Mountaineering Boots

These must be either plastic (warm but cumbersome) or high end insulated leather type (this latter type is usually better as plastic boots have become somewhat outdated and are really very clumsy to wear). In either case the sole must be the fully stiffened “B3” variety, able to support crampon use for many hours at a time. B2 classified boots do not give enough support for the amount of snow and ice work on Mont Blanc, as well as not generally being warm enough.

If in doubt we recommend hiring over buying, as once bought, boots cannot be changed if they don’t fit well. People are often reluctant to hire boots after bad experiences at ice rinks etc. but please note we have taken a lot of trouble over our boot supplier and our hire boots give very few if any problems. You will also be able to change them during the week if you’re not happy, though this is rarely necessary.

Suitable models: Leather: La Sportiva Nepal Extreme or Evo (the choice of most of our guides), Scarpa Jorasses, Scarpa Freney; plastic: La Sportiva Spantik.