La Sportiva Spantik 1

I used the La Sportiva Spantiks for alpine climbing on mixed rock/ice and snow

Pros

• Warm
• Double boot (keep inners warm in your sleeping bag, no putting feet into frozen boots)
• Light (relative to the warmth)
• Low bulk (relative to other boots of similar warmth)
• Uppers have a bit of flex which helps make them more comfortable and sensitive than traditional plastics
• One handed lacing system

Cons

Having 2 layers of aluminium foil means these boots are not breathable. Hardly a con, as these two layers are needed for the warmth at the intended altitudes above 6000 metres, but if you are using them at lower altitudes for approaching, bring changes of socks.

Final Result

I used these boots on Amadablam in the post monsoon season of 2012, which was a colder season than most. Most 'clients' on the mountain were using Millet Everest, Davai or La Sportiva Olympus Mons. The Spantik is much lighter and lower bulk than all these with the closest being the Millet Davai still being 400 grams heavier per pair. The boots were warm enough and I didn't use to warmers (chemical or electric). These boots are only 200 grams heavier than the lighter of the leather style mountaineering boots. So even for the next New Zealand ice climbing trip I might almost be temped to take them. As long as I can stand all the ridicule from the local climbers! ;)  (at least my feet will be warm).

Matt

Matt believes that you don't have to be having fun to have fun. Thus he spends most of his time trying to convince others that this is the case so they can have fun not having fun together! When he pulls this off he often ends up cold, unable to feel his fingers, hungry and tired, but happy. When he decides that it would be more fun to have fun, he usually ends up sport climbing in the bluies.