UKC

Any recommendations? Also, if someone could please help me understand the differences..

Scarpa Phantom 6000 old vs. new - are the new ones much better? The old ones sell for 1/2 the price...

La Sportiva Spantik - it's been discontinued, what's the equivalent from the current range, and is it considered much better?

La Sportiva G5, G2 SM, Olympus Mons Evo – what are the intended uses/altitude ranges for these? I’m confused, because I was told my good old Evos will not be warm enough for 6000m; but already for easy 7000m, e.g. Lenin Peak, I see people recommend Olympus Mons Evo’s. Then what’s the intended use for G5’s and G2 SM’s? Are they strictly “low Himalaya” i.e. 5000-6000 type boots?

I have the G2 SM which so far has been an excellent boot, very comfortable however in temps below -15 I find I still get chilly feet. However, this is most likely due to them being  a size too small which is deliberate for more precision and support for ice climbing.

The G2's are rated to the 6000m range whilst the G5 is more for techincal alpinism and climbing up to about 5000m, thus will be far too lightweight and uninsulated. I was not impressed by the fit or support of the G5's

For what its worth, the G2 has now become my favourite boot ever. If they fit your foot shape and you get a pair with ample room to keep your toes warm then I cant recommend them enough!

Where are you planning to go and in what season? Some mountain ranges are colder than others at the same altitude.

Andes trekking peaks in June; then possibly something like Pik Lenin in the summer. One day I'd love to be able to climb an "easy" 8000m, like Shishapangma or Cho Oyu, but that's uncertain and not in the next year or two. Having said that, if I'm spending £500 on a pair of boots, and I already have Evo's for the Alps, then maybe I should just go all the way and spend £700 on Olympus Mons Evo's and have boots that will serve me all the way from easy Andes to 8000m a few years from now. 

If the Evos fit you well you should try and get a pair of Spantiks, you should still be able to pick up a pair cheapish. The G2s use a different last and will be much too narrow (at least they are for me). The obvious alternative are the Scarpa 6000s, they fit my LS Evo-compatible feet extremely well.

The Oly Mons are probably overkill and would be thrashed after your Andes trip, but with a bit of luck you can still pick up a pair on sale at globetrotter.de for a bit over 300€ and stash them for the higher peaks! 

CB

I don't know anybody who has been happy with the Spantik fit. They seem too wide in the heel for a lot of people, particularly if used to the Nepal EVO fit. The top edge of the tongues digging in to the shins seems to be a regular complaint also.  

I tried them and they seemed to fit quite well for my feet (wide is fine), the G2s, Trango series, etc. are way too narrow. 

Guess there is no point in buying shoes online.

CB

edit: pressed send to early. Some general rules do apply, Hanwag and Lowa are traditionally much narrower than Meindl or Scarpa, but some companies like LS use different lasts for superficially similar boots.

Not sure I'd want to wear Olympus Mons Evo in the Andes. Probably too warm for me at least. I'd probably get myself a pair of G2s and reconsider everything when ready to try an 8000m peak. LS say they're good up to 7500m. I'd quite happily take my Batura IIs on most 6000m peaks, which is beyond the LS recommendations, so maybe the G2s would also extend a little higher. A couple of trips with them and you'd probably have a better idea. I take height recommendations as a rough guideline anyway. Definitely don't need G5s for 5000m in Tibet for example as you're barely above the snowline. 

I have the new Phantom 6000 which I have used a few times so far for ice climbing and glacier walking in Greenland down to minus 35 C. Warm enough for that.

Sizing is somewhat off the chart, though, as I'm size 43, also for their Scarpa Zen, but choose size 45 for these babies. Don't know, maybe I was wrong and could have gone for size 44 as the inner boot may mold a bit - my heel is lifting a bit already. But I really don't want to freeze my toes when it gets colder and will wear extra socks if need be. 

Hey! I love my Spantiks. So much so I sold my Nepal Extremes as they weighed the same and the Nepals gave me sore feet. The Spantiks are fine for WI4/5 and alpine routes, so long as it's not too warm. I've worn them to the summit of Peak Lenin and they were good, apart from a short period of cold feet around 3am / -20Cish -on summit day.

As to height guides etc, yes. La Sportiva in particular have form with quite misleading descriptions, going back to the original Baturas (Simone Moro did not wear them to the summit of Everest, as implied, but briefly tested them low down). And "High altitude" can be anything over 4000m in their books, it seems. They also have form with seemingly contradictory product timing, with Nuptse/Spantik/Baruntse all appearing in quick succession and being similar spec'd boots, though quite different in design and construction.

The G2 SM are meant to replace the Spantik, but I have heard mixed reports as to their warmth, though they are lighter and less bulky than Spantiks. I would not risk wearing them above 7000m but they should be fine on all 6000ers.

Nepal EVO might be fine in the Andes, it really depends. Spending a few days repeating one of those hard routes on Huascaran Norte? Maybe not so much. But for so many of the other popular peaks, where you are not camped above 5500m and summit during the day around 6100m, they may well be fine for most people who don't get cold feet in general - and they will be less hot and sweaty on the approach.

As gear improves and becomes relatively cheaper, and the average global mountaineer gets relatively richer, there has been a general 'overkilling' when it comes to gear selection and purchase for popular mountains. In the 1990s big synthetic integral double boots like One Sport/Millet Everest, LS Oly Mons etc, were only seen on big 8000ers. Then they came to Denali by the early 2000s and now in Nepal or India you see people wearing them on easy 6000ers. They don't want to risk their toes, but are ignoring that they are too warm, too bulky and get worn out too fast. But in ignorance, they choose 'safety' over suitability.

Hi. Feel free to email me through my profile if you want to discuss the best boot options, pros and cons, and fit of suitable boots.

Happy to help.

L