From the snowy glaciers of the Alaska Range to the rugged peaks of Patagonia to steep waterfall ice across the U.S., we kicked and scratched our way to various icy andy rocky summits, evaluating these boots en route. We hiked many miles in them on rocky dirt trails, wallowed through snowy approaches, and even trudged through muddy trails in the rain. We scrambled up rock steps, and climbed rock routes in winter to test their rock climbing ability.
To evaluate the boots side-by-side, we would wear different boots during the same day of climbing, and on the same (or similar) climbs. This allowed us to make close and detailed observations about the subtle differences in warmth and climbing ability.
We used a variety of crampons with the boots, which allowed us to fit the right type of crampon to the boot style. Crampons used to test full shank boots included the Black Diamond Cyborg and the Grivel G20. To test the lighter boots without toe welts, we used the Petzl Lynx crampon with the strap-on attachment, The hybrid version of the Black Diamond Sabertooth (with plastic toe clip), and the Black Diamond Contact, a full strap-on model.
