The launch of the latest Salomon S-Lab X Alp mountaineering range was held in Chamonix in October. Jez and I were invited along to check out the results of their fast and light design philosophy. Although I don’t tend to think of myself as either fast or light, the opportunity to expand my own playground to the Alps was way too good to let slip. All I needed to be ready for was a three hour trek on the flat. I bought a pair of baselayer pants and packed for my first gear test.
Following an unexpectedly stress-free flight, (take note orange and blue/yellow airlines – you can buy loyalty with free ice-cream) we arrived in Chamonix in plenty of time for a pizza and a chat with Salomon’s UK reps as well as new friends from various other UK outdoor stores.
Chamonix looking sparkly and beautifulThe next morning, following a short walk around chocolate-box alpine streets in glorious October sunshine, Salomon kitted us out for the next couple of days. It was a new experience to be dressed head to toe in one brand; fortunately the X Alp gear looks pretty good and the group was enormous. Supplied with everything including boots, socks, trousers, mid-layer and shell, plus the slightly alien looking backpack and a harness and helmet, we were good to go.
Group gets Salomoned up | Carrie test her GTX boots | Jez takes the shoes boulderingDay one involved a short walk down to the local roadside crag. A simple top rope climb and a via ferrata had been set up for us to test the boots’ scrambling capabilities. While it felt a little strange to be searching for toeholds in boots, (all my climbing, from easy to marginally less easy, is done in climbing shoes) the shoes felt more than sticky enough to smear where necessary and the edges performed well.
S-Lab X Alp 20 pack | S-Lab X Alp Anorak | S-Lab X Alp Carbon GTX ShoeThe remainder of the day, we spent in seminars with infectiously enthusiastic Salomon people. The longer I listened, the more of a convert I became. For more details check out the gear reviews, however the most impressive for me was the X Alp 20 rucksack. This is not only made with bombproof dyneema and packed with well thought out features but also flips round on your waist to open up or double as a handy picnic table.
After a negotiating a bewilderingly large buffet at the hotel that evening we hit the sack early, as the more experienced people, including Jez, were up early to test the equipment from the summit.
As a beginner, I joined a group aiming for the Plan du Midi at around 9.30. The lowering cloud obscured the views but it’s impossible to be up there and not feel awestruck by the sheer scale and beauty of the place. As our destination vanished and reappeared in the mist, lines of yellow clad climbers began to snake upwards across the Plan.
There followed a long moraine scramble to reach some ice. Here, being neither fast nor light, there was little to do but huff and puff till I got there. By the time we arrived, I was cursing my own lack of fitness, the altitude, the “flat” three hour trek and finally, the retreating ice caused by exactly the kind of short haul flight which brought me.
However one thing I wasn’t muttering about was the gear. Once I really began to trust them, the boots were astoundingly reliable on gravel, ice and even stuck to soaking wet granite. The Gore-Tex clothing and the rucksack also did their job, in that I forgot I was wearing them in continuous cold drizzle.
As we finally reached a patch of ice I brought my heartbeat under control. The weather began to clear, and I was happy to get my crampons on for the first time. This proved about as tricky as it looks – which is to say not at all. After a bit of practise and a short roped up excursion with our guide, I headed back down towards our gear just as a couple of thunderous cracks bounced off the hills – somewhere, someone was blowing stuff up.
Aside from an involuntary jump the incident was not really worth mentioning, except for the ensuing avalanche which we saw hissing down the slope on the opposite side of the Plan. It didn't seem at all far from where some of our group had started out; a gentle reminder to take the location seriously.
All morning the cloud had been slowly clearing. By the time we were ready to leave we were looking down on a rainbow filled valley. After another substantial meal at the Refuge (are there three courses at every meal in France?) some of our party took the opportunity to head downhill on foot and give the shoes a proper test on a 4000ft descent.
Aware that there were at least three fairly serious runners in the group whom I had no wish to hold up. I took myself off via the telepherique to the hotel and a shower. The others joined us shortly afterwards. They arrived happy and still with comfy feet to finish a cracking couple of days moving fast and light in the Alps.
For further details on the products we tried out check out Jez's reviews: