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At Ultralight Outdoor Gear we profess the use of lightweight footwear appropriate to the type of activity you are undertaking – the key word there being appropriate – so in choosing footwear for Scotland in April, when there is a chance of winter conditions, it not the absolute lightest footwear that I reached for it was Scarpa’s new offering – their Marmolada Trek boots.

As it turned out they were the perfect companion in a three day trip that included a serious white out as we approached the summit of Ben Nevis and a squally summiting of Carn Dearg on the Ben Alder estate.

The boots were comfortable straight out of the box and I only wore them briefly before heading to Scotland. I wore a pair of X-socks Merino Isolators which are moderately thick and quite warm. Before heading up the Ben I practiced fitting my Kahtoola KTS Crampons to the boots which fitted really well once I had them adjusted.

The lacing system allowed easy on and off though I had to use the ‘pull-on’ loop each time as they didn’t open wide enough to just slip my foot in.

The Marmolda Treks performed flawlessly, my feet stayed warm dry and comfortable for the whole three day trip despite extended walking through snow and numerous stream crossings.

Even just walking along rugged pathways the boots were comfortable, the sole unit has a medium level of stiffness which is deal for the conditions I was using them in, but for longer trekking activity there are lighter weight options available.

Traction is good as footsteps were always positive and I don’t recall feeling unsteady on any ground except when we were about to stop and put our crampons on.

It’s my first experience of OutDry in a boot, like most people I’ve used Goretex for long enough. OutDry works significantly differently with the result that the material itself should be less prone to soaking up water – whether this was happening effectively is a question I can’t answer – however my feet were happy and so was I.

I didn't wear them in the river!

Mark R