The Scarpa Mescalito Mid GTX, which I’m now calling my mountain hoppers, are part of the new Summer 2018 line. A mid-top version of the Mescalito approach shoe they make a great mountain scrambler that’ll get you up and down some serious mountains. Comfortable right out of the box the Mescalito’s feature a Gore-Tex liner that makes them great for crossing short snow fields or hiking muddy trails! Basically a half-way point between a light mountaineering boot and an approach shoe. These boots would be highly worth considering for anyone who is looking for a lightweight 3 season scrambling and hiking boot!
Features:
• Weight: 530g each (sz. 42)
• Upper: Water-resistant Suede, 1.8mm
• Lining: GORE-TEX®
• Sole: DYNAMISM LBT
• Last: BN
Feel and Fit:
The Mescalito Mid is made from a high quality leather with a Gore-Tex liner with a Vibram® Megagrip™ Dynamism LBT (LiteBase-Technology) Sole. This provides great grip on rock for scrambling and hiking up dry or wet trails. It was hard for me to say exactly how long it took for the shoes to break in. I decided to take them on a 40 km scramble right out of the box so I’m sure they were broken in around the 20 km mark.
As far as the sizing goes they are bang on, as is most Scarpa footwear except for the new Zodiac Tech’s. For approach shoes I generally wear a 42. In the Mescalito Mid I got a 42.5 because I was planning on doing longer objectives and wanted a little extra room for my feet. With a slightly larger size compared to what I am used to, I had some minor heal movement. As a result I ended up getting a blister, something I could have prevented with a bit of tape and some better socks. Also breaking them in before a 40km scramble was probably not the best idea.
One part of the boot that bothered me is the lace hook. It would press into the top of my ankle though only on one of the boots. I may have laced it weird or something or possibly my feet are shaped a little differently. It’s going to take a few more trips to get to the bottom of this issue.
Performance:
Using these boots to their full potential is super fun, scrambling up and down peaks is what they were designed for! These could be my new favourite boot to take into the mountains, for a couple reasons.
The “Climbing Zone” (which is the flat hard edge on the toe) give you amazing edging ability. Also the Vibram® Megagrip™ rubber is truly amazing on all kinds of rock providing a very secure feeling. The soles are also holding up great; I expect these boots to have an excellent life span.
Even though the boots are lacking a heel bail for crampons, I found a pair of Black Diamond Neve strap-on’s worked fantastic. Of course you not going to be able to do any ice climbing, but moderate glacier travel was no problem.
Lastly, something I probably mention in every boot review, the stock foot-bed is super thin. This was only noticeable after hiking for long periods of time with a heavy pack on flat terrain. Nothing against Scarpa, every shoe / boot in the world seems to come with a shitty stock foot-bed. Upgrading it is something you can do at the time of purchase, if you feel the need.
Durability:
Impressed, thats how I feel overall. I have put these boots through the paces: hiking sharp scree, loose rock and scrambling normally rips boots apart. After taking these boots though the thick of it for 40Km they only have some minor abrasions in the foam along the arch.
The laces did leave some wear marks on the leather of course but nothing that would affect performance.
So, as I mentioned before, I’m expecting a long lifespan out of these boots.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Climb Great
Cons:
- No heel bail for crampons (Strap Ons work great!)
- Minor pressure point from “lace hook”
Overall:
The Scarpa Mescalito Mid GTX is a solid boot for climbers who are hiking into the Bugaboos or traversing the Tantalus Range. Scrambling and Alpine approaching 3 season’s of the year, this is the boot for you.
