Archive for the ‘New Gear’ Category

Xplorer - New Ultralight Scramble Boot from LaSportiva

Friday, August 17th, 2012

July 19, 2012 - After a couple of hikes I think I’m ready to commit to a long day out with this new shoe from LaSportiva. My sense is the Xplorer is going to be a nice ultralight scramble boot, or approach shoe. I am really appreciating the lacing system. I am able to have them firm where I want, and less so at the toes or elsewhere.

I generally lace them a bit loose, and without the top boot hook for uphill on trails. For descents, or off trail, scrambling, and climbing I snug them up appropriately. The shoe closes around my foot like a glove

Most likely I will still choose a more rugged and protective boot for serious back country trips like the Pickets or similar, but the Xplorer should be nice for many fast and light missions. The Thunder, also from LaSportiva is currently my rugged light weight boot of choice. A boot with a very generous and roomy toe box.

Photo: John Scurlock

July 25, 2012 – The Xplorers took me up and down Mt. Stuart last Sunday. 15.5 hours round trip from the Ingalls Lk. / Long’s Pass Trailhead, with 7,000′+ elevation gain and loss. The trip starts with several miles of trail up to Ingalls Pass. Followed by a couple miles of snowfields and off trail travel leading to the mountains west ridge. The next 2,000′ is scramble rock climbing to a point where we roped up for several pitches of mid 5th class. For this section, I added a pair of socks and snugged up the laces a bit. The Xplorer’s climbed really well, and it was nice not having to carry a second pair of (rock) shoes.

The long descent from the summit would be a big test, with 4’500′ of foot torture known as Cascadian Couloir. Scrambling leads past the false summit to a very steep snowfield with nasty runout above rocks. I used the Grivel Air Tech Light crampons and one trekking pole that fits inside my pack for the snowfield. Then it was talus, scree, and steep loose footing seemingly forever. A quick stop at Ingalls Cr. was followed by 1,500′ of ascent to Long’s Pass, and then a final 2,500′ of steep trail down to the car.

Mission accomplished. I like these shoes!

Ready for the descent

Jim Nelson

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New Carabiner from Petzl

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

For many of us, one of the nicest carabiners of all time was the Petzl Spirit. Introduced in 1991 the Spirit was loved for it’s key-lock (hook free) design, and strong but easy gate action. My 20 year old Spirits have retained their great “action” to this day.

Introducing the Ange S. Much anticipated, delayed, and well worth the wait.

When petzl introduces a new product they do their homework. No rushing to market until everything is just right. Seven years in the making, but what a beautiful looking carabiner. When a company spends 7 years on development we think they’re worth a look. Two sizes Ange S (Also Available in Orange) 28 grams with 23mm gate opening, and Ange L 34 grams with 26mm gate opening. Ange L is expected later this year.

How to they perform in the real world? You will be the one to decide that. Come by Pro Mountain Sports for a look and touch.

Ange S - Gray, Orange.

Ultra-light, compact carabiner with MonoFil Keylock system.

Ange S

ANGE FINESSE

Quickdraws with ultra-light ANGE carabiners

10 cm Quickdraw with Ange S on top and bottom.

17 cm Quickdraw with Ange S on top, and Ange L on bottom (coming soon).

Finesse with Ange

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NEW TREKKING POLES from BD & Grivel

Friday, February 11th, 2011

LIGHT AND PACKABLE - 3 Models from Black Diamond, and one model from Grivel

The benefits of using trekking poles are long…But these poles get short!! Really short!! Half the length of what was called compact last year. If you don’t like using your poles uphill then put these in your pack. You want to have one just to help you on those thin ledges or to set up your tent?? Don’t sweat the lightweight. Wanna keep your knees on the downhill?? These will help your aging joints.

Better yet gone are the days of an adjustable pole that never stays the right length. Whether you want fixed or adjustable these poles pull together in a snap and will take you miles.

BD Distance and Grivel Himalaya

New Poles at Pro Mountain Sport

BD Distance BD Ultra Distance BD Distance FL

Grivel Himalaya

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NEW CASSIN & CAMP ICE TOOLS

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Riccardo Cassin dominated the 20th century with his big mountain conquests. From the Cassin Ridge on Denali to the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV in the Karakoram. Cassin was standing on top of the world. Starting in 1947 as a way for him to have the highest grade lightweight gear of his own design. Cassin turned to the company that had been making climbing equipment since 1889 CAMP. It was a match made in heaven and the marriage was made official in 1997 with CAMP’s purchase of Cassin.

Cassin X - All Mountain

Available for DEMO at Pro Mountain Sports

It is here. The new Cassin X-All Mountain Tool. After three years of research and development in close cooperation with our athletes, we are proud to release a tool that incorporates the many aspects of the CAMP Awax climbers have come to love while improving on other elements along the way. The Awax was well known for its ability to generate solid sticks from a single soft swing. This was a marvel of engineering as the Awax was also the lightest technical ice tool on the market. The solid sticks were the result of a perfectly balanced head and aggressive pick. The pick was probably the most notable part of the Awax. Its aggressive beak, thin profile and optimized tooth configuration were a refreshing alternative to the blunt picks found on many new ‘mixed tools’ that seemed to climb rock fine, but either bounced off or broke ice especially on lower angle or brittle ice routes.

The All Mountain Tool incorporates our new All Mountain Pick, a near replica of the Awax pick optimized for the new X-series shafts which feature a slightly different curve pattern. With the All Mountain Pick, the All Mountain Tool has a very similar swing to the Awax, penetrates ice just as well, grips rock with equal aplomb, but then goes further with a system of interchangeable grip and head components that ultimately give the All Mountain Tool its name.

Ian Osteyee, one of the leading ice climbers in the Adirondacks and Erik Weihenmayer’s personal guide, was integral to the development of the All Mountain Tool. He entered the project with the belief that a single tool could truly handle all of the various ways we use ice axes on big alpine routes. At that point, the closest thing he had found was the CAMP Awax, but it was still lacking in certain ways. He found he had to optimize the handle with grip tape and some manipulations with a router to get the comfort he was looking for. He also had to jimmy with aftermarket pommel attachments to create a second pommel for leashless climbing. One thing he never had to futz with, though, was the pick. When Ian saw the modular systems of the Cassin X-Dry, X-Ice and X-Alp tools, he likened it to the Holy Grail. When he realized the head components (pick and hammer/adze) were separate, he knew this was a winning combination if the pick could be optimized for performance equal to the Awax. That was the last part of our development and after much early-season field testing, we have succeeded.

To Awax lovers, we can say sincerely that the new X-All Mountain Tool from Cassin is the new Awax. For ice climbers who have experienced the frustrations of pick bounce, ice bashing and shoulder fatigue common with the more aggressive ‘mixed tools’ now so popular on the market, we encourage you to swing the new All Mountain Tool. The Awax was routinely the favorite at ice festivals featuring demo tools from all the major brands. Its modest design and optimized pick angle created a tool that truly climbed all angles of ice with exceptional performance. In this way, it created many converts and took on a cult-like identity. With the new interchangeable grips, and the separate head components, the All Mountain Tool goes one step beyond to produce an axe that not only climbs all angles of ice with consistent grace, but can be modified quickly and easily for leashless configurations, dry-tooling, even lower angle glacier routes.

In Ian’s words, “No longer will you have to change tools and get used to your alpine tool’s swing, or get caught in an unexpected tricky, technical situation with your non-technical tools. The All Mountain Tool can handle everything you throw at it.”

Features

- Optimized pick angle and tooth configuration climbs all angles of ice and rock.

- Interchangeable head components make switching between an adze and hammer or replacing picks simple and affordable.

- Interchangeable grips come in three varieties for leashless, leashed and alpine or snow climbing. They all bolt onto the shaft with one screw and because of their dual density molded construction, they dampen vibrations and insulate remarkably well.

- The spike is large enough to grip on low angle glacier ice and has a hole large enough to clip a carabiner for use with lanyards.

- The All Mountain Tool is ultimately a combination of the best elements from the Cassin X-Dry, X-Ice and X-Alp tools (aggressive shaft curve, hammer head, double-pommel grip, large spike) with an upgrade to the All Mountain Pick that optimizes the tool for Awax-like performance.

Available for DEMO at Pro Mountain Sports

CAMP AlpAx Special

The AlpAx is a great technical tool for the advanced alpinist. The shaft features our patented Hand Rest® system that quickly adapts the tool to the terrain. For general mountaineering, the lower shaft is smooth and straight so that it plunges easily into snow. When steep ice is encountered, slide the red hand grip up and swing out the hand rest for vertical climbing. The AlpAx Special is unique that it can be changed quickly and easily while climbing as necessary.

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WOOL FROM MONTBELL

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Mid-Weight Zip Neck

For 10+ years Pro Mountain Sports has been touting the benefits of wool. Over those years we have seen people turn their nose up at it to now burying their nose in it. Why?? Well, like all great things what goes around comes around. Users are finally seeing, feeling and smelling how nice Merino Wool is.

Light-Weight Round Neck

What is it that make it do what it does??

Unlike synthetic fibers wool absorbs and truly wicks sweat and moisture. Keeping you drier. When you are dry you are warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot.

Wool also has some great antibacterial properties too. The little beasties that make all your plastic long underwear stink up a storm hate living on wool. No stinky bacteria means no stinky outdoor adventures.

But will it shrink??

Not much. You can wash Montbell Merino wool just like you wash your favorite pair of jeans. Put it in the washer add some mild detergent and go. It is best to dry flat. It will only shrink 5% if at all. Unlike that sweater your grandma gave you when you were 8.

Montbell’s wool comes in three weights.

Light Weight 130 g/M 92% Super Merino Wool

Mid Weight 185 g/M 100% Super Merino Wool

Expedition Weight 300 g/M 85% Super Merino 15% Nylon (Interior is 100% Super Merino wool)

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Revised Nomics and Quarks from Petzl

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

As everyone knows the ice season can be short and fickle.

Ice climbing season has arrived!

Quark / Nomic Hammer

Be ready to send with the new Nomic and Quark from Petzl.

In stock now at Pro Mountain Spots.

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New Ice Axes for Classic Mountaineering

Thursday, September 9th, 2010


Two exciting new ice axes from Grivel Italy. The acclaimed Air Tech Evo is now offered with a Carbon composite shaft Air Tech Carbon, and the odd looking Futura. First the Air Tech Carbon, dropped forged from a single piece of the finest steel, essentially Grivel’s finest, strongest, high performance, classic ice axe. The carbon composite adds insulation, and a new level of dampening and balance. T rated and stronger even than the Air Tech Evo. A truly beautiful and rugged classic ice axe.

Then there is the Futura, with the ugly yellow plastic and breaking the rule “all ice axes must have an adze”. Rather than classic beauty, the Futura is all about function and value. How will I chop a step you might ask? With the pick of course. While an adze is occasionally useful, so is a comfortable handle. Also, step chopping is rarely used since the introduction of crampons, especially the newer styles with front points.

While I would not recommend the Futura for serious ice climbs, it has become my absolute favorite axe for snow and glacier climbs. Why do I love this axe? I love the yellow handle. I can plunge the shaft more securely when the snow is firm. The self-arrest grip is superb, and has no adze threatening my face. The grip is warm, and easy on my hand especially when plunging aggressively.

For climbs where I need the ice axe only occasionally, I usually prefer my ultralight axes Corsa, and Corsa Nano-Tech. For long snow and glacier climbs, or any climb where the axe spends more time in my hand than on the back of my pack the Futura is now my choice.

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Tent Cooking

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

The wind is really screaming now, snowing hard too. Eyelids frozen shut (a new experience for me), and light fading as Kit Lewis joins me at the belay. Today, our 6th day in a row of stormy weather was the most severe. We got the tent up and crawled inside. Kit set up the hanging stove and stated “we’ve got plenty of fuel left, let’s use it”. With the stove running inside our tiny tent it wasn’t long before the snow and ice in our clothing had melted. The temp. was probably about 50 degrees when Kit said “watch this” as he turned up the stove’s flame. It was probably 70 degrees within a few minutes, 80 or more at head level near the tent’s peak. The warmth felt so good.

We relaxed in the warmth for a few minutes, and then got busy with the two hour task of cooking and snow melting. The following morning dawned clear, calm, and cold. With only 300’ of climbing above, we were on the summit of Mt Stuart by early afternoon. A most beautiful day in February 1985.


TENT COOKING with IsoButane/Propane stoves.



Note: Stove and tent manufactures advise against tent cooking.

Why cook inside the tent? 1)It is warmer inside the tent which means the camper is able to rest and recover from a strenuous day and be rested and hydrated for the next. 2)Many stoves perform more efficiently which conserves fuel. High altitude climbers and extreme climbers are both known to do this.

Is it safe? Instances of tent fires are rare, but are particularly possible with liquid fuel (white gas) stoves. Typically from spilling when priming, spilling when filling a fuel tank, or leaving the cap off a fuel bottle.

IsoButane/Propane gas is much like gas stoves for home use. No priming, just open the valve and ignite. Flame on - Flame off. Self-sealing canisters mean no fuel leakage when changing fuel canisters.

CO emissions – some stoves emit less CO than others.

Stove ppm low ppm medium ppm high
Brunton Raptor 88 ? 286
Coleman Xtreme 5 ? 5
Coleman Fyrestorm Ti 5 ? 30
Coleman F1 Ultralight 75 ? 154
Jetboil GCS 5 6 90
Kovea Expedition 6 ? 12
Kovea Moonwalker 30 ? 50
MSR WindPro 30 ? 85
MSR Pocket Rocket 240 220 140
MSR Reactor 300 ? 50
Optimus Crux 300 ? 260
Optimus Stella + 47 ? 136
Primus Gravity MF 10 ? 100
Primus EtaPower EF 3 8 13
Primus Micron Ti 2.5 40 88 90
Snow Peak GS(T)100 5 ? 21
Snow Peak GS200D 260 ? 130
Trekka/Gasmate 120 ? 100
Vargo Jet-Ti 30 12 22

ppm: parts per million
30 Health and Safety limit for 8 hours - UK
35 Suggested max allowable concín for continuous exposure for 8 hr -
ASHRAE, USA
200 Health and Safety limit for 15 minutes - UK

(source - backpacking light)

Cold temperatures. IsoButane/Propane canister fuel does not perform well in cold temperatures, especially at low elevations. Running an IsoButane/Propane stove inside a small tent can raise the temp. to as high as 80 F. Particularly in the upper half of the tent when the stove hangs. An IsoButane/Propane stove depends on inside the tent cooking for cold weather use. Inside the tent is also out of the wind which also helps a stove’s performance.

Hanging the stove. Hanging the stove inside the tent is desirable for two important reasons. 1)It greatly reduces the likelihood of knocking the stove and cook pot over. 2) It raises the stove to a warmer elevation inside the tent. Jetboil makes a good hanging kit for their stove.

Snow melting. Fill a large stuff sac with chunks of snow to have handy just outside the tent door.

Efficiency. The need to carry less fuel is a great benefit. I find if I run the stove at a fairly low setting I can heat/boil about 1 liter of water per 5-10 grams of IsoButane/Propane. Running the stove at a high setting boils water faster, but also uses more fuel. I believe maybe 30%-50% less fuel with the lower setting.

Mt. Foraker

Mt. Mckinley

I have used a variety of canister stoves often times with a hanging system inside a tent regularly since 1982 both summer and winter. Including: 8 day 1985 winter climb of Mt. Stuart in the Cascades in WA State. 10 day winter climb of Mt. Slesse NE Buttress, BC. 13 days out on Mt Foraker, AK (17,000’) in 1988. Finished this climb of the Infinite Spur and descent of the SE Ridge with 5 full days of fuel unused. Carrying extra fuel allowed us to wait out bad weather, and even poor visibility at one point on the descent. Overall efficiency is bottom line why I like this system. Maximum performance. - Jim Nelson

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Ropes

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Have you thought “what is the lightest or best rope size for a particular climb”? Here are some suggestions for different rope sizes and ways to use them for reducing weight.

Also, we have recently added Monster Ropes from Metolius to our selection. We find them to be a great blend of durability and weight. They also make one of the lightest HALF and TWIN ropes. Ropes rated both HALF and TWIN offer some great options for many different types of climbs and situations.

MONSTER 7.8mm DRY 38g/m

MONSTER 9.2mm DRY 53g/m

MONSTER 9.8mm 64g/m

MONSTER 10.2mm 66g/m

5mm TECH CORD X 60m – STRONG & LIGHT Tag Line (rappel rope)

When considering ropes one of the best ways to be sure you are comparing apples to apples is grams per meter. Why?? Well, it is harder to fudge the weight than the diameter. For example manufacturer “A” will sell a 9.9mm single at 64g/m and manufacturer “B” will market a 9.7mm single at 64g/m. So where is the difference? By using the grams per meter you can cut through some of the fog and compare ropes across manufacturers better. The UIAA has more information about ropes.

ROPE WEIGHTS

60m - Big Wall Extreme SINGLE ROPE (80 grams per meter) – 10 lbs. 9oz.

60m - Heavy SINGLE ROPE (73g) – 9lbs. 10.5oz.

60m - Medium SINGLE ROPE (64g) – 8 lbs. 9oz.

60m - Light SINGLE ROPE (52g) - 6 lbs. 15.4oz.

60m - Heavy HALF ROPE (48g) – 6 lbs. 6.8oz.

60m - Light HALF ROPE & TWIN ROPE (38g) – 5 lbs. 1.4oz.

30M - Light SINGLE ROPE (52g) – 3 lbs. 7.7oz.

60m - 5mm TECH CORD (23g) - 3 lbs. 2oz.

30m - 5mm TECH CORD (23g) - 1 lb. 9oz.

ROPES FOR ROCK

One 30m Single Rope (52g): 3 lb. 7.7oz. - 15m (49’) rappels - 30m (98’) leads - Supports two climbers on 5th class rock, or potentially three climbers on less difficult terrain.

One 30m Light Single Rope (52g), and one 30m Tech Cord(23g): 5 lbs. 1oz. - 30m (98’) rappels - 30m (98’) leads. Supports two climbers on 5th class rock, or potentially three climbers on less difficult terrain - Tech Cord available for pack hauling.

One 60m Light Half & Twin Rope (38g): – 5 lbs. 1.4oz. - 30m (98’) rappels - 30m (98’) leads with two, or three climbers - Potential for pack hauling with two climbers - Ability to protect traverses for leader and one second.

One 60m Light Single Rope (52g): 6 lbs. 15.4oz. - 30m (98’) rappels - 60m (196’) leads with two climbers, or 30m (98’) leads with three climbers.

One 60m Light Single Rope (52g), and one 60m Tech Cord(23g): 10 lbs. 1.4oz. - 60m (196’) rappels - 60m (196’) leads on 5th class rock for two climbers - Can do 30m (98’) leads on 5th class rock with three climbers, or 60m (196’) leads on less difficult terrain for three climbers - Tech Cord available for pack hauling.

Two 60m Light Half & Twin Ropes (38g): 10 lbs. 2.8oz. - 60m (196’) rappels - 60m (196’) leads with two, or three climbers - Potential for pack hauling with two climbers - Ability to protect traverses.

Two 60m Heavy Half Ropes (48g): 12 lbs. 13.6oz. - 60m (196’) rappels - 60m (196’) leads with two, or three climbers - Potential for pack hauling with two climbers - Ability to protect traverses.

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Western Mountaineering down insulated pants

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

NEW from Western Mountaineering - FLASH Down Insulated Pants and FLIGHT Down Insulated Pants.

Ideal for cold weather camping. Get ready to cook! An interesting alternative to a four season sleeping bag. Now you can be toasty warm in camp without having to own a dedicated winter weight sleeping bag. A truly versatile piece of equipment.


Flash Pants : Our Flash pants were designed to provide more lower body warmth than a thick pair of fleece bottoms with less weight and substantially less packed volume than any synthetic alternative. The average weight for a pair of these pants is roughly 180 grams and will compress down to about half the size of your waterbottle. What a great way to lighten your pack and raise the comfort level on your next trip! These pants are made in USA with 850 fill power goose down and an extremely lightweight nylon ripstop shell material. Features include an adjustable waist belt, re-inforced seat material, and elastic ankle closures to seal in the warmth.

* Made in USA
* Lightweight ripstop nylon with water repellent finish
* 850+ Fill power goose down
* Re-inforced fabric in the seat area
* Adjustable waist belt
* Elastic ankle cuff closures
* Average total weight 180 grams 7 oz. per pair

Flight Pants: Our Flight pants offer more warmth and added weather protection to keep you in comfort mode when the mercury drops and the weather conditions become more challenging. Winter protection for your lower body doesn’t have to weigh 700 + grams or take up more space than one water bottle. The Flight pants are stuffed plump with 850 fill power goose down and weigh just 310 grams per pair. For added protection against moisture and abrasion, these pants feature Gore Windstopper laminated outer shell fabric on the seat and knees. Microfiber outer shell fabric is utilized for the rest of the garment for increased breathability and reduced weight. Features include an adjustable waist belt, adjustable ankle closure with draft protection and dual full length, two-way separating YKK coil side zippers with locking sliders.

* Made in USA
* Microfiber shell fabric with DWR finish
* Gore Windstopper fabric protecting seat & knees
* 850+ Fill power goose down
* Full length side zips, YKK two way reverse #5 coil zippers
* Adjustable waist belt
* Elastic ankle cuffs with adjustable Velcro closure
* Windstopper snow covers at each end of zippers
* Average total weight 295 grams (10.5oz) per pair

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