UKH

Got a couple of weeks off work  and am going to try and get a bit of ice climbing in.  But my trusty Koflachs are at the end of the road. They were 32 years old when I bought them second hand and are fully falling apart.

I love the La Sportiva TX4s that I did the Cuillin Ridge in ( straight out of the box) so am minded to get Nepals or Cube GTX.  The latter look to be a fair bit lighter.  But part of me thinks I'm totally overdoing it and should get something less.... extrem.

I'm complete sub punter level on ice. Did one Scottish 4 and a few WI 3or4 in Norway many years ago ( 20+?)

Dabbled since then, but not done owt since the Downfall one Friday night 12 years ago.

What should I buy instead of the Nepals that aligns better with my lowly aspirations ( Aonach Eagach, Raven Crag Gully, following someone more talented than me up .5 perhaps...

In reply to TheGeneralist:

If you can afford it, just buy the light, expensive ones. They'll feel great and work fine. It's not like axes where a more 'extreme' model will actually be less suitable for easier routes. 

In reply to TheGeneralist:

What size feet do you have? If you're in the market for second hand, I have a pair of Salomon super mountain experts (I think) old, but largely unused. B3 leather boot, not the lightest but toasty warm. Euro size 45.

In reply to TheGeneralist: do you think you're prone to cold feet.   If your feet are cold all day , you'll be miserable, and you'll regrette not spending the extra.  Fit matters too.

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Just a note on sizing. I take a 45 in the TX4 non goretex approach shoe, which is a "technical fit" for me, as in slightly on the small side. When I tried them on I needed at least a 47 in the Nepal Cubes. I also found the Nepal Extremes to fit slightly different to the Nepal Cubes. The Cubes seemed to have a lower volume above the foot, especially with the weird tongue things in, and felt a bit narrower. Both feel narrower in the forefoot than the TX4's so I ended up with neither and instead bought Garmont B2 boots as they were broader and fitted my feet better. I bought them more with winter walking and the occasional easy gully/ridge in mind though and not steep ice climbing. 

TLDR: Try them on in a shop first 😂

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Not being be 'sarky' bit get something that fits well, otherwise pain, suffering and  waste of money.

I say this because I wouldn't extrapolate the fit from a TX4. I use them and have a wide foot but my impression is that their mountain boots err on the narrow side.

Happy hunting

In reply to wbo2:

No  don't think so. In generally I run extremely hot, and assume my feet do too. Eg I downhill ski in single polyester layer beneath shell, top and bottom, down to about -10c  ( Scotland excluded obvs )

 >  Fit matters too.

Narrow feet...

In reply to Jordan-L:

Aha. Weirdly enough I bought Boulder Xs on the back of my TX4 purchase and hate them. They're miles smaller, and too much fluffy lining.

Will indeed try them on 

Aha, that's exactly where I was. Throw some middle aged money at some carbon fibre

Thanks Critter and everyone

In reply to TheGeneralist:

I went from a variety of plastics to Sportiva Nepals to Scarpa Phantom Tech. In terms of comfort I think the Phantom Techs were a bigger step up from the Nepals than the Nepals were from the plastics. 

Obviously fit is the thing but modern technology helps.

In reply to TheGeneralist:

And something else to look at: https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/footwear/mountain_boots/scarpa_mont_blanc_p...

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Just get phantom techs, or the new g5 evos or g techs. 

If you'd not said .5 I'd have said get some of the new light b2s like aequilibirums. 

In reply to TheGeneralist:

boots with a strong grip, though. not the shoddy, fragile soled ones you see nowadays

In reply to TheGeneralist:

I bought some Nepal Cubes after a good hour at Outside in Hathersage trying on every B3 they had. I was sursprised how badly certain models and brands fitted but when I put the Cubes on they were the ones. Fit is so personal and I remember getting it wrong with some Scarpa Freneys years ago and on the decent after their first climb it was a bloodbath inside those boots. A mate of mine has some G5's which are slippers for me but they might cut you to pieces.

Manta Techs are a great heavy B2 if you are wanting a heavy duty work horse that climbs easy grades and winter ridges.

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Right. I've ordered some cubes to complete about the house in.  We'll see what they're like.

It's a lamentable fact that the amount if money I spend on kit is absolutely inversely proportional to the amount of adventuring I'm actally doing 

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Just found some old photos of me out playing in the snow, old woolly jumper hand me down karrimor rucksack and some battered second hand axes having a ball!! I think the only new item was some new asolo boots because my feet got shredded in my old imitation koflachs, I’ve never skimped on boots since (time trying them out not just money)

now I’m a typical middle aged punter with all the gear and half an idea.

In reply to TheGeneralist:

I have had a pair of Nepals for the last 10 years and cant fault them, I don't find them overly clump walking or scrambling and they were comfy out of the box. As has been said , that time spent furtling with fit is key wether it be sock combo, insoles or boot size. Im an 8 but find a nine with thicker socks is perfect. Have fun with the pointy things !!!

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Now that you've bought some, be absolutely sanguine about whether or not they fit properly (both heel lift and stubbing toes) The former can be reduced by volume reducers - the latter you're stuck with.

I run hot too, and consequently dislike the sweaty feet that those compulsory 'breathable' waterproof liners generate.  Sweaty feet then chill.  I bought some new lightweight ones that have neither the breathability nor insulation of my old Nepal Extremes.  They're lighter and more comfy, but they're colder and a far less solid front-pointing platform.  Fortunately, I still have my old Nepal Extremes and they still have some life left in them.  Bring back Scarpa Cumbres....

In reply to Andy Hardy:

Hmmm. Just seen you're in Stockport. Will see how the Neps feel and maybe give you a shout if they're not right.

Cheers

In reply to Andy Hardy:

Hi Andy. I have emailed you.

Alex

In reply to TheGeneralist:

Ones that fit. Seriously, that’s the most important thing, considering long winter days and walk ins. Go to a decent shop like Outside and try loads of different ones.

Nepal Extremes, if they still make them, are fine but heavy and cold by today’s standards. You can get something lighter and warmer. The sole might not be as long lasting but if you don’t use them much this won’t be a consideration.

In reply to Misha:

Heavy absolutely, but why do you say cold? I've found my Nepal Extremes rather warm down the years. I remember taking my old plastic boots up to Arctic Norway with me in the anticipation of getting cold feet ice climbing there and trying out the NEs, finding them fine on the first day so just climbing in them all week. I used them a lot in cold Finnish conditions and don't remember problems and similarly winter climbing in the soggier UK. 

These boots are great https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/footwear/mountain_boots/dolomite_miage_peak... although not particularly warm. That though I suspect is because I probably could have got a half size bigger. I think fit is a massive part of how warm boots feel. Could NEs just be a not great fit for you?

In reply to TheGeneralist: Something to consider about the lighter weight boots is they save weight by using thinner sole units, with softer materials. These wear out much faster than you would think i.e. my old pair of Koflachs were still in good condition after 15+ years of Scottish, Alpine and Himalayan (ab)use. My present Scarpa 6000's did 1 trip - the soles need replacing as do the zip covers as they deliminated and disintegrated into black sticky lumps.

In reply to apache:

How old are they? I know people who had the zips break almost immediately on first generation of La Sportiva ice boots that had a build in zipped gaiter (perhaps 10 or 11 years ago now) - the hassle my mate went through, even with a pretty helpful shop, put me off the idea of zipped gaiters as part of boots for years. It does seem to be happening less in recent years though - as if they are sorting out the zip technology somewhat. Did you try returning your Scarpas?

Have you freezer/hammer tested your Koflachs? 15 years might be pushing your luck a bit on their longevity, although maybe by the 2000s the few brands who were making plastic boots had changed the plastic recipe to avoid the rather dramatic failures of 80s and 90s plastics! 

In reply to TobyA:

Would love to return my boots but as not in the UK or have a local dealer returning is v expensive;  the boots will just have to remain on the shelf until I either return to the UK (by then Scarpa won't replace as too old) or find a trip to do and just suck up the fact the zips might leak.  The Koflachs sadly suffered tropical plastic failure - went sticky, soft and then the tongue fell to pieces along with the cuffs and other soft material. Living in the tropics is very hard on your gear as it sits around and just gently decays either in the cupboard (dark and cool) or on shelves (aired but exposed to the ambiant light).

In reply to TheGeneralist:

If current Welsh winter weather is anything to go by, a stout pair of wellies would be your best bet.