I spent over a week in the Canadian Rockies and the R1 Granular Jacket hardly ever left my body. I don’t think I can say enough about this piece from Patagonia. As someone who has eliminated many fleece garments for typical layering in recent years I’ve found that the R1 is already indispensable for me.
This harness is a Cadillac for comfort and Petzl’s slick buckle system helps keep you safe without having to double back the waist belt or leg loops. This feature also makes it super fast to change layers on the move. I’ve used the Corax extensively for rock climbing, ice climbing and alpine routes.
I put these boots to the test on Denali. They sailed me up and down the mountain attached to snowshoes, skis and crampons. I wore them nonstop for 21 days (when I wasn’t sleeping or lucky enough to be in my down booties) and never got a single blister.
Petzl again led the pack in bringing us this super versatile, self-braking belay device. Most other manufacturers have scrambled to follow suit, but the Reverso still gets my vote for simplicity and smooth feed in all categories.
When La Sportiva first came out with the Exum Ridge approach shoe, it was a winner. I wore mine up and down the Grand Teton guiding moderate routes during many long days in the mountains until they practically fell off my feet, threadbare.
