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The Bottom Line The Arc’teryx Alpha AR performs how an all-around climbing pack should, adapting to a variety of climbing situations with good durability, climbing oriented features, and weight savings in mind. While I love this pack for everything from rocky cragging days to alpine climbing to airline travel, this pack excels on routes where you need supplies for 1-2 days but then need to strip down for technical climbing. While this pack hits the nail on the head in terms of features for carrying loads (as opposed to many lighter packs in its category) the non-removable hip belt and...

Intro: Fresh out of Roswell (AKA Barcelona), the Fixe Alien X cams have hit the market. Fixe has made quite a few slick design choices in this third rendition of the cam, focusing on bettering their placement and grip, while really sexying them up. They no longer look like something your Uncle Jerry put together in his garage after one too many on a friday night.  We put these cams to the test over the weekend in Squamish and used them on various crack pitches in Smoke Bluffs and Murrin Park. Overall, we enjoyed the updates that Fixe has made...

The Bottom Line Without breaking the bank, the Blue Ice Stache 60 provides a super simple, super versatile, super and light pack to support you on a wide variety of multi-day adventures in the mountains. It’s not a pair of Carhartts, but when you’ve got a lot of kit to carry around, and weight counts, this pack is about as good as it gets. When I’m intentionally trying to go light, but have to hump around a decent amount of gear, this pack is my new go-to. Ideal Routes Really any multi-day trip in the mountains that requires carrying a...

In this review, we put the La Sportiva's Aequilibrium LT GTX Mountain Boot to the test on two Northwest Peaks. We have pros, we have cons, and we have our final decision on whether these boots are the boots for your hiking and mountaineering needs.

Author: Ian Peterson, AAI Guide The Bottom Line The Camp Ascent provides a versatile, higher end option for a 10-point steel crampon. At a slightly higher price, the weight conscious climber can save a few ounces while retaining a high level of functionality for all snow and moderate ice climbing applications.   Ideal Routes Easton Glacier, Kulshan (Mt. Baker) Coleman Deming, Kulshan (Mt. Baker) Kautz Glacier Route, Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) Emmons Glacier, Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) Disappointment Cleaver, Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) Fischer Chimneys, Mt. Shuksan Sulphide Glacier Route, Mt. Shuksan Any steep snow!!!   The Review As a climber, skier, and...