|
Shoes
Almost all climbers use Italian OneSport
shoes today. The One Sport company has been aquired by Millet - boots
still looks the same but the brand tag is different.
Get them oversized (1-2 sizes). This is not
your average weekend climbing trip and you need something where your
toes have space to move freely, or youŽll get frostbite by rush delivery.
HotTronics make great heating pads and wires that can be used in your
boots on your summit attempt. Michael Strynoe rebuilt the battery packs
to give more power at a lower weight using AA Lithium batteries.
Crampons
 Camp
makes the ultralight titanium crampons. They are light, but considered
not durable. We took our chances with them and they never broke on us.
Bring spares and carry one spare at the summit attempt. Secure them to
the boots with steel wire if they keep falling of. There are however
many brands of crampons around. Choose your favorites, remember only
that ice climbing crampons differ from glacier crampons.
Clothes
You will need multi-layer
clothing for climbing between BC and C3. The temperature changes
dramatically when the clouds obscure the sun.
One or two layers of lightweight Gore-Tex over fleece
will work well, since the layers will be easy to shed or add. Carry a
lightweight down jacket at all times. Use a cap to protect your head in
the sun. Wear water-resistant gloves in the icefall and a good pair of
down mittens higher up. Carry a spare mitten on your summit attempt.
Use a heavy down suit for the summit. We wear it already
from C2 on the summit attempt in order to save weight. If you choose to
do that, move early in the morning or youŽll boil.
We have used down suites from both Mountain Hardware and North Face and
they all worked equally well. Check that the hood will work together
with the oxygen mask, covering your face properly.
If possible, bring a spare down suit for cold nights in BC. Bring plenty
of lightweight socks to change.
Face mask
Use a heat-exchanging, wired
face mask for protection against Khumbu- cough. Use the mask already
from Gorak Shep. YouŽll get used to it and be protected right from the
start. You should find the mask in stores for cross-country skiing. If
you donŽt, check the gear link list on this web site. The Finnish
manufacturer is listed there.
Harness
 North
Face makes a great no-nonsense harness. Remove the stuff that you dont
need. Tie about half a meter of line with a carabiner for the fixed
ropes. Forget screw carabiners, you want them big and simple at Everest.
Make a knot halfway up the rope and hook up a jumar with another
carabiner. Secure the jumar in the front to your backpack straps or at
chest level when not in use, this being the easiest way to get hold of
it. Use a repelling device or just a carabiner if you know the technique. |
