Review: Cassin Blade Runner

Cassin

The roots of this technical equipment date back to 1935 when Riccardo Cassin made the first ascent of the north face of the Cima Ovest di Lavaredo (now rated 5.11d). He established his innovative climbing company down valley from C.A.M.P. in 1952. C.A.M.P. purchased the CASSIN brand in 1997 and honors Riccardo’s memory by stamping his name on some of the most technical products in the line including Technical Ice Axes & Crampons, Big Wall/Aid Climbing gear, a selection of Harnesses, and Bouldering gear. Other select products with an established history under the CASSIN brand also carry his name.

Description

The Blade Runner represents a new era in technical ice crampons. A wealth of innovative features
combine to create a crampon that conforms to the ergonomics of modern boots, increases rigidity along the entire length of the crampon without decreasing dexterity or compromising fit, adapts to alpine conditions with a variety of front points and toe bail configurations, and naturally reduces balling with its inverted V-shaped front platform. The patented heel slide integrates the linking bar with the heel piece for better torsional rigidity. This allows the Blade Runner to offer the best of both worlds by combining the power and stability of vertical frame crampons with the precision and ease of adjustment of horizontal frame designs. The entire heel slide is constructed from proprietary Sandvik Nanoflex® steel: an amazingly strong and tough stainless steel that allows for a reduction in the thickness of the frame from 2.75 mm to 1.8 mm, thereby reducing weight while simultaneously increasing strength and providing the right amount of longitudinal flexibility for a precise fit on modern boots with more extreme rocker. The front platform is constructed from traditional chromoly steel alloy to absorb impact energy and maintain solid rigidity under foot. The elimination of connection joints leaves little room for play and reduces much of the flex that can make crampons seem less secure on technical terrain. The sophisticated geometry of the front points interacts with the secondary points on the main frame for easy penetration and superior hold even in the most fickle conditions. Switching the front points between dual and mono, centered or offset, is made easy with the hook and notch system on the rear contact point. The optional snow points convert the Blade Runner into all mountain machines with their beveled design and precise shape and spacing that maximizes purchase in ice and hard snow. Optional semi-automatic toe bails also allow the Blade Runner to be used on boots without rigid toe lugs – a great feature for alpine climbing where the bulky toe lug reduces sensitivity and performance on rock.

Details

• The most versatile technical ice crampons on the market
• Patented heel slide design integrates the benefits of vertical and horizontal frame crampon designs
• Interchangeable front points are easy to switch from dual to mono, centered or offset
• Optional snow points optimize the crampons for alpine terrain
• V-shaped chromoly steel front platform offers high rigidity and reduces balling
• The patented heel slide is constructed from proprietary Sandvik Nanoflex® steel for the optimal blend of strength, flex and lightweight
• Asymmetric design follows the contours of modern boots to ensure a more precise fit
• Semi-automatic toe bails allow for use on boots without rigid toe lugs
• Anti-balling plates included
• Available in two sizes for optimal boot fit compatibility

Points: 13/14
Frame Material: Chromoly Steel / Nanoflex® Steel
Antibott: Included
Binding: Automatic / Semi-Automatic

Weight 

Mono-point (vertical)

Size 1: 1015 g
Size 2: 1030 g

Duo-point (horizontal)

Size 1: 1130 g
Size 2: 1145 g
Srce: CAMP
 

My opinion

Fit

The Blade Runners came very close to a perfect fit on my La sportiva Trango Extreme’s. The front part follows the curve of the boot very well. At the back, the crampon has a weird bend between the heel part and the connection bar. It has to fit right in front of the foremost heel lugs of your boots. This tiny detail makes a lot of difference! It makes this crampon a lot more rigid than others, because this piece, together with the front bail, absorbs the impact while kicking the front points. This feature however can be disastrous for the fit on some boots, especially those with less pronounced heel lugs. If the heel of the boot is longer than the crampon heelpiece it can also leave some heel space uncovered by the crampon. This could be an issue, while descending a snow slope. On my boots there was a small part of the heel uncovered, but I never felt insecure while descending. Another difference with standard crampons is the connection bar. The connection bar is made out of one piece of flexible Sandvik Nanoflex steel together with the heel part of the crampon.  The first thing you’ll notice is the width of the connection bar. This makes the crampon more laterally rigid and it transfers the force to the heel bend, but it allows the crampon to flex vertically to allow a better fit on modern rockered boots. The second thing you’ll notice is that you can’t slide them in, like classic crampons. This makes them harder to transport, if you don’t want to adjust them every single time you put them on.

Fit of the heel piece

The bended connection bar fits very well on my Trango's

Fit of the front part. Notice the gap between the boot and the front-bail on the inside.

The binding system is very versatile, you can choose between a semi-automatic and a full-automatic configuration. I tested the full-automatic one. There was a good fit between the toe bail and my boot, but there was a gap between both on the inside of my boots. This means, the crampons will accommodate even more asymmetrical, wider boots.  I can’t say much about the heel piece apart from that the piece was sitting very flat against my boots and that it wasn’t very easy to adjust with gloves on. The buckle of the webbing existed out of two rings like on Grivel crampons. They are easy to use with gloves on.

Points

The crampon counts 13/14 ‘big’ points depending on the configuration. Ten of them are placed vertically and three or four are placed frontally. In addition to those ‘main’ points, there are some cleverly placed secondary points. The biggest are placed underneath the connection bar, the second biggest are two points placed on the proximal side of each replaceable front point and the smallest are some serrations sticking out of the anti-balling plates in the center of the front part of the crampon. They are very useful to keep grip while stepping onto cauliflower ice.

The frontal points are placed in a very clever way. You can switch the front points between snow points or ice points; you can place them centered or offset, dual or mono. This makes them very versatile in all sorts of terrain. I climbed with them in mono-point configuration and in this position, the small secondary points were visible and I wondered how they would work on ice and rock. Apparently the small points did a good job in stabilizing the crampon while climbing ice (I guess they’ll also prevent the mono-point from slicing through névé) and they didn’t interfere with the rock while dry-tooling, something where I was afraid of. When the crampons are in dual-point configuration, the secondary points are flat against the removable points, so they don’t interfere anymore.

Anti-balling plates

I never noticed any balling under the crampons. There are solid anti-balling plates in place on the crampon and the shape/material of the crampon can reduce the balling effect as well. CAMP says that the front piece of the crampon is V-shaped to reduce the balling; I can add that the stainless steel back part sheds the snow as well, because the snow doesn’t stick as much to stainless compared to chromolly steel.

Weight

The Blade Runner weighs just a little more than one of its closest competitors, the Petzl Lynx (1080g; duo-point), but the Blade Runner is a better crampon on ice for sure, because it is more rigid and its ability to keep grip on cauliflower ice. It is probably also a better snow crampon, because of the interchangeable horizontal front points. The trade-off is however that it is less compact to transport, it just might fit not as much boots as the Lynx and I believe the extendable front points of the Lynx  make them just a little better in dry-tooling.

Conclusion

If you want one crampon to do it all, this just might be something for you. A bit more versatile than the Petzl Lynx, but also a little heavier and less compact. Make sure you try them on your boots before you buy them!

Positive

• Versatile
• Rigid
• Great on cauliflower ice

Negative

• Pretty heavy
• Hard to fit on some boots

Review: Cassin X-dream

Cassin

The roots of this technical equipment date back to 1935 when Riccardo Cassin made the first ascent of the north face of the Cima Ovest di Lavaredo (now rated 5.11d). He established his innovative climbing company down valley from C.A.M.P. in 1952. C.A.M.P. purchased the CASSIN brand in 1997 and honors Riccardo’s memory by stamping his name on some of the most technical products in the line including Technical Ice Axes & Crampons, Big Wall/Aid Climbing gear, a selection of Harnesses, and Bouldering gear. Other select products with an established history under the CASSIN brand also carry his name.

Description

The X-Dream combines two tools in one – a fully optimized tool for technical ice and an aggressive
dry tooling machine. This amazing ice axe not only features three different T rated picks for various terrain, but it also incorporates a patented adjustment system in the ergonomic handle to fine tune the swing and torque even further. A quick turn of the Allen bolt above the grip allows the tool to be switched between Dry and Ice positions by changing the angle of the handle in relation to the angle of the pick. In the Dry position, the handle kicks upward for a more down and out pull. The Ice position drops the handle for a more natural swing. Climbers can further refine the X-Dream with micro-adjustable trigger finger ledges (choose from two inserts – the X-Finger Small or the X-Finger Large – that can be flipped over to adjust the position) and the X-Rest insert which adjusts the overall height of the handle. All three picks feature the refined beak and tooth configuration CASSIN tools are known for. They are designed to provide solid sticks with minimal penetration making them the perfect choice for brittle ice and technical mixed terrain. The Ice pick brings the tip 6 mm closer to the handle for performance similar to the popular X-All Mountain tool. It also features a small hammer that adds the perfect amount of head weight for thin and brittle ice. The Race pick features a sharp beak for grappling with rock along with more aggressive teeth both on the underside and topside of the pick. The Mixed pick is a blend between the two with similar angles to the Ice pick but only a small hammer plate and teeth reaching further down the shaft like the Race pick.

 

Details

• Hyper light, perfectly balanced, fully featured tool for technical dry, mixed and ice climbing
• Ergonomic handle with patented adjustment system to change between Dry and Ice angles
• The handle is constructed from extreme cold resistant polymer laid over the hot-forged aluminum alloy spine
• 3 different picks (Mixte supplied as standard, Ice and Race can be purchased separately) provide further refinement for different styles of climbing
• Micro-adjustable trigger finger ledges and X-Rest insert adjust the overall height and size of the handle
• X-Trigger pommel attaches to the shaft for a third ledge
• X-Grip 2 included

Weight

600g

Srce: CAMP

 

My opinion

(Note: the Cassin X-dreams were provided to me by the K2 profshop for testing purposes. This didn’t influence my opinion in any way!)

Picks

All the picks available for the X-dream are T-rated. This is very confidence inspiring, because they look pretty narrow and there are some holes cut out for weight reduction. It is also mandatory for mixed climbing, dry tooling and competitions to reduce the chance of bending or even breaking a pick while torqueing the tools.

I also noticed that the picks seemed to hold there edge very well.

Ice pick

I really liked the way the picks stick from the first hit, without shattering too much ice. They really
cut the ice like a knife through butter. This is probably because of the tapering of the picks. The downside of this is that they can sink down deep into soft ice, what makes them very hard to remove. Especially when the big spike on the underside of the pick gets into the ice or when the serrations on the head contact an ice curtain.
I’m not sure why they are in place on an ice pick anyway. I suppose, the big spike secures the blade while hooking between icicles and behind pillars and the serrations on the head are for torqueing the axe. But then again, I’ve never experienced the need for anything like that while ice climbing. In my opinion, those extra teeth are more useful for dry tooling or mixed climbing.

I also used this pick for some dry tooling and I was very pleased with the first tooth, who is a little downturned and far enough from the second tooth. It felt very secure, even while matching hands and pivoting the tools. I found the serrations on the head of the tool very useful, while torqueing the tools. The big spike on the underside came in handy while hooking over big holds. It felt more secure.

Although I’ve never used them for hammering a piton I found the hammer very useful, because it places some more weight into the head of the axe, what makes for a better swing. But I think there is still room for improvement… I’d suggest Cassin to take off the hammer and to put the same weight in front of the head for less vibration of the pick and an even better swing with less moment force when the pick hits the ice. This will reduce the chance of the pick bouncing off while hitting a bulge of hard ice.

In addition to the extra weight the hammer brings to the head, it also makes it possible to use the tool into the alpine.

Mixte pick

Note: I have not used this pick in the field, but I’ll compare it with the ice pick by its few differences.

The mixed pick is similar to the ice pick, but there are a few adaptations for dry tooling and mixed

climbing. First, the serrations on the head reach further down the head. This makes the axe even better for torqueing, but worse for ice climbing.

Second, they have more cut-outs and no real hammer for weight reduction. Since the pick is going to be used more on rock, there is less need for extra weight in the head. The hammer is removed, but there is still some metal protruding at the back of the head. I recon it is (almost) impossible to hammer a piton with it, without smashing the head. Maybe it is more useful to pommel one axe into an ice- or frozen turf-filled crack with the other one.

Third, the pick comes down lower towards the shaft for better hooking around or over holds.

Comparison between the ice pick (bloted on the tool) and the mixed pick

Comp pick

Note: I have not used this pick in the field.

This pick is the most radical in the X-dream arsenal. The serrations underneath are bigger and more aggressively angled towards the back for even more secure pick placements, the tip is even more downturned, the hammer is totally removed, the head is even more cut-out and the teeth on top are almost running to the tip of the pick! Great blade for extreme dry-tooling, but not very useful on pure ice.

Shaft

Although I haven’t noticed it while ice climbing the shaft flexes a lot even compared to the Nomic, which already has some flex in its shaft. It actually felt pretty weird while dry tooling and it might affect the performance of the tool slightly, especially on very tiny edges.

Handle

The handle in the ice-setting

In the ice-setting, the swing of the tool felt very natural. It solves the problem of the Ergo tools, whose handle is almost parallel to its pick what makes it awkward to swing in ice. The swing felt more like a Nomic, but with a lower center of gravity. For dry-tooling on some vertical to slight overhanging walls, I’d suggest you use the handle in the ice setting, because there is almost no pick shift, while matching with the second grip.

In the dry-setting the handle became almost parallel to the pick, more like the Ergo’s. This makes the X-dream a great tool for overhanging dry-tooling. It makes it easier to hold onto the tool longer, because it straightens the wrist. The trade-off for this is a greater pick-shift while matching hands, because of the greater difference in

Notice the full-strength hole in the handle and
the serrations underneath the handle.

angle between the first and the second grip.

Overall the handle is very comfy and it is possible to customize it with a variety of different accessories. It provokes a comfortable, relaxed hand position.

The handle is also equipped with a serrated pommel and second hand rest. This protects the handle from getting smashed-up against the ice or rock. If you like to use the tool into the alpine, the serrations are too small to give you any grip on snow, but CAMP announced a replacement handle for fall 2015 with a big spike to satisfy the alpine climbers. If you are an alpine climber or if you like some multi-pitch ice climbing, you may want a place to clip your tethers to… It is possible to clip a BD spinner leash through the hole in the handle, but it will be more comfy to put some cord trough to clip them to. There will be a hole into the spike of the new handles, so you can use them for clipping your leashes as well, I guess.

So, all in all it’s a great handle, but I noticed something disturbing! On one of the axes, the bolt that connects the handle to the shaft loosened very easily even after I retightened the bolt. This created some movement between the handle and the rest of the axe. Although it was not a safety issue by any means, it felt not very reassuring while climbing.
The second handle felt comfortable. The pinky-rest is the upper part of the first handle and Cassin added some skateboard-style grip-tape and it did the job.

The third grip consists of a removable pinky-rest and it is clamped around the shaft. I found it particularly useful in ice and snow. In ice because it makes it easier to reach higher or to match hands in a traverse. In snow, I noticed that this grip kept my hands out of the snow, while Ueli Stecking some firn snow. However the downside of the third hand rest is that you can easily hit it if you take a swing over a bulge. It happened to me a few times and it turned sideways once.  I also found the hand rest less useful while dry-tooling, because it creates a lot of pick shift, so use it on good holds only!

Handle customisation accessories

Removable hand-rest. Just below, you can see a part from the grip-tape.

Conclusion

The X-dream is a great all-round tool for steep ice, mixed climbing and dry-tooling. It bridges the gap between pure dry-tooling axes like the Ergo and the more ice-oriented tools like the Nomic. It is in a lot of aspects a better ice tool as the Nomic, one of its biggest competitors, but it has its flaws. I’d like a stiffer shaft, a clean ice pick without serrations on the head, without the big tooth and a more secure way to attach the handle.

Positive

• Great swing and sticks
• Modular handle
• Multi-functional
• Lightweight

Negative

• Flexible shaft
• Pick can get stuck into the ice
• Handle-shaft connection can loosen

Ice climbing in Rjukan, Norway ©Steven De Decker

Review Black Diamond Vector Helmet

Black Diamond

In the late 1950’s, climber Yvon Chouniard began forging pitons and started selling them in the Yosemite Valley out of the trunk of his car. Chouniard Equipment was born and settled in Ventura, California. The gear Chouniard Equipment manufactured gained a good reputation for quality through the years.

But the success was only for short therm. In 1989, the company became bankrupt because of some product-liability lawsuits and lack of profitability. The leftovers from Chouniard Equipment where bought by a group of former employees under the supervision of Peter Metcalf, the current CEO and was renamed Black Diamond Equipment. The company was moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1991 to be closer to the climbing and skiing of the Wasatch Mountains.

In 1996, Black Diamond Equipment Europe was established in Switzerland and in 2006 Black Diamond Equipment Asia was established in China to ensure the global growth of the company.

Srce: Wikipedia

Description

A revolutionary helmet that's ideal for long routes, alpine climbs and other weight-sensitive missions, the Black Diamond Vector Helmet combines lightweight protection, excellent ventilation and "barely there" comfort like never before. The geometric, co-molded EPS foam and polycarbonate shell provides full-coverage protection while remaining incredibly lightweight and comfortable, and the generous ventilation ports keep air flowing on warm days. The ratcheting suspension tucks away for easy storage in your pack, and when the sun gets down before you do, the Vector's in-mold headlamp clips provide an ultra-secure attachment.

Details

• Co-molded EPS foam with polycarbonate shell
• Large ventilation ports provide max airflow
• Ratchet adjuster with molded push buttons
• In-mold headlamp clips for ultra-secure attachment
• Tuck-away suspension makes for compact storage
• Available in 2 sizes

Size Range :  [S/M] 53-59 cm, 21-23 in; [M/L] 58-63 cm, 23-25 in

Weight :  [S/M] 231 g, 8.1 oz; [M/L] 240 g, 8.5 oz

My opinion

Suspension

When I’ve put on the helmet for the first time, I was astonished by its lightness and comfort. I also tried the Petzl Meteror III+ helmet, but I found out that the Vector was more comfortable because of the difference in the suspension. The Vector has a flat foam on the inside and doesn’t create pressure points on the forehead when tightened. On the rear the adjustment system works the same as the Meteor, but it appears to sit lower on the back of the head and it envelops the head in a more stable way.  

The rear suspension is very lightweight and it tucks away for easy storage, time will tell us if it will hold up years of abuse.

Protection

©Jeroen VC

The Vector is one of the most protective foam helmets around. The helmet sits very low on your head so it doesn’t only protects the top of your head like most helmets, but it also covers the forehead, the back of the head and the sides. Thereby it also protects you well when you hit the rock face during a fall. The helmet also has a protective advantage above some hybrid helmets (foam inside, hard outer layer) those helmets are heavier and some tend to shift backwards when you look up, leaving your forehead exposed to impacts. On the vector, this problem is solved by its lightness and the stable suspension.

Although a foam helmet is designed to break on impact and thereby distribute the impact force, it is still pretty rugged. It took some hard ice-impacts while belaying a brittle alpine ice route and it was tossed around during transport. After a full alpine summer season it is still going strong! There are only a few little dents and scratches in the outer shell. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of it, because if you drop a heavy backpack on top there is a big chance it will be crushed.

The only issue I had with the protection of the helmet, was that when I looked down when ice or rocks where falling sometimes a small piece hit the back of my head, because it fell through the venting holes. I advise to keep your head straight when rocks are falling. BD did however a good job by placing the venting holes on places who are less prone to be struck by falling rocks.

Ventilation

©Jeroen VC

Like I said, most of the venting holes are placed on the back of the helmet and two on the front. At first I thought this was going to be an issue because there is less ventilation on the sides, but my head was always very well ventilated. On the inside, the sides of the foam are cut out to create an airflow from the front to the back which solves the problem.

There were some times I even wished the helmet wasn’t so well ventilated and a cold wind entered the ventilation in the back. This is where a hooded fleece or jacket came in handy. A hood easily covers most of the venting holes .

Design

Although the design of the helmet is inferior to its protecting capabilities, it is still very important in my opinion. I mean, who wants to wear an ugly helmet? If you look cool with a helmet on your head you will wear it a more. That’s what it’s all about!

I think BD did a good job in designing these helmets. They used some beautifully contrasting colors and I like the geometrical lines running through the shell. I have the orange version and it looks great on the photos! ;) 

Conclusion

It’s a great well ventilated and -protective, lightweight helmet but it needs a bit more care and it has a high price tag.  

Positive

•  Lightweight
• Comfortable
• Well-vented
• Fall protection forehead/sides/back

Negative

•  Less durable
•  Expensive
•  Stones can fall through vents

©Barry Smith

Review Boreal Lynx

English version below!

Na een lange tijd gebruikt te hebben op plastiek tot de rotswanden in de écrins, was mijn vierde paar miura’s op het einde van hun krachten. Daarom besloot ik begin februari mij een nieuw paar klimschoentjes aan te schaffen in de K2. Spijtig genoeg waren er geen Miura’s meer voorradig en aangezien La Sportiva een nogal lange levertermijn heeft, was bestellen ook niet echt een optie. Five Ten dan? Zoals gewoonlijk pasten de Five Ten’s niet voor mij, omwille van mijn bredere voorvoet. Gelukkig was er die dag net een levering van Boreal aangekomen. Ik had, voordat ik de Miura’s ontdekte, al eens een paar Boreal Stingma’s gekocht. De hiel hiervan was veel te ruim, met als gevolg dat heelhooken niet echt een plezier was. Dit maakte dat ik een beetje sceptisch was tegenover het merk. Dit scepticisme verdween al snel, toen ik een paar Boreal Lynxen paste. 



De Lynxen in actie!, Etteringen, D
© J Van Campenhout

Pasvorm

De Lynx heeft een comfortabele vorm voor een klimmer met een bredere voorvoet. De hiel is sterk verbeterd tegenover de Stingma’s. Hij past mooi, strak rond mijn hiel, zonder discomfort te veroorzaken ter hoogte van de achillespees. Dit komt voor een groot gedeelte door de brede rubberen band van het “V2 Rand” systeem. De spanning gecreëerd door het “V2 Rand” systeem zorgt ervoor dat de brug van de schoen omhoog komt en de tip van de schoen naar beneden wijst, wat de precisie in overhang ten goede komt. De duurzaamheid van de naar beneden wijzende tip wordt gegarandeerd door het “Anti-deformation” systeem. Met andere woorden voorkomt dit systeem dat de tip van de schoen teveel afvlakt en in het ergste geval naar boven wijst. Mijn ervaring hiermee is dat de tip lichtjes afgevlakt is, maar een stuk minder dan bij de Miura’s.

The shape of the Lynx is comfortable for climbers with a broad forefoot. The heel has improved in comparison to the Stingma’s and it fits without discomfort. The broad band of the “V2 Rand” system distributes the force on the heel and creates an arch into the sole of the shoe. The shoe has a slightly downturned toe. The durability of the downturn is ensured by the “anti-deformation system” and it actually works. The toe flattened out a little, but less than with most shoes.

Materialen

De tong bestaat uit luchtdoorlatend mesh en Boreal heeft een simpel, maar effectieve formule gevonden voor een comfortabele tong. De tong heeft namelijk een plooi in dunner mesh over de volledige lengte en is langs weerszijden vastgestikt aan het bovenwerk van de schoen. Dit voorkomt dat de tong aan de randen dubbel gaat zitten en pijnlijke randen in je voet snijden. De plooi in de tong zorgt ervoor dat de schoenen eenvoudig aan en uit te doen zijn. Het mesh van de tong voorkomt dat je voeten minder zweten tijdens een moeilijke klim in de zomer of in een warme klimzaal. Ik vond dit zeker een pluspunt, aangezien ik nogal gemakkelijk last heb van bezwete voeten.

Boreal made a nice tongue out of mesh. It breaths very good. They made a lengthwise fold into it and the edges are stitched to the upper. This way you don’t have problems with the edges of the tongue cutting into your feet.

Het bovenwerk van de schoen bestaat uit leder. Dit rekt wat uit na een tijdje en zorgt dus voor een comfortabelere pasvorm. Een tweede voordeel aan een lederen bovenbouw is dat het beter ademt dan synthetische stoffen. Er zijn echter ook nadelen aan het gebruik van leder. Doordat het leder over tijd uitrekt vermindert de techniciteit van de schoen. Hoewel ik bij de meeste schoenen daar problemen mee had, blijft dit bij de Lynxen echter beperkt. 

The upper of the shoe is made of split leather. This stretches a little after a while, so it will become more comfortable. But after a while, the leather can stretch too far, so the shoe could become less technical. I didn’t have this problem on the Lynx. Leather also breaths better than synthetic materials.  

©Bart Vaganée

Schoenzool

De schoenzool is opgetrokken uit het gloednieuwe, superklevende “Zenith” rubber. Het is me opgevallen dat dit rubber goed presteert in de meeste klimstijlen. Van plaatklimmen naar regletten, overhang en zelfs barsten. Ik heb wel een minpuntje ontdekt bij het klimmen op pockets. Door het iets bredere profiel van de voorvoet, krijg je de schoen moeilijker in de wat kleinere pockets. Daarnaast is de zool is asymmetrisch gevormd, maar niet zo extreem dat dit het comfort in gedrang brengt.

The shoe soles are made of the new “Zenith” rubber. This rubber performs in most climbing styles. I discovered one downside, while climbing pockets the broad profile of the forefoot doesn’t always fit into small pockets. Beside, the sole is formed asymmetrically, but it doesn’t compromise comfort.


De zool heeft nog een andere functionaliteit die de meeste klimschoenen niet hebben. Onder de hiel en de brug van de voet heeft Boreal ribbels aangebracht. Dit is een nuttig detail dat een voordeel bied op lange routes waar je soms in het midden van de route een stijl plateau omhoog moet stappen, maar het kan ook zijn nut bewijzen bij het sportklimmen, als de ondergrond onderaan de route nogal stijl is. Het is mogelijk dat de ribbels een functie hebben bij het plooien van de brug van de voet, maar daar ben ik niet van op de hoogte. De ribbels zijn zo geplaatst dat ze geen effect hebben op de techniciteit van de schoen. Je kunt er onder andere even goed mee heelhooken dan met een klimschoen die dit niet heeft.

The sole has another functionality. Underneath the heel and the arch of the foot, Boreal applied ridges. It is very useful when the ground underneath the base of the rock is a little slippery. These ridges don’t interfere with the ability to heelhook.

©Bart Vaganée

Het grote nadeel van deze schoen vind ik het gebrek aan slijtvastheid van de rubberen rand. Al snel na de aankoop van deze schoen, ontstond er een klein gaatje in de rand van mijn rechter schoen, ter hoogte van de grote teen. Nu, na minder dan vier maand sinds de aankoop, is het gat breder dan mijn vinger en ondertussen is er ook een klein gaatje ontstaan in mijn linkerschoen. Bij de Miura’s ontstond er pas een klein gaatje na een maand of vijf/zes. Op lange termijn kunnen dergelijke problemen met de slijtvastheid wel kostelijk worden. Zeker omdat ze 124, 25 euro per paar kosten! Volgens mij is het perfect mogelijk om de beschermingsrand van de schoen te vervaardigen in dikker of duurzamer rubber zonder al teveel prestatievermogen in te leveren.

The big disadvantage of this shoe is the lack of durability of the rubber rand. Quite fast after I bought these shoes, there arose a little hole into the rand of my right shoe. Now, after less than four months, the hole became bigger than my finger and there arose a small hole in my left shoe. This durability issue can become expensive on the long-therm. Especially because the shoes aren't cheap, they cost 124, 25 Euros. I believe it is perfectly possible to manufacture the protective rand into thicker or more durable rubber without decreasing the performance of the shoe.

Vetersysteem

Het vetersysteem en de mesh tong
©Bart Vaganée

Met het vetersysteem is het zeer gemakkelijk om een goede pasvorm te bekomen. Met een enkele ruk aan de veters, wordt de schoen mooi strak om de voet getrokken zonder drukpunten te veroorzaken. Dit komt mede door de lusjes van het vetersysteem die doorlopen rond de schoen, wat de druk gelijkmatig verdeeld. Ook de veters zijn van goede kwaliteit. Ze hebben niet de neiging om snel los te komen als je je schoen in een barst klemt bijvoorbeeld.

The lace system is easy adjustable, with a single pull onto the laces the shoe tightens beautifully without creating pressure points. This was made possible by the loops of the lacing system, which run around the shoe. Those loops distribute the pressure evenly. Also the laces are of good quality, they don’t loosen easily while crack climbing for example.

Samenvatting

De Boreal Lynx is een zeer goede allround klimschoen voor een klimmer die zijn grenzen wil verleggen op verschillede soorten rots, zonder daarvoor al teveel aan comfort te moeten inboeten. Het “Zenith” rubber zorgt ervoor dat je op de kleinste steuntjes kan staan zonder eraf te schuiven. De strak passende hiel en de neerwaarts gerichte tip zorgen er dan weer voor dat je de meest “funky moves” kan uitvoeren zonder schrik te hebben dat je schoen het niet zou aankunnen. De schoen is echter niet geschikt voor beginners vanwege de relatief hoge kostprijs en de lage slijtvastheid van de rubberen rand.

The Boreal Lynx is a very good all-round climbing shoe for climbers who like to push their limits on different types of rock, without sacrificing too much comfort. The “Zenith” rubber makes it possible for you to stand onto the tiniest holds, without slipping off. The tight fitting heel and the downtoe allow you to accomplish the most technical moves, without you being scared to pop off. The shoe isn’t made for beginners, because of the relatively high cost and the low durability of the rubber rand.