Finishing off a multi-pitch route with a painful descent in tight climbing shoes can strip the enjoyment from an otherwise great day. Thankfully, there are a number of shoes well-suited for carrying up a route in a pack or on a harness, and then putting on for the hike or scramble back down. For this review, we tested five of these downward-minded, lightweight kicks.
Can't get to the crag without comfortable and sturdy shoes. Here are Climbing magazine's favorite approach shoes for rock climbers.
Versatility. That' what all the summer mountaineering boots and approach shoes in this review have in common. To find this season's best treads, numerous testers for Climbing and Backpacker magazines hammered more than 25 pairs of kicks for six months, from Vermont to Colorado to the Himalayas.
After months of testing on hundreds of routes, Climbing magazine's editors offer up their picks for the most innovative, useful, and just damn good gear of the year. The Singing Rock Crux, Mammut Smart Alpine, Black Diamond Gridlock Screwgate, Petzl Grigri 2, Five Ten Arrowhead, Arc'Teryx Squamish Hoody, Beal Joker 9.1, North Face Verto, and Salewa Rapace GTX all won high praises and took home the Editors' Choice Award.
From trail runners and a crashpad to biners and helmets, a roundup of some of the best rock climbing and ice climbing gear.
When it comes to moderate rock routes and summer alpine climbs, it pays to have a versatile approach shoe.
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