Almost time to upgrade from hiking boots to mountaineering. I've always been a fan of La Sportiva. The Trango's look nice, Nepal's look great but maybe overkill. What's on your feet? I'll be in the Sierra's predominantly.

It depends upon what type of climbing you are planning on doing. Trangos are a good choice for summer alpine rock climbing and scrambling. Nepals are a better choice for ice climbing, mountaineering, and winter alpine climbing.

I bought a pair of the Trango Extreme EVO Light GTX boots for technical mountaineering and I now use them for just about everything. I expected to get a super stiff boot that sucked for hiking like many of the mountain boots I've owned but these are totally different than any others I've worn. I took them out of the box and wore them on a long approach and was amazed at how comfortable they are. Zero blisters, no hot spots, nothing but comfort. I've used them on steep ice, snow, and technical rock and they excel. They are a great 3 season boot but they are not warm enough for winter. Anything around the zero degree mark and my feet get cold. I've tried the Nepals and they would be a better choice for cold weather for sure but are a bit heavier and stiffer (and more expensive) than the EVO. If you're not doing any technical stuff the Tango S are less expensive than the Extreme and probably even better for hiking. I have a B width foot and the La Sportiva boots fit me better than most brands. If possible, try on all of the brands you can to get the best fit. Some brands run narrow, some short, etc.


Bob

I'm in the middle but probably more on the side of the Trango's. I want a four season boot but realistically will be logging most miles April-Oct, save some snowboard mountaineering weekends. I was also curious if anyone would recommend another brand but it seems I'm not alone prefering La Sportiva. Basically I'm sick of how crampons feel on my soft hiking boots. Trango's would probably fit the bill.

My preference is for Scarpa because they fit my wide feet better than LS. Both are top quality. LS seems to be a bit more progressive with its designs, which Scarpa matches the next year.

I'd recommend the Nepals if you even remotely plan to do some winter climbing. Why limit yourself? I'd rather drop the extra dollars so that I don't have to buy a second pair later. For many approaches there are lots of mountains that you can wear sneakers. Once you get into the snow and onto ice the stiffness of the boots isn't very noticeable.

I have quite a few pairs of Sportivas. If you want something more than Trangos but less than Nepals, look at the Pamirs. They fit like my Nepals (large toe box, etc.) , but are more hiking oriented. They also have a full leather lining, which is unusual these days.

http://www.backcountry.com/la-sportiva- ... 81-BRO-S41

Grampahawk wrote:I'd recommend the Nepals if you even remotely plan to do some winter climbing. Why limit yourself? I'd rather drop the extra dollars so that I don't have to buy a second pair later. For many approaches there are lots of mountains that you can wear sneakers. Once you get into the snow and onto ice the stiffness of the boots isn't very noticeable.

The other side of this argument is "why lug around the extra weight (and suffer from the extra stiffness and bulk) of Nepals if the Trangos are sufficient for 90% of your climbing?" I have both Trango S and Nepals and while both are great boots, will always choose Trangos unless conditions demand the Nepals because the Trangos are a lot more comfortable for hiking, a lot lighter, and more nimble on rock. The Nepals are better for winter snow and ice climbing, though Trangos work fine for summer alpine snow/ice in the Sierra. Sooner or later you will want more than one pair of boots, and you might as well start with the pair that is going to be most useful most of the time.

If you like the Sportiva Trangos you might also look at Scarpa Rebels.