Mountaineering boots and how to choose the right ones

Shopping for mountaineering boots can be a daunting experience for beginners. The first thing to be sure of is whether you really need proper four season mountaineering boots. Many store assistants and inexperienced hikers believe that the sturdier the boot is the better it is for all conditions and make the mistake of buying a mountaineering boot for hiking with a backpack or over steep trails. The truth is, however, that mountaineering boots are not really suited to long hikes because they contain a long shank that is usually made of steel right along their length. This is to make the boot rigid enough to hold crampons and for climbing on steep ice or snow. But it is a killer on feet if you are just planning to hike. So please do yourself a favor and do not buy full mountain boots if you just want to go hiking.

The next thing to ask yourself is what kind of mountaineering are planning on doing. If you are thinking of getting into vertical ice climbing then you want a really rigid boot that can hold proper front-point crampons. If you instead plan to do quick Alpine style ascents where you climb a peak for a day and come back down again at night then you will often be more than happy with a good pair of leather boots. Depending on how high you are planning on going and how cold it will be will determine whether you need insulated boots or just thick leather.

If on the other hand you are climbing one of the high peaks and planning on an expedition lasting several days then leather won’t be warm enough. Worse, it will wet through after a day or two in the snow and will leave you with cold, wet feet. That could lead to frostbite. So for these sorts of expeditions you need to look at a double boot, preferably with a plastic outer. Double boots such as the Scarpa Omega have an inner foam liner that comes out and can dry out at night. The inner keeps your feet warm while the hard plastic outer keeps them dry. If going somewhere really cold, such as Denali, then you also need an insulated gaiter that fits over your mountaineering boot to provide extra insulation.