Mountain Athlete
Even for an experienced equipment tester helmets are an inherently difficult thing to review. Despite their many and varied design features helmets are really there for one obvious reason, to protect your head from the type of serious impact you ideally want to avoid. So their is always a certain guilt associated with commenting on …
I have long been a dedicated fan of synthetic insulation. The last 12 years of winter climbing in Scotland have taught me many things about surviving brutal winter conditions in the mountains. Among the most critical, is that if you want your insulation to fight with you to the very end as you do battle on …
Continue reading "Review: Black Diamond Stance Belay Parka & First Light Hoody"
This review is a quick follow up to this post from back in February: https://scottbecker.co.uk/2019/02/08/review-rab-mythic-sleeping-bag-alpine-bivi/ At the time I discussed the features of Rab's top end Alpine Bivi bag, but had yet to personally test it in action. Having recently come home after almost two months in Patagonia for the winter season, I can assure …
As I packed my bags to return to the wild mountains of Patagonia this winter it became pretty clear to me that I was going to need a serious clothing system. With some ambitious plans in the pipeline, I needed hard shells that could do everything. I needed comfort for the brutally long approaches, as …
Continue reading "The Sharp End: testing top of the range pro shells from Black Diamond"
Having worked in the outdoor industry for several years it takes something special to really grab my attention these days. Every once in awhile though, I encounter something truly unique and this year that was the Dolomite Veloce GTX. So what is the Veloce GTX? To label this product as an approach shoe, trail shoe …
Anyone vaguely familiar with the nuances of alpine climbing will have heard the phrase 'fast and light' so many times it's enough to make your head spin. In reality though the idea is far more than just a marketing catchphrase to sell fancy equipment, fast and light is a climbing philosophy and an intrinsic part …
Continue reading "BD Ultralights: Climb fast and light without compromise"
It’s been a few weeks now since I got back from Patagonia and I have finally managed to find some time to reflect on the experience and of course the equipment. While we unfortunately did not get the weather window we had hoped for (welcome to Patagonia!), we still managed to get out in the …
Continue reading "Review: Rab Mythic sleeping bag & Alpine bivi"
