Welcome to the Series

Your first summer trip to the alps is a formative moment in many British climber’s careers. Expectation, excitement and healthy apprehension are some among the many emotions you will feel ahead of, and during your trip.

Impostor syndrome is fairly common, understandable, and natural. But, having the right gear, experience, and skills can go some way to calm the nerves and ease your transition into the ‘big hills’. This article series seeks to breakdown not just what you need to bring, but also what you need to know, and what you should have done first, in a ‘packing list’ style article.

Not all recommendations here are universally applicable since the Alps are a vast and varied region, but this article should serve as a good general starting point. Always read ahead, know the intricacies of your route and its requirements, seek out current and general beta, and remember there’s always another trip, but you wont have another life; at least not this one.

Part 1 - Clothing : Below

Part 2 - Technical Gear

Part 3 - Packs, Camp and Bivvy

Part 4 - Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Base to Mid Layers

Thin Base Layers - Top and Bottom

At least one set of high quality synthetic or woolen thin base layers, depending on your allergenic and ethical preferences. For climbing during the hottest months, in July or August, a hooded base layer top with a degree of UPF protection, such as a Patagonia Sunshade work very well for keeping you cool and avoiding sun burn. The hood can and should be worn up underneath the helmet all day. These should be fitted but not too tight as to hinder movement.

Mid Weight Fleece Layers - Top and Bottom

A pair of leggings and a mid weight top are excellent as mid-layer worn above a thin base layer, or next to skin, early in the summer season, during cold spells, or on high objectives >4000m. These should be sized snug but not too tight as to hinder movement.

Power Stretch leggings are fantastic, and will serve you well for winter adventures in the UK and the Alps too. On top, Power Stretch quarter zips, or R1 style thin fleece with pile interior facings are fantastic, and can function as standalone pieces in particularly warm conditions.

Micro-fleece fabrics are a cost effective, but less functional alternative to more expensive fabrics used on top-shelf products.

Mid-Weight Softshell Trousers

A pair of mid-weight softshell trousers, like the Mountain Equipment Ibex or a Patagonia Simul Alpine pants, are an excellent pick, and a worthwhile investment in your climbing. These would even cover you in winter on classic cascade climbs, and potentially on low-mid altitude winter alpine objectives if layered appropriately.

If you are climbing purely alpine rock objectives later in the summer and do not expect to be encountering any snow, then a lighter softshell trouser, such a Mountain Equipment Comici or Patagonia RPS Rock pants, would be cooler and better suited. However, they would lack the versatility and durability offered by a heavier softshell fabric.

Whichever you go for, ensure they fit over your chosen baselayers, and are close fitting but not too tight as to restrict you range of motion and articulation when climbing.

Lightweight Softshell Jacket

On top, pair with a lightweight hooded softshell top, like a Mountain Equipment Echo or Patagonia R1 TechFace jacket. This will likely serve as your primary outer layer in fine weather so make sure it fits over your base and fleece layer, but avoid a baggy fit, fitted is most functional.

Optional Extras

A pair of light weight synthetic shorts and a short sleeved technical top with a fast wicking synthetic can be very nice for approaching huts, keeping you cool and your technical clothes sweat free, before the snowline is reached. These can be stuffed into your approach sac and as good as forgotten about once above the snowline.

Multiple changes of socks are also very nice, nay essential, to have whether on a multi-day route or even staying overnight at a hut. Don’t skimp out here, buy a good pair of well fitting mid-weight technical socks from a reputable brand such as Smartwool. Do not buy ski tubes or thick chunky ‘walking socks’. Remember, boots are for warmth socks are for comfort.

If you are averse to always climbing with at least one of your hoods up, (you shouldn’t be), you will be grateful for a sun hat in bright conditions, especially if you are operating on snow. In cold conditions a beanie can be nice, but ensure it is thin, preferably not lined with some cheap sweaty fleece, and sits well under your helmet and any under-helmet hoods.

A heavier pile fleece like a Patagonia R2, is generally overkill in the summer alpine environment, but could play a useful role in a more complex bivvy sleep system or for static warm wear in huts/shelters.

Insulation

Light Active Insulation Layer

Although feeling near scorching in the midday heat, temperatures are cool to cold in the morning and can quickly drop in the late afternoon. If you found yourself operating at these times, or heading up a 4000er, an hooded active insulation jacket is your friend.

A good jacket in this category should keep you warm, whilst offering some breathability. Look for a lightly insulated synthetic jacket, 60g-80g in the body, depending on how hot/cold you run and your preference. Crucially, look for pieces with a soft stretchy face fabric such as a Patagonia Nano Air or a Arc’teryx Proton LT jacket. Jackets of a comparable insulation weight but a harder face fabric offer better windproofing but do not breathe as well, so are less suitable for high output active use.

Size this to fit over your base and mid-layers, but avoid an excessively baggy fit, this will compromise the effectiveness of the jacket as an insulating piece. Make sure the jacket is compatible with your helmet. The snug hood of the Patagonia Nano Air has trouble staying on top of helmets which sit high on the wearer’s head such as a Petzl Sirocco or a Black Diamond Vapour, both popular helmets.

Belay Jacket

A proper duvet-style belay jacket is your most valuable piece of on route clothing. So, don’t skimp and buy what is essentially another light insulating layer.

For early summer mixed routes on chilly north faces, or multi-day routes at altitude a solid belay jacket with 200g of high quality synthetic insulation in the body is the only way to go. The Mountain Equipment Citadel, PHD Zeta, or the now discontinued Patagonia DAS and Montane Spitfire jackets are all excellent choices.

Later in the summer, a weight and/or cost conscious climber may consider stepping this down to a synthetic duvet with 120g-130g of high quality synthetic insulation in the body like a PHD Alpha.

Looking at down insulation, a high quality down duvet (600+ fill power) would be appropriate for one day ascents in dry conditions, or on dry multi-day ascents where climbers are able to dry their jackets out in the morning and/or afternoon. Even then, on multi-day ascents, expect to loose ~10% of the jacket’s performance per day. For more on down, understanding the technical terms, and choosing the right garments, read our article on it here.

This jacket should be sized to fit over your existing layers but not be so large as to compromise it’s insulating effectiveness. On weight conscious single day missions, the one duvet between two climbers is a strategy which you may consider adopting.

Insulated Trousers

Insulated trousers are largely unnecessary for most summer activities in the alps. Conceivably they could function as part of your sleep system, although this is discussed further in our article on the subject.

Those who run particularly cold and are planning on going high early in the summer, such as an early season Mont Blanc summit may benefit from a lightly insulated trouser backed with a strethcy breathable face fabric such as a Patagonia Nano Air trouser.

Shells

These are the hard windproof layers which keep you dry. Ideally, you won’t be wearing these on route whilst climbing if you’ve chosen the right time to climb.

On short routes close to uplift, many more experienced climbers will choose not to bring either a jacket or trousers with them. Even with the wonders of modern weather forecasting, you are still leaving yourself vulnerable and gambling on the weather holding. However, early season snowfall is possible at altitude, and afternoon rain events are common throughout many of the Alpine ranges for all of the summer months. So it is wise to carry waterproof shells of some description.

Heavy Gore-Tex Pro layups popular for winter use really are not necessary in summer. Light technical membranes such as Gore-Tex PacLite or Active Shells, as used on Mountain Equipment’s old Firefox line is more than sufficient for fending of summer rain.

Many brands now have their own in-house membranes which truly hold their own. If you’re only intending to operate in alpine rock climbing terrain, with non-glaciated, or simple dry glacial approaches, then there’s no need for you to break the bank. Patagonia’s h2no membrane used on the super lightweight Houdini line products, would offer an excellent cost-effective solution in the alpine rock arena.

Look for a performance fit over a reasonable number of layers allowing for maximal range of motion.

Gloves

Gloves are light and relatively space efficient in your pack, so it makes sense to carry a couple of pairs.

Liners

Three pairs of Power Stretch or similar liner gloves are a good starting point. Owning three pairs allows you to rotate them throughout the day ensuring you always have a dry sweat free layer next to your skin. To dry, simply slip them into your base layer, and pack them under your pits. Over the course of a trip, or a season, having three sets really spreads out the wear and increases the life span of each individual glove.

Your liners should be sized so they are flush against your skin, offering maximum dexterity. You will likely find yourself engaging in moderate scrambling and low grade technical rock climbing with these on, so ensure they fit like a second skin. If you are likely to be doing a lot of rope work, combining these liner gloves with a solid light belay glove such as a Petzl Cordex is advisable.

Light Softshell Glove

Most of the time you will want to be wearing a light softshell glove which offers a good blend of protection/warmth and dexterity. These gloves are water resistant, but not waterproof. Ensure that these gloves are dexterous enough to operate your technical climbing gear with and can fit over your liners.

Mid-Weight Glove

Mid weight gloves like the Mountain Equipment Super Couloir gloves are useful when you still want the dexterity of a five finger glove but need greater protection from wet and cold than is offered by your liner/belay glove or liner/softshell glove combo. Consider, for example plunging you tool in wet summer snow on approach or descent. Often a simple insulated leather work glove as worn by many guides in the alps will stand in well for this category.

Such gloves are by no means necessary for all summer alpinists. For those climbing alpine rock without any snowy approaches, you will likely be able to get away climbing only with a softshell glove and some liners.

Insulated Mittens

Insulated mittens are the heavy hitters of your glove quiver, coming out to provide static warmth. Combined with a technical shelled over-mitt, these will provide excellent protection in even the coldest of summer storms. Again, such gloves are low down the purchasing priority list of the alpine rock athlete, but near invaluable for those doing long high multi-day routes at the beginning and end of the summer season.

Footwear

Choosing the right boots for your objective is a complex and lengthy discussion which more than deserves it’s own article. So, we gave it one, and you can read it here.

As a minimum, climbers will need a solid pair of approach shoes. By approach shoes we mean a pair of sturdy trail runners, with a stable sole, some decent lugs and a Gore-Tex insert. Read our thoughts on why the best approach shoe is not an approach shoe here. You may be able to climb solely with such shoes and your rock shoes, or they may just get you to the snowline where you change into your climbing boots.

Learnt something? Buy the No Thrills team a coffee to say thanks!

Looking for something similar? You may enjoy Self-Rescue for Climbers: The Essential Skills