User Review: Scarpa Freney

Designed for high-end ice climbing and mountaineering, these are interesting boots. I'd recommend them more for mountaineering than pure ice climbing. They don't offer the kind of stiff ankle support necessary for long bouts of sustained front pointing (in my opinion). They are billed as a super-sensitive lighweight boots for the hardest of today's ice and mixed climbing routes. They rock climb better than any other mountain boot I've ever tried. And, they are absolutely fabulous for french technique. It's ok to front point in them for a while, but there are much better boots out there for pure sustained waterfall ice. Ice/mixed climbing, maybe you'd use them for some desperate short route right at your limit; but I'm keeping them for mountaineering. The sole is pretty stiff. The uppers are quite flexible. There is no rocker to the sole, and the last is aymetrical. This can make fitting certain crampons problematic. For ice, they worked better with my older Trango Harpoons (flat) than with my new Grivel Rambos (rockered). For mountaineering, they work spectacularly with my BD Sabertooths. They have some thinsulate in them, and are fairly warm; but I wouldn't push it with these in ultra-cold conditions. Very well made and comfortable.