When I signed up for #HellHikeAndRaft, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I imagined long, strenuous days climbing mountains with an epic group of people more fit than me. I’d been rocking the Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot when I said yes to the adventure. They’re still my go-to shoe for a good chunk of my hikes. But I’m the type of person that sprains an ankle while standing still. I wanted something a little sturdier for the unknowns of Idaho, and eventually Mt. Whitney that fall.

After a bunch of perusing and hemming and hawing, I settled on the Salewa Alp Trainers Mid GTX hiking boots.