I am looking for a new pair of boots for year-round use in the Scottish Highlands and occasionally further afield. It would be nice to have the option for winter walking and so I am currently considering the Scarpa Manta M4. Having tried these through, I am concerned that they are a going to be a little too full on for approach treks and hill walking in warmer months. Any advice or experience out there?! Am I trying to find an impossible solution?
Have you looked at the Scarpa Mirage? It's a really nice alternative to the Manta and the GSB system for crampons means they can get away with a sole that's a bit more flexible and comfortable for walking without compromising the crampon performance. They have a much 'lighter' feel compared to the clumpy Mantas and there's not too much difference in price.
If you just want to do winter walking you could get away with the more flexible Scarpa SL (B1 rated) and something like a Grivel G10 crampon, without any problems.
The Manta's would be great if you think you might fancy getting into graded Scottish winter climbing, where you are going to want a stiffer boot for front pointing etc.
I wear La Sportiva Trango S Evo's (or some such name!) year round, which perhaps fall somewhere between the two in terms of stiffness and crampon compatibility.
Ben, If you consider the Scarpa SL's and are size 12 (47) I have a pair of Contour Assault boots in black that I would happely pass on at a very reasonable price. Contact me if you want.
Thanks for all the advice. The Scarpa Mirage boot sounds interesting... I reckon I'll try and get a look at these if I can find them anywhere. They sound similar in concept to the La Sportiva ... so this kind of boot might just be the solution!
Ben, I have heavyweight winter boots but use them less and less for Scottish winter hillwalking (which may involve more serious stuff) as I find that the snow conditions rarely justify them. Instead, I use Scarpa SLs, which are available in wide, and have four pairs on the go. The best are for serious stuff, the worst for summer use around farms (in the course of my work), so I get full use out of them and always have a boot with good sole for snow and ice. I have used these quite a bit with crampons, in Scotland, Alps, Iceland, Norway, Atlas Mountains etc etc - and they're fine for trekking, too. I would use the heavies if I was specifically out to do ice climbs, but for the average day in the Scottish hills, SLs are absolutely fine.
Ben, I have heavyweight winter boots but use them less and less for Scottish winter hillwalking (which may involve more serious stuff) as I find that the snow conditions rarely justify them. Instead, I use Scarpa SLs, which are available in wide, and have four pairs on the go. The best are for serious stuff, the worst for summer use around farms (in the course of my work), so I get full use out of them and always have a boot with good sole for snow and ice. I have used these quite a bit with crampons in Scotland, Alps, Iceland, Norway, Atlas Mountains etc etc - and they're fine for trekking, too. I would use the heavies if I was specifically out to do ice climbs, but for the average day in the Scottish hills, SLs are absolutely fine.
