REASONS TO BUY
A dream on steep ice
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Not the most nimble
La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX Review
This boot slays steep ice, but carries a high weight penalty
Credit: La Sportiva
By Ian McEleney ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ September 14, 2022
RELATED: The Best Mountaineering Boots
Our Verdict
La Sportiva's Nepal line has set the standard for single leather mountain boots for many years. The La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX's stout leather construction offers durability and excellent calf support for climbing steep ice. However, that comes at a cost; these are some of the heaviest boots in our review. Other models are significantly lighter while offering better all-around climbing performance. Nevertheless, the durability and moderate warmth make this a decent boot choice.
Our Analysis and Test Results
La Sportiva has been making boots with the Nepal name for a long time, and the Cube GTX is the latest in this venerable line. Newer technologies, designs, and materials have allowed the competition to surpass this boot in many ways, but it remains a solid choice for steep ice and general mountaineering.
The Nepal Cube GTX on its home turf, ice.
Credit: Andy Stephen
Climbing
Let's just get it out of the way right now: this boot is a front-pointing machine. It was born to climb steep ice. Tighten the firm upper part of the boot and prepare to send pillars of frozen water from New England to the Northwest. No other boot kept our calves from flaming out while we were battling the pump in our locked-off arm like this one.
Crampon fit. Grivel on the left, Petzl on the right. Note that the Grivel bail is a smaller accessory model.
Credit: Ian McEleney
However, this boot was not our first choice for techy mixed climbing or climbing rock without crampons. The upper part of the boot, oh-so-supportive when front pointing, restricts ankle movement for other types of climbing. This kept its total climbing performance score low.
This isn't our favorite boot for mixed climbing, but it's not bad.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Weight
The Nepal Cube GTX is one of the heaviest boots in our test, weighing in at 2lb 2.7oz (983g). Remember that this is the weight of one boot (half of a pair). We think that the substantial outsole is certainly a big part of this weight, but it probably offers increased durability.
Weighing the Nepal Cube.
Credit: Ian McEleney
The stout leather upper adds some weight too, but our testers suspect this is probably the characteristic that gives this boot its unrivaled calf support on steep ice.
Weather Resistance
The Nepal Cube GTX is a very water-resistant boot. The tongue bellows extend almost to the very top of the boot and keep water and snow out of the front. In the back, the cuff dives a bit, and though the small cuff gaiter keeps snow away, it is not waterproof. This boot's “water line” is about 7.5 inches, impressive for a single boot.
This boot has a nice high waterline, well above the 6 inches shown here.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Warmth
The Nepal Cube hovers around the middle of the pack for warmth. The tall, supportive cuff means that insulation runs farther up your leg. The thick mid and outsoles provide some good insulation from cold surfaces underfoot.
The Nepal kept our feet warm during cold days on the ice.
Credit: Andy Stephen
Sportiva uses a carbon honeycomb structure for the shank, and we suspect this makes this version of the Nepal warmer than its predecessors. The removable tongue padding provides some extra insulation. The warmest boots in our review are probably less suited to shoulder season excursions in warmer weather.
Hiking
We weren't big fans of hiking in this boot. Again, the supportive upper was less of an asset and more of a liability, and the weight definitely felt a little clunky when trying to beat other parties to the base of the ice on frozen trails in the Canadian Rockies.
This boot has a simple lacing system.
Credit: Andy Stephen
Lacing
Our testers liked the simple and solid lacing system on the Nepal Cube. The removable tongue padding takes a bit of fiddling at first, then stays put until you sell the boots to a friend who wants to get into ice climbing, ten years from now. Any person who has ever laced up a boot can get these to work right out of the box. Only shorter boots with shorter laces are faster to put on or remove.
Steep ice is what this boot was built to climb.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Should You Buy the La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX?
The Nepal Cube GTX is the best of a long line of mountain boots. Our testing team thinks of this boot like the Toyota Tacoma of mountain boots; it's not the fastest or lightest or the highest tech, but it's trusty, durable, and will get you where you need to go. If it fits your foot, this is a good quiver-of-one boot. For those who can never wait for summer to be over, and find yourselves watching Steve House solo Repentance and Remission on YouTube over and over and over, this is your boot.
What Other Mountaineering Boots Should You Consider?
With the durability of this boot comes a bit more weight. The Arc'teryx Acrux AR weighs a bit less but offers more warmth and weather protection. Climbers who want something that weighs and costs less with more balanced climbing performance should check out the La Sportiva Trango Tower Extreme GTX.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX versus top competing products:
—Ian McEleney
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