By Chris Kalous from Mountain Gazette No. 156 - June 2009
For this month’s reviews, I decided to hook up with my good friend Madaleine Sorkin and head into Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Mads and I rapped down the south rim to the base of a route called Tague Yer Time, named in honor of a fallen hero, Cameron Tague. No pushover, the 2,000-foot route demands a cool head and serious skills, which is why I brought Madaleine. We also brought all of this month’s gear, which means I was already pretty confident it would perform. Here’s what I found out.
Marmot Nano
The problem with climbing in
the Black is that you descend
first and climb out. The cool
thing is that you top out virtually
at your cooler. The lame
thing is, if the shit hits the
fan and you have to descend,
well, hey, there you are wallowing
around in the bottom
of a 2,000-foot canyon. So
while you’d like to bring the
kitchen sink in case of a storm,
weight and bulk are a major
factor. Enter the Nano Jacket
from Marmot. This svelte and
nimble number applies sealed
zippers to a Gore-Tex Paclite
shell with a hood. Minimal but
versatile, the Nano provides
wind and rain protection in a
tight package. It took up little
room in the pack, but provided
fine insurance against those
pesky afternoon showers that
can pop up so suddenly in
Colorado. $250, marmot.com
La Sportiva Miura Climbing Shoes
I gotta give props to the best
shoes on the planet. Period.
Madaleine and I both swear by
these mighty burners. Edging,
smearing, cracks, these racecars
do it all and do it well. And
they last and last (and last).
$140, sportiva.com
