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

Part 2 - Technical Gear

Part 3 - Packs, Camp and Bivvy : Below

Part 4 - Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Packs

For a dedicated alpine pack, light is right. That means both the pack itself and what you put in it. During the summer alpine season, you can and should be climbing with the smallest and lightest pack that you can get away with. You’re not thrashing your way up Helvellyn, ditch the 65L external frame pack for something far sleeker and more functional.

The Two Pack System

Generally, taking two packs to the alps will stand you in good stead. The first should be larger in volume, ~45L and the second small and sub-30L. Remember the manafacturer’s stated volume can vary considerably between two brands. So, try before you buy. All your gear should fit inside your pack. You want to look like an alpine weapon not some bipedal Gore-Tex clad pack horse.

Both packs should weigh in at less than 1kg. Why? Well, whats the point of carrying an extra 1000g up the hill before you’ve even put anything in it. Individual organsier pockets are nice but completely unnecessary, stuff sacks achieve the same effect. External straps are just extraneous once you can carry your tools and a small sleeping mat. Removable waist straps, chest straps and back panels are nice to have also, especially on your smaller sub-30L pack. Removing the back panel from your smaller pack allows you to roll in up and carry it with minimal bulk inside your main bag. Simplicity is key, and functionality is primary, top loading silo-style packs tend to offer this in the most weight sensitive package.

Your larger pack will be used for approaching, or on multi-day routes as the larger seconding pack in a team of two. The second pack will be used as the sole ‘on route’ pack in a ‘two climbers one bag’ strategy, on ‘done in a day’ routes. Meanwhile on multi-day routes will step in as a leader pack.

Ensure any backpack fits you well and allows you as full a range of motion as you can get. A poorly fitted pack which inhibits movement is as bad as a heavy pack.

I’m Only Climbing Alpine Rock and Not Carrying Tools

Best buys:

• ~45L - Alpkit El Burro (700g) - Cheap, ultra-functional and can be hauled.

• Sub-30L - Ortovox Trad 18 (225g) - If you’re not carrying tools, you’re probably carrying less bulk overall so you can get away with a sub-20L pack. Worth lining with a waterproof stuff sack if downpours are forecast.

I’m Climbing with Tools

Best Buys:

• ~45L - Arc’Teryx Alpha FL45 (665g) - Pure functionality in a minimalist package.

• Sub-30L - Black Diamond Blitz 28 (444g) - Very slim and compact. Worth lining with a waterproof stuff sack if downpours are forecast.

Camp & Bivvy

Sleeping Bags

Most of the time you will be sleeping down in the valley, usually anywhere and everywhere. It’s completely overkill, a waste of money, and waste of animal products to do this in a down bag. A good breathable water resistant synthetic bag from a reputable manufacturer rated to between 0C and -10C depending on how hot you run and where you intend to sleep, should suit just fine.

Those camping at altitude but close to uplift will be able to get away with their same valley bag, although like would be better choosing a colder option. Cold sleepers may have to pull some trickery to get the most out of their bags, but will likely be able to make them work. Silk bag liners, clean underwear and socks every night, duvet jacket, as well as some calorie dense midnight snacks should do the trick.

Bivvying is a different game with different rules. For most of the summer months, even at altitude, climbers will opt for an ~0C down bag combined with a duvet jacket. Another popular option is a half bag rated to a few degrees below zero combined with a duvet jacket on top. To get the most out of your bivvy set up, ensure you have clean dry socks to change into and long underwear. A heavy pile fleece such as a Patagonia R2, is an excellent midlayer to keep safe and dry in your pack all day to then wear under you duvet. Insulated mitts and socks are strongly advised too. Having a small heat source such as a tealight are good for morale, as well as putting out a remarkable amount of heat.

The lower you are bivvying the warmer you can expect it to be, and so you can steadily start to drop items from this list. You may wish to consider a single full zip bag spread over a both climbers or a down quilt.

Sleeping in huts is ‘ultraluxe’, but you will be expected, and it is genuinely warmer to bring a sleeping bag liner to slip into underneath the blankets. Silk is lightweight, warm and relatively sweat free.

For a deeper dive on sleeping bags, see our article on them here.

Mats and Bivvy Bags

In the valley combine a closed cell foam pad such as the ever popular Thermarest Z Lite SOL with a lightweight inflatable mat.

When bivvying, many climbers choose to bring a cut down closed cell pad to lie under their torso. This allows the pad to be to be used for sitting up in ‘suffer-nap’ positions. Although hardened alpinists can achieve a similar effect with their pack’s back panel and/or their rope. A half or 3/4 length inflatable mat laid on top can add real comfort and substantial warmth gains.

Bivvy bags are less crucial in the summer seasons than many climbers first expect. Not only are they fairly heavy, but they also need to be used correctly to actually ‘work’. As an ‘on route’ sleep solution most climbers would do better with a tarp, as in truly inclement weather a bivvy bag would need to be combined with a tarp anyway. Lightweight 2 person bothy bags like the Rab Superlight Shelter 2 also work well, proving some brief respite and warmth, as well as the option to roll up in it burrito style. The only exception to this rule is those bivvying on snow.

That being said, bivvy bags do provide a nice solution for those sleeping at the base of routes, or glacier camping in place of a tent. However, in both cases, bivvy bags are a very distant second.

Additional Considerations for Glacier Camping

Those wishing to camp on wet glaciated terrain should also bring a lightweight metal bladed shovel and a light >300cm avalanche probe, to build platforms, snow walls, and probe potential camp sites for crevasses.

The Black Diamond Quickdraw Carbon 320cm probe and Black Diamond Deploy 3 shovel provide low-bulk lightweight solutions.

Cooking

In the summer season, climbers can get away with using gas.

For ‘on-route’ snow melting and cooking fully integrated systems are now the norm. The Jetboil Zip (300g) is the most cost-effective lightweight stove from the Jetboil brand. However, equally capable and cheaper options exist in the form of the Alpkit Brukit (560g) stove.

Such stoves are designed to make things hot rather than cook, so for the valley it is nice to have a true stove which can actually cook food. Go down the gas powered route, but look to buy a stove system with pots so you can actually make a meal rather than re-hydrating one.

First Aid and Repair Kits

Most prepackaged ‘first aid’ contain far too many of certain items (usually ones you don’t really need often) and far too few multiples of others. Instead of paying over the odds for a handy bag and some white label over the counter medication, you can quite effectively build your own. Remember, a bunch of medical supplies are just that without training and expertise, so it is worth seeking out proper training, more on that in the next article in the series.

First Aid Essentials

• Pills:

  • Ibuprofen

  • Aspirin

  • Paracetamol and/or Co-codamol

  • Antihistamine

• Wounds:

  • Lots x Generic Brown Medical Medical Tape

  • 4 x 10cm Gauze Rolls

  • Lots x Iodine Swabs

  • 1 x Dropper Bottle filled with Povidone Iodine

  • 2 x 60cc Syringe

• PPE:

  • 3 x Medical Gloves

  • 1 x Face Shield

• Note Taking:

  • 1 x Right in the rain tear off pad.

  • 2 x Pencil

  • 1 x Time keeping device

Repair Kit Essentials

• Tapes and Patches:

  • Some x Duct Tape

  • 2 x Gore-Tex Fabric Patches

  • 1 x Seam Sealer

• Miscellaneous:

  • 1 x 4m Accessory Cord

  • Some x Zinc Oxide Tape

  • 1 x Lightweight Multi-tool

  • 1 x lighter

  • 1 x Needle and some x thread

  • Replacement parts for stove if carrying

• Travelling on Skis:

  • Replacement tech toe piece

  • 1 x 2-3m of bailing wire

  • Lots x Zip Ties

  • 2 x Hose clamps

  • 1 x Drill bits covering the size your bindings and boots take

  • 10 x Replacement Screws for boots and bindings

  • 3 x Ski Straps

Learnt something? You may enjoy our book ‘Self-Rescue for Climbers: The Essential Skills’.

Enjoyed it? Buy the No Thrills team a coffee to say thanks!