News of Gear

I've been thinking about getting one for this season. Seems like it would be nice as a second tool on steeper terrain, or as a just in case on gentler terrain.

But then I think its just a gimmick and skiing down I'll stab myself in the leg.

Does anyone have one? pros/cons? what do others think of them?

As winter is approaching it is about time to take off the cast and dust off one of the most crucial items of winter mountaineering, the ice axe.

Read complete review with more photos: https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... er-review/

The Salewa Tex X Hammer Ice Axe is not the latest model of Salewa but is one of the most versatile models ever produced. The Salewa Tex X Hammer Ice Axe has ...

With this post, I would like to provide a review of La Sportiva Bushido, the trail runners I use for my daily training for mountaineering activities.

complete review and photos here: https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... do-review/



The upper is designed to hug the foot and keep it in place. I found the fit to be nice and snug, but very comfortable at the same time. The shoe does a great ...

Going to give Citlaltepetl aka Orizaba a try this December. I've seen dozens of different opinions on footwear, doubles, singles, blah blah. Some people wore light LS Trangos and swore by it, others said they had frozen feet in Nepal Evos, and others said they wore double plastics for the warmth but hated having to hike the approach to the glacier in them. Boot recommendations all over the place..

At this point I'm thinking bring ...

So, I jumped on the leashless ice tool band wagon and realized that not only do they not come with hammer/adze, even if they did the geometry of the tool would make it nearly impossible to hammer pitons. So, I bought a very light weight alpine rock hammer for driving pins when the route calls for it. Is this a stupid idea? Are there better options? I wish I had kept my old straight shafted ...

Anyone have any tricks of the trade for boosting the performance of canister stoves? I currently use an old and simple honey bird stove with remote canister fuel line. I have a windscreen homemade from an oven tray and aluminum pot. I dislike the spill potential of the Pocket Rocket for melting large amounts of snow and that the canister has to contact snow beneath.

Various habits I've picked up over time:

-Buffer canister from ...

Now that apps & phone batteries are better, what's the best GPS phone app for tracking while hiking? Are phones and phone apps catching up to independent GPS devices made by Garmin and others?

Thanks in advance.

My wife asked if there was anything I could bring in my back pack that would put out a emergency signal if I ran into real trouble. I tend to hike alone, so I admit is a good idea. But I know nothing about what devices may exist - or even what such devices are called. I always bring a cell phone, but I of course that is only as good as the cell service. ...

Hey all,

I'm broke and in need of a mountaineering boot! Nothing extreme--just planning on doing three-season mountaineering with it on slopes no greater than 40-45 degrees. Think something like Avy Gulch on Shasta or the Mountaineers Route on Whitney.

Any suggestions? My budget is around 250 (which really includes things up to almost 400 that I can find on Steep and Cheap).

Thanks!

There are pieces of gear that I think of as standard bearers; lightweight, simple, and rugged. These pieces of gear were popular with my partners and myself and include the Grivel Air Tech Racing ice axe, the Black Diamond Betamid/Beta Light shelter, and the Serratus Genie back pack. My Betamid and Air Tech are still going strong, however, after 48 seasons of ice climbing, winter mixed alpine climbing, alpine rock climbing, mountaineering, and scrambling my ...