Reviews - Recent

This is genuinely the most comfortable bag I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. For all its clever features, more on them in a minute, the most noticeable thing about it is how it feels on your bare skin. I remember once somebody telling me that sleeping bags work better if you are naked, without layers of clothes to stop interfere with your body warming up the air between you and the bag. Not sure if this is true or not. Doesn’t sound like it, but I always sleep au naturel so the feel of the inside of a bag is important. I’ve had bags in the past where the individual stitching on the seams between each compartment is scratchy. Others seem to take an age to warm up (you know – that moment when you strip off and get into the bag at night…). Well this bag does none of that. It’s like getting into a silky bed!

Weighing in at 1445g this is a seriously light bag considering it’s rated down to -31 degrees. Granted, it’s not been cold enough in the UK this winter to really test it out to the extremes, but it’s performed admirably whenever I have used it and I have no qualms about taking it with me if and when the weather finally cools down to a proper winter! So far it lives up to its product description in that the internal construction (trapezoidal) of the compartments has meant that the down is still nicely distributed meaning no cold spots under the bum, or no superheated feet as it all congregates down there. So far none of the feathers have tried to make their escape from the bag. The design of the bag is such that if it is really cold, and you need to maximise heat retention, it’s easy enough. The zips around the head mean you can synch things up really tightly without feeling claustrophobic.

The bag retails at £220. A bargain. An absolute bargain.

More info on the TNF website.

Original Product Spec:

The Superlight is a sleeping bag for all season use stuffed with 650+ Hungarian goose down for mountaineering duty and cold weather backpacking. The trapezoidal baffle construction keeps the down in place thus eliminating cold spots. Boasts body-mapped compression resistant Climashield™ Prism thermal pads for added insulation from the ground where it is most needed. A contoured footbox keeps feet warm and blood circulating whilst eliminating dead airspace. Ergonomic face and neck gaskets keep heat from escaping. The weight savings gained from innovative, thermally efficient construction makes the Superlight a lightweight year ‘round 4-season mummy bag. Comes with a trick ultralight compression stuff sack that is shaped like the bottom of a pack. Who thought a sleeping bag could be so clever?

Feature
Zero-degree, technical down bag for mountaineering duty and cold-weather backpacking. Ergonomic face and neck gaskets keep heat in

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When I was a kid I my folks simply dressed me in jeans and a jumper for the most part. If it rained or was windy I put on a basic waterproof, ran around and ended up wet! I remember my first piece of dedicated outdoor kit. It was a blue Javelin fleece. Bobbly on the inside. I see them around from time to time still now, retro museum items I suppose. Things have come a long way. We now spend a good chunk of our money on car seats, beautiful Scandinavian high chairs, and other paraphernalia for our kids, so why not splash out on a bit of proper outdoor kit? Kozi Kids have recognised the need and put together a range of hard wearing, indestructible softshell clothing. My lad has been wearing the jacket for a few months now and like it. It's warm, wind proof and fairly waterproof. So far he has not lost the button-on hood which  is fleece lined, along with the rest of the jacket. It's made in Sweden which seems to be a sign of good quality. It's showing no sign of wear and tear yet. It has two zipped pockets, one on the left breast and one on the right waist. He loves the Velcro tabs on the zips (I'm surprised we haven't lost them yet!) and the fact that he has glow in the dark reflective bits when we are out for a night run. The jackets retail at £49.95 which is probably more than I woudl pay for an average jumper / jacket for him, but given it's quality and the fact that his younger brother will grow into it, I think it's good value. Looks great too which is important as it means he will wear it.

More info on the Kizi Kids website

The new softshell Jackets and Trousers are the ideal waterproof and breathable layer to keep the kids dry and protected from the rain whilst looking incredibly cool. The 3-layer construction of the soft stretchy softshell fabric includes a waterproof membrane, and jackets and pants come complete with visible reflectors, zipped pockets and detachable hoods for safety.

Kids will love the fun range of colours and styles in the Kozi Kidz range and will want to wear the clothes that will keep them warm and dry and keep on playing for as long as they can.

The new softshell Jackets and Trousers are priced at £49.50 and £35.00 respectively and are available nationwide. For stockist information call Kozi Kidz on 01302 746680 or visit www.kozikidz.co.uk.

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I wanted boots that would be lightweight but up to the job of uneven terrain, soggy conditions and long days walking and that is what I got from the Karrimor KSB TrekLite II eVent. They provided good support around the ankle and bridge of the foot, and were still comfortable at the end of long days of walking. I have not had any problems with blisters or sore patches. They are so lightweight (a pair weighs 924g) which contributes to their usefulness on journeys, active holidays and long treks.They have been watertight and performed well in wet conditions, staying dry when I have walked through shallow streams. Their breathability has been excellent. I have not had problems with sweaty feet in hot weather. Clearly these boots are not made for very cold weather and are not made for winter hiking use. The Vibram sole is good enough, but does slip on steep wet grass and there is more slippage than I would like on deep mud- I am not sure a boot can mitigate for everything though!

When thinking about long term use the TrekLites resistence to abrasion has been good and they have maintained their level of support. I do have a concern that the upper has stretched quite a bit; the lace loops are getting closer together and I feel as if I have to really pull the laces to get a snug fit. However, the performance of the boots has not changed since I first bought them. Karrimor's description sells these boots for more lightweight walking (the Karrimor description says " these are an excellent choice for gap year travellers, for for adventures closer to home when you need less weight, more breathability than your usual boots, with more ankle support than a sandal.") but I used them for some pretty tough terrain and I think they are more robust than this suggests. Their lightness can be deceptive!

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I have used these versatile trousers for a range of activities but they came into their own on a recent trekking holiday. They looked good enough to wear casually as I travelled, were comfy to travel in but also performed on some days of long walking and variable weather. In terms of design the adjustable waist is really good for fit, although with a very heavy rucksack it could get a bit uncomfortable and needed rearranging. The roll-up snap tabs at calf height are really useful. They are meant for foot placement visibility during climbing, and they can also be double folded to raise the hem even more when you just want to hop on a bike. However, they are also useful for cooling down; I just wore these when my friends were changing into shorts in the middle of the day. They felt plenty cool enough in moderate temperatures and were breathable. The articulated knees also helped with freedom of movement.

The best thing about these trousers are the fabric. The four way stretch make them the most comfy walking trousers I have worn and suitable for climbing too. Light moisture rolls off the fabric, yet they are very breathable. I have really taken these trousers through their paces, sliding down rocks on my bum, not washing them after continual use, getting ash all over them and after a wash they still look and feel as if they are off the peg. I thoroughly recommend them.

Mountain Hardwear.

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Chris Craggs has been writing guidebooks, many for Rockfax, for a long time now, mainly to interesting foreign destinations so it should come as no surprise that he’s found another. Well, when I say found, it’s always been there, but we Brits have a habit of going to a few key honey-pot venues. This 400 page monster covers the following crags, many of which I have never previously heard of, such is the wealth of amazing climbing in France:

Sainte Victoire
Les Calanques
Toulon Area
Chateauvert
Chateudouble
Verdon Gorge
Massif de l’Esterel
Gorges du Loup
Saint-Jeannet
Monaco Area

One of three Rockfax guides currently in print to the south of France (Langeudoc-Roussillon and Haute Provence), with another on the way (Ariege), it genuinely seems unfair just how much quality limestone they have, and just how many pretty settings the limestone is to be found in!

The guide itself is as inspiring as any other modern Rockfax, packed full of decent photos, clear topos, useful information such as GPS coordinates for parking areas, the standard icon-based classification system, and some intro pages in foreign languages.

At the latest Banff Mountain Festival there were just three books in the mountain composition category (guidebooks to you and me) and they were all British. We ought to be very proud of our standards.

Retails at £24.95

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Last summer we went to the Ardeche with some friends for a family camping holiday. It was pre-school age for the kids so we went in September and were blown away by the area. It was stunning. Great campsites in great locations literally next to the cliffs. Whilst we were there the author of this new guide from Rockfax was staying at the same place researching for this guide. I’ve known Adrian for a long time so we gladly helped him out with his research. He was taking it seriously – he even had an inflatable canoe to navigate the rivers and was happy to ferry us across at times when the levels were excitingly high. As a result I can say that the Ardeche region of the guide has had a fair amount of input other than Adrian’s which I think is a good thing for a guidebook. His approach to this and his other guide to the neighbouring region Haute Provence, has been to post a message on the climbing forums at UKClimbing inviting people to join him at key areas to voluntarily help out with the research of the guides. A great idea. He gets help with managing the volume of work and a bit of companionship at the same time – I rather suspect it can be a lonely labour of love writing guidebooks at times.

This guide covers the following crags, many of which I have never previously heard of, such is the wealth of amazing climbing in France.

Chaulet Plage
Mazet Plage
Actinidias
Le Cirque des Gens
Les Branches
Gorge du Tarn
Gorge de la Jonte
Le Boffi
Cantobre
Thaurac
Hortus
Claret
Seynes
Russan
Mont Gaussier
Mouries
Orgon

At 376 pages it’s a mighty tome, and also testament to the volume of rock the French have – remember, this is only a selective guide! Although it is a sport climbing guide, there being little trad climbing in the area, there is reference to both bouldering and deep water soloing (at least in the Ardeche region), both of which we did and enjoyed as distractions on ‘rest days’. I shan’t comment on the general format. It is Rockfax and thus includes some basic introductory pages in foreign languages, the normal icon-based classification of both crags and routes making choosing where to do and which routes to attempt a doddle. It’s full of clear colour topos and has a decent amount of inspiring photos mainly taken by Adrian himself. One thing which I noticed and approve of, is GPS coordinates for all the parking areas. Very handy. A decent piece of work and one which should encourage a barrage of Brits to visit the area. We did, and we had a ball, and that was without this guide.

Retails at £24.95

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Scarpa Vapour Velcro
RRP £79.99

Until a year or two ago I was an avid 5.10 fan. I liked their rubber and that was that. I tried other shoes, but didn’t really feel that anything compared on the rubber front. Well this is the second pair of Scarpa’s that I’ve had in the last year and I’m very impressed. The rubber has performed very well indeed. Not only has it been impressive in its performance, but its longevity is amazing. My previous pair – the Force – took me on a marathon challenge along Stanage Edge of over 1,500m of climbing in a day. The rubber seemed no worse off at the end than at the start, and the shoes were comfortable too. The Vapours seem to be made to the same standards, with little sign of wear and tear after about 6 months of use. OK, they don’t have edges on them like they used to, but then I find that the biggest degradation in edges on rock shoes comes in the first few sessions anyway. The Vapour’s fit well. The heel is snug and rarely slips when hooking. I like the moulded rubber at the back of the heel which allows for a bit of a cheating hook when on positive holds. The opposing Velcro straps mean it’s easy to synch the shoes up nice and tight when it really matters. There’s little or not smell from them despite plenty of wear. Really quite impressed. Also competitively priced in today’s market where it’s possible to spend over a hundred quid on a pair of rock shoes.

Scarpa Blurb:
The new “Slingshot-Power™ “ heel connects the critical area under the toes directly with the heel area, making the fit excellent and allowing efficient and precise heel hooking. The Vapour offers superb comfort and an incredible fit due to the Suede & Lorica upper, dual velcro strap closure and a comfortable mesh tongue.
Add in the new, and excellent, Vibram XSGrip 2 rubber and the new Scarpa Vapour V is a shoe that is a perfect choice for an all-round performance shoe. An excellent addition to the Scarpa range

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An unusual review to write for a change. It was half term last week so we headed off to Ireland. Realising that it would not be nice camping weather we looked into camper van rental and found a company who have a depot in Dublin called Bunk Campers. Their website was a breath of fresh air compared with most vehicle hire sites that seem to attempt to service the entire planet and in doing so lose all sense of the fact that we are customers at the end of the day. Prices are laid out for all to see, there are pictures of the different models of van, and a good FAQ section which covers most bases.

After a little negotiation we booked. It turned out that it wasn’t quite as perfect as we’d first thought. The depot is a taxi ride from both the airport and the ferry port, and also closes at 4pm. Our boat arrived in at 5pm so we had to either arrange a reasonably expensive after hours pick-up or wait until the following morning. We opted for the latter. Pick up was smooth enough. We were met by Mick, a super-friendly chap who asked us our names and never once forgot them. In retrospect we probably should have booked the luxury 4 berth instead of the standard (the Ranger – a Fiat Ducato). The Ranger has three seats in the front, none of which rotate which means you have to exit the van to get into the main section. Also the seats in the rear face sideways which was not ideal from a child-seat perspective. The luxury model (an extra £10 a day) has forward facing rear seats and rotating front ones. I think that the website could have better illustrated this, but at the end of the day all the information is there if you look.

Inside the set up is pretty slick. A toilet and shower cubicle, a sink, fridge, gas cooker, stereo, plenty of LED low energy lighting, a set of bunks for the kids in the back, and a double bed for us once the table had been stowed. The bunks probably ought to have had a safety rail – again, the luxury model does – as our eldest fell out on the first night and I made a make-shift rail out of drift wood. On return we mentioned this, and I’m pleased to say that the company owner telephoned this morning to say that he would be looking into a practical solution.

The van drove very nicely. It felt pretty big on the narrow walled roads of the Burren, made worse by the lightning fast local van drivers who never slow down. I clouted a mirror on something much to my embarrassment. Fortunately it was still useable despite being cracked, but it did cost us €40 to fix it on the insurance which was frustrating. The excess damage waiver option was prohibitively expensive so we opted to leave it and drive carefully. Hey ho.

Wehad to empty the toilet container a couple of times (one of which was on our return to the depot) which wasn't too tricky. The three pin sockets didn't work unless hooked up to a mains supply, but otherwise we had absolutely no issues with the power setup.

We were once again greeted by Mick on our return and would have no hesitation in recommending Bunk Campers to anybody.

Bunk Camper Van Rental.

We paid £75 per day for a 4 berth basic model. The Vista, the luxuray model is £85 per day. Low season rates.

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This is the second hoodie of this ilk that I’ve owned and instantly became my favourite. First off, it fits perfectly. I’m 6 foot 5 and am fairly used to sleeves that ride up my forearms when I stretch my arms out. These don’t. Not only that, but if you use the thumb loops too the sleeves don’t even pull tight. The body of the jacket is big enough to act as an outer layer – this is how I’ve been using it by and large – but snug enough to sit well as a mid layer when necessary – which I’ve been doing more the last week as the weather has cooled off. Last week we had some pretty heavy rain so I took the opportunity to get out in it and check its waterproofness. I was impressed. It’s no 4 season monster, but it kept me nicely dry on an hour’s walk in really heavy drizzle. The only noticeable wetness was in the base of the two outside pockets where the water had effectively drained to. You’ll see from the video in the review that it is composed of a number of different panels of material, the most noticeable of which are the fleecy body and arm length sections from the wrist, to the arm pit and down to the waist. These certainly make the thing more breathable, but the slight downside is the fact that you can feel the wind coming in if you reach your arm up and expose the panel. That said this has happened only once, whilst sat eating a sandwich on a boulder, in the last two weeks when I have been wearing it every day. Basically we spend most of our time with our arms down which is a very effective way of keeping the material from being exposed to the wind. When climbing and reaching up the incoming cold is more than countered by the warmth generated by the actual climbing so the system works pretty well. I guess I wouldn’t recommend it as a jacket to wear for security guards or anybody standing around a lot, but it’s perfect if you are active. The hood it great, but it does flap about in the wind. I suppose that when it’s windy I should wear it, but unless it’s really cold I tend to keep my head un-wrapped. It’s possible to tuck it inside the collar, but this does cause an usightly bulge. Great that it fits inside a helpet though. Also nice touch that the pockets are high enough to be accessible over a harness and / or rucksack belt. My only real issue with it is the zip. It’s a really fiddly one so I would recommend that you test it out in the shop before buying and make sure you get a smooth running one.

That’s all the functional stuff. On to the look of the thing. My model is the green one. It’s drawn more complimentary comments from people than most of my other outdoor kit combined, and that’s just in two weeks! I actually had a friend the other day in the pub ask me to take it off so he could try it on. We then spent ten minutes discussing the pros and cons of panelled jackets.

It’s retailing at £160 which is reasonable. Not an absolute bargain, but affordable at the same time.

The North Face website.

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We were really excited to be given the opportunity to test this product. Living in Snowdonia, north Wales, we are too often plagued by clouds of midges, necessitating a retreat indoors instead of enjoying an otherwise lovely warm evening eating outside.

Could this be the answer? Strangely, 2011 summer was unusually midge-free. We regularly remarked how unusual it was to sit outside, unmolested. It was suggested that the particularly severe cold spell the previous December was the cause. Frankly, we actually forgot that we had the Thermacell, and enjoyed the freedom.

Of course, it didn’t last. Sometime in August we felt the familiar nip. Just one or two. Oh no, more and more. We remembered the Thermacell, dug it out, read the instructions, switched it on and sat it out, waiting. But not for long. The clouds swirled around us and we fled indoors, itching and scratching.

We re-read the instructions, more carefully. Maybe we should have anticipated the onset and pre-lit it. So, a couple of days later, that’s exactly what we did, going to our seating area in the garden, firing up the device, and then waiting inside for about 30 minutes so it could pervade our seating area. It was a carefully controlled experiment. Four of us sat, in summer shorts and tops. Alas, we saw that everything was operating as described, but there was no discernible effect on the midges. They flew into the ‘prohibited’ zone without hesitation, settled on us and bit us. We looked ‘outside’ the zone and again, there was no obvious variation in intensity of infestation.

We really wanted – and want – it to work. We will persevere next year; but we have profound doubt that Welsh midges will observe instruction and steer clear. We will readily listen to suggestions/ instructions as to how best to proceed. It’s not fun writing this negative report.

It seems that the device probably works better with mosquitos so we'll get it tested with them as soon as we can...

Thermacell.

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I finished Cold Wars last night at 11.30. It was a thoroughly good book Im somewhat surprised to say. I read Psychovertical (his first book) and was a little disappointed. Ive seen Andy on stage and in the flesh enough times to know that Psychovertical just wasnt funny enough. I also didnt care too much for the structure, alternating chapters between his ascent of Reticent Wall and his background life-story. Others loved it. I wasnt as convinced. Cold Wars, whilst still dark and sometimes pretty depressing, is an altogether different beast. Its funny throughout, each chapter is a story I its own right, simply excerpts from Andys life told in chronological order, but most importantly the writing is better. Psychovertical was by no means bad, especially for a first book, but Cold Wars is very good indeed. Its often difficult switching from reading a James Ellroy or a David Mithchell best-seller to a climbers autobiography. They are just not in the same league when it comes to actually writing. Of course, Im not putting Andy in the same class as Ellroy (who, interestingly, he refers to in the book) or Mitchell, but hes definitely proved himself as a capable writer.

Cold Wars is 266 pages long, comprising 19 chapters, mostly about climbs in the mountains in winter, the rest about his life when not climbing. He spends a great deal of time discussing his family, most of all his kids, to whom the book is dedicated. Unfortunately for Andy it appears that despite loving his family, he struggles to find the balance between family life and climbing life, between responsibility and irresponsibility, drawing parallels with his own absent father during childhood, and his absences from his own kids and wife. Its easy to sit and judge somebody based on their actions, but their actions will virtually always only tell a part of the story. In Cold Wars Andy has attempted to tell the rest of the story. Its almost a book of excuses for his failings, and will no doubt have been painful to some of those closest to him.

His family arent the only ones in the spotlight. Ian Parnell and Paul Ramsden are two of his closest climbing partners and between them, account for the lions share of the action-based chapters. In describing his partners he is often fairly disparaging, jealous of their lifestyles free of ties, and their actual climbing ability, but any derogatory comments are far outweighed by his own ridiculing, and equal amounts of praise for the same partners. So much so that you cant help feeling that the master story-teller is perhaps exaggerating things just a bit. How can he be as rubbish as he claims, yet do the things that he does? That said, Ive seen it first hand, at a lecture Id organised for him to give at Swansea Climbing Wall. The morning after the lecture I bumped into him in the car park rooting around in the back of his car for a toothbrush. Anybody else would have kept theirs in a wash bag. Andy found 4 of them, all equally covered in dust and rubbish, in the boot along with what looked to be his life-on-the-road. Here was a stand-up genius who had entertained a hundred people the night before, who couldnt even look after his own teeth.

As with most books on climbing I tent to enjoy the non-climbing chapters best, learning about the interesting stuff that doesnt make it into the magazines or onto the websites. Like working on the set for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory or a visit to see his dad in Llanrwst. The climbing chapters too, managed to retain my interest largely as a result of Andys ability to create tension through words. The dialogue was sometimes a little forced theres no way one can remember what was said word for word in so many conversations so there has to be an element of artistic licence but by and large flowed well and kept me wanting to read more.

Perhaps what made reading the book a little more memorable was the fact that whilst I was reading it, Andy was out in Norway attempting to solo Troll Wall again and was blogging about it daily. His blog posts mirrored the chapters in the book. Epic and difficult, yet bumbling and lucky to be alive at the end of it. The fact that he didnt make it to the top again but was alive and happy, was pretty much reflected in the final chapter of the book which ends on a kind of high and low note at the same time. I wont give any details as that would ruin it for you, suffice to say that its not always an easy read, but one that appears to be very honest.

Vertebrate seem to have a knack of picking good books to publish and theyve done it again.

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Somebody had to do it. The UK has been crying out for a guide like this for quite some time. I remember back in the late 80s getting my first mountain bike and riding it up Snowdon from Llanberis and then down to Rhyd Ddu. I went over the handle bars. I was 15 at the time. It was ace. Mountain Biking has come on a long way since then. The bikes themselves have evolved to an incredible level. The riders are more plentiful than ever thanks to affordable kit, inspiring videos, they bike-to-work scheme and a thousand other reasons. But most importantly are the number of places to ride your bike – whatever type it is. Sure bridal ways have not changed much since the advent of the MTB, but there’s now a whole industry dedicated to the art of creating purpose built bike trails and even trail centres. This book, at long last, combines the lot of them into one hefty directory, packed with information to make getting out on your bike a doddle, wherever you are in the country.

But that’s the crux of the issue. Despite having over 500 areas detailed on 638 pages it doesn’t even touch on the best area of all – Scotland! Scotland will obviously be a second tome. And a tome it is. 638 pages. Not a book to take on the ride with you. Neither is it a guide that will serve you particularly well for your local area which you will no doubt know in far more intimacy than it covers (though you may well find a surprise or two). It’s a guide that should accompany you on any trip you take within England and Wales, along with your bike and an OS map to the area. There are actually 4 pages of suggested guidebooks to buy for specific areas should you want to go beyond the suggestions in the book.

It’s colour coded for quick reference to the region of the UK that you want to know about, the regions split into sub regions at the start of each colour coded zone (these are handily referenced in an overall map on the inside of the back cover). Sub regions are given a general introduction and then split into actual areas, many of whose names you will recognise – Betws Y Coed, Salisbury, Wharncliffe Woods etc. It’s these latter areas of which there are a staggering 500 (The amount of work that’s gone into producing this book is quite mind boggling). Each area has its own map with a number of suggested rides detailed as well as general info about the area – local bike shops, pubs and cafes, distance from the nearest population centres (there’s also a handy coloured circle in the top corner of each map to geographically orientate you). Of course there is a scale, north arrow, grid references, telephone numbers, websites and post codes for any useful reference points. No sat nav coordinates though which is a surprise (then again that would have been another year’s work!).

To top things off it’s full of inspiring picture too. A mighty piece of work. The two pages of acknowledgements are testament to the amount of work that has gone into the book, and also the close-knit world of mountain biking. My one complaint would be a lack of directory of trail actual centres – something for the next edition…

Retails at £19.95 – excellent value for money.

Website.

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A lovely little compact, lightweight stove for screw-in gas canisters. I have a cheaper stove of a similar weight that screws to the same style canisters, but this beats it hands down for performance. I used to only use petrol stoves on the basis that they were the hottest, but no longer. I still take a petrol stove to remote places as it’s a lot easier to get hold of some sort of liquid fuel (mine works on petrol, diesel or paraffin), but if I can get gas cylinders I tend to opt for these for ease. That said a friend did recently point out the blindingly obvious, that non-reusable cylinders were not exactly environmentally friendly.

Aside from its compactness I love the built in lighter. That said, I think that virtually every time I have gone to light it I have reached for an actual lighter first! Handy when you forget the lighter though!

Retails at £74.99. A little expensive for such a small bit of kit, but if you are looking for a lightweight, well built stove then it's well worth it. Virtually no moving parts to go wrong and performs brilliantly and quietly.

Here’s the official blurb:

The Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator stove was a staff favorite when it was introduced in the spring of 2010. Its boasts a flame regulator and an auto igniter, all for under 3 oz. The micro regulator not only extends the life of your fuel canister, but it ensures that the stove will start at high altitudes and freezing temperatures. The integrated auto igniter reduces weight and bulk, but is easy to replace.

Weight: 74g / 2.6 oz (not including fuel)
Average boil time for a litre of water: 3 minutes 52 seconds
Burn time on high: 29 minutes (100g fuel canister)
Dimensions: 3.9" x 3.4"
Fold away pot supports
Integrated piezo auto igniter
Micro regulated flame
Fits on all Isobutane canisters (sold separately)

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Yet another guide to Font you groan? Well bear with me for just a minute as this one’s not half bad and offers a slightly different approach. First of all let’s get the cover photo out of the way. It’s rubbish. It’s not a bad photo, but it conveys all the wrong messages to me about Font. OK, it shows somebody having fun, but Font is all about subtlety and beauty whereas this photo is brash and ugly (he’s got a tree sticking up his arse for goodness sake!). Rant over. Why’s this different from the other dozen or so guides to Font? For a start it’s been written by Jacky Godoffe, the ultimate guru to the area, a true Fontainebleau Jedi Master. Jacky has spent a good part of his life climbing in Font and his passion overflows into the book through each and every problem description. Unlike most guides it doesn’t show you thousands of problems on dozens of circuits, giving you a headache as you compare squiggly lines from different coloured circuits, trying to identify a common boulder. Instead it drills down to the point and describes, with an individual photograph and description, a collection of problems at each area, effectively giving you a focus for the day. The collection includes a range of grades so you can start off on the easiest and work your way upwards to whatever your level dictates. We found it to be perfect for those operating around the high 6s and low 7s. In some ways it is not dissimilar to the 7s and 8s guide, but the fact that it picks out many a classic 6b and 6c as well often makes for a much more enjoyable and satisfactory day than sticking to Bart’s bible. Jacky has also made sure that he’s chosen a few esoteric little numbers to take you off the beaten track. They are not all worthy of inclusion in such a book, but he gets it rightmost of the time.

The maps are OK, but not the best. We still carried the bible (7s and 8s) with us and whenever we weren’t sure somebody would chant ‘In Bart We Trust…’ and bring out our lifeline. And there are a few pages of whole circuits, there to help you orientate yourself. These pages are typically cluttered and somewhat simplified, but they suffice. Design-wise it isn’t exactly great, but it does the job and quickly became one of the stock guides that would accompany us each day along with Bart and Jacky’s other offering – Off Piste. The biggest downside is that this is only one of a planned trilogy of books to the forest so quite often we’d be en route to a chosen area only to find that it wasn’t covered. Carrying three of them around will be costly and heavy, but I suppose that’s the price we pay for loving the best and biggest bouldering area on the planet!

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Having climbed on the magical Isle of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel, three times before (in 1993, 1994 and 2003) I was excited about a my fourth trip with a group of friends in August this year. For some it was their fist visit, for others their eighth. Some were intending to explore the less frequented areas, whilst others would be seeking out the super classics, so I felt that we should offer a stern yet fair, and varied test for the new guide, published in 2008.

Since my previous visit to Lundy, the standard of guidebook writing within the British Isles has improved dramatically, with a few of the regular publishers significantly upping their game, so it is with some relief when I say that – through the latest Lundy guide - the Climbers’ Club Guides have done their best to keep up, also moving with the times. With over 200 routes added to the island since the publication of the previous guide in 1994, this guide was a welcome edition.

First impressions are everything, and the front cover photo, Neil Dickson on The Cullinan, is a lovely shot which illustrates some of the reasons why Lundy has lured so many adventurous climbers to its shores.

In order for the countless inevitable errors - which still occur in some guidebooks today - to be ironed out and omitted, a passion – some might say and obsession – with the area concerned is a must. The author, Paul Harrison has arguably been Lundy’s greatest admirer, most frequented visitor and is therefore the strongest ambassador for climbing on the island. Likewise, the two other major contributors Simon Cardy (predominantly with maps and photos), and more recently Neil Dickson (Chronology) have shown unsurpassed passion for the climbing on Lundy.

Cardy’s boundless enthusiasm to walk the length of the island in order to capture the daily magic over recent summer/autumn seasons has produced an array of spectacular photos, many of which show the leading protagonists over the past decade, as well as some actual first ascent shots from many impressive feats. A slight criticism is the fact that the majority of the older ‘classic historical’ shots have been shifted to the rear of the book, squashed somewhat into the pages of the Chronology.

The maps, combined with the colour photo topos are a huge improvement, making the complex task of finding zawns and routes that bit easier. However, we did notice a few instances where some changes had been made from the previous edition, which lead to the opposite being the case; for example, the removal of the topo for Pat Littlejohn’s Extreme Rock test piece from 1974, ‘The Promised Land’.

The addition of a Deep Water soloing section is a welcome one although, as yet, it remains the preserve of the ‘keener’ activist, with most routes erring on the adventurous side of the scale; in true keeping with the general feel of Lundy climbing.

The chronological historical section, compiled by Neil Dickson, which has been added to the first ascent history section at the back of the book, provides an interesting read, as well as building an appetite for a forthcoming trip to the island.

In summary, it’s a great guide, which has been produced by climbers with a passion and knowledge to Lundy, which is second to none. If you are heading to Lundy and you don’t already have a guidebook, then you don’t really have many options other to buy this guide. However, even if there were other options, it is likely that this would be better!

At £19.50 it’s not cheap but it seems to be the going rate these days, so it represents decent value for money when compared to some other guides available.

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 Published in July 2010 West Country Climbs has to be a contender for Rockfax’s biggest guidebook to date (425 pages). I remember when I worked at the BMC, realising just how big an area the ‘South West’ covers – basically draw a line from Bristol to Bath to Swanage, and it covers everything to the West of that line. An awful lot. Clearly there is a very wide range of climbing in the area. This guide covers a selection of 900 or so of the best trad and sport climbing, but doesn’t touch on the deep water soloing or the bouldering. Interestingly Rockfax also do a selection of other guides to the region, some of which are free downloads. Next month will see the publication of a guide dedicated to Dorset.

Inside it is very much standard Rockfax fare: decent quality colour topos with well marked route lines, plenty of information and a good smattering of inspiring photos. I do like the way they now include GPS coordinates for all parking areas (note to self: must work out how to enter coordinates into my satnav!).

There is a short section on fixed gear which is good to see as it’s always been a hot topic in the South West, with vociferous protagonists on both sides of the argument. The current thinking, as described in the book, is that the majority of fixed gear on sea cliffs should be treated with care and most likely will not be replaced which will lead to a fair amount of re-grading. Probably worth checking the BMC website (see the community section Area Meetings for minutes of a few key meetings that took place in 2010 / 2011: http://community.thebmc.co.uk/).

Retails at £24.95 which, for 425 pages represents excellent value for money by my standards.

The Rockfax website description of the book:

West Country Climbs is a major new Rockfax guide to one of the UK’s most celebrated, sunny and diverse climbing regions. The book is fashioned in Rockfax’s award-winning layout and design, and copiously illustrated with action photographs of the climbs and cliffs that reflect the quality and variety of climbing experiences to be had on offer in the UK’s most popular holiday destination - the West Country. Many of these cliffs have never been illustrated so clearly before and this book has some of the best crag photographs ever taken.
The book covers around 900 of the West Country’s most popular and highest calibre climbs, which span the full spectrum of climbing styles and grades; from committing multi-pitch sea cliff routes, to easy-going inland sport climbs. The rock ranges from the moorland and sea cliff granites of Dartmoor and West Penwith, through the geological weirdness of North Devon and Cornwall, to the multitude of limestone’s on parade in Devon, Somerset, Avon and Dorset.
West Country Climbs is an essential reference book to the climbing available in the region. The guidebook appeals to the holidaying or regular visitor to the West Country whilst also offering a vast amount of up-to-date and inspirational coverage for the local climber.

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Love it love it love it.

Ever since getting this hoody I’ve been a big fan. It’s not super technical. It isn’t waterproof. It may not be incredibly durable. But it feels awesome, looks great, and is incredibly inexpensive. Retailing at anywhere from £28 to £40 it’s a snip compared to some similar tops on the market. It’s 100% polyester so nothing fancy, but it feels really comfortable as a result. The two big pockets are snug on a cold day, but I wouldn’t trust to leave anything in there for any length of time as they have very wide openings. Mine comes with a zip up the front so probably isn’t a true hoody, but I like the practicalilty of it, unzipping it on a warm day. So far the material has shown no sign of wear and tear despite being worn 3 or 4 days a week for 6 months! Sold as a cycling top I've used it for cycling, walking, climbing, bouldering and general day to day use. Get one.

Craft Website.

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It’s been a while since I climbed in Scarpas. The last pair I had were a pair of very stiff lace-ups suited to hard, steep sport climbing which I don’t do much of so I guess I’d gone off the brand by association with some shoes that I didn’t really use that much. Imagine my surprise then to be absolutely loving this pair. I got hold of them just before a 10 day trip to Font in April and have climbed exclusively in them ever since – including a mega day out on Stanage in July with nearly 1,500m of ascent and a further 1,500m of descent, and they are still perfectly usable. I should note here that although my feet were distinctly sore for a few days after the Stanage outing, I was able to wear the shoes all day, taking them off from time to time whilst scoffing an energy bar. I tend these days to buy boots that are only half a size or so smaller than my actual shoe size (which has shrunk a good size over the uses presumably as a result of lots of time in climbing boots) and these were no exception. They’ve stretched ever so slightly and now fit like carpet slippers, but still have the precision to climb reasonably hard. What I’m most impressed with is the heels. It’s been many a year since I had a pair of shoes with a heel that I can really actually use and that doesn’t slip at the slightest pull and I am a fan of the opposing Velcro straps meaning that you can balance the shoe quite nicely when tightening it up. All in all very impressed.

Retail at £79.99, but available for a lot less than that online if you shop around.

What Scarpa say:

Designed for those climbers who spend as much time indoors as out! The Velcro closure makes the Force the perfect choice for convenience, but these shoes are equally at home bouldering or on long routes as they are at the climbing wall.
With a broad last and superbly constructed upper, the Force offers a smooth fit which accommodates a variety of foot shapes. All the technology of our steep line now packaged for the entry- mid grade market!

Features:
• Fantastic ease of entry and exit!
• Ideal on long routes and for bouldering
• Lorica and sude upper for optimum comfort and performance
• Smooth internal fit through internal liner
• Active tension midsole, gives underfoot support and “loads up” energy when you need the performance
• Colour – Parrot
Size range 39-48 with half sizes

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Back in 2003 I did a round-the-world trip and saw a number of bags along the lines of the Farpoint. Essentially it is a bag for travelling. Lightweight, plenty of pockets and a removable day-pack. This model a 70 litre version and as such, is most suited to travel in hot climates where you are not carrying a great deal of stuff. Even in hot climates one of my memories of the 2003 trips was seeing people with similar sized packs bulging at the seams and thinking what a pain it must be each time you need to access something, to have to break the seal so to speak! It's all very well having plenty of pockets and compartments, but you need to be able to access them. 

So what's it like in practice? Well, it's all very well claiming to have lots of compartments, but with the Farpoint these are mostly in the removable day sack which features two water bottle mesh pockets on the outside, an external pocket and an internal pocket (with key clip), as well as a compartment and hanger for a water bladder. The main bag has its main compartment and then two mesh document pockets on the inside of the large lid that opens to give access to the main body of the bag. These work best when the thing is not packed to bursting (and this includes the day bag which connects onto the other side of the panel to the pockets.

It's also all very well being light weight, but that really renders the bag no good for year-long trips which would almost certainly see the thing worn to shreds. That said, the fact that the rucksack straps can be zipped away when going into the hold of a plane or bus will help it fare better than a standard sack, especially given the robust handle on the top and side, just begging to be grabbed by a baggage handler.

For the times when you simply do have more stuff than will fit inside there are a couple of gear attachment loops on each side, suitable for clipping things to, but not much else, and a pair of long straps at the base of the pack suitable for a roll mat or sleeping bag. There are also a pair of compression straps inside the main body for synching things up nice and tight if necessary.

Above all both the main bag and the daysack are relatively comfortable for a lightweight travel bag. Not comfortable enough to load it up and head out on a week-long trekk, but more than good enough for general travel.

All in all, retailing at £120 it's a great bag and perfect for short to mid length trips without too much kit.

What Osprey say:

Product Features

Top & side carry handles
Straightjacket compression
Panel zip main compartment with lockable pulls
Gear attachment points
Removable sleeping pad straps
Zip & clip removable day pack
Zip-away suspension with panel stow slot
Day pack features: Top stash pocket; dual mesh side pockets; internal mesh pocket
Internal stretch laptop or hydration sleeve
Tuckaway harness
Back system Spacer Mesh back panel
Capacity 67-70 litres

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The first thing you notice about the Teva wetsuit boot is that it is a split toe design. The split toe design is commonly found in surfing wetsuit boots as it helps prevent the foot from rolling in the boot when the surfer pops up to catch a wave. This design is great for kayaking as it means the boot feels very secure on the foot when walking to the river with your boat on your shoulder and clambering down tricky river banks. The draw back I found with the split toe design and these boots for UK kayaking is that it is freezing in the winter and I often wear socks inside my boots to prevent my feet from turning into blocks of ice. This isn’t practical with the split toe design without taking a pair of scissors to your socks. It would be fine if Teva lined the boots with thick brushed wetsuit (5mm maybe) but they don’t and these boots just aren’t sufficiently warm for UK winter paddling – the neoprene is only 3.2mm. They are squarely aimed at the paddler enjoying the warmth of Southern California! So I would suggest that these boots are the perfect spring/summer/autumn boot, but not recommended for the UK winter.

Modern kayaks (particularly playboats) have very little room for your feet and it is sometimes impossible or extremely uncomfortable to squeeze into your boat wearing wetsuit boots with chunky soles. The option in the past was to wear boots with no or very flexible soles, but this means that they are a liability when scrambling over sharp rocks. The soles on the Teva however allowed me to comfortably fit my feet into my kayak but are solid enough to scramble over sharp rocks when accessing my favourite playspot or portaging. The high friction SSR outsoles (similar to climbing boot rubber) are also fantastically grippy on wet and normally slippery rocks which is a must as you precariously scramble down to the put in of that waterfall you are about to shoot. And they are even stickier on dry rock.

Drainage in the soles was good, preventing the boots from filling up allowing me to swim easily in them. The drainage also meant the boots dried well in warm conditions. However, this does mean the boots leak when wading in the shallows which is another reason why I would recommend them as a boot for warmer days and not for the depths of winter.

One negative design flaw with the boot is that they don’t have a more robust arch or ankle strap to secure the upper part of the foot and keep water from rushing into the top of the boot.

Overall these boots are excellent, they fit well and the split toe design securely holds your foot in place preventing foot roll. I would definitely recommend them for kayakers looking for a boot for milder days in the UK but suggest you look elsewhere if looking for the ultimate in winter warmth. What makes these boots stand out from the rest, however, is the astonishingly sticky sole that makes scrambling over wet rocks an absolute breeze.

RRP £59.99

What Teva Say

The Teva P2 water shoe / bootie is the ultimate in hardcore water footwear for the outdoor professional. The low-profile P2 was designed to excel from the portage all the way through the rapids. Shoe features split toe construction for increased lateral control, 3.2-mm neoprene and synthetic upper, 3D Internal FT pad protects lateral ankle, and multiple drainage ports.

Reviewed by Dan Webber.

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