Scarpa Charmoz GTX

Bought these to do the Cuilin Ridge in September (it was windy, a bit rainy but 12 to 15 degrees Celsius). The climbing zone on the toe provides surprisingly good adhesion when smearing and the boot is good for edging, obviously not as dexterous as a rock boot, and the toe does visibly wear quickly.

I wanted a sole with good grip on wet rock as previous boots with Vibram soles were like ice skates when it got wet. Tie sole on the Charmoz is Vibram (the same as on the bright blue La Sportiva Trango) and it sticks well on wet rock and general rocky, grassy, muddy terrain. I have walked up streams and through bogs, and through torrential rain in these and had no leakage.

The only criticism I have is that they are very warm and your feet get hot - we all know how breathable Gore-tex is - about as breathable as a bin liner. After 3 consecutive days walking and scrambling 10 hours a day (carrying pack and rack), my feet ached a bit, I had small blisters on little toe (compeed sorted that), but feet were sweaty and getting soft, so had to change to approach shoes after that.

They'll be a great boot for when it gets colder though.

I bought this boot to tackle some classic routes in the Alps. It was ideal for rock routes such as the Dent du Geant and excelled when taken up Mont Blanc, as it is so light but still packs a lot of warmth. Very comfortable and brilliant for all but advanced alpine climbing. Some heavier B3 boots may be more versatile in that they can be used for easy-hard grades, but the Charmoz is great for anything up to French D or Grade 4 Scottish.

I bought these boots for a forthcoming Haute Route treck. They were light and I felt I could move quickly with them but the first encounter with wet conditions proved they were not waterproof at all. As can be imagined I was completely disappointed when they were returned to the shop, but I did receive a full refund.