Interestingly enough, I have been wearing both the Scarpa Escape GTX ($229; scarpa.com) and La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX ($285; sportiva.com) this summer. The Escape is new this year, while the Trango has been out for several years and is based on a boot first introduced a decade ago.
Scarpa Escape GTX
Escape GTXBoth are intended as light, go-nearly-anywhere trekking and climbing boots for mild weather. Both are crampon-compatible (the Escape accepts Grivel聮s GSb crampons, with fit into a slot in the boot sole), have full rubber rands around the sole to protect the boot, and have Gore-Tex liners.
The Escape is more of a traditional-looking hiking/climbing boot, with leather uppers and a Vibram sole. I regard it as nearly perfect for things such as climbing Mount Rainier in July, or most other Western mixed snow/ice/rock peaks where the rock part is not terrifically technical (up to Class 4 or low Class 5, depending on how nimble a rock climber you are). The La Sportiva boot is a little different beast, with synthetic uppers and a more sporty red-on-black color scheme. Kind of loud, actually. And the Vibram sole has a 聯climbing platform” from the big toe to the mid-point of the foot. That聮s designed for superior edging on more technical rock. I used an early version of the Trango on the West Ridge of Mount Stuart, which goes to 5.4, and it worked great. In May I wore the Escapes up the same peak, via one of the gentler snow-filled couloirs, and they were fine for that.
So, choose the Escape for all-around hiking and climbing and the Trango for a little more technical stuff. For Gannett, wow, it聮s kind of a toss-up. The Escape seems like a little more stable trail boot, so there聮s that to consider. Both would work well for you, I think.
As for fit and break-in, both seem true to size and are comfortable pretty much out of the box. I聮m a narrow-ish size 9 and am wearing 9.5 in both. The Escape is a little wider than the Trango. I聮m just about to take the Trango into the Olympics for three days, for a trip into the Royal Basin and up Mount Clark.
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