The fingerboard from Moon has managed to achieve a superb compromise between using its space efficiently whilst fitting in plenty of good holds; this comes from Moon's ethos that less is more.

Rugged simplicity is a term which is often difficult to apply to new products in the outdoor industry, where everything is trying to be lighter flashier and cram in more bells and whistles – often more as a selling point rather than for practicality. Well Rock + Run have created something which could be described as the exact opposite of this ethos, with their Nano Tube.

I am a massive fan of the old Scarpa Vortex slipper and I will forever mourn its loss, even if it was violet. Make no mistake, the Scarpa Stix was going to have to live up to a lot in order to impress me. The Vortex was sensitive, had oodles of power in the toe - it was a great shoe to wear.

I was so excited to hear that Snap, the French crash pad manufacturer, was finally going to be given proper representation in the UK - via the County Climbing Company - that it gave me a warm glow inside. For too long had I seen swarve French types foisting about these sexy slices of foam.