Climbing in alpine terrain for the first time is a daunting proposition, not least since it requires fairly significant financial outlay. Getting wrong boots therefore will hurt you financially before they ruin your climbing trip.

This article divides climbers into three categories based around their skill set and likely objectives, and then assigns boots to them. However, in practice divisions aren’t always so clear. Always check the approach and descent notes for your route or peak, and try and gather as much beta as you can, this will inform your decision as much as any article.

Some boots can crossover and work for other sorts of routes just less ideally, whilst some will not be appropriate, functional or safe. For example, a ‘snow plodder’ boot like a La Sportiva Nepal Extreme will work fine for getting you to the base of a rock tower in the Dolomites; they’ll just feel a little heavy, hot and cumbersome. However, a Gore-Tex lined trail running shoe best suited to this same application would be wholly unsuitable for the 3 day, heavily glaciated, Royal Traverse in the Mont Blanc Massif.

If you plan on tackling routes of varying characters over your trip and only want to buy one boot, it is better to over-cater than under serve yourself. For example, say you want to complete a traverse of the Grandes Jorasses, and then enjoy some rock climbing in the Chamonix Envers. You would be wise to choose your footwear with the traverse of the Grandes Jorasses in mind, and make do with them taking a little more room in your pack as you scamper up a runout granite slab in the Envers.

As a final caveat, bear in mind that fit and sizing varies between manufacturers and models. Just because you like the look of a boot, and see it at a reasonable price in your size online, don’t bank on it fitting your foot.

This article does not use the popular British distinction of B1/2/3 as they are not hugely helpful concepts, and are not recognised outside of the UK retail market.

Many boots can outperform the categories they have been put in. But, this article is about finding the best boot for a stated purpose, not listing every hard route and impressive grade ever climbed in a pair of Nepals.

1. Snow Plodders

Who? - You’ve got minimal technical rock climbing experience. You may have a strong hill walking/scrambling background, but are hungry for bigger mountains. Perhaps taking an entry level skills course, or climbing with a guide.

What? - You plan to climb non-technical glaciated peaks. Snow climbing, and easy angled neve/ice are the order of the day with a little rocky scrambling, low 5th class/Mod-Diff/3+ at most.

Where? - Easy routes up classic Alpine 4000ers; Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa  Massif, Grand Paradiso, Barre des Écrins etc. For American climbers, the Cascade Volcanoes fall into this category.

Most climbers in this category will be coming from a place of relatively limited experience. Boots need to be warm, dry and easy to use, requiring minimal self-care know-how and skills to keep them warm and dry!

A stiff mid sole with heel and toe welts are the order of the day. This provides lateral and medial axis stability for easy cramponing. Integrated gaiters are a nice to have, not a need to have. Double boots are not necessary in summer even when tackling multi-day ascents. Ensure the fit is roomy enough to be able to retract your toes but avoid a baggy fit. A baggy fit diminishes the stability of the boot, as well as allowing your foot to pronate over the course of a long day causing pain and discomfort.

Entry level boots in this category tend to to be heavier than the more expensive offerings from the same brand.  Premium offerings include integrated gaiters with a technical inner boot offering improved ankle articulation and better technical performance on ice and mixed terrain. For summer snow ascents, these are not truly necessary.

Worthy Contenders

• Budget Option - La Sportiva Nepal Extreme

• Best Buy - La Sportiva Nepal Cube or Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX

• Premium/Overkill - La Sportiva G5 or Scarpa Phantom Tech

2. Aspirant Alpinists

Who? - You have some technical rock climbing experience. You’ve climbed traditionally protected multi-pitch routes to VS/5.8/5a. Perhaps you’ve climbed in Alpine terrain before but are looking to move towards more technical ascents.

What? - You plan to climb amenable technical alpine routes. In addition to snow climbing, and easy angled neve/ice, routes involve sections of rocky scrambling interspersed with technical rock steps up to HS/5.7/4+.

Where? - More technical routes up Alpine 4000ers; Normal Route on Les Droites, Lion Ridge on Matterhorn. Classic traverses at AD-D+, for example traverse of Grandes Jorasses, N-S Chamonix Aiguilles.

Climbers in this category will generally have a little more outdoor nous. Boots can sacrifice warmth and burly construction in favour of improved sensitivity and articulation. A good level of self-care is required to keep your feet warm and dry, especially on multi-day climbs.

These feature a softer mid sole than bulkier ‘snow plodder’ boots, and drop the toe welt. These boots feels softer on the lateral and medial axis. This allows for the boot to smear to some extent, as well as edge on rock. Combined with the lighter build, they provide a far more pleasurable climbing experience over rock. However, their soften construction requires greater cramping experience/skill to use on ice and moderate mixed ground (M0-2+), and only take semi-automatic crampons. A good fit should be snug but not tight.

These boots are not to be confused with lightweight cascade climbing boots. Although they look similar, the La Sportiva Trango Ice Cube GTX and the now discontinued Scarpa Rebel Ultra GTX, are not in the same category.

Worthy Contenders

• Budget Option - La Sportiva Trango Tower GTX, Scarpa Ribelle Lite HD, or Scarpa Charmoz HD

• Best Buy - Scarpa Ribelle Tech OD (if it fits your foot!)

• Solid Alternative - La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX

3. Rock Athletes

Who? - You are primarily a rock climber. You’ve climbed traditionally protected multi-pitch routes to E1+/5.10/6a. Perhaps you’ve never climbed in Alpine terrain before, and are looking to climb alpine rock routes.

What? - You plan to climb alpine rock routes. Your focus is on the technical climbing not the approaches which are typically unglaciated or over dry glacial terrain. Climbing does not involve snow, ice/neve, or mixed ground.

Where? - Alpine rock climbing areas such as Plan d’Aiguille, Envers, Dolomites, Bregaglia Range in the Alps, or the Bugaboos, Sierras and many Teton objectives in North America.

Due to the unglaciated nature of the approach on many of these routes, climbers can approach in lightweight supportive footwear and stow them away in a bag for the climb. A burly trail running shoe with a Gore-Tex insert, like a La Sportiva Ultra Raptor GTX is preferable to an approach shoe. The lugs offer superior traction on steep wet vegetation, loose ground and mud, as well as keeping your feet dry. A stiffer design is desirable so a lightweight crampon like a Petzl Leopard can be fitted for dry glacial crossings.

Some alpine rock routes require crossing snow covered glaciers and moderate snow climbing in approach or descent. For such routes either wear boots from category 2, or go for a highly specialised boot like a Scarpa Ribelle S OD. The Ribelle S ODs were radically different from the Ribelle Tech ODs, essentially just as a semi-auto crampon compatible running shoe with an integrated gaiter. Unfortunately the Ribelle S ODs were discontinued after 2018. Salomon make an impressively light integrated gaiter winter running shoe, the S/Lab XA Alpine 2. Whilst it lacks a rear crampon welt, it will take a lightweight crampon like a Petzl Leopard. Although completely unsuitable for even sustained moderate ice or mixed, such boots may just get you to the top of the steep snow cone at the bottom of your route.

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