TRUE EXPEDITION BOOTS, THE MAMMUT NORDWAND 6000s FURTHER HONE WHAT THE NEW GENERATION OF DOUBLES ARE, WITH A MAJOR CAVEAT.
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THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR COLD, INVOLVED CLIMBING AND COMBINE THE SHAPE AND INSULATION OF A HIGH ALTITUDE BOOT WITH THE LOW WEIGHT NOT FAR OFF WHAT MOST SINGLE BOOTS INCUR. ALONG WITH THE 2023 SCARPA PHANTOM 6000s THEY REPRESENT A NEW DIRECTION IN HIGH ALTITUDE BOOTS THAT RETURNS TO THE EXO SKELETON IDEA BUT SWAPPING OUT THE OLD SCHOOL ALEVOLITE INNERS AND PLASTIC SHELLS WITH KNITTED SYNTHETIC AND SHELLS MADE OF LAMINATES THAT INCLUDE CARBON FIBER AND INTEGRATED GAITERS OF SUPERFABRIC. WE THINK THESE BOOTS GET IT RIGHT, BY PUTTING THE EFFORT INTO THE INNER WHERE OTHERS LIKE LA SPORTIVA CHOSE TO DO OTHERWISE WITH CHEAP INNERS THAT FRANKLY DON’T CUT IT. UNLIKE THE NEOPRENE INNERS OF LS, THESE NEW KNITTED INNERS WORK FAR BETTER WITH MATCHING UP SOCKS, ALLOWING FOR A LEVEL OF BREATHABILITY, DURABILITY AND FIT THAT NEOPRENE CAN NEVER KNOW.
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THE FIT
MAMMUT BOOTS FIT A SLIGHTLY ODD FOOT, HAVING THE NARROW REAR FOOT OF SPORTIVAS BUT THE FOREFOOT WIDTH OF SCARPA. THIS WORKS WELL FOR A HIGH ALT BOOT WHERE WIGGLING YOUR TOES IS VITAL, BUT FOR THOSE WITH SKINNY FEET ALL ROUND WON’T BE IDEAL FOR PURE ICE CLIMBING. MAMMUT IS UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT THIS, AND GIVE THE TOE BOX A DECENT VOLUME IN SHAPE ACROSS ALL DIMENSIONS. THEY ARE NOT BULBOUS AT ALL BUT THEY ARE NOT TORPEDOS.
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THE GOOD
THRE’S A LOT MAMMUT GET RIGHT WITH THE NORDWAND 6000s. STARTING WITH THE INNER, THEY ABANDON DECADES OF TONGUES, WRAPS, VELCRO AND LACES FOR AN INSULATED SOCK THAT COMBINES ROBUST SYNTHETIC PADDING WITH A KNITTED SLEEVE THAT STRETCHES. THERE’S NO MESSING ABOUT WITH SECURING THEM, NO PRESSURE POINTS FROM EITHER LACES OR BULK, JUST A SMOOTH LOWER THAT IS SEMI RIGID AND THE UPPER THAT IS SQUISHY AND SOFT, AND TWO LOOPS THAT HELP YOU PULL THEM ON.
THESE THINGS BREATH IN A WAY YOU WON’T HAVE SEEN BEFORE, TO THE POINT THAT MOISTURE IS FOUND INSIDE THE SUPER GAITER. UNLIKE AN ALEVOLITE OR NEOPRENE INNER THE KNIT CONSTRUCTION ALLOWS A LOT OF MOISTURE OUT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE STEWING YOUR FEET INSIDE. THE IDEA HERE IS YOU TRANSMIT IT TO THE SHELL WHERE IT CONDENSES AND FREEZES, TO BE KNOCKED OUT IN THE MORNING OR ALLOWED TO DRY. OVER MULTIPLE DAYS WE HAVE FOUND THIS WORKS TO KEEP FEET DRIER, ESPECIALLY WHEN PAIRED WITH GOOD SYNTHETIC SOCKS.
MAMMUTS INSOLES ARE DECENT QUALITY AND HAVE VARIOUS WAYS OF REDUCING HEAT LOSS, INCLUDING A REFLECTIVE THERMAL LAYER WHEN COMBINED WITH THE SHELL THAT FOR ONCE SEEMS TO ADDRESS THE CONCEPT OF REFLECTIVITY PROPERLY.
THE SHELLS ARE THE USUAL BLEND OF LAMINATES, BUILT TO SUPPORT A DOUBLE BOA SYSTEM, WHICH WE WILL GO INTO BELOW. THE TOP AND THE BASE LACE INDEPENDANTLY ALLOWING FOR TWEAKING OF FLEX, AND THERE’S NOT A SKERRICK OF LEATHER TO ABSORB MOISTURE. THIS MATTERS BECAUSE THE GAITER IS SOFT, PLIABLE AND WARM, WITH THE RUBBER RAND EXTENDING UP HIGH, ACTING AS SOLID BARRIER TO RETAIN WARMTH TO THE DEGREE IT CATCHES MOISTURE AS DETAILED ABOVE
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING, WITH A ROCKER THAT REALLY FEELS LIKE A TREKKING BOOT YET A SOLE THAT IS VERY STIFF FOR CRAMPONS. SOMETHING THAT SETS THESE AS TRUE EXPEDITION BOOTS, THESE WILL HAND THE APPROACH THE BEST OF ANY 6000m BOOT WE’VE WORN, EFFECTIVELY DOING AWAY WITH THE NEED FOR APPROACH BOOTS.
THE SOLES OF THESE BOOTS ARE CURIOUS, HAVING A FORE AND AFT SECTION WITH ONLY RAND IN BETWEEN. THIS MAKES SOME DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT PERHAPS, BUT THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THE HIGH SOLE ARCH, SOMETHING MOST HIGH ALT BOOTS ARE THE OPPOSITE ON HAVING VERY FLAT SOLES. THIS CONTRIBUTES A LOT TO THE WALKABILITY, HAVING NO SEE-SAW EFFECT OVER ROCKS, AND THE EXPOSED RAND SEEMS TO BE DURABLE, UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THESE BOOTS WILL MOSTLY BE USED ON SNOW AND WITH CRAMPONS. CERTAINLY UNLIKE SOME HIGH ALT BOOTS MAMMUT HAVE NOT GONE FOR TOO-SOFT RUBBERS OR EXPOSED MID-SOLE THAT WEARS RAPIDLY. UNLIKE SOME BOOTS, MAMMUT HAS NOT SHAVED GRAMS BY HAVING VERY NARROW SOLES.
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THE PROBLEMS
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS THAT, WHILST WEARING THE LINERS, THEY ARE HARD TO GET ON AND OFF. THERE SIMPLY ISN’T THE SPACE IN THE BEND WHERE THE UPPER MEETS THE LOWER OVER THE TOP OF THE FOOT FOR THE BULK OF THE INNER TO GET ROUND THE CORNER. IT IS ACTUALLY THE HEEL THAT CATCHES, NOT HAVING THE SOFTNESS INITIALLY WHERE THE SOLE MEETS THE INNERS PADDED LOWER, SO CREATING A FAIRLY RIGID FORM THAT DOESN’T TAKE THE CORNER WELL LIKE A SEMI-TRAILER TRYING TO TAKE A CORNER IN MANHATTAN.
OVER TIME THE HEEL DOES SOFTEN, AND THE TWO BOAS CAN BE PULLED OPEN TO EASE THINGS, BUT IT’S A DESIGN FAULT AND THE ONLY REAL WAY TO ADDRESS IT IS TO REMOVE/PLACE THE INNER SANS YOUR FOOT INSIDE. THIS IS BARELY FORGIVABLE – SCARPA DOESN’T SUFFER IT – BUT IS DOABLE AND THE REST OF THE BOOT MAKES UP FOR IT.
SOME FEEL THE ZIP IS TOO WHIMPY, BUT WE ARE YET TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS IT CERTAINLY IS SO EASY TO USE IT DOESN’T DEMAND THE PRESSURE OF THE HEFTY TIZIP DRYSUIT ZIPS MOST OTHER BOOTS DO.
WE ARE NOT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ABOUT THE BOA, LIKING THE CONVENIENCE BUT DISLIKING THE THE LIMITATIONS FOR OPENING THE BOOT RIGHT UP. IT IS NICE TO DO AWAY WITH THE ‘POWER BAND’, BUT AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL THE PLASTIC NEEDED TO ROUTE THE CABLES. TRUE IT IS QUICKER TO ADJUST ON THE GO, BUT ARGUABLY NOT MORE SO WHEN PUTTING THE BOOTS ON AND OFF WHERE A SALOMON-STYLE SLIDE LOCK IS OUR FAVOURITE, LOW TECH, METHOD.
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THE NORDWAND 6000s CLIMB ALPINE TERRAIN VERY WELL, HAVING GOOD ANKLE FLEX THAT DOESN’T FEEL CLUNKY. THEY APPROACH BEST IN CLASS, AND COPE WITH ICE UP TO ABOUT WI4-5 BEFORE FEELING A BIT VOLUMINOUS. THE SOLES ARE HARD AND RIGID ENOUGH TO KICK INTO HARD SNOW, AND THEY TAKE ANY COMMON CRAMPON THOUGH SOME ‘BASKET’ BAILS MAY SIT A BIT AWKWARDLY OVER THE VOLUME OF THE TOE.
DO THEY BEAT THE 2023 SCARPA PHANTOM 6000? IF YOU CAN WORK WITH THE ON/OFF ISSUE WITH THE INNER THEN YES. THESE WALK BETTER WHICH IS HUGE, AND MAKES UP FOR THE OTHER ELEMENTS, BUT IN THE END NOTHING SUPERCEDES THE BETTER FIT WHICHEVER IT IS.
