Ice climbing boots reddit. I use them for more than just hiking as well.

Ice climbing boots reddit 1K votes, 156 comments. Ultralight screws are nice if you’re really serious about climbing. I really like that they are so configurable from a more glacier travel oriented crampon all the way to a mono point climbing crampon. Wear trail runners/approach shoes on the approach. Heading out to Blue Lake in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia's ice climbing crag 1. This helps to "pre-heat" the boots. For general mountaineering in most of the lower 48, a non-technical pair of leather boots like the Makalu or Lowa Alpine will do the trick, and also take a C3 crampon (or Oct 2, 2020 · BEST FOR: ICE AND MIXED CLIMBING. G-Techs are what you are looking for as an everyday boot. The Phantom Techs are great - love the gaiters but are pricey. I recommend laspo aequilibriums or scarpa ribelle depending on what fits better. When people say it’s not waterproof, they mean that the gaiter is velcro instead rather TI ZIP like the Lowa Alpine Ice or Phantom Techs. All that matters in ice climbing is the boot. However, it is high consequence for the leader, which is why experience is the most valuable thing, experience gained by spending a great deal of time out there with a more experienced partner. Ice climbing isn't "hard", at least not in the same sense that rock climbing is hard. I think zodiacs aim to fill that gap by being more comfortable on non snow/ice terrain but still being able to take hybrid (semi-auto) crampons once you gain enough altitude to need crampons. Ultimately, they didn’t offer enough ankle support for me to feel like they would make a great alpine climbing/ice climbing boot. I’ve used many and placed many in my years of alpine climbing with a lot of explorative ascents. I ended up going with La Sportiva G5 boots, they are serving me well. I have climbed WI3 with the fischers, it works ok but mountaineering boot is more accurate. Your front points will effectively be shorter because the boot is so bulky. Key Features of Ice Climbing Boots Ice boots are the only piece of kit to not skimp on. 5 scarpa I’ve worn to ice climb in munisning Michigan in 0° and on rainier in July and felt great on all approaches not hot spots much more room but the toes did get quite cold in 0° weather compared to always warm in the double boot even down to -15° ice climbing in New Hampshire If I recall correctly, some mixed climbers in the 90s considered them to be superfluous, hence they called them “fruit boots” in a time where referring to stuff as “gay” in a demeaning sense was more commonplace. Get app Get the Reddit app Log In Log in to Reddit. Two huge advantages of real boots like the Rebel Ice are precision and solid heel hook ability. A season with garbage boots will make you a worse climber than not climbing at all. . They're versatile and work well with C3 crampons without being too stiff or specialized. When selecting ice climbing boots, there are several factors to consider, including insulation, fit, durability, crampon compatibility, and overall comfort. Ice screws have developed into an impressive level of engineering. On shoes, many people myself included hate walking in full shank mountaineering boots when not on snow/ice. edit: if none of this works, you have the wrong boots. It's a skimo boot (scarpa alien 1. You really need to abandon this idea of one piece of gear doing everything. I made sure they were set in climb mode, and they are definitely stiffer than hiking boots, but the flex was enough while climbing that I couldn't trust my front points at all. Ice climbing get real cold from all of the standing a belaying. Get some excellent double boots that you can use for ice climbing and mountaineering, but it also depends on what type of mountains you climb. the aequilibrium models are just beefed up hiking boots designed for summer snow walking/alpine scrambling. 2. I'm have the Degre and they are pretty awful for real ice climbing. I've worn through about 6 or 7 pairs of summer mountaineering boots. They would be good for hard ice or mixed climbing, where their ankle flexibility is a benefit. These boots are rather big and clunky to climb in, but they kept my feet very warm with a VBL when climbing technical ice at -30C. However, in addition to the cost, aluminum screws also come with a performance decrement in moist ice. Additionally any other gear that you're unsure of what exactly you're looking for in it. So worst of both worlds. Jan 28, 2025 · Corey is a freelance writer and editor based in Boulder, CO. The boots you listed are overkill for the light stuff, and not beefy enough for crampons. Properly fitted boots are also important; too big and they won’t hold your feet away from the ends. The Nepal Cubes are quite heavy. This however is of course similar to rock climbing shoes: it is uncomfortable to walk longer distance. Place your feet accurately (frontpoint snd secondary points on features) and you’ll only rarely have to kick hard. Sometimes though those pants and double boots are overkill and I just want the gaiters over my mountaineering boots. What's your opinions on either of these boots? TL;DR: Help me decide on ice climbing boots to buy. For ice climbing as in cragging, I like to have very tight boots (zero heel lift). Never had any issues with alpine ice and ski boots. Go work some fast food shifts or sell plasma. If you are set on climbing 14k and comparable south/central american peaks in july then some good single boots may suffice. The biggest problem is that they're wide all around, so the heel can get a little too sloppy for hard WI5, but they'll do fine up to WI3. But you'll be better off with auto crampons nonetheless. My main hiking boots if I’m not running are super comfortable all around boots in the 250 range that last a long time . Are you going someplace cold or dicking around in balmy Colorado or the PNW? Cold/brittle ice and cold toes will magnify any existing disadvantages with ski boots and horizontal points. Though this will really depend on how warm your feet tend to run. Good ankle flexion and a rigid sole make this boot good for approaches and able to be used without crampons if you want to get some dry tooling in. Yeah, do your due diligence. It also depends what altitude you'll be ice climbing at. Ice climbing exposes boots to harsh conditions - relying on a crank/dial to stiffen a boot seems nuts to me. Then I use street shoe size. The 46. My winter and high altitude boots seem to last much longer. We're planning to walk in from Guthega and camp for three nights on Mt. I have really great ice climbing/Alpine hardshell pants with built in gaiters, and I also have two different pairs of double boots that essentially have gaiters. however standing at a belay in the shade and in NH winter your toes are going to freeze. B2 boots are for mountaineering up to a certain altitude (don't recall what the altitude is off the top of my head) and easy grade ice climbing. I often use light crampons on approach shoes for crossing snowfields to get to the base of routes where you don’t need full mountain boots but you must use the stainless steel “flex bars” which grivel and others sell separately. The 44 was (as expected slightly too snug length wise, and the 45 was just too loose overall. He was probably down voted by people who say you need an ice axe to go up the icy section of the winter lion head trail. Cost isn't a problem if the boots are the right fit. Do not compromise with a mid, unless it's a beat-up old mid you rip the sole off and turn into ghetto fruit boots. Crampons for Shoes, Traction Cleats Ice Snow Grips with 19 Stainless Steel Spikes, Shoe Talons Anti - Slip Boots Spikes for Walking, Jogging, Climbing and Hiking https://a. Might not be as warm for truly cold summits as some boots, but for an ice climbing boot it seems like a reasonably good choice for rocky approaches. 2 men ascending Tuckerman Ravine Trail fall more than 500 feet, officials say 20-year-old men strike exposed boulders, ice bulges during fall Two men climbing at Mount Washington over the weekend fell hundreds of feet and survived, according to the Mount Washington Avalanche Center. Beyond that, a bit too much bend in the sole. Does anybody have any experience with these. 0) with a gaiter attached to it. Except for telemark boots their wider nose is really not good for crampon fit. Also I made a habbit of carrying my shoes around on the outside of my bag with a biner and using shoe disinfectant right after climbing, which helps a lot too! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The two that I'm considering are the Salewa Vertical Pro GTX and the Mammut Mamook GTX. She is a volunteer climbing instructor at The Ice Coop, Colorado’s only dedicated ice-climbing gym, where she does much of her training. co/d/580GNnb I got a set of these 3-4 years ago and I like them. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. r/SeattleWA is the active Reddit community for Seattle, Washington and the… Basically same reason as boots, expensive cost up front. Edit: Emailed Lowa boots and they say the Expert boots are wider than the Weisshorns, so I'm probably not getting the Weisshorns Looking into getting some mountaineering boots but don’t want to spend over 500 , 800 etc on them. DIY fruit boots are perfectly acceptable. The Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX is also decent and cheaper. B3 boots are for mountaineering in places much higher than B2 boots and for much harder and steeper ice climbs. For alpine climbing, all my screws are aluminum. I haven't used them for ice climbing but have heard they're quite good for steep ice. It skis well, climbs well, is light enough for booting long sections, flexible (only front to back, but that's enough) enough even more ice climbing. Depending on the fit of your boots/crampons, toe bails are more likely to pop off. I did a combined glacier hike and ice climbing at Solheimajökull called Blue Ice with Arctic Adventures with 3 other friends and it was a lot of fun! It was an 8 or 10 person group (can't remember) and we had some practice ice climbing before being dropped into a crevice and climbing out. However, with the removable inner boot they were really warm and great to move in regardless of crampons (I used the Bladerunners and Petzl Lynxs), snowshoes or just plain. Best known for hiking boots, Asolo has produced a solid ice climbing boot with the Eiger GV. When cragging, competing, or training at a structure, I will try to avoid wearing my fruitboots when not climbing, but sometimes you just need to keep them on. Never go cheap on boots. Also I set the spinning to the lowest setting. Do whatever you need to get solid well fitting boots. 1. The boots are expensive and it hurts if you don't have well paying job. com Dec 10, 2023 · What boot you should choose for ice climbing, mixed climbing, or mountaineering depends on the technical difficulty of the climbs and the temperatures you expect to face. She is a former member of the U. With a good boot and crampons / axes from 1985 you can climb WI6. Ice climbing in boots fit more for skiing can be painful but some people are just tough and have toes of steel along with an amazing internal furnace. The first couple boots I bought worked ok but trying LaSportiva changed the game for me. And i know people are climbing some pretty hc stuff with ski boots so it can be done. Posted by u/Stuff2go - 11 votes and 13 comments However, I’m unsure if they’ll be warm enough or too specialized for ice climbing. I'll preface with, I currently wear Salewa Vultur Verticals, and they're "okay" definitely not perfect, but definitely the widest ice climbing boots I've found. The G Tech is a great boot, but I don't think it's going to be warm enough for ice climbing at any appreciable altitude. Welcome to the Reddit hub for all types of cowboy boots, from current western boots to handmade exotics, vintage, and custom styles, this sub is the center of discussion for all cowboy boots! **If you have questions about anything having to do with Jeans ( fit or look, new brands or styles, opinions on your stack (or lack of) please post them if this doesn’t work, reshape the heel counter by heating. So naturally! I tried the La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX, However they only had 44 and 45 in stock. I have some scarpa zodiac plus boots which are kinda in between a hiking boot and a full blown mountaineering boot. If you’re actually ice climbing up some gullies, then you have your answer in the other comments. Designed as a single boot, they are not bulky and work well for precise toe or front point placement in ice or mixed May 1, 2025 · These boots are built to be stiff, warm, waterproof, and compatible with crampons, which are essential for gaining traction on icy surfaces. 319K subscribers in the SeattleWA community. Expand user menu Open settings menu Open settings menu I found them a great ice climbing boot for anything up to and including WI4. The boots I am looking for would be used for a mix of general ice climbing and mountaineering. Lowa Weisshorn is the boot I'm looking at now. I found them a great ice climbing boot for anything up to and including WI4. I always prefer to use full auto where I can, but I like having a spare basket on bigger trips where either of the above failures can occur. The benefit is that it feels super solid on vertical stuff (WI5 etc) Some boots can also have the toe welt snap where it connects to the boot. And with ice climbing, you are generally walking in snow for the approach, so stiff boots don't really matter. I’ve always been a big proponent of footwear being very important . Check out the La Sportiva G5s as well - you'll need gaiters though for deep snow. With a boot that doesnt fit well and the newest gear you wont be able to lead WI3. ~1 min. Take it out, lace it TIGHT, compress an ice pack around your heel and squeeze. Much less play in the foot, and a smaller profile. Way too bulky. Generally speaking, B1 boots are for normal hiking in the hills. Right now, the Trango Tower Extreme boots seem like the best choice. Ice Climbing Team and has climbed up to WI5 and M12- around the Colorado Rockies. The Nepal Evos are B3 boots. Obviously this isn't all down to boots but the ones I've tried (Merrell accentors) don't feel super grippy and I wanted to hear people's opinions on men's hiking boots that are Gore-tex, not too heavy, and reliably grippy across a range of terrain - I struggle most when Apr 29, 2025 · Best Overall Mountaineering Boot 1. For a few of the guys it's training for the summer mountaineering season in the New Zealand Alps. The toe box on the G5s is quite wide for a La Sportiva boot. I reckon the best option would be stiff boots, crampon compatible and something like the petzl Sarken. I got super lucky and found a prototype by scarpa in a used gear shop. 0 oz. My reasoning is rather odd but as one buddy put it me his ice axe has been his best climbing partner he's ever had. Also, they are designed for very cold weather so they are a looser fit to promote blood flow to keep you warm. La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX ($649) Category: 4-season technical alpine Body design: Single leather Weight per pair: 3 lb. Hello- I love hiking but I am also quite nervous about heights and when it gets very steep, on descents I get quite panicked. Twynam, with a group of 6. Usually about 1/3 of my harness is aluminum. Boil a big pot of water, put the boot heel-down in a slow cooker bag, sink it in the water for a minute. It depends alot on the objective and what conditions you can expect to deal with. if you're ice climbing solo & quickly this is probably not an issue and you won't have time to get cold/sore. More taps than kicks. Crampon: Automatic Just like the guy above said, a pair of solid 400g insulated hiking boots are just fine if you’re doing a non-technical trail. See full list on climbing. On colder days I will pack my boots with a warm water bottle, or hand warmers stuffed in the toes when not in use. Apr 19, 2023 · There are two schools of thought for how best to ski in: (1) wear a lightweight pair of backcountry ski boots clipped to traditional pin bindings and carry your ice climbing boots on your pack or (2) locate a pair of the increasingly hard to find Silvretta 500 ski bindings, which clips in perfectly to the heel and toe bails of a climbing boot. For an ice piton you would have to go back to the 40’s-50’s. I wear approach shoes for most light hikes and when im probably not going to run into snow or ice. I've been climbing in a pair of Salewa Vertical Pro boots with an adjustable shank. If the G2s fit, then the G5s might be a good choice. Boots = your stability climbing. I couldn't really tell any detrimental effect on these shoes and they came out clean and relatively good smelling. Mountaineering boots for anything that needs crampons. Also share any recommendations or suggestions on choosing ice climbing boots. Approach shoes for 4th class to low 5th class terrain. They’re certainly necessary if you’re ice climbing or going up Huntington Ravine and other alpine objectives, but if you’re going to stick to the hiking trails (Lion’s Head, Ammonoosuc, Jewel, the cog rail or Crawford Path) there’s no reason to wear $500 5lb boots. The Trango's will definitely be too cold, as other have said they're a technical climbing boot, not a high altitude boot. With poor fitting boots you have no stability and cannot become stable. The G5's will potentially be warm enough depending on how hot or cold you run (I've used them ice climbing down to -35C and while my feet weren't warm, they never froze either and we were just cragging with lots of standing I mean in the 90s people were climbing ice with straight shafted tools and sending hard nonetheless. I would worry about the device that changes the stiffness breaking or jamming. 15. It is like wearing rock shoes with crampons on. I use them for more than just hiking as well. This voids your boot warranty. Good boots, very warm, but a bit bulky and an integrated gator is great when you're working in deep snow. Which makes them sloppy. One of the few things I would say to avoid renting at all costs is an Ice Axe. I tested all these boots with my mountaineering socks). S. these lighter boots lack any insulation All the mountaineering boots that REI carries can be found here. Mar 13, 2023 · This lightweight double boot is perfect for cold weather technical climbing: These light, versatile boots are good for all-around performance: A decent all-around boot that's good for those with wider feet: This traditional single leather boot is a reasonable value: This boot slays steep ice, but carries a high weight penalty: Rating Categories I was looking into the Petzl Lynx as my first crampons that I could use to dabble in a bit of general mountaineering, dry-tooling, mixed and ice climbing. pfecw vbsp uynol hgrkjq wdcr ayytwa nxly ccaye ihysbnj czznggx