I make my own Y sling from 6mm climbing cord. Start with about 3 metres of 6mm climbing cord and tie one end into a carabiner using a clove hitch knot (This site has an example of a clove hitch being tied into a carbiner, except I tie it into the smaller side of the carbiner http://www.abc-of-rockclimbing.com/howto/learn_climbing_knots.asp). Then tie an overhand knot in nice and close to secure the clove hitch. I use the largest bent gate, non locking carbiner I can buy (so that it can slip over knots in fixed line. I then put lots of duct tape over the clove hitch/overhand knot and down the rope about 25cm to make a very stiff handle encompassing both the rope and the bottom end of the carbiner (all the knots will be covered in tape). The end outcome is that by holding onto this "handle" and flicking the fixed line you can clip and unclip very quickly when using large gloves, without needing to actually press the gate (the fixed rope presses on the gate). I know that its not as safe as having a screw gate carabiner, but I find that it's too slow and difficult to use with gloves so I end up not using it at all. I figure this is better, but the choice is up to you. At the other end of the 6mm rope, I tie in my ascender (using a looped back figure of 8 knot) and then in tie the middle into my harness (I usually don't use a carabiner in my harness to save on weight.) Adjustments to the length can be made to the ascender end, and then when you are happy, trim the surplus rope, leaving a little extra in case you want to adjust when climbing. Keep any loose ends neat with more duct tape.

Hope this makes sense. Let me know if it doesn't.
Paul.

Yes, I have seen these before. I don't know about the price, but they look like a well made boot with some clever design features. But I am not sure how they fit into the product line-up. If was going up high then I would be getting the Olympus Mons and if it was lower I'd probably buy the Nepal Evo (lighter).
Paul.

Hi James,

I can't comment specifically on the Millet Alpinist GTX, other than I think that Millet make some great products. I think you are right though to take into consideration your unique foot characteristics. For the type of non technical climbing you are talking about it's better to have a boot that is too large because it allows for more blood circulation and therefore will keep your feet warmer. Also remember that your feet can swell up a bit at altitude when you have been using them, so if in doubt be generous on the sizing. The other effect at altitude is that air pockets within any closed cell insulation will expand due to their relatively higher pressure compared to the ambient air. This means that your boot will feel a bit smaller up high.
In the past some boots used to come with a different inner boot (thinner) that was for use at higher altitudes (6000m+). This doesn't seem to be common now.

Regards,
Paul.

Yes, I don't like the zipper having an important role on boots either. Too risky in the event of it failing (see the picture on this blog post for a La Sportiva zipper that failed.) If I had boots with zippers, then I would sew in some velcro straps to use in the event of failure. I noticed that the latest La Spotiva Olympus Mons has a velcro cover over the gaiter zip, which makes me much happier.
It sounds like some of the problem with feeling cold might be due to your boots getting old and the insulation compacting. I think the Scarpa 6000 looks good and would be warm. I know a few people who have them and they are happy. My only hesitation is that if you were walking over a lot of loose, small moraine, I am not sure how the outer material on would wear. The Baruntse would be better in this regard. You need to really look at how they each fit too. I'd steer clear of the Batura for what you need.

Hope this helps your thought process.

Regards,
Paul.

Hi Elena,

I agree that small feet can pose a challenge when the principal market for mountaineering boots are males. However for Denali I would strongly recommend Olympus Mons, even if the smallest size appears to be too big for you (although I'd be very surprised if this was the case based on what you have said). I presume that you are doing one of the normal routes on Denali, so its not going to be technical and therefore it doesn't matter if the boot is a bit too big. I have lost half the length in my toes on my right foot due to my own stupidity and using poor quality boots, so I know what it's like to climb with boots that are too big (on one foot). And it's not something that I notice at all, even on reasonably technical climbs. For blood circulation you need to have plenty of room around your feet, so don't make the mistake of buying boots that are too small. Thats what my wife (Fiona) did with her Olympus Mons.

Some people take Olympus Mons to Aconcagua, but I think this is overkill. And you only get a few climbs with Olympus Mons before they wear out (especially the soles) So something like La Sportiva Nepal Evo GTX will be perfect. Have a look at your local store too and see what they have that you can try on.

If you are worried about cold feet, I'd also look at Hotronics heated insoles for Denali. I never climb without them now, although my feet are now more sensitive than most.

Hope this helps,
Paul.

Subject to a few considerations (below), I think it's a good idea to use different boots on the lower parts of the mountain. I didn't partly because I was unsure how I would go carrying the extra weight of my heavy high altitude mountaineering boots up to C2. But if I was to go again and climb on the same schedule I would use lighter boots up to C2 (talking about Nepal side) and then use something better up high.

However, I noticed that more teams this year are climbing trekking peaks for acclimatisation and doing one less rotation through the icefall. I think this is a great idea. If this was your plan, then it's possible that you might only do 1 acclimatisation trip through the icefall, in which case it may not be worth the weight and hassle of bringing an extra pair of boots up to C2. If I was going again, I would be doing this (maybe climb the trekking peak several times and try to sleep high), so would only make one acclimatisation trip up to C3. I'd still use light boots on the trekking peak, but I'd probably start from BC with my big boots.

You really can think about Everest as 2 mountains. The part below C2 and the part above. After 10am it gets extremely hot, so it's best to plan to avoid climbing during this time. You certainly don't need heavy mountaineering boots for this section. Lighter boots will save you a lot of effort, plus enable you to move faster, which is important through the icefall.

Intuition liners are great. I have said it before, but I'd suggest looking at a hotronic foot warmers and 2 spare pairs of batteries.

Good Luck in 2010.

Regards,
Paul.

Hi Alex,
I am surprised you can't find Millet Everest in the UK, given that they are made in France. We can buy them easily in Australia. I take it that you don't want to consider the La Sportiva, which will be lighter again (Olympus Mons Evo is 2.26kg for the pair compared with approximately 2.7kg for the Scarpa Phantom & Millet Everest GTX)?
I know many people who have had to turn around because of cold feet, when otherwise the conditions were perfect. That's why my suggestion is to stick with boots that are more commonly used, rather than try something like this.
But if you do go with the Scarpa Phantom wouldn't worry about it only having one zip. In fact you could argue that this is better as it means less room for failure.
Regards, Paul.

I haven't seen these and I'd personally be very careful about taking something new up that was as important as boots. Fiona (my wife) has Raichle hiking boots and they have been great, however the soles came off the first pair she got, after only 20 days of use. Luckily the local shop we bought them from provided a replacement.
Paul.