Scarpa R Evo Review
November 17 update – the new model in fetching blue and grey rather than funky orange – is just as good judging by the last month in some pretty cold and wet conditions. The older ones didn’t make it back from Nepal, but they didn’t owe me anything…
A very comfortable and lightweight 3 season hillwalking / trekking boot that pretty much goes anywhere.
I have been using a pair for the last 18 months and they have been variously on dog walks, high altitude treks in India, Nepal and South America, mountaineering and easy scrambling in North Wales and the Lake District, hillwalking in Scotland and the Brecon Beacons and bashing around the Peak district on walks and on mountain rescue call outs.
Comfortable from the start due to Scarpa’s Sock Fit technology I particularly liked the boots ability to cope with very different temperature extremes and weather, whilst keeping my tootsies warm and dry. The suede upper with a GTX lining means the boot is highly breathable and also waterproof so I could sprint up to a casualty on the side of a hill in summer and not overheat, but also wander through fresh snow and across a glacier at 5500m and not get cold, and stand around in pouring rain and not get wet which is a pretty remarkable achievement from Scarpa and not something I have found in other footwear.
I like the extra ankle support of a boot as opposed to a shoe, as even on easy treks, an odd clamber over a rockslide or a small patch of snow can be testing in approach shoes – and the amount of lower leg injuries I witness in the Peak District national park suggests anything that may reduce this is a good thing!
The upper has a toe rand which I am a big fan of, as it prolongs the life of the boot by protecting the upper from rocks which is very handy when scrambling and walking on rocky trails or over moraines. The sole unit bites effectively on everything from deep mud to wet, sheep mowed grass.
I haven’t extensively tested it with crampons but it was robust enough to take a pair of flexi crampons and safely carry me over patches of bare ice as you would expect, but its flexibility which is a real boon when walking, would work against it if you tried to wear them for longer than a short scuttle or on anything steep (either on snow or harder scrambles).
We strongly recommend them for our Hill and Moorland Leader Award course and they are also suitable for our Mountain Leader Award courses and all of our navigation courses.
Summary
The Scarpa R Evo GTX are a lightweight three season boot with a brilliant blend of warmth, waterproofing, breathability and support. They are suitable for a wide range of activities from dog walks to all but the most extreme trekking and plenty of stuff in between.
Chris
