We planned a 25 mile round trip that had an ascent from 5,800 to 14,025 through Shepard's Pass outside of Independence, CA to the top of Tyndall and back. I ordered these "go fasters" three weeks prior to the trip. I broke them in during my normal weekly workouts of stair drills and some paved running. Right away I loved the way that the Boa system worked. The BOA system which replaces traditional laces simplifies one's ability to adjust tightness of the boot based upon the immediate activity. I usually backpack with an additional pair of lightweight shoes, like Tom's shoes, to be more comfortable after several miles of trekking, however, the Aether Techs eliminated my need for that. When the BOA is fully extended, they fit like slippers. When it is tightened to mold to my unique foot, they felt comfortable but sturdy. I elected to tackle the trail with a 12 lb pack since we were doing an overnighter and the shoes performed extremely well in accommodating my frame plus the additional 7% load. The trail turned from dirt, small rocks and decomposed granite to a three hour boulder fest up the final incline. The Aether Techs allowed me to climb much faster than my normal boots and when it came to the last 200 feet of ascent where we had to use cracks for hand holds and foot holds, they were very good as climbing shoes. I did notice that the material on the side of the shoe and the foam cushion above the sole took quite a beating and the shoes look more aged than I thought they would as I have less than 50 miles on them, but the performance has remained exceptional and I would recommend this versatile footwear to any of my friends.