La Sportiva update their popular line of descent of Nepal mountaineering boots with the new Cube GTX . The Cube is an incredibly lightweight , exclusive level , technical winter iron heel that ’s idealistic for mixed terrain . We put it to the test in the body politic of its namesake while climbing in the Himalayas .
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What Are They hypothecate to Do ? Previous versions of the Nepal offer amazing warmth and brilliant technical carrying out on all types of climbing terrain while remaining lightweight . The 31 ozNepal Cube GTX($575 ) is project to offer like operation , but is a full 4 oz lighter than the EVO GTX . Additionally , the Cube ’s innersole and midsole are a combined 12 millimetre thin than the EVO ’s — create a lower profile for added stableness .
Many of the EVO ’s existing construction fabric and feature have been transmit over to the Cube include the use of a 3.2 mm thick silicone - impregnated leather upper , resolabe Vibram soles with an Impact Brake System ( which slants the sole lugs in opposing directions to provide adhesive friction both forwards and back ) and a GoreTex insulated liner . The Cube also uses a hinged mortise joint to forbid lateral crookedness and has a removable , adjustable natural language for a custom fit . These features aggregate make the Cube GTX one of the most technically - advanced mountaineering boots on the market .
suitably , I prove the Nepal Cube GTX in Nepal .
How ’re They theorize To Do It ? The Cube uses a 4 mm thickset carbon fiber honeycomb insulate insole . The honeycomb design allows the innersole to be incredibly lightweight and slight while bring home the bacon adequate insulation and rigidity for climbing insensate , rough terrain . to boot , the crampon - ready polyurethan midsole is only 2 mm thickheaded . For demarcation , both the EVO ’s innersole and midsole are 9 mm thick . tenuous soles allow climbers to have more stability by lour their centre of sobriety , put them more in - soupcon with the ground , with or without crampons .
The Cube is closely 15 % lighter than the EVO ; that weight savings was achieved through the improved insole . Lighter boot improve the climbing iron ’s performance both during approach ( less system of weights in the gang ) and while climb ( wanton feet equalise less energy exerted with every footprint ) .
Hiking Nepal In Edmund Hillary ’s Footsteps
The silicone polymer - prang up leather supplied by Perwanger of Italy . They bronze the leather with a peculiar process that makes it extremely water - repellant , while still remaining breathable . It ’s the most lasting leather available ; made from thecorium , which is the strongest part of the leather .
The ankle utilize a hinge system that allows sidelong flexibleness while still allow longitudinal lockout for excellent accompaniment and safety .
melodic phrase - inject rubber Ayn Rand protect the Cube ’s leather from cut , gashes , and grinding .
How Does It Perform ? I put the Nepal Cube GTX to the test all over the world in all kinds of mounting weather . First , on an oddment - of - time of year climb ofMt . Baker in the North Cascades . That ascent was cold , wet , and featured interracial terrain . Then I tested them in Iceland , again in cold , wet conditions with fresh snow and lots of glacier travel . last , I play them to the country of their namesake for an end - of - season raise of the 20,305′ Imja Tse — more popularly known as Island Peak . Though that mounting was only one twenty-four hours tenacious and dry , it was frigid and high .
The first affair deserving noting about the Cubes is their low weight for a winter boot . My “ plan of attack hike ” to Island Peak was more than 100 Swedish mile long . In summation to climbing gear and clothes , I was carrying computer and television camera equipment . All of that added up to about 60 hammer and I shave weight wherever I could . The Cubes are about a pounding lighter than my La Sportiva Spantiks and they still did the trick for a short , but high - altitude climb .
The resolable Vibram soles feature the unparalleled Impact Brake System , which is said to increase braking might and reduce encroachment force .
Wearing the Cubes is like wear a pair of very supportive ( but very lovesome ) hiking boots . They do not finger operose or clunky ; this is arguably due to their low free weight ( heavy obligation tramp boots can often weigh up to 30 oz ) and sparse sol , which perceptibly better contact lens with the ground . When we finish glacier travel and start out hike down from Island Peak , everyone flip-flop out of their heavy double boots into hiking boots ; I was able to get out the Cubes on without any exertion penalties . While the boots are light — they still render monumental support . When climbing rock , I was able to ill-treat up using only my toe without worrying about slippage get from boot flex . Yet even with their inflexibility , the Cubes remained comfortable for hiking .
Mt. Baker , the snowiest slew the world , is known for its cold pie-eyed conditions ; my experience was no dissimilar . Our intact ascent was through wet Baron Snow of Leicester ; the Cubes did not wet out , yet they vented well – keep my feet dry out the integral day . While climbing down from a volcano in Iceland , we gotcaught on an outlet glacierduring a torrential , all - day - long downpour . The boots finally did wet out , but good deal boots are not contrive to endure the type of rain that we experience . Though they wet out , my feet quell warm in the near - freezing temperature .
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Almost every guide to mount Island Peak that I interpret suggested that climbers wear thin plastic double boots . Since it was only a one solar day climb and there would be no need to dry out out my liner overnight , I project that I could get away with the Nepal Cubes . Once on the glacier , I saw that I was n’t alone : at least half of the other climber that I saw were hold out some edition of the Nepal , whether it was the EVOs , the Extremes , or the Cubes .
The key to fondness with kick ( and mitt ) is proper circulation . If your flush are too stringent , ancestry circulation throughout your feet and toe will be limited and you will be cold . With that in mind , I wear thin thin wool socks with my peck kicking ( insulation should come from the boot themselves ; not necessarily your windsock ) so that I have plenty of wiggle way for my toe .
I wore the Cubes to the acme of Imja Tse , a 20,305′ Himalayan peak . I used them with theCAMP XLC 490($150 ) aluminum crampon for one of the lightest high - elevation setups you could wear .
I ’m not certain what the temperatures were on Island Peak the day that I go up , but at 20,000′ it was insensate . The snow we were rise on was very compacted and more closely resembled ice , so our thrill were always on the surface . Despite that and my good circulation , my toe mat frozen . At times , I was n’t exclusively sure if they were still there , but fortunately I had tolerable room in the toe box so I made a conscious effort to keep wiggling them — even if I could n’t feel them wiggle . Once we set about off the ice and made it down to a humiliated superlative , the touch sensation finally came back . Back at base camp , I was relieved to see that I still had all of my toenail . On Mt. Baker , my toes make cold at times , but I never lost feeling . I ’ve heard that the Cubes are warmer than the EVO ’s , but not as warm as the Extremes .
walk On The Alien World From Interstellar
The Cubes tally really well and were comfortable to wear . I never got hot daub or blisters from wearing them ( but to be honorable , I never get raging topographic point or blisters from any brake shoe or kicking ) . The obliterable , adjustable glossa does a good line of work of customizing the conniption . There ’s a lock ergocalciferol - mob at the joint , appropriate you to intertwine the lower and upper component with varying level of tightness .
The Cube ’s hound and toe welts are both very hardy and accept automatic crampons with ease and security measures . shoulder strap on crampons also fit very snugly around the bang .
All of these features and performance come at a monetary value . At $ 575 , the Nepal Cube GTX is one of the most expensive individual layer mountaineer boots on the market . Take it how you will , but when my life is on the pedigree , I want the effective .
Adventure Ready ? dead . The Nepal Cube GTX improves on an already great excogitation by lessen free weight and utilise a thin fillet of sole for majuscule constancy . If you already own a yoke of EVOs , it ’s probably not worth promote . However , if you ’re on the food market for a new span of single layer mountaineering boots , the Nepal Cube GTXs are in spades deserving considering . They are $ 65 more expensive than the older EVOs , but the improvements justify that bounty .
exposure : Chris Brinlee , Jr.
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