Best Alpine Climbing Shoe/Hiker
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Hey! |
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Sportiva Ganda. |
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I really like my Adidas Terrex approach shoes. |
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+1 on the Gandas. The Guides hike better but the low-tops climb a lot better. |
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+ 1 for Ganda for alpine rock. Smears and edges well. I have relatively wide feet. When sized for climbing, I find it relatively uncomfortable for long-distance hiking. |
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The Gandas and Guide Tennies will do a little better on the climbing. The Camp Fours are definitely the most durable of the bunch. They're bulkier and more like everyday shoes, but they can get the job done on easy climbs. |
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Hey everyone, thank you for all of your input. The Gandas look really sweet, but I am worried that they are too climbing-centric. Time spent on rock and hiking trail will probably be 50/50, so I am looking for a solid all around shoe. It seems like the .10 Guides might be the way to go. Has anyone logged really long days with the Gandas? Is there good hiking support? If you were in my shoes (pun intended), would you get the guide tennies or the gandas (assuming price is irrelevant). |
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outdoorgearlab.com/a/11088/…
The author wore Gandas, his partner wore unknown Scarpas (gear list towards the bottom). OGL also has an approach shoe review: outdoorgearlab.com/Approach… Watching this thread with interest as I love doing scrambles and traverses. I never rope up and rarely go beyond 4th class or 5.easy, so any hiking shoe with sticky yet durable rubber works for me. I prefer something with an actual tread because, living in BC, the trail's gonna be muddy somewhere. |
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Salewa Firetail |
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I've done 15 mile days in my Gandas and recently I used them for a 16 mile day hauling 80 lbs. uphill. They hike great. |
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I have a pair of the Salewea Wildfires. They're lightweight and hike extremely well but do not climb nearly as well as I'd like them to. |
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Another benefit of the Guide is that they can be resoled. They don't have enough cushioning for me for hiking, sadly. I've been using the Salewa Wildfires or trail runners for extra long approaches. The Wildfires have been fine for climbing up to mid-5th (haven't tried anything harder), including in wet/snowy conditions. |
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I've done the Grand a couple times in these |
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I reccomend the LS xplorer. I used the Gandas for a couple season but have made the switch. They climb fifth class well and are dramatic better hikers than the Gandas. Also they don't fill up with rocks as easily and they are mesh so when you get them wet they dry much quicker than Gandas and other leather shoes. They're also much lighter than the Ganda which is nice. Caldwell and Honnold chose to use xplorers over Gandas down in Patagonia this season. Solid endorsement. |
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I reccomend the LS xplorer. I used the Gandas for a couple season but have made the switch. They climb fifth class well and are dramatic better hikers than the Gandas. Also they don't fill up with rocks as easily and they are mesh so when you get them wet they dry much quicker than Gandas and other leather shoes. They're also much lighter than the Ganda which is nice. Caldwell and Honnold chose to use xplorers over Gandas down in Patagonia this season. Solid endorsement. |
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I have an older pair of Salewa Firetail. They hike great and are very durable but the rubber is not very sticky. I switched to the Scarpa Crux, they are sticky and climb great but are very soft in the midsole. I bought the Crux for $65 on sale. |
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Kai Larson wrote:Sportiva Ganda. Best climbing approach shoe I've ever used. Expensive, but more durable than most, and climbs as well as a mid-level rock shoe.I second the Ganda, rad shoe |
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I prefer the Gandalfs for something with maybe a little less hiking than climbing. They also feel good aid climbing, and switching from aid to free. I have big wide feet (13), and find they are at my limit for width, but that seems typical for Italian shoes. They are much more durable and better made (not that the Guide Tennie is poorly made, it's just fine). |
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I want to try the scarpa vitamin on. |
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The Xplorers and Wildfire's were not on my radar but I will be sure to scope those out. Thank you all a bunch!!!! |