hi tec altitude iv wp 2 beinn nan carn

Mon, Sep 27, 2010

I’ve been laid low for a while with some sort of buggy thingy but yesterday the weather was so good I decided to pop up the hill to get a feel for how the Hi-Tec Altitude IV WP supplied by Fitness Footwear would be out on the hill. At this time of year it’s hard going in deep heather, bog and up near the top it’s onto scrambly ground with bits of verticality if you so choose. In fact, Beinn nan Carn is a wee gem. Probably one of the best viewpoints on Skye, taking in the Cuillin, Knoydart and the vast sweep of Broadford Bay and with a 200m long summit plateau it really does feel spacious up there.

It was strange strapping on the gaiters after a summer of lightweight trail shoes but it was also different in another way. Instead of the tight fit of the Merrells, there is loads of room in these boots, even with my Superfeet instead of the supplied insoles. Plus they feel comfy as soon as you put them on. They also feel pretty light compared to an old pair of KSBs that were lying around. The difference was noticeable although I don’t have any scales to compare them.

Grip on the steep heather and bog was excellent as was descending, with no evidence of toe bash as there’s plenty of room in the boots. There’s a nice wee limestone outcrop near the top where I like to scramble up a corner with a couple of VDiff moves and the boots were excellent on this. You just put your right foot on a sloping foothold and pull up on a jug. An awkward couple of moves with everything hanging on the sloping foothold and the boots coped with it just fine. They’re also quite warm and as they’re roomy I wore a big pair of socks. Ankle support feels good and I didn’t get any chafing or soreness, although I wasn’t out for that long. A cold day with a brisk northerly wind after an early morning frost and my feet were toasty warm in these boots, so perhaps better suited to the later part of the year.

Also, after a couple of shin deep burn crossings, my feet were still dry although when I did it earlier in the week, the water was more forceful and my gaiters aren’t as snug fitting on these boots as my other leather ones, so some water was forced up and under the bottom of the gaiters and into the boots. So I’d reckon close fitting gaiters would be better. Which is interesting as the gaiters are indeed closer fitting on my other leather boots (Meindl).

All in all, for this first outing, I was rather impressed with the Hi-Tecs, part of Fitness Footwear’s Hi-Tec range and their extensive walking boots collection. I normally switch to leather boots round this time of year, when wet feet aren’t ideal but it’s not snowy enough for the La Sportivas so this year I may try the Hi-Tecs in more rugged terrain as my old Meindls are leaking.

I get the impression these boots are aimed at the beginner on a tight budget. For fifty quid they’re a bargain and are surpisingly light and comfy. So if you’re thinking of starting hillwalking and it’s getting colder and this time of year, these boots could be the ones for you. A full hill day report to follow over the next few months.