REASONS TO BUY
Good all-around climbing performance
Secure lacing system
REASONS TO AVOID
Not as light or warm as other options
Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro Review
This traditional single leather boot is a reasonable value
Credit: Scarpa
RELATED: Best Mountaineering Boots
Our Verdict
The single leather mountain boot design has been around forever, and the Mont Blanc Pro is Scarpa's version of it. It's warmer and more weather resistant than the lightweight boots, but not as warm as the super-gaitered boots. It sports a lacing system that's secure, though not totally intuitive. Our testers found it worked for all types of climbing and were pleasantly surprised with its mixed climbing. If this shoe fits, it could be a good quiver of one boot.
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 This Product
Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Mountaineering Boot |  Best Bang for the Buck | |||
| Price | $628.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $700 List | $849 List | $859 List | $475 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A basic, all-around boot that doesn't stand out for anything in particular, but gets the job done | This simple, lightweight boot is the one for tackling difficult mountaineering routes | This boot is warm, climbs well, and is easy to put on and adjust thanks to the external Boa system | This is a lightweight, warm super-gaiter boot that climbs well | A good choice for the year-round mountaineer looking for a do-it-all boot |
| Rating Categories | Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro | Asolo Eiger XT GV Evo | La Sportiva G5 Evo | Scarpa Phantom Tech | La Sportiva Trango... |
| Climbing (25%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Weather Resistance (20%) | |||||
| Warmth (15%) | |||||
| Hiking (10%) | |||||
| Lacing (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro | Asolo Eiger XT GV Evo | La Sportiva G5 Evo | Scarpa Phantom Tech | La Sportiva Trango... |
| Style | Single | Single | Single | Single | Single |
| Weight | 2lb 1.7oz (955g) | 1lb 10.8oz (760g) | 1lb 15oz (875g) | 1lb 12.6oz (810g) | 1lb 13.6oz (835g) |
| Sizes Available | 39-48 EU | 40-47.5 EU | 38-48 EU | 38-48 EU | 38-48 EU |
| Upper | 3mm silicone impregnated Perwanger leather, S-Tech fabric | High tenacity nylon with Schoeller Soft Shell | Stretch Cordura with reflective aluminum lining | PU Tek + S-Tech Fabric | Nylon 6.6 with Honey-Comb Guard and FlexTec 3 |
| Waterproof Lining | Gore-Tex Insulated Comfort | Gore-Tex Insulated Comfort | Gore-Tex Infinium | HDry waterproof direct lamination membrane | Gore-Tex Performance Comfort |
| Shank | Pro-Fiber XT20 insole | Carbon Fiber | 3mm Honeycomb Tech insulating carbon | Carbon Fiber + EVA + Aerogel | 9mm Insulated IBI-Thermo |
| Midsole | PU + TPU | Dual color microporous midsole | 2mm polyurethane | 2D EVA-MP | 6-7mm TPU/ Dual-density micropore EVA |
| Sole Rubber | Vibram Essential AC / Mont | Vibram Litebase with Mont compound | Vibram Matterhorn | Vibram Precision Tech Roll / Mont | Vibram "One" |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Mont Blanc Pro is Scarpa's take on the classic single leather mountaineering boot. This type of boot is typically pretty durable and pretty good at most things without being brilliant at anything. The Mont Blanc Pro meets those criteria.
Performance Comparison
Sam with happy feet at the belay.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Climbing
Each boot's climbing performance was evaluated in three media: ice, mixed/dry tooling, and rock climbing without crampons. Single leather boots often shine on steep ice but feel somewhat clunky on mixed ground or when rock climbing. The Mont Blanc Pro performed well on mixed terrain and rock climbing. The cuff of the boot is slightly lower and slightly more flexible than other single leather boots, and we felt this gave it a slight advantage in these scenarios. We also like it for French technique or for finding the occasional flat-footed rest on a long pitch of ice.
The boot was fun to climb rocks in, with crampons or without.
Credit: Any Stephen
When it came to calf support on steep ice, the Mont Blanc was about average. The supportive cuff and rigid sole do a good job keeping flaming calves at bay. The rocker of the boot strikes a balance between rock climbing and ice climbing performance - less rocker than some boots in our review but more than others.
Weight
The Mont Blanc Pro weighs in at 2lb 1.7oz (955g), essentially the same weight as the previous model. The boot sports ample leather in the upper and a nice thick outsole.
The Mont Blanc at the weigh-in.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Both of these material choices usually contribute to durability but come at a cost: weight. It is amongst the heaviest boots in our review. Remember that these weights are for one boot (1/2 of a pair).
Weather Resistance
Like all the other boots in our review, the Mont Blanc Pro is fully waterproof up to its “waterline”. In this case, that spot is the bellows of fabric that attaches the tongue to the boot. This is about 7.5 inches (19 cm) off the ground, an inch higher than the previous iteration. While this point is higher than the bottom of the gaiter, liquid water can slosh up behind the gaiter and down behind the tongue.
In 6 inches of water, our feet stayed dry.
Credit: Ian McEleney
This waterline is pretty standard and should be fine for most practical mountaineering applications. We did not find that snow was forced up into this space. For the most part, the gaiter did a great job keeping the snow out.
Warmth
Our testing team found this boot to be one of the less warm boots in our test, though it's warmer than the lightweight single boots. It's only natural that a single leather boot would be less warm than the supergaiter boots, which are the warmest in the test.
The Mont Blanc Pro kept our feet warm on chilly leads.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Hiking
The Mont Blanc Pro is a just-above-average performer when it comes to hiking. The same cuff flexibility that helped when dry tooling or rock climbing helped us have a more natural stride on approaches. This was enhanced (though not overly so) by the sole rocker. Some of our testers didn't use the top lace hook for better hiking comfort.
The Mont Blanc strikes a nice balance between ice climbing and hiking performance.
Credit: Mike Pond
Lacing
Our testing team favors boot closures that are simple to understand, easy to use, and secure. The Mont Blanc Pro ticked those boxes.
The Mont Blanc has a relatively straightforward lacing system.
Credit: Mike Pond
Above the lace hook, the first lace attachment point is a pre-threaded webbing loop. It took most of our testers an extra second or two each time to figure out which strand of the shoelace to grab. Not the end of the world, but it was noticeable. We found this system simpler and preferable to the older Mont Blanc Pro's funky gaiter.
The cuff of this boot hugs your calf, a great feature if there's some unexpected snow climbing in the middle of your route.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Should You Buy the Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro?
The Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro is a classic single leather boot that gets the job done. Newer boot designs are warmer, lighter, and faster to lace up. If this boot is a great fit for your foot, you may like its climbing performance better than we did. We found this boot to fit lower volume feet better than other single leather boots. While it's not outstanding in any department, we think its all-around performance is good.
What Other Mountaineering Boots Should You Consider?
If you're looking for a better performer in cold and stormy weather and on steep ice and mixed ground, check out the Scarpa Phantom Tech. Our favorite boot of the test fleet, the Asolo Eiger XT Evo GV, offers more warmth, better overall climbing prowess, and a much lighter weight.
—
Ian McEleney
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