Scarpa Charmoz

[Jay H]

Has anybody tried these leather mountaineering boots:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/product.aspx?baseno=72636

3lbs 10ozs! Goretex, crampon compatible.. thought I'd ask...

Jay

 

[KMartman]

Has anybody tried these leather mountaineering boots:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/product.aspx?baseno=72636

3lbs 10ozs! Goretex, crampon compatible.. thought I'd ask...

Jay

Darn they NEVER have my size...

M

 

[Jay H]

Well, can't resist, Bought the US8 ones with $10 coupon... I figure if it doesn't fit, STP has a good return policy. Hopefully make good use of it out west... I can break it in on July 4th somewhere in the woods..

jay

 

[skiguy]

Well, can't resist, Bought the US8 ones with $10 coupon... I figure if it doesn't fit, STP has a good return policy. Hopefully make good use of it out west... I can break it in on July 4th somewhere in the woods..

jay

Let us know how they work Jay..looks like a nice boot. Should be sweet for your trip out West!

 

[erugs]

I just bought a pair of the Scarpa ZG 65 GTX and am very happy with them. I tested their waterproof capabilities last Sunday in a bog on top of Mt. Success, when I stepped into mud over my kneecap. Water drained into the boot and didn't come out for a long, long time. I just kept sloshing along, considering it to be like a spa treatment. My only concern has been whether they are a bit narrow, and of course I had to swap out the footbed.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Ellen... I know most italian shoes are generally narrow, STP labels them as "medium width". I generally have a medium width foot. I know Italian cycling shoes (like Sidis) are generally narrow but I'll see when they arrive. Scarpas are Italian but I know a bunch of folks (including Giggy) who have a pair of Scarpas and they seem to be well liked.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Wheee..... STP and UPS shines again. UPS was saying 7/5 delivery date but when I got home on 7/3, I found a nice boot sized box on my doorstep! Thanks UPS, I love ya!

Anyway, I guided 2 non-hiker friends up Slide Mtn in the catskills from Denning trailhead on July 4th, wearing my spanking new Scarpas and using my GoLite Dawn 14oz summit pack loaded with a bunch of non-essentials and 2liters of water. This was a 10.4 mile hike with about 2200ft elevation gain to the summit of Slide.

Have to say the boot fits great and works real well, it was comfortable and good on the descents, no boot slip. Only thing is the insole seems to be a little thin, I would feel a lot of the rock steps and stuff. However, being a mountaineering boot, hopefully it'll be used in more snow/ice conditions than rockhopping. However, both the boot and pack worked great. The pack needs to be packed with caution, without a frame, any sharp pointy thing shouldn't be packed in the back of the pack such to *** yourself and the hipbelt is very minimal. However, for 14oz and 20lb load limit, it should be good.

Jay

 

[skiguy]

Have to say the boot fits great and works real well, it was comfortable and good on the descents, no boot slip. Only thing is the insole seems to be a little thin, I would feel a lot of the rock steps and stuff. However, being a mountaineering boot, hopefully it'll be used in more snow/ice conditions than rockhopping.
Jay

Glad to hear the boots worked well for you Jay right out of the box! When I worked in the outdoor industry (Outdoor Retail) I was always amazed at the lack of good footbeds in high end footware. For what you can pay for the stuff you would think that they would give you comprable footbeds to the shoe you were buying. Scarpa always struck me as being one of the worst, very thin as you mentioned. When I sold there Classic (Norweigian Welted) Boots they did'nt even come with a footbed. Imagine spending $300 plus for a nice leather and still having to drop the bucks for a Superfeet or some other footbed.
For myself I usually put in an aftermarket footbed because I need the thickness for my low volume feet. I have a stack of factory footbeds (most of which are Scarpas) that I have pulled from other boots on the shelf in my gear room which I shim other footbeds with sometimes depending on the shoe.
That Pack looks kool!

 

[Jay H]

I use the Superfeet too in my normal backpacker boots (Montrail Torre GTX), what is really good with them, not only the increased cushioning is the fabric is grippier to your socks so there is less rubbing. I might see if I can fit the superfeet insoles to the Charmoz...

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Alright, for a final report on these guys, I used them on Shasta and Hood, through mixed snow and rock and found them excellent for the conditions. No problems with foot movement or warmth though really warmth was not a factor, the temps never got below the low 40s. I had some sock bunching problems descending Shasta on my right foot, but then again, my right foot is a 1/2 size smaller than my left and I didn't double-sock the foot so there was very slight room for the socks to move, not as much as my Koflach Degre though which has more insulation in the liner boot. No blisters per se and the fit was well. I would highly recommend this lightweight pair for moderate short snow climbs. Cold temps would favor the double plastics but for the short 1.5-2 to 3 day ascents, these babies worked great for me. And they are flexible enough not to really make one want to bring an approach shoe for the approaches, like say on Shasta where the first few miles are simply trail walking til you get to Horse Camp.

Jay

 

[Silverfox]

For the record these are the boots that I have been using this winter. I find Scarpa fit my high volume feet..I like a goretex liner..and I like the light weight..with the snowshoes on legs get heavy enough. These have been quite servicable in the NH Whites all season keeping me warm and dry wearing a thick smartwool and a thin liner.. In fact, the only day I have gotten cold feet this year has been in a pair of Koflachs..just a little tight in the toe for me..anyone need a pair of size 10.5..virtually brand new..only about 20 miles on them..I'm sticking with the Scarpas

 

[Jay H]

Yes, I am absolutely loving my Scarpas, they are dry, warm and a helluva lot lighter than my Koflach Degres that's been sitting in my gear room this winter. I've used them in a dozen or so ADK winter peaks this year, a few peaks in VT, and on Katahdin on Feb 3rd as well as the Brothers and Coe. They fit well on my foot and are dry and comfy. They are a bit narrow as compared to my 3-season Merrills but that's not a problem.

Considering I got them for about $100, I think they are a steal.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

5 years later, my charmoz are showing signs of age, but then I guess for 5 years, a couple of mtns in the cascades a ton of W46 peaks, a lot in the catskills, 3 BSP peaks, I really hope I can find another US8 charmoz or perhaps try some other boots in the Scarpa line.

I see some Women's scarpas on STP right now, I have yet to see the mens version in some time and I check occasionally..

Some other interesting Scarpas:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/...-Mountaineering-Boots-Waterproof-For-Men.html

Jay

 

[Scotzman]

I bought a pair of Scarpa Kailash last spring and did 2/3 of the ADK high peaks in them and highly enjoyed them.

 

[Jay H]

I bought a pair of Scarpa Kailash last spring and did 2/3 of the ADK high peaks in them and high enjoyed them.

Got tons of mileage on them, but then winter is somewhat a little kinder on boots as a lot of their usage is in snowshoes and crampons, except for the catskills where it is sometimes mixed terrain.

Hard to beat winter boots that are barely over 3lbs a pair!

Jay

 

[skiguy]

Hey if your getting ready to go "High" don't miss this deal.