June 11, 2016

La Sportiva G2SM Review

I just finished up my season in the Alaska Range. This year that involved a personal climbing trip to the Ruth Gorge and a trip guiding folks up The West Buttress of Denali. All in all the G2SM's were on my feet for over 30 days.

The last few years I've been training more, and in a more structured way, than ever before. Mainly this is because I've been pursuing what are for me alpine climbs of increasing difficulty. No small motivation comes from the fact that my partners in these endeavors (who are quite fit to start with) are themselves training more and I need to keep up if I'm to hold up my end of the partnership bargain.

It seems to me that the complement to training hard is having the right equipment. Having the correct kit is a very easy way to multiply all those box steps and ice tool hangs. It always amazes me that climbers who obsess over reps and training cycles and diet are reluctant to upgrade their kit. Having the latest and greatest in gear won't help if you're out of shape or can't make the moves, but lightening your load makes you instantly stronger/faster/whatever and is a lot easier than doing push-ups. Arguably the most energy efficient place to shave pounds is from whatever is attached to your feet and legs: skis, ski bindings, crampons, and of course, boots.

The La Sportiva G2SM's in action on the "Thin Man's Squeeze" section of the Southwest Ridge of Peak 11,300. Photo by Andrew Yasso.
With that in mind I was interested when La Sportiva came out with the G2SM. I had been using the Spantiks for several years, originally in The Alaska Range, but also on particularly cold days or multiple night trips in the Canadian Rockies and here in the Sierra. The Spantiks are warm and provide an amazing amount of calf support for long frontpointing sessions. I'm not particularly impressed with their weight or bulk. They're about as heavy as my old Koflach Vertecal's and just as bulky. The other big problem I have with them is "side to side" ankle articulation. All that calf support for steeper ice makes any sort of french technique a pain and often encourages me to frontpoint on terrain where I could be using a more efficient technique.

For these reasons I was psyched to take the G2SM's out of the box. I wear both boots in size 43 and the pair of G2SM's are 19oz (538g) lighter than the pair of Spantiks (they come without insoles and I ended up adding a pair that weigh 2oz (56g)). They're less bulky. The sole length is about 1/4" (0.6cm) shorter and the boot is about 1/2" (1.2cm) less in circumference around the ball of my foot. They also delivered on the hope of ankle articulation. They're still not a pair of 3/4 shank summer boots, but the side to side ankle movement is about as good as you could expect from a double boot. All of this make the boot feel more nimble on technical terrain and more comfortable on sustained moderate terrain.

One of the first things other climbers mention about these boots is the Boa lacing system. Though the Boa system has been around the ski and snowboard world for a while I have never used it. A few folks I talked to had some problems with the system a few years ago. I had no problems with the Boa system, despite the fact that I cranked it down pretty tight a few times. It was nice to be able to use the lacing system to dial in the tension a few clicks at a time. The Boa knob is also easy to operate with big gloves on.

Big pull loops on the shell and liner are a nice touch for cold mornings.
The big pull loops on the liner and shell of the boot make it easy to get on and off. I had an easier time getting the liners into the boot when they were already on my feet. The top of the gaiter has a drawcord built into it that's really easy to tighten but difficult to loosen. With softshell pants pulled down over the boot there was pretty much no way snow was going to get in, and the top of the gaiter formed a reasonably snug seal on my skinny calves, so I didn't worry about the drawcord too much.

La Sportiva footwear tends to fit my low-volume feet fairly well. I wear the same size - 43 - in Muiras, TC Pros, running shoes, lots of approach shoes and a number of mountain boots. A little bit of fitting help from Mammoth Mountaineering tuned them in just right.

16 comments:

  1. Hey Ian,

    When was your guided trip up the West Butt? I have intentions to climb Denali this coming season and have gone with the G2SM pending everything fits (customer service suggested that I'd be good with using the same size as my Nepals/Trango cubes and other reviewers seem to agree on the sizing). What were the conditions like this past season when you went and did you also take overboots with you in conjunction with these?

    Appreciate the knowledge and thanks,
    Matt

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    1. Matt,

      Good question. The three times I've guided the West Buttress have all been from mid May to early June. This past trip seemed about as cold as the others, and maybe a bit windier. I did wear overboots on summit day. I tend to run cold, and the slow-and-steady pace we set on that day does little to keep me warm. That being said, plenty of folks go to the summit in 6000m boots (like the G2SM) without an overboot.

      You've got to have proper boots, but that's only half of the equation. Even an 8000m boot won't keep your feet warm if you're not hydrated, eating right, dressed appropriately, managing the moisture in your boots, and a bunch of other stuff. I would venture to guess that most people who get cold feet up there are not doing a good job taking care of themselves.

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  2. Hey Ian
    Great review. I took the G2SM's to Ecuador. Unfortunately didn't have as good an experience with them. The Boa system got jammed on one dial and kinked on the other. Tape on the inside of the boot started coming off. Just didn't seem to have great workmanship. I was on two 19k foot peaks and feet got a bit cold in them. Given that I have small feet there aren't a whole lot of choices out there. Will stick with these but was a bit disappointed.

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  3. Michael,

    It's great to hear that you're getting out there! As you well know, there are a lot of reasons your feet can be cold even when you're wearing the proper footwear. You can wrap the best insulation in the world around a block of ice and that won't make it warm.

    As far as the Boa system and the seam tape failing, that is definitely a bummer. It sounds like a warranty issue. I've had a lot of La Sportiva footwear over the years and have had the occasional issue. It's worth getting in touch with them about it, they've always been very helpful to me.

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    1. Hey Ian
      Yeah, gotta figure out that cold feet thing. I've heard that Lorpen's trekking/expedition socks are great. Might give that a go. I did get in contact with La Sportiva and they had me send the boots back to them for a warranty inspection. Will let you know what happens. I'm wondering if I should have gotten the Spantiks. I'm remembering that you had on Whitney. Do you think they were warmer than the G2SM's? Would you recommend one over the other?

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  4. Ian - thanks for the stellar review! I've been looking at these for awhile...previously I was hooked looking at the Spantik but our LaSpo rep (I work at an indy outdoor gear shop in Central PA) recommended moving up to the G2. Sadly at our store, we aren't specialized enough to carry this boot so I'm a little leary on getting the right size.

    I wear a 42.5 in the Trango S Evo, which has been just a tad tight. In the Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GRX, I went with a 43 and those fit pretty darn well. I wear a size 10/43 in the LaSportiva Akasha...obviously a different type of shoe...but anyway with all three of these shoe experiences put together, make me think a 43 is my size.

    I see you snagged a 43...what street size shoe do you typically wear?

    Thanks!

    Joshua

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    1. Joshua,

      Good call on the G2 vs Spantik, I think the additional $75 MSRP is definitely worth it for the G2.

      Like I said in the post, Sportiva shoes fit my feet well and I've worn many models of their approach and trail running shoes over the years. For "street shoes" I've currently got an older pair of Raptors and the Boulder X, both in 43.

      As you probably know, the difference between 1/2 sizes in the Euro sizing system is really small (less than 1cm) so if 42.5 is just a little tight then 43 might be perfect. Good luck!

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    2. They're on my feet right now...size 43 with an expedition-thick sock on and...PERFECT fit!

      Thanks a million Ian! I'll let you know after a trip to Baxter State Park/Katahdin next month how they work out in the field. Certainly not high altitude, but temps in February do like to go subzero for days at a time...should be a good first test.

      Thanks again!

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  5. Thanks for the excellent review.
    Would you use long gaiters on top of the G2 SM?

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    1. Lucia,

      I wouldn't bother. The built in gaiter on the G2 does a fine job of keeping the snow out. I don't think another gaiter would be worth the weight.

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  6. Hi Ian i have the same question like Michael - do you think g2 sm are more warmer than spantik like it is advertized as well. Secondly i am only able to try spantik and size 45 looks good to me so you think 45 g2 will give the same fit to me including toe room and heals. Thanks in advance.

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    1. Jimi, I think the G2SM is as warm as the Spantik. I wear the same size in both and find that they fit differently. I got the liner of the G2 cooked by a professional boot fitter.

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    2. Hi, I'm late to the party but wondering if you know how the bootfitter adjusted the liners? G2 Evo have heat moldable inner boots but I can't find any information on whether the SM's inners are heat moldable.

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    3. Yes, they heat molded them just like with a ski boot liner. Neither I nor the bootfitter were sure that the liners were designed for this, but it seemed to work!

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  7. Ian, Hoping you can help! I’m going on a Denali expedition via the full West Rib on May 8 (early season). Do you think that these will be warm enough? I don’t typically run cold when moving. Thanks !

    E

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    1. These are excellent Denali boots. This spring I did my third West Buttress trip in them. I think most folks who are taking good care of themselves will find this boot to be warm enough.

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