Welcome to SPGear!  -   
 
 
Categories·Gear Index·Gear Images·What's New·Visit SummitPost


Mountain Expert GTX
Gear Review
Mountain Expert GTX 

Page Type: Gear Review

Manufacturer: Lowa

Your Opinion: 
 - 4 Votes
 

 

Page By: rhyang

Created/Edited: May 22, 2005 / Mar 14, 2007

Object ID: 1332

Hits: 1146 

 


From Lowa website :

Top-of-the-line, new generation all-round mountain boot for difficult, mixed terrain.


Images


Reviews

Viewing: 1-4 of 4

rhyangUntitled Review

Voted 4/5

I've climbed short pitches of WI3 ice, class 4-5 rock, snow couloirs, and snowshoe'd in these boots. While they have some insulation, I would not call them winter boots. They seem fine for spring and fall mountaineering though. The construction seems to be a mix of leather and synthetic - no break-in time required.

The soles stick great on rock, even when wet, and have sufficient rocker to make hiking tolerable.

Fit: my feet measure size 9.5 US, usually I wear size 10 boots. My toes are wide and heels narrow. These seemed to fit great in size 10, but I have to use a heel lock knot to prevent heel slippage.

Crampon compatibility: seems to work decently with Black Diamond sabretooths (best to use new heel lever); Petzl Vasak leverlock. The soles are plenty stiff, though the front welts seem a bit small - this could be a concern with certain front crampon bails.

Warmth: my feet tend towards the cold side. I just throw in chemical toe warmers if there's any doubt. On overnight trips where it was substantially below freezing I've put them in a plastic bag inside my sleeping bag to keep them from freezing solid overnight.

Durability (update Jan 2007): They've lasted me two seasons so far. I've also led some alpine ice in them as well (hard cold blue stuff, not whitish neve).
Posted May 22, 2005 6:25 pm

bacrossmanA good all around boot

Hasn't voted

I have used these boots for two years and have been pleased. They do a fine job on rock and are stiff enough to toe up on most small ledges and cracks.

The insole that comes with the boot isnt great, but I purchased some superfeet insoles and they work great.
Posted Mar 22, 2007 9:06 pm

mtndonkeyGreat boot for the Sierras

Voted 5/5

I have been very pleased with them. I have used them on snow and mixed rock/snow numerous times (no vertical ice sorry). They work great on both surfaces and I have used both my Petzl Vasak (standard strap-on binding) and my G-14 with toe bail and both have worked great. I added some superfeet since the original insole wasn't very supportive. The boots are comfortable on long dry approaches and stay relatively warm and dry. Like any leather boot it, the better you take care of it, the drier it will keep you. Like someone else mentioned, there is zero break-in time. I knocked out 8 miles and 4000 feet elevation gain on the first day and they felt great. I definitely recommend them for hikes/climbs in the Sierras.
Posted Apr 17, 2008 11:08 am

SchuetzenweberSolid.

Voted 5/5

Best rigid shank mountaineering boot for the dollar. It was exremely comfortable on my first climb. Use it on mixed climbs with semi-auto crampons. I won't trust the toe-lug on steep ice. Just returned from a cold climb on Mt. Rainier where the insulation worked just fine. I added extra waterproofing and didn't get wet on soft snow down low. Very happy so far.
Posted Jul 21, 2008 5:40 pm

Viewing: 1-4 of 4


Sign in to post!

Don't have an account? Register now.




"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."   --Peter Gibbons (Office Space)   

© 2006 SummitPost.org. All Rights Reserved.