Subscribe to our channel for the latest training videos, climbing tutorials and more! In this video we look at gear for mountaineering and alpine climbing. Alpinism has become synonymous with concepts like “fast and light,” minimalism, and “speed is safety,” and conjures up images of small teams moving quickly in the mountains. With this in mind, the guiding philosophies for our gear considerations video will be lightweight, self-sufficient systems, and items that have multiple uses.
Alpine climbs range from backcountry rock climbs in a mountain environment, to full-value winter expeditions that involve huge glaciers, multiple camps, and steep technical snow, rock, and ice.
Due to the huge variety in types of trips, your “alpine kit” will really depend on six main factors:
1. Time of year
2. Length of the trip
3. Technical nature or goals of the trip
4. Terrain (Snow, Rock, Ice)
5. Mode of travel on the approach (Hike, Ski, Snowshoe)
6. Most current weather forecast
Alpine Pack: The ideal alpine backpack depends on the length of trip. For the majority of alpine missions, most parties spend 1 to 3 nights, so our pack considerations will reflect this trip length.
– An alpine pack should allow you to carry all your overnight equipment, and shrink down for you to carry on climbing days that involve technical movement. It is rare to carry a separate summit pack, just to wear on the climb.
– Alpine packs range between 35L bags (for summer time single night missions) to 65L bags (which can hold food and supplies for a multi-day OR winter climb).
– There are many alpine-specific packs on the market. You want to look for a light pack with minimal bells and whistles that has as low a pack-weight as possible.
– Standard features include pack systems that allow ice tools/axes to be securely stowed on the outside of the pack, as well as a small zippered pocket that is accessible from the outside to access essentials.
– Look for compression straps and removable top lids that allow a streamlined version of the pack to be used while climbing. One nice component is the removable back pad that can be used as part of your sleeping system. And if you climb at altitude or in the winter, consider buckles and zippers that are easy to use with gloves.
– The pack should be constructed of materials that are both lightweight and durable enough to handle technical climbing, and still carry the weight comfortably.
Lightweight Trekking Poles: These can be worth their weight for approaches involving trails or snow, however they are not very useful in talus fields or places where you need your hands for travel.
– We love ultralight fiberglass trekking poles that collapse to a fraction of the extended length, so we can attach them to our pack while climbing without sticking out. Snow baskets are much better for travel in winter snow.
Alpine Rack: This should include..
Small assortment of nuts/stoppers
Single set of camming devices (Note: In the wintertime you may rely less on cams as they are heavier, and don’t provide protection in icy cracks)
You may also include the items below, which are unique items that would be considered based on the route you will climb, and are featured in our other CTT videos.
Pitons
Ice screws
Pickets (For snow protection)
Important Note for Snow Anchors:
In some videos, we show a guide placing a snow picket. In those instances, he might have placed it vertically on the steep snow. This is now considered INCORRECT and potentially dangerous. It should be 10 degrees back from PERPENDICULAR with the snow surface. Additionally, the top-clipped picket is rapidly falling out of favor, with the Yates MidClip picket as the better replacement. The Yates MidClip has a cable, and has revolutionized snow anchors.
Clothing Layers: We will cover these in depth in the our Alpine videos on “Clothing Considerations” and “How to Stay Warm and Dry” will also vary by season.
– Headwear, always bring a warm hat or buff that fits under your helmet and gloves.
– Upper body, include a base layer, a puffy insulating layer, and a lightweight rain/wind shell.
– Lower body layers include a long underwear base layer, and a pair of soft shell pants. Unless there is rain in the forecast, you can leave behind the rain pants. Gaiters are also usually left at home unless post holing in deep powder snow, and most alpine climbing soft-shell pants can be rigged to cinch around the bottoms of your boots to avoid needing gaiters.
Alpine Boots: These depend on the season as well as the terrain, but have a nice pair of boots that climb rock well and work with crampons. For summer time alpinism there are excellent approach shoes on the market that can do the job as a lighter alpine boot.
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