Gear Review: Garmont Tower GTX

Gear Review: Garmont Tower GTX 10/10
A beautifully designed, beautiful-looking hybrid, born to rock the mountains with an aggressive Vibram sole unit (tri-density) and enough rigidity to handle front-point crampons and some serious rock/snow/ice.  It's nice to have an all-rounder that multi-tasks rather than forking out for a plastic full-on mountaineer then having to get the light synthetic 3/4 season boot to bumble about the lower alpines with.  They are pretty damn light (1.6kg) for a full-on 4 season with a Frameflex Fiberglass plate and shock absorption thrown in for good measure.  The fibreglass frame is 3/4 length, so not full rigidity which provides enough flex for descents and secure foot placement for alpine climbing.  The fabrics are excellent too, Gore-Tex lining and Schoeller soft shell (their Grundware, low stretch upper) providing excellent breathability, lightness but also durability and abrasion-resistance.   Guides have fallen in love with this boot, and so have I! The suede/ synthetic mix provides the perfect balance of 'hardcore' and 'lightweight'.  It suits Via Ferratas, alpine climbing,  or those looking for multi-purpose mountain boots that'll pass on climbs, and offer crampon security.  The sole unit is also narrow enough to jam into rocks with good side edges to provide excellent grip when needed.  The midsole offers good stability and the plate kicks in to full use when carrying a heavy load.  There's also a 360 rubber rand and softened PU inserts for comfort whilst using crampons.  They rock in at £209 which is slightly cheaper than the Scarpa Charmoz GTX which is the boot of choice for most guides in the UK.  To be honest I'd still plump for the Charmoz, because they're lighter (by 200g) and more simplistic in design.   The advantage of the Towers has to be their durability though, the rand/ suede runs higher up the boot so provides more protection.  The crampon edge on the back of the boot seems more secure than the Charmoz too, but that's just preference I think.  The Schoeller / GTX mix with the Towers is intriguing though and definitely should be more breathable than the Charmoz's in theory but the increase of leather/ suede/ rubber on them has surely got to cramp down that breathability. Any they both rock my world! As boots go, they can't get much better!
SPEC: (upper)
• 1,8 mm suede leather and polyamide for better abrasion resistance and lightness
• 360° climbing rubber rand for better abrasion resistance
• Soft collar for more comfort
• Ankle support for additional protection
• Gore-Tex® Sierra lining for waterproofSPEC: (sole)• Frame Flex Fiberglass insole for crampon rigidity
• Tri-density micro porous rubber for better compression resistance
- medium density to ensure comfort
- firm density to ensure stability
- very firm density for better climbing performance
• PU inserts at heel and toe softened- crampon security and shock absorbing
• Teton Vibram® Outsole
Weight: 
820 g (1/2 pair size 8 UK)
665 g (1/2 pair size 5 UK)