Hi Jill, Thanks for your message and particularly the support you gave us during the climb. Rgds, Paul.

Cherie,

We used plastic Koflach boots on Aconcagua, but we were pretty lucky with good weather. Some people I know have used La Sportiva One Sport Evo boots - the same ones you would use on Everest. I think this is overkill and if you then went and used the same boots on Everest, you run the risk that your earlier use of them will have compressed the liners and reduced their thermal insulating capabilities. That said, Attila, who climbed with La Sportiva One Sport Evo boots on Aconcagua this year, reckoned the temperature was so cold, he wouldn't have got up, if he didn't have them. This is where a pair of Hotronic foot warmers would also come in handy, especially if you were using lesser boots.

Millet Everests are definitely too heavy. If I was climbing it again, I would climb with a mid to high end Asolo boot. I have Asolo8000 boots, which are not bad. They are designed for higher altitude climbing, but I also climbed Mt Blanc & the Matterhorn with them. They wouldn't be my first choice specifically for this type of alpine climbing, but at least it shows that they are versatile.

Yes, lets catch up.
Paul.

Hi Yes, I will write a summary of my experience this year and compare it to 2006. Paul.

Hi Craig, Yes I can write about updating this site and the gear I used. Very happy to share that information. Cheers, Paul.

Hi Quang, I'd advise against using Koflachs on Everest. Millet or La Sportiva make warmer and lighter boots (La Sportiva are probably the lightest around, but the Millets are close). Chemical toe warmers are not that good, because not much air gets inside your boots, so the reaction doesn't occur as much, and they are not hot. Electric warmers (Hotronic) are much better.
You can buy Millet boots cheaply in Nepal - let me know and I can post the email addresses of a couple of Nepalese shops that can help you you. You'd want to have them arranged before you left for Nepal.
Good luck, Paul A.

I have some Asolo AFS 8000 boots, but they are no where near as warm as the Millet's or La Sportiva. I can't really recommend anything else other than these two.

The Millet Everest is big, wide and a common complaint is that they are sloppy. I usually wear European size 43-44 boots / runners, and I have size 45 in my Millets. I would recommend getting approx two sizes larger than what you normally wear, because you don't want your boots to restrict your circulation. Not sure about the exact comparison of UK to US sizes, but just look at a pair of good fitting hiking boots to get your size in European and then get about 2 sizes larger.
Hope this helps.

Thats a good question - La Sportiva is definitely lighter, so I would think that they wouldn't hold up as well longer term than Millet.

Assuming that you are going to the North Col during either of the two climbing seasons, you could use pretty much any decent, reasonably new plastic mountaineering boots.

If you want to make the climb easier for yourself, find something thats reasonably light, because weight off your feet counts for a lot. I have ASOLO AFS 8000 boots which I use for sub 8000m climbs and these are really warm, although at 2.5kg for the pair there are lighter boots available. I'd recommend that you consider La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX which would be suitable and only weigh 1000 grams each. If you didn't want to have to worry about the cold (or do feel the cold), but want lightweight boots, then buy La Sportiva Olympus Mons EVO, which weigh about the same as the Nepal EVO GTX, but are capable of going all the way to the summit. (These boots are not very long lasting, so you'd only get a couple of trips out of them at the most.)

Hope this helps,
Paul

Hi Adam,
I think that it would not be a good idea to use Millet Everest boots on Aconcagua. Not only would you be hot and uncomfortable, but you'd find the going tough because of the extra weight and that they are pretty clumsy when on rock. The other issue is that any mountaineering boot has a limited lifespan before the insulation get compacted rendering it less effective, so you'd be running the risk by using it on Aconcagua that it wouldn't work well when you really need it on a colder mountain. As a general rule as boots are getting lighter, lifespans are getting shorter.
If you really want something good for Aconcagua, get a lighter weight mountaineering boot and use Hottronic heated insoles. That way you'll feel more comfortable, have less weight to carry and if it does get cold or there is some emergency you can instantly heat up your boots to +32C for 18 hours with a single pair of batteries. If you are climbing trekking peaks in Nepal, then the same setup will work there. If you are climbing something bigger and want Millet Everest boots, you can buy these in Kathmandu for about $550US. You need to know your size and pre order them. My contact in Kathmandu is Nawang Sherpa, ph 977-1-4487269.

Regards, Paul Adler.