My first pair of shoes. Damn these are comfortable. Some days after standing around in my dress shoes all day, I actually think about how much I'd like to slip into the Spires. Seriously. The comfort level is phenomenal, but I think that much of this may be because they stretch WAY out over time. I would be willing to bet that these have grown by a whole size in less than three months.

Other pros: As long as they're kept clean, they smear very well on anything with any texture at all to it, and they seem to be built with fist cracks in mind, if that's your bag. For a beginner's "all around shoe" they edge O.K., and the FAT rubber (especially around the big toes) seems to hold up better than most for sloppy beginner footwork.

Cons: For a hundred bones, one expects perhaps a bit more from a shoe. Also, these are SO overbuilt, that you really can't expect much sensitivity at all, which is great for cracks and plastic and long sessions, but it's not so great for feeling out micro edges and other small features. I have found myself wishing for a true edging shoe in less than a full summer of climbing. Excessive stretching could lead to inferior edging as well.

Overall: 4 biners for its quality as a VERY solid (if a bit pricey) beginner's shoe, which will definitely take a ton of abuse, and will not have you begging for mercy after a long day at the crags or in the gym. Just make sure to size them pretty tight, and don't expect to stand for too long on dime-sized holds, and you'll enjoy these a lot.

My first harness, and I like it a lot. Seemed to me to be a solid value considering price vs. features. It has a lot to offer, yet it's still a very no-frills kind of harness. Solid gear loops, nice padding pretty well adjustable. I wish it had a haul loop in the back, but for chalk you can just use the little nubbin of elastic loop of the leg adjustment that's centered in the back.

A quick heads-up: these seem to run pretty large, so be aware.

I've only had it for a few days, but this board seems to be a killer value. I really like the slopers on it--they're actually pretty comfortable. It's the right size to fit above a door, too.