Nepal cube or trango tower extreme?

Hi all,

I'm a science teacher and dumping a lot of my mountaineering boots to just settle on 2...a good single and a good double. I get my winter and summer breaks and that's when the vast majority of my climbing and ice climbing gets done.

For singles, I'm looking at the nepal cube or trango tower extreme solely for summer mountaineering in the cascades and warmer days ice climbing in MN. For example, I'll be climbing rainier via Emmons on the first weekend of June this year. Last time I submitted Rainier was almost 10 years ago...

Thoughts on either of these 2 as far as warmth and longevity?

Thanks all,

Josh

I don't see a double boot suggested, if your not doing expeditions or multiday trips I would suggest two single boots, a very light boot like a scarpa ribelle tech and a very warm single boot like a g5.

I’d have to agree with Seb.  It totally depends on what you consider “summer objectives”, and what you think you need the doubles for (Denali, more wintry seasons on Rainier?) 

I’d first start with G5’s.   And then you may stop there.  If you have summer Alpine objectives that you’d wear semi-auto crampons for, the Ribelle, Aequilibrium, or Taiss Light are good options.

The G5 will take you from 0 to 60 in more ways than one 

Thanks for the rec! I really like double boots due to drying the liners out overnight...I've just always managed that to be comfortable for the deep cold. I'm just looking for a single boot recommendation if people like one or the other. The nepals are pretty standard but it'd be great to save some money if the extremes were a good rainier boot for end of May into mid summer in the cascades. I'd that boot is too light, then I'd do the nepals.

I have koflach arctis expes with denalli intuition liners and purple haze overboots for the absolute coldest of the cold...so I'm. Ot looking to replace those for a while. Just in the market for singles.

Thabks all for the help!

Then if a single for Rainier is basically what you’re looking for I’d choose the G5 over the Nepal (I have em both and used the Nepal on Rainier before).   Wouldn’t look at the Trango as a serious Rainier option 

I keep my old plastic koflachs, Lowa Denali’s,  and Scarpa Invernos for museum pieces only.  They’ll never see actual use again. 

Mark Pilatewrote:

Then if a single for Rainier is basically what you’re looking for I’d choose the G5 over the Nepal (I have em both and used the Nepal on Rainier before).   Wouldn’t look at the Trango as a serious Rainier option 

I keep my old plastic koflachs, Lowa Denali’s,  and Scarpa Invernos for museum pieces only.  They’ll never see actual use again. 

Would you size the g5 the same as the nepal? My baruntses are 48s and fit perfectly...just couldn't get the top of my foot to not pinch on the fabric, even after heat molding. Should I size the g5 at a 48 as well?

Josh Borchardtwrote:

Would you size the g5 the same as the nepal? My baruntses are 48s and fit perfectly...just couldn't get the top of my foot to not pinch on the fabric, even after heat molding. Should I size the g5 at a 48 as well?

I have my G5’s half a size bigger than my Nepals. I think G5’s are warmer than Nepals, so sometimes it’s nice to have the non-gaitered, less-warm boot when you don’t need warm boots, but still want stiffness. Nepals are very stiff. Honestly, I will probably do something similar to what you are doing and am considering ditching my G5’s and getting a lighter, stiff boot (lighter than nepals) for roadside “ice stunting” and continuing using my double phantom 6000s for very cold and or multi-day. The 6000s climb so well and aren’t much heavier than the G5’s, and I’m sickened by having too many boots. 

Josh Borchardtwrote:

For singles, I'm looking at the nepal cube or trango tower extreme solely for summer mountaineering in the cascades and warmer days ice climbing in MN. For example, I'll be climbing rainier via Emmons on the first weekend of June this year.

Summer Cascades mountaineering can run a very wide variety of types of climbing; it would be helpful for folks looking to give advice if you could give us some more information about what types of routes you are planning on using these boots for.

For example, you have classics like the North Ridge of Baker or Liberty Ridge on Rainier, both of which will have some sustained front-pointing and possibly some hard ice; routes like these need a fully rigid boot.  On the flip side, you also have routes like the West Ridge of Forbidden or Fisher Chimneys on Shuksan, both of which would be far more enjoyable with a more flexible 3-season boot like a Trango (not the Trango Tower Extreme version), since they have no need for extended front pointing nor is the warmth of a winter boot required.  The other variable is how warm you run personally, for example Rainier gets climbed regularly in everything from light 3-season boots (Trango/Charmoz) to plastic doubles.

As a PNW local, I use two primary boots in summer season: a pair of Phantom Techs for anything with sustained front pointing or colder temps, and a pair of Zodiac Techs (similar but lighter and more flexible than a Trango) for everything with more rock climbing, scrambling, and snow travel.  I do own Phantom 6000s, but I have never used them in the lower 48, it's simply never cold enough for it to make sense for the types of climbing I'm most interested in.  If I didn't do any cold winter ice climbing (my main use for the Techs), I'd probably swap them out for something lighter like a Trango Tower or a Ribelle.

Big fan of Trango tower Extreme. They seem to be warmer and lighter than previous versions. Will be wearing them most days above zero F on water ice.

Would be perfect for summer alpine ice/snow route as well.

Since I bought lighter boots for tech climbing, I have not worn my Nepal cubes very much. I would recommend against having Nepal cubes as your lightest boots, especially if you will be out in summer. 

I haven't had much reason/opportunity to go out in really cold weather recently, but I have a feeling my Nepal cubes will be not quite warm enough to be really useful. I wish I had not been steered into buying them when I was brand new. 

My next pair of boots will be trango extremes. I have ice cubes and live in fear of the lace hooks breaking.

J Cwrote:

Since I bought lighter boots for tech climbing, I have not worn my Nepal cubes very much. I would recommend against having Nepal cubes as your lightest boots, especially if you will be out in summer. 

I haven't had much reason/opportunity to go out in really cold weather recently, but I have a feeling my Nepal cubes will be not quite warm enough to be really useful. I wish I had not been steered into buying them when I was brand new. 

My next pair of boots will be trango extremes. I have ice cubes and live in fear of the lace hooks breaking.

Yeah, it’s a “first boot” all too often. For those that end up loving the sport, this type of boot ends up collecting dust. Better to start with something warmer (if the new one is more into ice) or lighter (more into summer climbing) and then focus the quiver as skills/interests expand. 

Kyle Tarrywrote:

Summer Cascades mountaineering can run a very wide variety of types of climbing; it would be helpful for folks looking to give advice if you could give us some more information about what types of routes you are planning on using these boots for.

For example, you have classics like the North Ridge of Baker or Liberty Ridge on Rainier, both of which will have some sustained front-pointing and possibly some hard ice; routes like these need a fully rigid boot.  On the flip side, you also have routes like the West Ridge of Forbidden or Fisher Chimneys on Shuksan, both of which would be far more enjoyable with a more flexible 3-season boot like a Trango (not the Trango Tower Extreme version), since they have no need for extended front pointing nor is the warmth of a winter boot required.  The other variable is how warm you run personally, for example Rainier gets climbed regularly in everything from light 3-season boots (Trango/Charmoz) to plastic doubles.

As a PNW local, I use two primary boots in summer season: a pair of Phantom Techs for anything with sustained front pointing or colder temps, and a pair of Zodiac Techs (similar but lighter and more flexible than a Trango) for everything with more rock climbing, scrambling, and snow travel.  I do own Phantom 6000s, but I have never used them in the lower 48, it's simply never cold enough for it to make sense for the types of climbing I'm most interested in.  If I didn't do any cold winter ice climbing (my main use for the Techs), I'd probably swap them out for something lighter like a Trango Tower or a Ribelle.

Kyle is spot on.  I've owned both these boots in question, and they function more as supplemental to each other rather than replacements for each other.  A ridged boot like the Nepal will be friendlier for anything that will require front pointing or kicking a lot of snow steps, and the Nepal is it is higher and warmer than the Extreme.  The Extreme is friendlier for scrambling, rock climbing, walking, and is overall lighter.

If the things you want to climb look like the Emmons mostly, I'd go with the Nepal.  if the thing you want to climb look like Shuksan, I'd go with the Extreme.