Monday, June 27, 2011

Five Ten Quantum Review

Oh, rock shoes; how I love thee and all your various derivations, from down-turned sickness to board-lasted stiffness, there is one of you for every conceivable application. This spring saw the introduction of tons of sick new shoes from nearly every manufacturer, and Five Ten is at the front of the pack with rad new ish in every category, from the wild looking Anasazi high top to the gnarly Hornet. I recently got my hands on a pair of their new sticky icky purple, the Quantum, and while I have only had ‘em for a month or so, initial impression is that they kill!
             
The Quantum is a pretty low volume down-turned lace-up shoe featuring Stealth Onyxx rubber; it is essentially a down-turned Anasazi lace. The fit on these things is spectacular, particularly the heel, which cups the heel far better than the dragon, despite being lower volume. The shoe appears quite down-turned out of the box but they flatten out with the foot inside, and smearing is excellent. The toe is super precise, finding and sticking to any little pocket you like. So far, I have primarily climbed ‘em on pocketed Breccia, and they excel in this regard. I have taken them on a couple edge-intensive climbs and here they are money as well, the down-turn provides enough stiffness for frontpointing without sacrificing sensitivity.
             
So far, I love these shoes, they are comfortable, precise, and seem durable, though I will check back in with that info after a few more months of climbing. Also, call me shallow, but I kinda care about how my shoes look, and I am a big fan of purple shoes; I am stoked that I’ll no longer get the sideways stares when I have to ask to try a pair of Elektra’s (also a solid shoe, incidentally). Kudos to Five Ten for coming out with such badass kicks, I am stoked to continue climbing ‘em and will let ya’ll know how they hold up over the months. Keep the mind state Golden, Peace!
Pro’s: Purple like my drank homie, surgeon-like precision, fit-wise and on the rock, versatile, comfortable.
Con’s: Not sure yet, synthetic so maybe they’ll get stinky? Perhaps more after a few months
Got specific questions? Drop 'em in the comment box and I'll do my best to give ya what yer lookin' for

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thursday, June 9, 2011

So Now Its June

So now it's June, what the fuck? May went by in a blink and with nary a word from your favorite somethings here at vertiCALI. Ah well, June gloom is here now, which must mean its summer, but wait! Its still tits cold (for LA, anyway) and overcast outside my window, this is good for climbing, but bad for Rachel, who needs a parka if the mercury settles any lower than 70. Anyways, lots of new shniz been goin' down, in life and climbing; the royal we got a new job at Adventure 16 in Tarzana, a radical outdoor outfitter with five stores down here in Socal, climbed a lot, was visited by the twin towers from the great white north, and finally redpointed 11! Phewf. . .
Here are some pictures from a recent jaunt to Echo with Rachel, Ben, and Marri. A satisfying, beery day.
Here we're getting set for my attempt on Intensity (11b). Most trite name for a climb ever, but still good. What follows is a sequence of my first (and best) attempt at leading the bouldery line.


Kickin it off










Notice the bitchin' new shoes? Five Ten Quantums, amazing, review soon to follow.











Get your feet up!











Set to throw for an awesome jug











Fumbling with the crux clip at the second bolt.












As always, thanks for flying with vertiCALI; we realize that you have many options when it comes to killing time on the net and appreciate your continued patronage. Keep the mind state Golden, Peace!