‘Tis the season for short(er) approaches, shorter days, and lots of try hard. When you’re at a crag with a high concentration of problems, who wants to put real shoes on to move 100 feet to the next route or use the bathroom? That’s where the Arc’teryx Arakys approach shoe excels.
No joke, when I think of perfect, outdoor puffy blankets. I think of Rumpl. I think of fog swirling in the trees. Maybe an artfully framed railroad. Beautifully draped over a beautiful person. They’ve got that image on lock. Then I think of the price of that blanket. I think about how my aesthetic is frantically digging poo holes, ripping holes in clothing, and not showering. Then I realize that maybe the Rumpl is not for me. Thankfully Therm-a-Rest introduced their affordable line of tech blankets for 2016.
Backpacking weight is a big deal to me. When you’re like a hundred pounds, every pound is a whole percentage of your body weight. Every ounce counts. If I’m going to lug around an enormous camera and tripod, I need to shave off ounces everywhere else. For a tiny backpacking stove, the Snow Peak Litemax is perfect.
The first time I ever led trad was about a year ago. I got a crash course in placing nuts right before. My friend mumbled some stuff to me, patted me on the back, and headed up the pitch with another friend. I would meet them up there. I nervously adjusted the sling containing the alpine draws and nuts. I thumbed through all the cams and started to climb. My first piece was a nut, right off the deck. My second piece was another nut, perfectly slotted into a constriction right before a lieback. I didn’t trust it. I don’t know why. I was afraid of kicking it out. I froze. And then I lowered off it, too unsure of myself and my abilities to continue. The pitch was a 5.4 on low angle slab.
To me, the name “Merrell” has been associated with dad stuff. Kinda ugly, really traditional, super brown—not the good kind of brown from playing in the dirt, and a little bulky. They’ve never been hip or cool. Until recently. If you showed me a shoe from their new line, I couldn’t tell you it was by Merrell. When Merrell offered to send the #UintasHike16 crew shoes, I was a little skeptical. I worship my Salewas. They are my ultimate shoe. I decided to give Merrell a try; if they didn’t make me a convert, at least I could change my tune about the brand as a whole.