Boots and Crampons - Guidance Notes

Boots

It is important that your boots are waterproof as all our courses will involve walking on snow-covered (wet) glaciers. The type of trip that you are planning to do will affect which boots are best to wear. A heavier boot (B3 type) can be used for all alpine trips, but a lighter boot (B1) although being generally more comfortable cannot be used on more technical trips as there is not enough support to front-point in crampons for extended periods. A comfortable boot is really important and we recommend breaking-in your boots before joining one of our courses.

Below is a brief description of the different categories of boots:

For Technical Alpine climbing courses a B3 rated boot is most suitable as its rigid sole will give a lot more support especially when front-pointing. These tend to be the heaviest and warmest boots in the range and they are also recommended for our Mont Blanc courses and 4000m courses.

For Summits & Skills and Classic Alpine climbing courses a B2 rated boot is most suitable. These are more comfortable and lighter than the B3 boots, but are study enough. A B3 boot would be a better buy if you intend to do more technical courses afterwards or to climb in the greater ranges.

For Summer Haute Routes a B2 boot is fine or even a top quality B1 boot (which tends to be softer and more comfortable). If you are considering taking a more technical course later a B2 (or B3) boot is a good investment.

A good edge on the sole of the boot helps in climbing and in securing a good foot placement in the snow. The traditional vibram sole pattern is more effective than some modern rounded soles. Boots in the B3 category are ideal for C3 crampons and will also take C2 and C1. At the other end of the spectrum a B1 boot could only be recommended with a C1 crampon.

Leather boots or plastic boots?

ISM guides use a B3 leather boot in summer as they are lighter more breathable and more comfortable than plastic boots. Plastic boots could be an advantage on the Mont Blanc courses where extra warmth is needed, although they will be hot on the hut walk-in. All the ISM summer courses can be done in a warm pair of B3 leather boots, so if you wanted to purchase one all-round boot then this is the best type.

Some ISM Guides use a plastic boot on Winter Ice courses and Expeditions, although a modern leather boot has some advantages over a plastic boot (being lighter and more comfortable) so long as wet never penetrates . If using a leather boot it will need to be a B3 boot with good insulation such as the Sportiva Extreme or Sportiva Ice. Though plastic boots are a little clumsier they are warmer, give more ankle support and are totally impervious to snow and water.

Examples of Boots

B1 Scarpa Concordia (suitable for Haute Routes)
B2 Scarpa Manta (suitable for ISM ‘Classic’ courses)

B3 Leather:
Sportiva Nepal Tops/Extreme, Trango /ice, Makalu
Scarpa Matterhorn, Cerro Torre

B3 Plastic:
Asolo 101, Scarpa Vega, Scarpa Alpha, Koflach.
A traditional vibram flat sole works best.

Note A B3 leather boot can be used for summer Haute Routes but a B1 boot cannot be used for anything more technical than a Haute Route.

Rock Shoes

These are special smooth-soled shoes for climbing technical rock climbs. They often essential on courses such as Technical Alpinism and our Technical Alpine range of courses, and if you own a pair you should bring them along for any of our climbing courses (except for Mont Blanc weeks) to give us the full range of options. If you don’t own rock shoes and are coming on a mountaineering course then don’t worry - you may borrow them free of charge from ISM.

If you are going to buy rock shoes, please choose a comfortable pair which is a snug fit with a thin sock. Comfort is crucial on the longer rock climbs of the Alps. Boots that are too small can give you very painful feet - if too big they can roll off small footholds, making the climb harder than it need be.

Boot Care

It is important to store boots dry in a dark well ventilated place. Leather boots need treating with a waterproofing wax or liquid, this is best applied a little and often. Too much wax will soften the leather and it will lose its support; too little wax and the leather will become dry, cracked and not waterproof.

Crampons

When buying crampons it is very important to get the correct crampon for your boot. If possible take your boot along to the shop. Ideally the downward spikes of the crampon should be within the confines of the sole of the boot and should also be proportional to the size of the boot. This is especially important for smaller boots, as too large a crampon will give excessive leverage on the foot and risk twisting an ankle. Front points should protrude around 3cm from the toe of the boot.

A general 12-point mountaineering crampon is the most versatile choice (e.g. Grivel New Classic, or Charlet Moser ‘super 12’). Generally most of our clients quickly ‘outgrow’ the 10 point trekking crampons. Technical ice climbing crampons (e.g. Rambo’s) are too specific (to climbing steep ice) to be suitable for summer alpine climbing, and they tend to ‘ball-up’ too much (i.e. build up a compact ball of snow underneath the foot). Lightweight crampons, or 10-point crampons are useful on our ski touring courses as they are used less frequently.

Anti-Balling Plates

Anti-balling plates are a very desirable purchase with a pair of crampons as they stop snow sticking to the underside of the crampon. This snow can build up to a large ball which has the effect of tripping over the alpinist - annoying on a flat glacier and dangerous on exposed slopes.