When the new Scapa Crux appeared at Rock and Run a couple of months ago I soon had another pair of shoes to add to the collection. There’s been a bit of consolidation within Scarpa’s UK approach shoe range recently, and it’s clear that the Crux combines the best features of a few other models and rolls them into one shoe. 

Atomic physicist and keen outdoor enthusiast Niels Bohr once wrote; "anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it". Of course he'd never tried a really steep 7C. If he had he'd have realised the theory behind the Quantum made clear and perfect sense, although theories never counted for jack without experimental back up, so I waved duality goodbye and took my Quantum's to the crag.

There is a plethora of information about Fontainebleau on the internet, from logistics information: how to get there, where to stay and when to go, to climbing information: which areas to go to, what problems to try. Rather than reiterating this easily findable information, the aim of this article is to give the reader a summary of the different guidebooks that are available in the UK.

Following on from Greg’s review of the popular Evolv Bandit Lace I’ve also been testing out the Bandit in its more recent guise – the Bandit SC. How would this shoe weigh up in the crowded all-rounder market? As Velcro is a trade name, and isn’t actually used on these shoes Evolv can’t call it the Bandit Velcro, so SC stands for...

Evolv have brought out an update to their popular Optimus Prime shoe – the new version being known simply as the Prime SC [strap closure]. Having had a pair of the previous incarnation – and liked them so much they became one of my main shoes for bouldering and trad climbing – I was keen to see how the new Prime performed. 

With a flat profile, semi asymmetrical last and medium level of rigidity the Bandit Lace embodies the all-round rock shoe. Having quite a broad forefoot, I did find the toe box a bit narrower than is the average and as such it did pinch a little straight out of the box. Fortunately however, due to a fairly soft compromising upper the shoe does give pretty rapidly, and after just one full session down the wall...

In an era when the modern traveller seems to be under increasing pressure to keep luggage weight and bulk to a minimum, particularly when using air travel, one of the first considerations when purchasing a new holdall is finding a balance between features, durability and of course weight.

Nationally recognised as one of the best summer bouldering destinations in North America, if not the world, the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and nearby Mount Evans host an array of gloriously positioned bouldering locations in a picturesque alpine setting throughout the mountains immediately west of Denver, Colorado.

George reviews the new Boulder Britain guide by Niall Grimes. This magnum opus has been an immensely ambitious project in that it covers 180 venues and 3,200 boulder problems across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. Does it work as a guidebook though?

Greg gives the low-down on the versatile Rock + Run Lepton Crash Pad. Conceived and built by Rock + Run, the Lepton Crash pad is currently a unique take on bouldering pad design - the Lepton is both a starter or secondary pad, a circuiting pad and a way to transport your clobber to the crag.