The new Verto S4K GTX from North Face.
My first experience with North Face climbing boots was when they made La Sportiva a part of their corporation a few years back. I bought two pairs of La Sportiva boots on sale when that relationship ended. A pair of the first Trangos and the original Nepals.
So when I heard about the "first" North Face climbing boot I was at least mildly interested in the end result.
Seems North Face has saturated the blogger market with free boots to get the word out on the new Verto S-4K GTX. Smart marketing on their part.
I own or have owned and climbed in a lot of mountaineering boots. Boots suitable for technical climbing on the South Pole and boots suitable for a summer alpine scramble in the Sierras or Cascades. So there is a lot of leeway on what manufactures and users define as a "climbing" boot.
I have friends who use similarboots to the new Verto S-4K for much of their own summer climbing in the Cascades. The La Sportiva Trango S Evo GTX and Scarpa Chamoz GTX come to mind when comparing like boots.
North Face was also smart in using the obligatory red and silver colors on their new boot. It is now easy to confuse the La Sportiva Trango Extreme Evo LightGTX(an actual fully featured climbing boot) with the North FaceVerto S-4K which is not.
That doesn't mean the Verto S-4K isn't a good boot. It seems to be from my perspective as long as you understand its limitations.For one it isn't all that warm. But as warm as the red La Sportiva Trango Evo or Chamoz GTX I think. And because of the Gortex equally as water proof. It isn't all that stiff in the sole nor is it intended to be. So it is easy to hike in. It fits my narrow feet and heels very well and it seems to be is slightly more robust that my Trango SEvos. I like the fully bellowed tongue. And how comfortable this boot was out of the box. That alone should sell a ton of them.They weigh in at1# 15 oz per boot in my size 12s. The red Trango S Evo weighs in at 1#13oz in a comparable size 45.
The Verto S-4K needs a basket for the front of the crampon. But it will take a heel lever. They would work fine for any of the NWglacier slogs mid summer. But that is the limit of where I want to use them when it is cold and wet.
The soles are likely the best available for rock climbing in boots. It is the Vibram® MULAZ. Same sole on my beloved Scarpa Ultras and half a dozen other pairs of similar lwt mountain boots that directly compare to the Verto S4K. The soles are closely trimmed and the low profile toe lacing allows you to take every advantage the sticky rubber on the MULAZ.
Boots for me are first all about the fit. The new North Face Verto S-4K last fitsexceptionally well on my foot. Sad that the style of boot isn't one I use very much.
At least the sample boots I received are made in Romania. I have to say I am impressed with the end result. Rightfully or not my feet feel bettertrusting themto a European factory than one in Asia. I am hoping for great things from the future technical boot line up.
Bottom line on the North Face Verto S-4K?
It is not a highly technical "climbing" boot. But it will do anything a Trango S or ScarpaCharmoz will. So it is in good company. It could be lighter. But it is within ounces of the other two boots for comparison in my size. But I had hoped the new contestant would win the weight comparison with a knock out. It didn't. Neither did they hit any surprise price point. The buy in is steep at $350. Same as the Trango S Evo GTX.
As a first effort for North Face? They did extremely well.
Currently available in the UK.
The company spiel?
Verto S4K GTX £229.99
Inspired by the endeavours of The North Face’s team of elite mountaineers, the Verto S4K boot delivers absolute best-in-class technical fit and performance for the most demanding alpine conditions.
■Traditional Italian craftsmanship and innovative European design
■Finest materials assembled without compromise
■Synthetic leather and rugged Panatex textile uppers
■GORE-TEX lining gives waterproof, breathable protection
■X-Frame provides lateral stability and flexibility
■Over-injected TPU cage provides midfoot support
■Stainless steel upper eyelets and locking instep eyelet
■Smartlite PU mudguard resists abrasion better than rubber
■TPU Cradle heel stabilising technology with crampon spoiler
■Five-part co-moulded midsole
■BASF Agile PU body and EVA heel cushioning
■Northotic Pro+ premium EVA footbed with gel heel
■Ortholite forefoot cushioning pads
■TPU shank and polypropylene/fibreglass lasting board
■Vibram Mulaz outsole with climbing zone for superior edging
Last weekend we finally picked up my Francesco Moser fixed gear roadbike from Harris Cyclery, where it sat most of the winter after getting its bottom bracket replaced. I haven't been on this bicycle since December, riding the slightly-too-big-for-me Bianchi instead. And now that the Moser is back, guess what? It feels small! I was warned that this would happen once I got used to a larger frame, but it's still hard to believe. How can I feel cramped on a bike that felt "perfect" last year?
In addition to having a shorter top tube than the Bianchi, the Moser is also set up with a shorter stem. The difference between thetotal distance from the seat post to the handlebars on the two bikes is 3cm - which seems like a small number, but feels quite otherwise, at least to me. The handlebars on the Moser are also set quite a bit lower, which I think contributes to the cramped sensation. Combined with the lower bottom bracket, I almost feel like an adult on a miniature pony when I mount the smaller bike after the larger one.Would a longer stem alone solve this, or have I "outgrown" the frame itself?At the moment, both myBianchi(with a 55cm top tube and 8mm stem) and myRivendell(with a 57.5cm top tube and 6mm stem) feel just right, but how can I trust that "just right" feeling when it keeps changing?
It is said that preferences in bike fit "evolve" over time. But does there eventually come a point when they stabilise? How many times in your cycling history has your idea of comfortable bike fit changed?
So I have a confession to make... I have been riding 
Every time I ride this bike, I feel that my comfort level with the diamond frame and the drop bars increases exponentially.
And the 
The only difficulty I've had so far, happened when I was unexpectedly caught in a downpour 13 miles from home. Minutes after the above picture was taken, it began to pour. The bicycle handled splendidly, but the problem was that my wet fingers would slip on the wet brake levers when trying to squeeze them, and I had serious trouble using the brakes. This problem might be unique to me, as I have nerve damage in my hands and a very weak grip.
Having survived the ride home, I promptly purchased a pair of full-fingered cycling gloves. The material on the fingertips is grippy and should do better on wet levers than my fingers. I will keep these in 
Other than the rainy lever-slip issue, I have been surprised at the lack of "challenges". I am even able to use the bar-end shifters! I am keeping the giraffine stem extension for now, but in another week or so I think I will feel comfortable lowering it.
Here you can see that I really am quite leaned over as it is when reaching for the hoods. I know that the bike will look nicer if the saddle and handlebars are at the same level, but the lean will be too much. I think I will compromise and lower it half-way.
Front view showing the current reach when on the hoods.
Well, that is my progress update so far. I can't express how happy it makes me to be able to ride this bike after having anxious doubts about whether I'd really be up to it when the time came. I am in love with the drop bars and will write a separate post about them soon, discussing hand positions.
Once a cyclist begins to ride longer distances, it is inevitable that they will hear the siren call of the Century - the 100 mile ride. While 100 miles is as arbitrary a number as any, it has an undeniable cachet to it. It is a three digit number, a round number, and impressive number. Put simply, 100 miles is unambiguously "a lot." It is often considered a marker of seriousness when it comes to long-distance cycling.
Although I never set it as a goal for myself to complete a century, to tell the truth I thought that surely I would have done it by now. Distances of 30, 40 and 50 miles were so easy for me almost from the start, that I assumed 100 miles would inevitably follow. However, it is now my 3rd summer of cycling and somehow I still have not managed it - 65 miles being the longest distance I've covered so far in one go. One obstacle has been lack of time. As someone who gets annoyed when others tell me they don't have time to cycle, I can't believe I am using the same excuse. So maybe I should rephrase: My time management skills have been inadequate. I try to set a day aside for a century ride, but something inevitably comes up to make it impossible. Shorter rides are easier in that sense, because they do not require taking an entire day off. The other obstacle has been finding places to ride to. While the countryside outside Boston offers excellent cycling, I am having a hard time mapping out routes that exceed 65 miles and are still within my comfort zone when it comes to car traffic and elevation changes. And doing repeat loops just to cycle 100 miles is not appealing.
While on Cape Cod last summer, I thought that surely a century would finally be completed. Our plan was to gradually work up to it, but in the end we did it too gradually: Just after the 65 mile ride I got sick, and by the time I felt better it was time to go home. This summer, the inability to reach the 100 mile mark is becoming almost comical. Now that we are on Cape Ann - with both the time to do it and the perfect location - weather and other factors have intervened to foil our plans repeatedly. 50 miles along the coast has been the longest we have managed so far, and with half our stay over and more storms predicted for this week, it's possible that a century is simply not in the cards during this trip either.
It is becoming clear that, while I am accustomed to fitting rides into my life "organically," the century may necessitate a different approach. If I am serious, then I will need more careful planning, stronger determination, and a willingness to do it in poor weather conditions or along a route that I am not entirely comfortable with. But frankly, that just doesn't seem like much fun. When I finally find the time to do a 100 mile ride on my terms, it will be fantastic. But to approach it as a grimly goal-oriented undertaking for the sake of saying that I've done a century would defeat the purpose. As far as endurance goes, I am fairly confident that I can handle the mileage, so it's just a matter of an opportune situation presenting itself. I am sure someday it will.
