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View it at www.climbinggearreviews.com

All future reviews will be published there.

Content on www.climbinggearreviewsuk.com will remain live until we transfer it over to the new site in the coming months.

A big thanks to all our readers and suppliers for your continued support and interest. We hope the new site provides a more straight forward and user friendly experience. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated either by the site’s comments system, our facebook page or twitter.

All the best

Kev and Dave

SCARPA Phantom 6000 – Climbing Gear Review

Dave Searle reviews some modern winter boots, the Phantom 6000 from SCARPA…

Performance ****

Quality *****

Value for money ****

RRP £529.99

I have been using my Scarpa 6000 now for about a year and on the most part I have been really impressed with them.

General Design and Features
When I was first in the market for a pair of winter boots (and this was my first pair) I was strongly recommended by lots of people to go for the La Sportiva Spantik.  I tried them both on in the shop for hours, in different sizes and came to the conclusion that the 6000 fit me slightly better. This was perhaps the main reason I went for them in the end however I also prefered the design of the 6000 too.  They seemed to be more nimble and precise and I prefer having a gaitered boot any day of the week as it keeps them drier when your wading through snow and it means that the laces aren’t subject to any wear.  The sole unit is thinner than on the Spantik which sacrifices warmth but gains precision.

Dave Searle climbing in the SCARPA Phantom 6000

Fit
I had a slight problem with heel lift after using them maybe three of four times.  I didn’t have this problem in the shop and it was strange that it developed over time. I have rectified that now with sticky back foam stuck to the liners around my heel and a heel raiser to lock my heel into the back of the boot.  I would have probably had this problem in any boot as I do have particularly narrow heels. Now they fit like a dream. If your set on these boots then it is worth remembering that if you have a low volume foot like mine then they can be made to fit.

Lacing
To start with I was a fan of the lacing system, it seemed easy to tighten up and easy to use with big gloves but I pretty soon realized that the locking cleat eventually works itself loose after a few hours of climbing or walking.  I originally combated this problem by tying a normal shoe knot over the top of the cleat but now I have taken it off completely and I just use a reef knot to fasten them.  I never feel the need to adjust the laces when I’m climbing so now when I’m tying them in the hut or at the bivi I use a knot that won’t come lose and this seems to be the best option for me. I think the lacing system could do with a rethink in my opinion as I have had other friends who have had similar problems with it.  Perhaps a beefier cleat or thicker, less slick laces which are easier tie?

Warmth
I have been really impressed with the warmth of these boots as well.  I thought that they weren’t going to be as warm as a Spantik but I have since realised it depends entirely on your circulation and the fit as to whether or not you’ll feel the cold.  I have sat two nights out in them without a sleeping bag and I didn’t have any major  issues.  The first and worst of the two was on the Colton/Macintyre on the Grandes Jorrasses.  Me and my two buddies got benighted at about 4300m with only a two man man bothy shelter and half a karimat to share.  It was November here in Cham and the ambient temperature was close to -15C and felt much more with windchill.  Jim and Gav both had Spantiks and I was in my 6000ers and I was really worried about my feet but the only option was to sit and suffer…. which we did…. for 8 hours.  The night passed slowly and I emerged with very minor nerve damage to my big toe (phew).  Jim had the same and Gav was fine.  I don’t think the 6000ers are as warm as the Spantiks but if you have good circulation then these should be fine for what they are recommend for (winter alpinism and greater range climbing up to 6000m).  I think my circulation is average and for most of the climbing I have done with them (alpine north faces in autumn and spring) they have been spot on.  Light and dexterous enough for mixed climbing, warm enough for the kind of temperatures you encounter out here and stiff enough to plough up a 1000m of ice without your calves exploding out the back of your trousers.

SCARPA Phantom 6000 – perfect for technical mixed ground

Wear
They haven’t shown much sign of wear yet. I had a small nick in the orange fabric after their first days use scrambling over sharp granite boulders on my way up to the Carrington/Rouse on the north face of the Pelerins.  I though that was going to set the tone for how they were going to fair but that is the only damage they have sustained in the year I have had them which I think is pretty impressive as I have done some long approaches on sharp granite moraine, mixed climbed in Scotland and they have been up six 1000m+ north face routes as well as a load of shorter mixed routes.

Crampon Compatabilty
One issue that I encountered with these boots was getting my crampons to fit.  When I first got these boots I had a pair of plastic bailed Grivel G14 (older version).  I strapped them on and started off up without really paying a huge amount of attention to how they fit.  I felt pretty insecure on the first route and it was only on closed inspection when I looked at the set up that I realised the front points were only forward about 5mm or so from the front of the boot as supposed to 25-35mm as I would normally expect.  I worked out that it was because the sole unit is really narrow at the front and it doesn’t hold the crampon far enough forward.  So back to the shop I went for a new pair of crampons. It was a hungry month after that!  So be warned check your crampons on them first.

In an ideal world I would change two things about these boot.
1.    I would make them tighter around the heel to combat heel lift. It might just be that I have really skinny heels but some other guys I know who have them would say the same thing.
2.    I would change the lacing system to something more reliable.  Its pretty frustrating having your boots come undone on you when your ankle deep in snow, trying to hop about getting them done up again.

All in all they are really great boot, and have definitely become very popular out here in Chamonix and for good reason.  After all Ueli Steck was the main man behind the design of these boots and he knows what to look for in a good boot!  I’d change a few things like I’ve said but I’m really happy with them and if I was on market for a pair of winter boots again I’d make the same choice.

• Find out more and where you can buy these on the SCARPA website.

About Dave Searle

Dave Searle is a keen Alpinist and skier based in Chamonix in the French Alps. He runs an excellent and informative website www.chamonixtopo.com and blogs about his adventures here. He describes himself as:

“a 24 year old Climber and Skier based in the mountain mecca of Chamonix Mont Blanc.   I have been climbing for about 7 years now working my way up from scratch to climb some of the biggest faces in the Alps including the North face of the Eiger and the Grandes Jorasses.  I enjoy all aspects of climbing and skiing, but for me the best days are fast and light ascents of long routes on big mountains.  I am a keen skier and I love blasting about the mountains of Chamonix Skiing the steeps, couloirs and awesome faces it has to offer.   I also really enjoy UK Trad climbing and Scottish winter climbing and I quite often miss these types of climbing when I am in Chamonix.  

I hope to branch out into different mountain regions in the near future.  I have many ideas and dreams of adventures to be had all over the world and I am looking forward to getting out and making them happen.

I currently work as a driver for an airport transfer service (Mountain DropOffs) out in Chamonix because it gives me plenty of time to go skiing and climbing whilst also giving me a chance to rest between stints in the mountains.”

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie – Climbing Gear Review

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoody

Is the The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie up to a north face…?

Performance ****

Quality ****

Value for money ****

RRP £160.00

The North Face say: “a lightweight insulated hooded wind shell that offers versatility
in a range of climatic conditions. The North Face Men’s Super Zephyrus Hoodie
is a hooded insulated jacket that can be worn on its own or as a mid layer when
conditions turn ferocious.”

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie below the Eiger North Face

I have spent the majority of the last few summer and winter seasons in a clothing
system so packed with colour that it could be likened to a lump of coal, and in
some cases so dated,  that it could well have been a lump of coal. A summer trip
to the Alps with a pack heavily laden with said clothing prompted me to rethink my
wardrobe in order that I might (a) save some weight and (b) maybe one day be more than a
climber masquerading as a shadow in photos.

The Super Zephyrus Hoodie is a Primaloft insulated, hooded windshell. It has Power
Stretch side panels, hood and hem for a snug, comfortable fit. It has two alpine
zipped pockets and an internal chest pocket, all of which are alpine pack and harness
friendly. Oh, and the one I got is lime green.

In the last couple of months, I have worn the Super Zephyrus Hoodie almost non stop.
It’s been worn to the pub, at work, at the crag, skydiving, and for both alpine days and
nights. It’s super comfortable and feels almost criminal to take it off.

When using it in anger, I tend to wear a thick base layer underneath and that is all.
Wearing much more causes overheating whilst I am moving, it really is that warm.
For really cold days, another mid-layer could easily be worn underneath. It has a full
length zip which when fully done up, excludes drafts at the neck and can help regulate
temperature whilst on the move. When stopping at belays, or for a drink, it is easy to
throw a belay jacket over the top and stay warm. The Power Stretch hems with thumb
loops help to prevent any riding up of the sleeves when under a jacket, or whilst
wearing gloves. The Power Stretch panel in the hood helps to give it a more fitted feel
and it is very comfortable (and warm) when worn under a helmet.

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie - the fitted hood was snug, stretchy and comfortable worn under a helmet.

Now for the science part so concentrate! The Super Zephyrus Hoodie is insulated with
40g PrimaLoft One and is covered by windproof, ripstop nylon and PowerStretch
where each is most effective. This all combines to make a lightweight (weighing in at
around 740g), warm, windproof mid layer offering light water repellence.

I used a size medium which offered a range of movement beyond my expectations,
especially whilst wearing a harness. When swinging axes above my head and using
my hands to climb mixed pitches, I was not impeded by the cut of the jacket.

The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie - thumb loops provide hand and wrist warmth and prevent any riding up of the sleeves when climbing.

The one downside that I found to this jacket is the durability of the materials used in
certain areas. At the end of one day I found that I had a 6 inch tear in the ripstop nylon
of one elbow and a tear in the Power Stretch of the other elbow. Fortunately due to the
nature of the insulation, I wasn’t leaking feathers everywhere and the jacket remained
warm. Because the jacket is so good at keeping you warm whilst moving, I was lured
into wearing it as an outer layer when it perhaps isn’t hardwearing enough for use
on ‘traditional’ mixed pitches.

In Conclusion
This is the best mid/ lightweight outer layer I have used. It is rapidly
becoming a staple jacket for all occasions. It is super comfortable has really good
warmth to weight ratio and looks great. The drab wardrobe need never be opened
again.

• Find out more about this product and buy it on The North Face website

Metolius Woodgrips Compact Fingerboard – Climbing Gear Review

CGR put the Metolius Woodgrips Fingerboard through it’s paces…

Quality ****

Performance***

Value for Money ***

Earlier in the training season we published Katie’s review of the Beastmaker 1000 fingerboard. At the same time I received another wooden fingerboard from US manufacturers Metolius - The Compact Fingerboard. This is a compact version of the Deluxe.

I’ve been a fan of wooden holds for many years now, I can remember training with the legendary Paul Craven (training meister extraordinaire!) in 1986 on wooden holds screwed to his attic beam (we shared a house in Leeds just don’t tell the landlord). The benefits of wood are: it has great friction – even with sweaty holds; it’s cheap, environmentally friendly (if sourced responsibly) and most importantly it’s very skin friendly – allowing training to happen even with shredded skin.

Wood is great when your skin is sore

The Compact Board certainly looks nice and fitted in well with the décor of my house, Katie decided to mount hers in the garage I mounted mine above the bedroom door – this was more important than you think. I had fought for many years (since the removal of my whole climbing garage to make extra garden space) for some extra training, wood was the marital compromise. The quality of the board was very good, it looked nice and felt very skin friendly. The wood is sustainably sourced Alder, Metolius stated that the criteria for wood selection came down to: suitability for climbing, availability, sustainability, and affordability. The board was not machined from a single solid block but from a block laminated using smaller sections. Very similar to a modern table you might buy from Ikea. The wood is very dark and had an excellent grain for friction.

It was very simple and straight forward to mount, it came with eight deep and aggressive screws and pre drilled holes to place them in. I was mounting to brick so had to find some wall plugs and within 20 minutes I had the board installed and ready to use. There is a video tutorial to help with installation on the Metolius website. It really wasn’t difficult at all, you would need to remember is that you are going to hang your entire weight off it so be careful what you attach it too.

Mounted above the door, it fitted in well with the decor

So, how was the board for training on? I am a great fan of fingerboards and have used a homemade wooden one for several years now. The most useful thing about having a fingerboard is the convenience, I can always find 10 or 20 minutes to hang around on the fingerboard, no matter how rubbish I’m feeling. It’s at its most useful after a run, and a great session will include some light stretching, a 40 minute run and up to 20 minutes on the finger board.

There was a good variety of holds, mostly in pocket format. There were two really comfortable jugs and a large sloper on the top. The CNC machining left each hold rounded and smooth to hang off, I didn’t get any skin pinching that can often come with artificial climbing holds. Together with the tight grained wood it felt for a very comfortable training experience.

So, put all these things together. The pleasant aesthetic, the beautiful feel and the comfort I feel that wood is the way forward. You do pay for that, up to £10.00 more than a Metolius Project Board (a similar size) but I feel it’s worth the extra cost. A nice fingerboard that I can see me using for many, many years to come. The only feature I would change is to make the sloper more of a slight 5^o angle as it was flat on the top of it and I found I could hang on for more time than I wanted to.

Finally, I used the board in conjunction with the Metolius 10 minute sequence guides. I have been using these for about 4 years now and found them great as I like the motivational factor of them being 10 minutes – I can always find 10 minutes to train, however busy I am!

SRP £85.00

For stockist vist: www.beyondhope.co.uk

Clif Nutrition Bars – Climbing Gear Review

Taste *****

Value for Money ***

Now any food that has a picture of a climber on the packet is going to get my vote. We bumped into the Clif Bar people at the Kendal Mountain Festival this year and they gave us a handful of bars to test. They included Natural Energy bars, Builder’s Protein Bars and Shot Bloks Electrolyte Chews.

The company have been popular in the States for a while now and I have begun to see them on sale in the UK, namely at The Depot in Leeds. They have green credentials priding themselves on using  wholesome and nutritious ingredients and having no trans fats, hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup. Every bar also donates 1% for The Planet. It should be said that due to UK regulations Clif Bar cannot state that the bars are organic or contain no transfats, you should read all the info from the sites and make your own mind up. They tasted wholesome and nutritious to me, and to be honest-that’s good enough!

Mint Choc Chip - what's there not to like?

The US range is quite extensive and the Energy Bars alone have 19 flavours. Here in the UK there are 3 Energy Bar flavours (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin & Walnut and Crunchy Peanut Butter) and 3 Builder’s Bar flavours ( Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mint)

I only really use energy bars in high stress climbing situations like winter and alpine climbing, where I need to get energy in quickly; if the food is palatable then that’s a bonus. It also needs to fit in my pocket and not freeze up too much, be easy to open and stay in one piece so it doesn’t make a gooey mess in my pocket.

Clif Bars - fit in any pocket for food on the move.

That’s a big ask, I’ve tried: Mars Bars, Snickers, homemade Muesli Bar, Wine Gums, Trail Mix, tubes of condensed milk, various cereal bars as well as specialist bars such as Powerbars and High 5 bars; all are satisfactory but not ideal. So did the Clif Bars have the edge?

Flavour wise we tried the Crunchy Peanut Butter and the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, these were absolutely scrummylicious! Moist and chewy with a real homemade flavour, I could have eaten the Peanut Butter flavour all day, non-stop! The Oatmeal Raisin Walnut flavour was like a chewy flapjack but with only 7.3% fat it didn’t taste greasy like flapjack can.

They all stayed intact in my pocket and I found I could devour a bar in 3 bites which gave me 189 calories. They also felt very filling and the only problem I really had with them was that wasn’t enough in a bar, at £1.30 per bar it can lead to an expensive habit.

Crunchy Peanut Butter - yummy.

My favourite was undoubtedly the Mint Chocolate Builder’s bar, this tasted so good as to be virtually indistinguishable from a chocolate bar. These pack 20 grams of protein in every bar, 270 calories and 8% fat plus a whole host of added vitamins and minerals in the 68 grams; just what you need on a day out.

These were also more filling than the energy bars but drier in consistency.

We also tried the Chocolate flavour which was very yummy indeed

So…fantastically yummy and delicious bars that are very palatable, easy to eat on the move and are packed full of nutrition. On the down side I feel that the energy bars need to be slightly bigger to make them better value.

Do keep an eye out for Kev’s review of the energy drinks, gels and food for high intensity sports.

RRP £1.30

For stockists see : www.clifbar.co.uk

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! – Video, Adam Ondra Font 8c

Wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas from Kev, Dave and the CGR team

Enjoy this gift from us:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=34171412&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

ADAM ONDRA – FIRST 8C BOULDERS from BERNARTWOOD on Vimeo.

 

 

Dry Tooling at Leeds Wall – Blog

CGR brave the warm sunny weather to crank the new dry tooling routes at The Leeds Wall.

We were both short of time today as I had a family  and Kev needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping. A phone call later and the decision was made – we would follow the rumour mill and sniff out the alleged dry tooling routes at The Leeds Wall. We’ve both already been out this season, Kev has done The Jabberwock on Gable las  weekend and I’ve been on a more sedate Pinnacle Ridge (in full blizzard mind), so we didn’t feel too bad about catching a couple of hours indoors.

Kev cranking out the M5 corner

I packed my BD Vipers, helmet, leashes and rock shoes and headed down. It was refreshing to be able to turn up whenever and just pay a normal wall fee to climb. There was a sheet to sign, but other than that no extra bureaucracy was enforced. I was given a set of safety glasses and two tennis balls to put over my adze and hammer, Kev having a set of BD Fusions didn’t need them.

We then went into the tower (completely away from the main climbing area) where the routes were set up. There were 10 routes of grades M3 through to M7, the routes are new so needed a little work on them – mostly some small screw on footholds to make the starts a little easier. But otherwise there was a great range of routes with plenty of high steps, hooks and a lot of delicate corners and steep yarding. The holds are plastic backed onto plywood squares, same colour holds for picks and feet.

A great variety of moves on all the routes.

I immediately whacked myself in the chin with my adze as I didn’t want to look uncool with the tennis balls on the ends of my axes. Hey ho, I now look even more uncool with a cut chin for Christmas. I swapped to using Kev’s Fusions and that felt better.

Two hours later we were blasted and very happy, deciding that it was a great local venue for dry tooling and super addition to the Leeds facilities. The routes still need a little tweaking and there are plans to add more routes. The best route was definitely the blue M6, left of the door (looking out), some great back and footing lead to a roof and some big pull on small holds plonks you onto a desperately delicate move to a small hold that feels miles away. Well pumpy and well done Leeds Wall, a big thank you from Climbing Gear Reviews.

Kev tries out the new CGR prototype axe - pre order now!

Merry Christmas to you all and be safe out there this winter.

Dave, Kev and the team.

Beastmaker 1000 fingerboard – Climbing Gear Review

Performance *****

Quality *****

Value *****

Can CGR reviewer Katie Mundy crush her problems using the Beastmaker 1000 series fingerboard…?

Like many climbers who start to climb in the 7′s I’ve began to find specific moves really blum’n tricky.  As well as needing a lot more technique I’ve had to look at my finger and core strength and work out where my weaknesses lie – I have discovered there are many.  So on this note, I was excited, if not a little nervous to receive a Beastmaker 1000 series fingerboard (it’s a little intimidating to start with).

 In the past 2 years, Beastmaker has fast become one of the leading fingerboard makers; and what started in a small Sheffield cellar has rapidly spread across the globe to become a worldwide brand. It is one which stands for ‘dusty cellared home grown power’, with the ethos that anything is possible given the right tools for the job (and a bit of elbow grease).

Beastmaker-great for training finger strength.

 The boards are made from Tulip wood, which is a good strong, malleable wood, and leaves a smooth finish for your pinkies to crank on.  Being wood it also absorbs the sweat from your hands.  Unlike many products which start in the UK, then meander off to faraway shores to be produced; Beastmaker still create theirs right here in sunny Blighty.

Now the reason I’ve never bought a finger board (apart from pure laziness) is that I never knew where to put one.  I don’t want some blue resin monstrosity on my beams or door frames, inside or out.  But being made of wood, the Beastmaker board fits in a little better, it’s a bit more like a piece of furniture.  Saying this, I still wasn’t allowed it inside, so off to the garage I went.  If you don’t want to attach it directly, you can get panels to put up behind the board, (not from the site though, which would be nice).

 With my board now proudly attached to a beam in the garage I began my training… 

Firstly I noted down how much weight I could take off on each of my fingers.  This was where I got my first surprise.  I realised that my index and middle fingers were literally taking all the weight when I climbed, my back two fingers may have well of been making a cup of tea elsewhere!  I told a few people about this and it seems a pretty common thing, given the setup of your hands.  But this is something I would never have worked out had I just carried on climbing away, constantly failing on the same moves.  Inspired to right this wrong I set up a weekly training schedule.

 To really see a difference it’s probably best to train 2-3 times a week but I didn’t really have that much time, so I stuck to once a week 1 1/2 hours a session.  I will add here that I miss read the training plan on my first session and ended up doing a gruelling 2 1/2 hour session! Not advised.

When you first use the board it’s a little slippery with it being wood, but get the chalk on it and have a couple of goes and it feels grand.  So much nicer than shredded fingers on a resin board (you know the feeling).  Being a 1000 series it has lovely big jugs on top for a good old warm up before starting; note this is not the case for the 2000 so make sure you get the right one when ordering.  The 1000 series is designed for people climbing between V3 and V9, improving finger and core strength in a graduated manner. I’ve found there’s a lot of scope for your improvement, with so many hold variations, I’ve been able to really concentrate on specific areas when it’s for a certain move I’m working on.

The 2000 series on the other hand has 45 degree slopers, monos and shallower finger holds, so it’s definitely a next level board, which again has so many variations on it.  Not ideal for warming up on, but if you’ve already got the 1000 you’ve covered all bases.

Back to training and apart from being in a freezing cold garage with my cat looking at me like I’m crazy, all is going well.  I’ve moved from doing drags in deep pockets to the much shallower ones and can put more weight on my two rubbish back fingers.  So after a few weeks I have been noticing the difference in my strength; now this isn’t ground breaking stuff; we all know if you train you get stronger. So what makes a Beastmaker board different from all the other ones out there?

Well, apart from the material they use, the main difference would be the time and research gone behind each and every hold position.  Nothing is there that shouldn’t be.  Unlike many boards which have holds just plonked on; the Beastmaker team say they have rigorously trial and errored many combinations to create the most effective training board; and seeing as it’s what they train on, it must be working! 

So, has the symmetry of the board helped at all?  Well yes, if anything it’s helped to show me my weaknesses, and I’m now super determined to even myself out.  The wood has been kind to my fingers and the board is slowly starting to blend in with the beam.  Even my Nana’s had a little go on it, so family friendly as well!  And at £75.00 I’d say pretty wallet friendly too.

Beastmaker already have a training plan on their website and it’s being updated shortly.  Just make sure you don’t misread it and have a 2 1/2 hour session on your first go!  

 For stockists or to buy online see: http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/

Outdoor Photography, Beyond the Point and Press – A CGR Book Review

We gave our top amateur photographer Chris Wright the new Cicerone Outdoor Photography book. Did he pick any new tips to inspire him…?

I have been taking photos for about the last 38 years. I would not set myself up to be any sort of an expert but I have had photos published and would like to think I can take a decent photo. I was asked to review a copy of Outdoor Photography – People, Action and Places by Jon Sparks and Chiz Darkin by Climbing Gear Reviewers UK.

Chiz Dakin of (www.peakimages.co.uk)is an award winning freelance photographer specialising in outdoor photography and co-author of this book with Jon Sparks of (www.jon-sparks.co.uk) an award-winning photographer and writer based in Lancashire, UK. He has worked on five continents and specialises in landscape and outdoor pursuits.

 

Get up close and personal to your subject.

The book sets out to focus on the understanding rather than the techniques of photography and that you are a passionate photographer that wants to improve. As the books says “don’t try to go from a VS climber to E6”. It is for people new to digital SLR photography in the outdoors but I also think it would be useful to people wishing to get more out of their SLR than point and shoot and to generally improve their photography. The book is based on an A5 format and is packed with information, tips and techniques along with high quality photographs from Chiz and Jon. This makes it a convenient size for the bookshelf/coffee table but also at a push you could take it into the outdoors to try out some of the tips and techniques contained within the book. Having said that I don’t think it would last too long if you did this too often.

All of the different outdoor sports and activities that the book sets out to cover are enhanced with good quality photographs many of which contain additional information on camera, setting, lens used etc. Also in each chapter throughout the book are light blue text boxes letting you in on what the photographer is thinking, to achieve the best shot.

Rather than trying to do something from every chapter in the book I decided to look at chapter 4, Wildlife and Nature, simply because it’s accessible to everyone even if it’s only in your local park or woodland. I used some of the tips in this chapter and tried to reproduce some of the images from the chapter. So this is my attempt in reproducing the picture on page 92 in the book (a cluster of flowers) and page 95 (the Oystercatcher) but with a different subject matter.

Outdoor photography is more than just landscapes.

I would like to have seen more information on what types/how to choose the right lenses to move your photograph forward. Plus maybe some information on selecting an external flash unit and flash photography as these are the areas that someone new to DSLR would like to know as well. I also think that the section on underwater photography while very interesting with some excellent photographs, is a bit specialised for a book aimed at this market. Having said all that, if you consider that most photography magazines cost between £4.00 and £5.00 for a monthly subscription and there might only be one article that is of any use to you, then at £14.95 I think this book represents excellent value for money and you get a reference book for your bookshelf.

Authors: Chiz Dakin & Jon Sparks.

RRP £14.95

Stockists: www.cicerone.co.uk

Smartwool HyFi Hoody – Climbing Gear Review

Can Katie stay warm enough to crush her problems in The Frankenjura?

Performance *****

Quality *****

Value for money ****

Earlier in the year we received some gear news from Smartwool about a new range of Merino products called HyFi, this hybrid fabric promises to be more hardwearing but retain all the excellent warmth and odour eliminating properties of pure merino, we gave Katie a womens hoody to test on her problem crushing visit to The Frankenjura in Germany…

I had been given the SmartWool HyFi TML (thermal mid layer) mid full-zip hoody to test a week before my trip to the Frankenjura, and for this I was very grateful.

As much as I know cold weather equals good friction, my body knows cold weather means limbs like frozen logs.  So I was very happy to pack this in with the rest of my warm clothing.

SmartWool are a clothing company based in Colorado; dedicated to creating clothing kindly, sustainably and with a low carbon foot print to boot. They are in partnership with the New Zealand Merino Company, who have developed Zque, the world’s first Merino wool accreditation program.

This program ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, safeguards animal welfare, and allows them to trace end products to their source.

Smatwool HiFy - toasty on those subzero days.

Packed, ready to go and get shut down by some super hard problems, I made the 20ish hour trek by car and ferry and car again to the Frankenjura; the totally freezing Frankenjura I might add. Perfect testing conditions.

At least if I couldn’t make it up anything, I could still sit cozily in my Smartwool HyFi top. They do say their clothing works best when layered with another of their products, but then not everyone can afford to have three layers of merino wool loveliness. So I worked with what I had, and what I had worked well.

The hoody is a mid layer with a central front zip, which they say is made slightly off centre at the chin so it doesn’t chaff, I didn’t notice that too much, but I guess you don’t notice something when it isn’t annoying you.

It has engineered thumb holes, secure hand and chest pockets, and articulated elbows.  It’s made with 64% super fine merino wool and 36% nylon, this is to make the material a little more hardwearing that pure merino.  They say that they make the hoody a little longer to allow for potential (or in my case definite) shrinkage.  It got a little smaller when I washed it, but not by a large amount, it didn’t do the usual thing my clothes do, and turn into a hoody for 8/10yr olds (a good start).  So a wool garment that can be washed without worry.

The hoody I was given was a size small; I’m normally a size 6 up top and this hoody was about one size too  big for me. I looked on the website and a small is about an 8-10, so their sizing is pretty spot on.

They don’t make an XS in this product and I think I was probably pretty lucky to get a small to test! The sizes in this product range from S to XL. Bear in mind, different products do have a larger range of sizes.

There’s a chance it may have felt different if I had worn it as a single mid layer, but because of the sizing I put another hoody on underneath. It did get to -2^oC some days so two mid layers wasn’t such a crazy idea.

Smartwool HyFi - great for climbing in.

I like a top with thumb holes, some people may never use them, but for me they’re great, it stopped the cold getting in when i had my gloves on over the top, and when I wasn’t wearing gloves, they made a nice little mid point to bare hands.  The hood is quite fitted, designed to fit under a helmet for skiing, cold weather routes, etc.  I used mine on the coldest days under my bobble hat and it sat rather nicely with no excess bulk.

Now not the most pleasant of topics, but I find when I wear a lot of layers when out climbing, they get a bit sweaty and don’t exactly smell great.  The Hoody excelled in this; if I could rave about anything, it’s that I could climb all day in it, or do a 20 hr car ride and it didn’t smell! The layers underneath did, but the hoody stayed odour free.  I wore it for two weeks and only washed it when I got home because, well it’s what you do, plus I just emptied my bag into the washer and washed everything together, including the hoody. No problems at all with a mixed 40^oC wash, I haven’t tried it at lower temperatures yet but I think it would wash OK.

So the Smart Wool fibres in the hoody are meant to keep a more regulated body temperature, this stops the smelliness, keeping you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold.

I think this may be the part where it would work best as a secondary layer to a SmartWool base layer.  As I was wearing it with a thermal, a t-shirt and a hoody it was pretty tough to tell if the technology was working in the way it is designed to do, but from a very basic level of the way I was wearing it, it kept me warm, it was light weight (a plus) and it was comfortable to wear when climbing.

Smartwool HiFy - stylish and functional

From a style and fashion aspect, I really liked the shape and design of the hoody; even though it was a little big, it didn’t really look too big for me, it just looked like a different style to what it would if it were smaller.  It comes in a range of colours, claret, grape or black: all with contrasting zip colours.

I had a look on the SmartWool website to do a bit of ‘research’, yes research, the things I have to do!  It has some fantastic things on it, one of which was a hoody with an interesting design, I mention it because I think it’s one of the only things that could make the hoody better.  It had a ponytail hole in the back of the hood; Useful, very useful. I also found out how easy it was to get hold of SmartWool products in the UK.  Because it’s all good me telling you about a product, but if you can’t get it easily its a bit of a moot review.  You can’t buy anything on the site (thankfully for my bank balance) but it is stocked in several major retail stores as well as many smaller ones.  If you don’t have one near you, they do answer your emails pretty quickly and you can always order online.

If you were to buy the HyFi TML hoody you wouldn’t be disappointed, it looks and does what it says it does and feels really comfortable, no itchiness here.  The price is definitely at the top of the scale at around £150,but it is merino wool and they do seem like a company that take pride in their products. The massive plus for me is knowing that if I buy this product or any of their range, I know it’s history and that they’re doing their darnedest to make it as eco friendly as possible. Thumbs up guys: through the handy thumb hole!

UK RRP £130.00

Stockists:www.smartwool.com