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Scarpa Freney Boot
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Price:
£160.00
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Weight: 2140g (pair size
43)
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Features Reversed
Crosta upper with full rubber rand, Peebax mid-sole, Vibram
sole, Thinsulate insulation, FS climbing last.
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Fit Medium width with highish
volume. Sizes 36-47
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Siffness (1 - 5 where
1 is floppy and 5 rigid) - 5
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Crampon Grade: B3
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Good for: ice and
mixed climbing and alpine routes Not much cop at
Scottish winter, UK mountain walking, gentle strolls
through the fields
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Scarpa's Freney is designed as a performance ice and mixed
climbing boot. Built on the FS climbing last it's supposed to
concentrate weight on the big toe for better performance and the
flat, thin sole is designed for optimum crampon
performance.
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Built on the RS climbnng last for
performance, there's a pronounced
curve to the sole
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Speaking of which, the pronounced lateral curve of the boot means
that they're fussy about crampon fit. We used DMM's asymmetrical
Terminators which fitted and climbed like a dream, but our advice to
Freney buyers is to check crampon fit before you buy or resign
yourself to shelling out for new crampons as well.
So do they work? I swapped my usual Vega plastics for a bottle of
malt and took off to the frozen ice falls of the Ecrins for a week to
find out. Fit, for my feet anyway - typical British with a highish
arch and medium broad foot - was excellent. I wore them on the close
side to minimise heel lift, but in a week's worth of ice climbing had
no problems with stubbed bruised toes. Nor, once laced fully were
there any problems with heel lift, in marked contrast to the
Vega-wearing hordes around me who were resorting to strange bits of
plastic foam in an effort to keep their heels in place.
The real advantage of the Freney is how nimble they feel on your
feet. After thudding round in heavy plastic double boots, the
Freney's felt closer to rock slippers giving what I can only describe
as a more natural contact with the ice. I was a little concerned that
the lower weight - about 300g per foot less than with Vegas - would
be a disadvantage on hard ice, but I can't say it was a problem and
the increased dexterity outweighed any minor disadvantage in that
department.
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DMM Terminators - excellent
match for the boot
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Similarly, the soft leather uppers gave adequate support coupled
with a lot more flexibility and comfort. The Thinsulate insulation
worked well, with the only cold toe moments coming during a
snow-chain fixing session at around minus 10 degrees C, otherewise
all was toasty, albeit in the dry cold of the Alps. Build quality is exwmplerary throughout.
Generally comfort is okay. The flat sole means that the walking
action isn't as fluent as with a sole with a more pronounced curve or
rocker to it, but slackening off the laces around the ankle section
helps and day-long wear on alpine routes should be fine.
So, you're wondering, any good for Scotland? Possibly coupled with
a full Yeti gaiter, I reckon, but a mountain walk / scramble through
deep snow suggested that the reversed leather upper gets damp rather
too easily and takes a while to dry out too, so for multi-day
Scottish use I reckon you'd be better off with either plastics or a
more water-resistant leather boot, possibly with a waterproof /
breathable liner.
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Verdict: Excellent performance on
ice and mixed where the increased dexterity gives them a
real edge over heavier, more clumsy plastic boots. Warm too
and comfortable on the foot despite the technical
performance. Crampon choice needs careful thought however
and in the damp cold of Scottish winter conditions, you'd be
better off with a more water-resistant boot. If, however,
you want a quasi-rockboot feel on ice and mixed climbs,
these are the babies. Not cheap though.
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Performance
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Value
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Let's stomp our way over to the Scarpa
UK booty web home
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Pushed for time:
Scarpa's specialised ice and mixed climbing boot uses a
mountaineering last to concentrate weight on the toe area
and it pays off in increased dexterity and sensitivity
coupled with minimal heel lift and toe crunching. Thinuslate
insulation makes them warm too. It's the closest you'll
come to a rock boot fee for ice. Water-resistance isn't
great, so they're not so clever for Scotland. You also need
to consider whether your existing crampons will fit the
pronounced curve of the sole, if not, the most obvious
choice are DMM's Terminators, but others are also
compatible, we've heard. Now our number one choice for ice
(but not in Scotland)
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Your Opinion Here:
If you'd like to add your own experiences of this product please
e-mail us with a
summary and we'll post them here in this handy space at the bottom of
the page. If you have questions you can mail us direct, Ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our gear forum.
