THE NORTH FACE SUMMIT SERIES TORRE EGGER BOOTS REVIEW. 6000m INNOVATION.
5000-6000m CLIMBING IS THE SWEET SPOT FOR CLIMBING HARD, WITH SUCCESS AT THESE ALTITUDES TRANSFERING STRAIGHT OVER TO THE DEPRAVATIONS BEYOND. WORKING THINGS OUT HERE IS A WELL TESTED AND OBVIOUS PATHWAY TO THE METHODS TAKEN HIGHER, AND SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT FOR SUCH THINGS SEEMS TO HAVE STALLED A DECADE AGO WITH A MARKET WELL FLESHED OUT AT THE LOWER AND HIGHER END OF THE SPECTRUM AND LITTLE INNOVATION BETWEEN.
WE CAME TO THE NORTH FACE TORRE EGGER BOOTS AT THE START, WARILY CURIOUS ABOUT THEM LIKE MOST PEOPLE WHO HANDLED A PAIR IN THE SHOPS. ALREADY HAPPY WITH SEVERAL OTHER BOOTS WE WAITED TO KNOW MORE, BUT OPINIONS AND REVIEWS NEVER REALLY CAME AS THEY WERE OVERLOOKED AND – LIKE SO MUCH OTHER GOOD STUFF THE NORTH FACE DOES – THEY WERE GONE.
WE HAVE LONG BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE NORTH FACES HI ALT BOOTS, SOMETHING THAT IS ANATHEMA IN ALPINIST CIRCLES, NOT WANTING TO BE HEARD BY MOST WHO SWEAR BY REGULAR PRODUCERS THAT HAPPILY EXPLOIT BRAND LOYALTY. HAVING GOOD AVAILABILITY TO THEM, WE HAVE USED THEIR 6000 & 8000m BOOTS FOR OVER A DECADE CLOCKING UP HUNDREDS OF DAYS IN THEM, FINDING THEM TO BE USUALLY YEARS AHEAD OF THE OTHER BRANDS ON THINGS LIKE MATERIALS, IDEAS AND DESIGN, WITH (SURPRISING FOR THE NORTH FACE) LITTLE CONCESSION TO GIMMICKRY AND BLING.
WE ARE HERE TO SAY WE HAVE TAKEN THEM TO 5000m IN LATE WINTER IN TIBET FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, AND AT LEAST FOR THAT THEY HAVE PERFORMED UNEXPECTEDLY WELL. WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD HANDLE, THEY ACTUALLY EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS, IN SOME WAYS OUT-DOING MUCH HEFTIER AND MORE ESTABLISHED BOOTS THAT SELL ON THAT EXACT SPECIFICATION.
WE LIKE PRODUCTS THAT SHAKE UP THE NORMS, QUESTION THE AUTHORITY OF CONSENSUS AND TAKE DARING EXPERIMENTS, AND IN THE CONSERVATIVE WORLD OF HI ALT BOOTS THESE THINGS COME RARELY. BIG BOOT TURNOVER IS SLOW AND EXPENSIVE AND GOVERNED BY FASHION AND TRADITION, WITH FEW PRODUCERS BIG ENOUGH BESIDE THE NORTH FACE TO INVEST IN THE EXPERIMENT.
…
THE CONCEPT
THE TORRE EGGER BOOTS CAME ON THE BACK OF THE NORTH FACES ADVANCED MOUNTAIN KIT RANGE, WHICH WAS AS COMPLETE AN ENSEMBLE FOR SERIOUS ALPINISM THAT HAS EVER HIT THE SHELVES. DOOMED FROM THE START FOR BEING ‘UNCOOL’ AND ULTRA EXPENSIVE, THEN FURTHER KILLED OFF BY COVID, THE TORRE EGGERS PERHAPS CIRCULATED MORE THAN THE REST OF THE SET, BUT NOT BY MUCH. LIKE THE REST OF THE AMK STUFF THEY RELY HEAVILY ON PROPRIETARY MATERIALS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH, TOO FAR, TOO SOON, BUT THEY DO COME WITHOUT THE CONTROVERSIAL PRICE TAGS THAT THE AMK STUFF IS REKNOWNED FOR.
THESE THINGS WERE EXPLICITLY MADE TO RUN UP ALPINE PEAKS, EXTENDING THE DESIGN OF A SHOE TO HARD MOUNTAIN CLIMBING WITH A RIGID PLATFORM FOR CRAMPONS. THIS SOUNDS SILLY UNTIL YOU SEE IT AT WORK, AND JUST WE LAUGHED AT ‘LOW CUT’ ROCK SHOES IN THE 80s, WE CAME TO FIND LOCKING IN THE ANKLES WASN’T ALWAYS THE NECESSITY IT WAS ASSUMED IT WAS.
UNLIKE SOME BOOT BRANDS THAT WIN THE GRAM WARS WITH EVER FLIMSIER AND LESS DURABLE MATERIALS, THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THE TORRE EGGERS THAT SUGGESTS ANY OF THAT. WEIGHT IS KEPT LOW BY CONCEPT (THE SHOE IDEA) NOT MARGINAL MATERIALS, AND THESE HAPPILY TAKE THE BEATING OF DAYS CROSSING BOULDER FIELDS, SCREE AND YAK TRAIL APPROACHES.
THESE ARE NOT 6000m BOOTS THOUGH THEY ARE BOOTS THAT WILL GO TO 6000m, WHICH ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. WHERE SOMETHING LIKE THE MAMMUT NORDWAND 6000 IS MADE TO HANG AROUND ABOVE 6000m FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, THE TORRE EGGERS ARE FOR HITTING +6000m OBJECTIVES FROM A LOWER LAUNCH THEN GETTING DOWN AGAIN FAST. A NIGHT ABOVE, WITH GOOD FOOT DISCIPLINE AND GOOD WEATHER, SHOULD BE OK.
SOMETHING THAT FAILED THE TORRE EGGER HAS BEEN THE ABSENCE OF RELEASE OF THE THIRD PART OF THE BOOT SYSTEM, THE INSULATED OUTER BOOT DESIGNED TO TAKE THEM APPARENTLY TO 8000m. DAVID GOETTLER AND OTHERS CLAIM THEY HAVE, AND ALSO CLAIM OTHER OUTER BOOTS WILL WORK, BUT HAVE BEEN VERY VAGUE ON DETAILS TO THE EXTENT (AND ON SUCH A SUBJECT) THAT THE IDEA HAS NEVER TAKEN UP
…
THE SHELL OUTERS
THESE BOOTS ARE CLOSER IN SOME WAYS TO MIXED FRUIT BOOTS, BEING A LOW BULK SHOE THAT FITS SNUG, INSIDE A GAITERED SHELL. THE SHOE IS BASICALLY JUST A SEMI-RIGID EXOSKELETON THAT CINCHES TO THE FOOT WITH A BOA, WITH SURPRISINGLY LITTLE THERE, LEAVING OUT MUCH OF THE TOP OF THE FOOT. THIS SPACE IS FILLED BY PADS ON TOP OF THE LINER, AND MAKES THE BOOTS VERY EASY TO PUT ON AS THEY OPEN UP SO WIDE.
THERE IS NO TONGUE AND NONE OF THE USUAL BATTLE OF FORCING AN ARTICULATED ANKLE INTO AN UNARTICULATED BOOT, AND THEY FEEL CLOSER TO FOOTBALL BOOTS OR ROCK SHOES TO POP ON. WHERE OTHER COMPANIES SEEM TO BE EVER-ELUDED BY HOW AND WHERE TO PLACE THE ZIPS, THE NORTH FACE HAS NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE, AND SIMPLY RUNS IT OFF-CENTER. AN EXTRA CENTIMETER WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO EXPOSE THE BOA A BIT MORE, BUT AS IS IT DOES THE JOB AND HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH CATCHING, TENSION OR ANGLES.
THE GAITER IS STRETCHY, WOVEN WITH DYNEEMA AND HAS REINFORCED PATCHES ON THE ANKLES OVER SIMILAR PATCHES IN THE LINER, THAT GIVE PROTECTIVE BULK WITHOUT HAVING BUILT THAT INTO THE BOOTS BODY. THIS IS SMART, TRANSFERRING MASS AND INTO MOVING PARTS RATHER THAN MAKING IT PART OF THE BOOTS PLATFORM, AND RETHINKS THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF NEEDING THE BOOT TO BE A MONOLITH. THAT MANY BOOTS ARE STILL WED TO THE OLD IDEA OF A RIGID CRAMPON ON A RIGID BOOT WHERE EVERYTHING IS LOCKED INTO IMMOVABLE PLACE, HERE – BY MAKING THE RIGID ELEMENT PRECISE – WE HAVE FREELY ARTICULATING ANKLES ON CRAMPONS THAT HAVE NO RIGID BAR AND THAT CLIMB STEEP STUFF AT EXPEDITION LEVELS. WE THINK THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
MENTION CANNOT BE AVOIDED OF THE BIZARRE RED ZEBRA PATTERN AROUND THE BOOTS RAND, SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY TURNED AWAY MORE BUYERS THAN ANYTHING ELSE. PERFECT FOR FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS PSYCHEDELIC ANIMAL PRINT THEMES, BUT PROBABLY NOT ANYONE ELSE, THIS IS A NICE TOUCH WASTED ON A CONSUMER PROFILE THAT STILL FINDS ORANGE TROUSERS RADICAL.
…
THE LINERS
A DEFINING FEATURE IS THE PROVISION OF TWO LINERS, CLAIMED TO BE FOR WARMER AND COLDER CONDITIONS, AND IT IS HERE WE QUESTION WHAT THE NORTH FACE IS THINKING AND SEE ROOM FOR MORE DEVELOPMENT. THE CONCEPT IS GOOD, BUT AS THE INSULATED OUTER NEVER HIT COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY, THE LINERS HAVE TO DO MUCH MORE WORK THAN THEY WERE QUITE CLEARLY MEANT TO.
BOTH LINERS ARE WELL MADE AND EASY TO GET ON (NOT SOMETHING ALL LINERS CAN CLAIM), AND HAVE THE RIGHT THINGS IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND MINIMUM OF JUNK. WE HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE SIZES IN MULTIPLE COMBINATIONS AND CONSIDER THESE TO BE PROPER LINERS AND NOT JUST SOCKS, BECAUSE THEY ENHANCE THE FUNCTION OF THE WHOLE PACKAGE, NAMELY TO KEEP THE BOOT DRY ACROSS MULTIPLE DAYS.
IN OUR EXPERIENCE THE LINER AIMED AT WARMER CLIMES (THE GREEN ONES) PERFORMS WAY BETTER IN THE COLD, WHERE ITS 3D MESH BREATHABILITY KEEPS THINGS DRIER OVER DAYS. THE WARM, RED, LINER WE CAME TO DISLIKE FOR ITS MERINO LINING, SOMETHING WE AVOID AS IT STAYS DAMP FOR DAYS, BRINGING ALL THE WORST ELEMENTS OF MEMBRANED FOOTWEAR COMBINED WITH MOISTURE ABSORBANCY. MEANWHILE THE GREEN MESH ONES CAN BE WORN INSIDE DOWN BOOTIES WITHOUT CHILLING THE FEET, STAYING DRY AND WARM THROUGH THE NIGHT AND REMOVING ONE STEP IN THE PROCESS OF WARMING YOUR BOOTS IN THE MORNING. THIS EQUATES TO LESS GAS USED HEATING MORE WATER AND BURNING MORE TIME, NOW ALL YOU DO IS HEAT THE OUTERS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON.
WE THINK THERE IS A HUGE VOID WANTING A PROPER INSULATED LINER TO FILL IT, WHETHER TNF DOES IT OR IT COMES FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. TNF HAS A BAD HABIT OF NEVER CONTINUING THE BEST FOOTWEAR IT COMES OUT WITH, SO IF ANY AFTER-MARKET MAKER OUT THERE HAS A SOLUTION WE WILL HAPPILY PAY FOR IT.
…
THE SOLES
THESE DAYS PROPRIETARY VIBRAM SOLES ARE COMMON, AND THE SOLE UNITS OF THE TORRE EGGERS HAVE SOME SORT OF THEIR OWN. AS THESE FUNCTION WELL AS APPROACH BOOTS THE OUTER SOLES ARE SOMEWHAT MORE RUGGED THAN SOME, WITH A NICE STREAMLINED SHAPE THAT HAS NONE OF THE BULK ASSOCIATED WITH MOST HI ALT BOOTS.
WE FIT ALL SORTS OF CRAMPONS WITH THEM, INCLUDING THE BLUE ICE HARFANG TECHS, TO MAKE A COMBINATION FOR HIGH, COLD CLIMBING THAT IS RADICALLY LIGHT AT AROUND 1250g PER FOOT, AND THE TORRE EGGERS HAVE A VERY RIGID SHANK THAT KEEPS CRAMPONS IN PLACE. THE ROCKER IS KEPT TO A MINIMUM – THESE ARE SERIOUS ICE CLIMBING BOOTS – AND GOOD DEEP WELTS CAPTURE TOE AND HEEL BAILS. THE EXTERNAL BULK IS VERY LOW FOR A DOUBLE BOOT BECAUSE THE LINER IS RELATIVELY THIN, SO THERE IS MUCH LESS BULK AROUND THE TOE FRONT BAILS AND NONE OF THE BULBOUSNESS SOME BOOTS HAVE THAT MAKE BASKET BAILS HARD TO FIT.
INSIDE THERE ARE INTERCHANGABLE FOOTBEDS – WARMER AND LESS WARM – AND WE SEE NO REASON WHY ANYONE NEEDS THE LATTER BUT IT’S THERE IF YOU DO. THESE DON’T FOLLOW THE TRENDS OF EVER-FATTER MIDSOLES WITH MORE EXPOSED OUTSOLE TO SAVE WEIGHT, AND YOU GET A FULLY ENCLOSED UNIT.
…
HOW IT ALL WORKS
WE WORE THESE FOR MULTIPLE DAYS TO 5000m IN WINTER AT HIGH LATITUDES IN TIBET, AND THOUGH WE WOULDN’T CHOOSE THESE FOR EXTREMELY COLD CLIMBING (UNTIL WE GET HOLD OF THE INSULATED OUTERS THAT IS), THERE IS NOTHING WE HAVE WISHED WAS DIFFERENT REGARDING FEATURES. WE DON’T WISH TO HAVE HIGH ANKLE SUPPORT BACK, OR EXTRA LACING OR WORRY OVER THE BOAS, OR SUSPECT THAT THE ZIPS MIGHT FAIL UNDER STRESS.
THESE THINGS FEEL LIKE AN APPROACH BOOT ON THE APPROACH, A FAST & LIGHT BOOT ON ANYTHING TECHNICAL, AND A HIGH ALT BOOT UP WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS ON MIXED TERRAIN. THIS SOUNDS FANTASTIC WE KNOW, BUT THE RADICAL DESIGN THAT FORGOS ALL THE REPEATED TROPES SEEN IN OTHER BOOTS ALLOWS THIS, AND IT HAPPILY SERVES AS A SINGLE-BOOT-SOLUTION FROM CAR TO SUMMIT OF ANYTHING INTO THE MIDDLING 6000s.
WHAT WE DO WISH FOR IS A SLIGHTLY BETTER HEEL STRAP DESIGN THAT PUTS THE JOIN AWAY FROM THE POINT OF LEVERAGE, AND BIGGER AND BRIGHTER GRAB LOOPS FOR PULLING THEM ON WITH GLOVES ON, BUT THAT’S REALLY IT. THEY SOFTEN AND CONFORM A BIT WITH USE BUT THERE’S NOT A WHOLE THERE TO NEED TO ONCE ALL THE ANKLE BULK WAS REMOVED, SO THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF PROBLEMS IS GONE TO LEAVE JUST THE BITS YOU REALLY NEED.
…
AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS WE LIKE THEM SO MUCH EACH OF US HAS MULTIPLE PAIRS, SIZED TO WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM STEEP AND PRECISE ICE THROUGH TO MULTIDAY HIGH ALTITUDE ASCENTS. WE SWAP BETWEEN LINERS AND COMBINATIONS AND PAIR THEM WITH VARIOUS SOCKS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME PACK ONLY ONE BOOT WHERE BEFORE WE USED TO PACK TWO. PEOPLE MAY THINK WE ARE GEAR FREAKS BUT EXPEDITIONS MEAN WE RUTHLESSLY CULL, AND THAT SAVED 2.5kg GETS TURNED INTO FOOD, INSULATION AND FUEL TO GO HIGHER.
…