ROCK PEOPLE_eng

10 experts and enthusiasts
mountaineering have tested
the Rock DFS GTX.
Read their comments.

Intense commitment in the field and technical comparison skills is the added value of a real product test.
We asked professionals and true mountaineering and climbing enthusiasts to try the new Rock DFS GTX. They put them to the test, let’s see how it went.

ROCK PEOPLE

Rock DFS GTX, heir to the historic AKU Rock model, was born from the design comparison between AKU and the mountain guide Peter Moser.

The first prototype of ROCK DFS GTX used by Peter Moser
during the development phases of the model (autumn 2019)

Rock DFS GTX is a technical approach and light climbing shoe is ideal for via ferrata and excursions on mountain paths. The new double lacing Dual Fit System allows you to adjust the comfort and precision of the fit in the different phases of use: a traditional lace for maximum comfort while walking and a fast lacing to increase sensitivity in the climbing phase.

LORIS – Lives in Limana (Belluno), mountaineer and ski mountaineer for 40 years, he prefers the less frequented areas of the Dolomites and climbs to the 4000m of the Alps. He has combined his passion for the mountains with that of photography, without understanding which of the two is predominant.

#1 - Loris De Barba

ALPINIST AND SKI-MOUNTAINEER

July 2020 / I climbed rocks with mobile gravel and 1st and 2nd grade walls, chosen precisely to check the strength of the sole. I found a comfortable shoe, with no pressure points on my feet, even though I ran down the path. The sole is well sculpted and soft, with excellent grip. The waterproofing was also good, my feet remained dry even though I walked a lot in the wet grass. The lacing system is comfortable, you can give the right personalization. Downhill I noticed the good stability especially in the heel, well cushioned and with a pleasant sense of protection. I also tested the Rock on via ferratas with passages with poor grips. Here I appreciated the grip of the sole with excellent grip.

FEDERICO – He is 25 years old, he lives in Bedollo, a small village at 1250 meters above sea level immersed in the Lagorai. After two hard but exciting years of courses and exams around the Alps, you have fulfilled your dream of becoming an Alpine Guide. Of all the aspects that the mountains can offer, she prefers ski mountaineering in Lagorai in winter and climbing in the Dolomites in summer. This is the perfect mix of his!

#2 - Federico Monegatti

ALPINE GUIDE

June 2020 / I have used the Rock in several places, including climbing up to IV+ and I really enjoyed it. The strengths are the compound of the sole, which is really very “grippy” even on smooth rock and the truly remarkable lacing. The buttonholes behind the heel are very useful for attaching shoes to the harness (when wearing climbing shoes). Even on difficult trails, the Rock defends itself well with a heavy backpack. Downhill, on gravel or dirt, it has great cushioning and grip, with great stability and little slip, comparable to a boot. Very good waterproofing when walking on wet grass.

LEONARDO – He combines the love for the mountains with that for writing, drawing inspiration from the Trentino region. Psychologist, he works as an educator and participates in mountain therapy groups. Last year with Elisa Bessega he crossed the Lagorai chain independently without leaving any traces.

#3 - Leonardo Panizza

PSYCHOTHERAPIST, MOUNTAIN ENTHUSIAST

July 2020 / I liked the Rock right out of the box, the design is definitely captivating. I tested them for the first time on a classic climbing route on Sass Pordoi. During the approach on paths and scree to reach the base of the wall they proved to be comfortable, as well as to move on contained degrees. Even hanging on the harness they are light and not bulky.

FRANCESCA – Combines love for the mountains and nature with that for writing and photography (not always in this order). He is an Environmental Hiking Guide and promotes the enhancement and knowledge of parks and reserves in the Central Apennines for the Walden Guide Center.

#4 - Francesca Nemi

ENGINEER, HIKING GUIDE

August 2020 / I wore my Rock for the first time in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, up to the summit of Monte Velino (2487 m) with a loop route of over 20 km, on various types of terrain. The Dual Fit System double lacing system allowed me to adjust the comfort during the approach phases to the summit, obtaining a light and flexible fit on the initial and comfortable path. When the ground became rough and uneven, I used the “precise climbing” lanyard, increasing sensitivity and precision at the tip for a firm and stable support on rocks and 1st grade walls. The ability to adjust the space around the forefoot, thus creating a more or less snug fit, depending on your needs, make the Rock my ideal adventure companions.r

GIACOMO – He was born and lives in Venice, he works as a photographer and his work is mainly inspired by the relationship between man and nature. From his passions the ALTRIPIANI project was born, which blends photography, mountaineering, cultural and anthropological research of the most remote mountain areas.

#5 - Giacomo Frison

PHOTOGRAPHER, FOUNDER OF ALTRIPIANI

July 2020 / Our Rock accompanied my father and me on the Carnic Alps for 3 days, up to the summit of Coglians (2780 m, the highest peak in Friuli Venezia Giulia), including the via ferrata that climbs the north face for about 700 meters. The shoes were perfect on all types of terrain, we felt confident even on the passages where it was necessary for them to have more grip. Where you put the tip of the Rock you are sure it will hold. My dad is also very happy with his Rock.

ELIO – Istruttore nazionale di alpinismo e istruttore di arrampicata libera. Libero professionista e quindi alpinista soltanto nel tempo libero, arrampica dal 1978, ha aperto vie nuove sia su roccia che su ghiaccio, alcune delle quali in compagnia dell’indimenticabile Gian Carlo Grassi.

#6 - Elio Bonfanti

BUSINESS OWNER, ICE CLIMBING SPECIALIST, ITALIAN ALPINE CLUB INSTRUCTOR

July 2020 / My Rock accompanied me to the Simplon Dorf cliff at the Simplon Pass and in the long approach, partly on a fossil glacier, to the base of the Hannibal Turm route: the granite tower overlooking the Furka Pass. The shape of the upper allows a very comfortable fit and the progressive lacing allows a precise closure, both on the forefoot and on the heel. This solution makes the foot-shoe whole one, integral and precise. Swiss granite is known for being particularly smooth, but here too the sole has not betrayed expectations. I think it will be a long summer in the company of my Rock.

LAURA – Physiotherapist and Osteopath, since childhood she attended the Pale di San Martino and the Vette Feltrine, from there was born the passion for rock and ice climbing, for ski mountaineering and the desire to discover even the most distant mountains.

#7 - Laura Donazzan

PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND OSTEOPATH, MOUNTAIN ENTHUSIAST

June 2020 / I tried the Rock between the Belluno Dolomites and the Pale di San Martino, the home mountains. In the first outing on the Sassolungo di Cibiana, whose summit requires a climb up to grade II, the Rock demonstrated excellent grip and precision. Even downhill in the cross sections and in ledges and gravel their grip gave me confidence. With the Rock I then reached the base of the Pradidali bell tower: an approach of about 1200 meters between woods and rocks in which the comfort of footwear and good waterproofing were essential to tackle the subsequent climb. The grip of the sole allowed me to safely descend from the summit.

MATTEO – Student of the Liceo Classico, he grew up imagining being able to live the thousand adventures read in the many books he has devoured so far. Hiker since he was trekking on the shoulders of his parents, he also loves the snowy mountains. His first pair of skis were free-heel and since then he has continued to ski according to the ancient telemark technique. He hopes soon to be able to leave for a crossing with his father, perhaps pulling a sled in the snows of the Arctic Circle.

#8 - Matteo Sciamplicotti

STUDENT, MOUNTAIN ENTHUSIAST

August 2020 / Still at home, the Rock immediately surprised me for their great comfort. I used it immediately during the summer holidays with my parents in Alpe Devero, on excursions and even on some easy mountaineering routes. The Rock proved to be robust and able to withstand the stresses of routes with large differences in height, with precise supports and constant grip on rock. Also in climbing he showed the excellent conception of this model: on low difficulties (up to grade IV) it allows for easy climbing both on slabs and notches. It is certainly not a climbing shoe, but the double lacing offers great precision, plus the Rock is soft on the side and therefore comfortable and light. Softness that does not come at the expense of climbing precision, since the “precise climbing” system makes up for lateral stiffness in the necessary moments. The sole has a compound that adheres well in both wet and dry conditions and the tread pattern eliminates mud almost instantly.

SAINTS – He is a Catalan mountain guide who has chosen to live in the Dolomites of the Val di Zoldo. You have completed a dozen expeditions between the Himalayas and South America, with the opening of new routes and the first descents of extreme skiing. You have traveled to Oman and Morocco, climbed to Reunion Island, Greece and the USA, New Zealand and Kyrgystan on mountaineering skis. He is an instructor of Canyoning Guides in Italy, he collaborates as an instructor in Spanish schools where mountain guides and mid-mountain guides are trained.

#9 - Santi Padrós

ALPINE GUIDE

October 2020 / Together with Annabella I tried the Rock on Via Elision and since the first pitch was only a short section of VI and VI-, I decided to start with the Rock on my feet. Without realizing it, I reached pitch six, where a VI+ pass awaits me. By now I had become familiar with the Rock, almost forgetting that I didn’t have climbing shoes on my feet. Amazing how well they work on any difficulty. Spectacular accuracy, almost like having climbing shoes. I even try to climb a pile of logs, even the Rock are fantastic there.

ALBERTO – Lives in Feltre (Belluno), he is National Ski Mountaineering Instructor and Director of the CAI Feltre School of Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering. He frequents the mountains in all its forms and seasons, spending beautiful days trekking or climbing in the home Dolomites and in the Western Alps. In winter he is bewitched by the ski mountaineering he loves madly.

#10 - Alberto Zabot

BUSINESS OWNER, ITALIAN ALPINE CLUB INSTRUCTOR

October 2020 / I tried my Rock Mid during a mountaineering course on the normal Sass de Mura and a few weeks later on a trek in Tuscany on Monte Amiata. I was very satisfied, in particular with the double closure in the front that eliminates the gaps that are always created in me, having a narrow sole of the foot. The sole has an excellent grip even on wet rock and stony ground, the difference in structure between the front and back of the sole is also very interesting, the tank on the back is excellent in the presence of slippery foliage. The Gore-Tex upper held up very well despite having spent a couple of hours in the rain. I also used them on long stretches of asphalt and I appreciated their comfort.