylon. The hems have elastic binding, the pockets (down on the outside to keep your hands warm as God intended) have a microfleece liner, and the neck is tall enough to cover SheFlogger's graceful cervix. Yes, cervix means neck. Look it up, perv.

The climbers at FA obviously run the design team. One small but illustrative touch: the left pocket has dual snag-free zipper pulls, one on the inside so you can turn the whole piece inside out and zip it into the pocket. Yeah, that's cool. The Downlight is slim but not over-quilted so it maintains its loft yet easily layers under a shell. In addition to the two exterior zipped handwarmer pockets there are two non-zipped inner pockets, narrow but deep. It would be nice if one of these was zipped so you could keep a wallet secure while using the handwarmer pockets, but hey, that's a minor quibble. If the SheFlogger is angry, go for the guaranteed get-out-of-the-doghouse-free berry color.

$129.00 at First Ascent

Arc'Teryx Dually belay parka

Aside from being named after a gas-guzzling redneck pickup truck, the Arc'Teryx Dually belay parka is one of the best designed mountaineering tops available. The lightweight pound and a half Dually uses their ThermaTek insulation inside a high-gloss, slightly crinkley DWR shell.

ThermaTek is a synthetic insulation that bills itself as being 100% hydrophobic due to each individual fiber being DWR treated. In practice it does a great job of maintaining warmth while wet, critical when your rope gun partner is raining hunks of ice on you while you're sitting in a wet and cold belay station. It also compresses at least as well as any other synthetic on the market and maybe just a tad better.

Nice touches include a snap at the hem so you can unzip the 2-way zipper a bit from the bottom and have a nice little hole for your belay device without any loose ends flapping around. Every alpine jacket should have this feature. The Dually has two extra-large stretchy pockets inside that easily swallow quart bottles, another big plus especially on summit day when you need all the integrated storage you can get. There are two external zippered handwarmer pockets that for some reason have a microfleece lining that feels great until it gets wet. The hood is helmet compatible, the zipper flap is a nice stout design that flares at the top and there's a small but functional stretchy draft collar inside. Note: no chest pockets, which is fine because if you're wearing three layers chances are you've got chest pockets on every one of them already.

The Dually is a great synthetic parka no doubt. I run cold most of the time and the Dually was comfortable down to about -10F with a medium weight layer underneath. The sizing is different from the normal tailored cut of Arc'Teryx clothing: it's cut large to fit over your other layers. You might be able to go a size down and still have room for layers. The Dually is an excellent choice when you will be dealing with extreme cold and wet during the same epic.

$499.00 at Amazon

Black Diamond Spinner leash

Got leash? How about two? How about two with a GearFlogger-orange anodized swivel, one that will save your new ice tools that cost more than your first car - admittedly a PoS Pacer X - from falling into oblivion on pitch 42 of your new test piece, Scary Little Sphincter?

Black Diamond's Spinner double spring leash will do this for you. A mere 4 oz. girth-hitched to your belay loop, the Spinner has two 18 inch elastic webbings that stretch more than twice their original length and clip into the spike of your ice tools. In practice they stay pretty much out of the way, but you might want to run them inside your sternum strap to gather the slack.

The Spinner is a no-brainer for water ice, especially if you want to leash your leashless tools... wait... wha? Hmm. Anyway it both costs and weighs half as much as a pair of Androids. With a strength of 2 kN you could hang on it, but don't. Read this if you really have to be told why. If you're just looking for a safety tether for compatible alpine tools on Denali's West Rib or Cassin, the Spinner is a great choice there too.

$49.95 at Amazon 

Columbia women's Bugatrek Omni-Heat boot

The Columbia women's Bugatrek Omni-Heat boot (or trail running shoe, depending on your point of view) could be a great piece of lightweight, waterproof footwear, designed for women with low-volume feet, but you'll want to try it in person due to a construction detail that might eat your feet.

But first, what's to like: the Bugatrek is sleek, lightweight at 27.4oz for a pair of size 6.5, and has a grippy sole with just the right amount of flex for serious terrain. Warmth is great, likely increased by the Omni-Heat technology, which is like a little space blanket for your feet. There's a nice strap lock on the heel for snowshoes, a serious toe bumper for things that go bump on the trail, and the lacing system is top notch with two lugs on top to cinch it all down.

The Bugatrek would be an easy boot/shoe to like, except for the top front corners where the two lace lugs on each side are mounted. Those corners are extremely stiff and not a little sharp, so on our SheFlogger they cut into the front of her shins just above the ankle. Even when we aggresively tried to break them in with repeated bending they still aggravated. It's too bad, because the boot otherwise rocks. If the tongue could be extended or the corners redesigned to be softer the Bugatrek would be a winner. It's possible it might not bother you, but be aware.

$74.99 (on sale from $99.95) at Altrec