Lhotse

I have tried the following from La Sportiva: The Glaciers, Makalus, Lhotses, and the Nuptses.

The Glaciers are the lightest and offer the most flexibility, however they're not insulated and aren't stiff enough for ice climbing (good for back packing, although they are newmatic crampon compatible).

The Makalus are stiffer and step-in crampon compatible, although they are uninsulated as well (good for summer mountaineering, heavy backpacking and cool weather ice climbing).

The Lhotses are basically insulated Makalus with two additional lacing eyelets (the higher ankle makes them more comfortable than the Makalu, as they flex a little better). They work well on long approach hikes, and I have had no problem with durability after a full winter of use. They didn't require any break-in, as I used them right out of the box on a 14 mile climb of MT Marcy, NY in FEB without any blisters or abrasion. I found them very warm in up to -20F conditions (my feet have never been cold wearing these boots).

If you're doing any winter camping or high altitude (and require a double boot), I would recommend the Nuptses (see my other review). I'm sold on La Sportivas, as they are well made and comfortable, and they offer half sizes up to 13.

This is my first pair of mountaineering boots so far, and I am more than impressed! After a brutal 12 mile hike in, climb up Ritter Pass, and 12 mile hike out with lots of gear, I came out unscathed except for minimal raw achiles tendons from crampon usage. The Lhotse are comfortable, supportive, warm, and versatile!

If you are climbing on summer mixed terrain, then these boots are ideal. Extended glacier travel at high altitude (El Pico de Orizaba), left my feet extremely cold- even numb! (Temps were probabaly around -5 to +15 degrees or less for several hours, but on ice of course.) Yet, some other climbers had cold feet even in their plastic boots. But. my feet seem slightly more prone to cold. Keep in mind that the boots aren't "insulated" necessarily, rather, they are graciously lined. They are fairly rigid for a leather boot- but less so than any plastic I have seen. Nevertheless, they were comfortable right out of the box. Great boot, very comfortable- and were good to my knees.

I can't say enough about these stompers. I've had Makalus for awhile and love 'em, but I wanted a warmer boot for the winter trips. The Lhotse has not disappointed in the least. No break-in (at least for me) and no blisters. Warm (around 0 so far, I'll let you know when I've taken 'em down further) and versatile. Buy these. Buy them now. You'll be happy.

Bought these last year and used them in NZ. They were comfortable right out of the box and didn't take any time to break in which is a big bonus, but the build quality wasn't there for my pair. On their first climb, the rand around the boot on both boots peeled away leaving gapping holes between the leather and the rubber. I didn't find the soles very durable either, the rubber breaking away in chunks on the first climb. The vibram soles other companies use are much more durable in my experience than what Sportiva use on these boots. I must say though, while the rubber rand peeled away, i didn't have any problems with waterproof'ness, my feet still stayed dry and warm.

I just received a pair from internet purchase. I've worn La Sportiva Glaciers (44.5) for the past few years. I was confident enough to buy the same size in the Lhotse for more technical applications. My impressions on wearing them around the house are as follows:

1. These are seriously heavy duty boots with tons of support and just enough flex to walk around with little "clunking". I edged my attic steps with the front 1 inch of the boot confidently. Front-pointing will not be an issue.

2. These are very warm boots; as warm as the Koflach Degre boots I tried a while back. I'd feel confident year-round in the lower-48 (temp-wise). The Gore-Tex Duratherm liner is a very nice feature.

3. Very comfortable out of the box. The boots are snug with good toe-wiggle for my narrow/low volume foot. If you wear Makalus or Glaciers, the Lhotse sizing should be about the same. I use custom inserts on all of my boots so I cannot comment on insert quality.

4. Beautiful boot. It's hard to appreciate how nice looking these boots are from internet pictures. If you want a nice looking leather boot instead of a multicolor lightweight leather/fabric combo, the Lhotses deserve consideration.

5. The lacing eyelets are semi-articulated allowing for easier lacing in the forefoot. It's a very nice detail lacking on my Glaciers.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the sizing, feel, quality, and features of this high-end boot. My C.A.M.P. Ice Rider universal strap crampons fit beautifully. I'm looking forward to kick-stepping with these beauties when I can get the time off next Spring. I'll follow-up when I get back from my climbing trip. Rob Ricks

If you are comfortable with La Sportiva Glaciers or Makalus, you will absolutely love these boots. The full shank and increased ankle support made glacier and snow travel easy. The walkability of the boots made short work of the relatively lengthy approach. No hot spots or blisters. The only shortfall is the need to treat the boots to completely waterproof them. I did not treat them prior to the first climb and wet sloppy snow did cause some dampness. I've used Nikwax to great effect on my Glaciers and will do the same to these. This was the best boot investment I made.

What can I say that the others havent said. I need these boots to servive. Summer or winter they will performe.