RAW Gear Test - Checking Out La Sportivas Crosslites

FRESH IN FROM THE RAW OUTDOORS TEST TEAM - HITTING THE TRAIL THIS MORNING WITH LA SPORTIVAS CROSSLITES.

After all the great reports that the La Sportiva Crosslites have been getting, we decided to hit the trails in the Mourne Mountains this morning and see if they're as good as they say. Out for one and half hours over Meelmore one of the seven hundred plus metre peaks in the Mournes and the Crosslites took everything we could throw at them. Really wet underfoot in some places and slippy with the dew on the grassy banks and believe it or not neither Chris or I slipped! If I had my old Salomon XA Pro's on I would have been all over the place - great grip, haven't experienced a better shoe for grip in over ten years!

I would fully go with the reports - Go and grab a pair and hit the trails this spring.

Enter crosslite on the RAW Outdoors website and get a pair for £65.oo (Normally £75.00)

http://www.rawoutdoors.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=2278

Cheers

Roger

Life Is Good - Weekly Inspiring Letter

LIFE IS GOOD - INSPIRING LETTERS

Dear Folks at Life Is Good,
Some years ago, I bought my husband his first Life Is good shirt — a tee with Rocket and Jake running on the beach. I was lured towards the display because Rocket looked a lot like our dog, Aslan.
Over the years, we've collected additional Life is Good shirts and hats — always with Rocket because Aslan was our own Rocket. He would go hiking and geocaching with us. He loved car rides and digging up the yard. And Frisbee — he LOVED Frisbee.
Sadly, we recently lost Aslan to a serious illness that struck out of the blue. But he lived the last days of his life as he did all the rest — at full speed.
Your motto "Do what you like. Like what you do." is how Aslan lived his life. He enjoyed every moment of every day. Over the 10 years Aslan shared his life with us, his attitude reminded us to enjoy the simple things in life. It was such a joy to watch him hiking — living in the moment of each new scent he caught. So often it is easy for people to get wrapped up in the craziness of life — dogs don't. Aslan saw it as his job to remind us that Life Is Good.
Even with the sadness of losing Aslan, we are comforted by his attitude toward life. He wouldn't dwell on the past; he'd be running ahead, eager to see what is around the next bend in the trail.
And so, we forge ahead on the trail of life, no longerwith Aslan, but with Rocket reminding us that Life Is Good.And it is.
Anne Stuart

CHECK OUT THE FULL LIFE IS GOOD RANGE AT WWW.RAWOUTDOORS.CO.UK

RAW Outdoors Spring Clean Sale Now On

RAW OUTDOORS SPRING CLEAN SALE NOW ON

CHECK IT OUT FOR SOME FAB OFFERS!

Tried And Tested - Columbia Daska Pass Boots

TRIED AND TESTED - COLUMBIA DASKA PASS BOOTS

What Columbia says :- A serious boot for the devoted hiker and backpacker. The lightweight upper is breathable and waterproof, and the contoured footbed provides exceptional comfort.

What we say:- I was sent these boots a couple of weeks ago from Columbia and this is the first time I've had a chance to try them out. Decided to head up the Glen River and onto Donard so was out for about four hours and came back with no hotspots or blisters, grreat condsidering I took them staright out of their box in Donard forest carpark!

The boot is fairly lightweight, there are lighter ones on the market however was incredibly comfy and has a pretty stiff Vibram sole so gave good support and grip under rougher terrain. The only slight gripe I would have is that its slightly higher cut than other boots and I prefer a lower cut - Only a personal preference not a problem.

Verdict - Great boot offering good support and really comfy straight out of the box. Also for the price you're getting alot for your money with a good quality Vibram sole, Omni-Tech waterproof membrane, Agion treatment (keeps the odours at bay) and good leather upper.

Definitely my boot of choice for this summers excursions onto the hill.

Biking in Ballyhoura, Co. Limerick

Just returned last week from a brief business trip to Limerick when I got time (well 45 mins) to try out the new Coilte MTB trails at Ballyhoura.  I tried the Green Loop  (6Km) really a taster loop but if this is anything to go by I'll certainly be back. What's really impressive is how well maintained the 5 trails are with excellent shower/changing facilities and bike wash at the trailhead. Car park is 5euro.  There is an interesting event there this summer The Beast of Ballyhoura Adventure Race - if you're not up to the 2-day team event there is a duathlon 25k mtb cycle + 10k run on Day 2.  A great spot for walking and cycling - check out www.ballyhoura.org

Swailie

Cracking Weather - Cracking Views!

VIEW OF SLIEVE COMMEDAGH ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON!

Check out this cracking views from the side of Slieve Donard and looking up the Glen river yesterday afternoon. Decided to head out for a stroll and test run a pair of Columbia Daska Pass boots. Watch out for the review coming soon.

Roger

Columbia News - Welcome To The Greater Outdoors

Welcome To The Greater Outdoors

At Columbia, they believe the outdoors belongs to everyone, not just overachievers and adrenaline junkies. They embrace an approach to getting outside that's passionate, exuberant and genuine. Meet the Columbia pioneers, who embody this spirit of unconventional exploration. This is their story!

Lucy Creamer - First Woman To Climb 8b+

NEWS FROM MARMOT

Lucy Creamer has just become the first UK woman to climb F8b+. On April 5th Lucy became the first UK woman to climb a route called ‘Kalea Borraka’ based in Spain. The crux of the route is found in the very last couple of moves at the top of the huge 40 meter head wall. This caused havoc for Lucy’s attempts of linking all of moves together due to heavy rain storms soaking the final moves each time it rained.

Frustratingly Lucy had to be patient and wait for the line to dry each time it rained to allow he to then get back on the route and rework the moves. Finally on April 5th Lucy managed to link all the moves together in one go and complete her aim to be the first UK woman to climb 8b+. Congratulations Lu !!!

Trail Magazine - Best In Test

TRAIL MAGAZINE - BEST IN TEST

LA SPORTIVA CROSSLITE - BEST IN TEST TRAIL RUNNING SHOE

A sportily designed, light shoe that makes you look like a professional. The agressive sole unit, with its deep, widelu spaced lugs, provides good traction and mud shedding on steep, mud or rock-choked paths, while the breathable mesh upper means going fast doesn't result in sweaty toes. The sleek styling and deep sole lugs makes this shoe look like it eats steep mountain paths for breakfast, then comes back for more at elevenses. You can see why it scored 5 stars in the last trail test because it has all the features you would want in a trail running shoe - enough cushioning to feel responsive but protect your sole on intricate rock tracks, a protective rubber rand, and blunt, arrow shaped lugs that dig into steep mud and grass slopes for efficient braking but are wide enough that mud doesn't hang on underneath. The only downside of this shoe for me was the mesh over the lower two thirds of the laces. While this works well as a grit guard, I would cut this section down as I couldn't pull in the lower laces to bring the shoe in tight around my typically narrow female feet. I felt faster immediately wearing these. I couldn't work out if it was the elite styling, easy comfort or aggressive sole unit of the shoes, but something about them propelled me forward and made me feel like I could sprint to the summits at the horizon. The Crosslight provides a good level of cushioning for all types of terrain, from hard packed tracks to stomach churningly steep hillsides caked in mud, scree and grit.

You could also walk in this shoe, but watch out - it makes you feel like running, so much that you might find yourself upping the pace.

Verdict - Beautifully engineered for moving fast and light over steep, uneven ground of all types, with great traction on squelchier stuff and a mud-shedding sole.