jewels421

Before I set out for my first summit attempt on Rainier (DC route), I heard some seriously conflicting advice about whether my Trangos (Women’s, Trango S EVO GTX version) were going to be warm/waterproof enough for the climb. Since I was doing it mid-August, and the weather was forecasted to be quite warm, I thought I would give them a go. So, I wanted to share my experience with them, for folks who are attempting to make a similar decision. In my case, the boots were warm enough, but if I were going again, even in July/August, I would pay very close attention to the temperature/weather forecast. We had unusually warm weather (freezing level above the mountain) – I think with typical conditions I would opt for something more insulated. My feet tend to be on the cold side, though not drastically so. They didn’t not get cold at all on normal 10-15 minute breaks, but we had to wait out some weather on the cleaver for abut 40 minutes and they got pretty cold at that point. If we had waited much longer, it would have started to be a problem – as it was, it took a good 15 minutes after we started off for them to warm up. Waterproof-wise, they were alright. I didn’t wear gaiters on the Muir snowfield, and they were damp up at Camp Muir, but dried out quickly. After the summit climb (with gaiters), they were a touch damp, but nothing major (hard to tell whether it was sweat or water). Hope this helps…

We waited out the weather on 8/17 and ended up making the summit. But, it was an iffy decision since it was tough to tell what was happening weather-wise from where we were on the Cleaver. We were very close to turning around, but after about 40 minutes things cleared up. Turning around was a solid choice... Agree with everything else you said -- just below Muir is dicey without crampons, lots of folks were off route on the cleaver, etc. Above the cleaver the route was very obvious. There was one ladder in place across a crevasse at some point (maybe around 13,000 ft). I think the weather turned colder last week, so hopefully the route will hold since it's pretty nice right now. I haven't sorted through the pictures yet, but will try to post some when I do...

I wear a women's size 10, and just bought the 42s in the Trangos. I was wishing they were just a couple of millimeters longer, but I thought I would try them out anyways. I didn't have any troubles after a two-day trip last weekend, but the descents weren't terribly long/steep. Jury is still out. I tried on the men's 42 for comparison and I believe they fit a little smaller than the women's, but I can't remember really because it was in a blur of an hour long boot-trying on session and I dismissed them immediately.

I am currently shopping for a new pair of boots (leather) for a Rainier climb in mid-August. While the boots absolutely have to be appropriate for Rainier (2 days, standard DC route, staying in RMI hut at Muir), I would love to get a pair that I could also use for my lighter mountaineering and heavier backpacking trips. I have done quite a bit of research, reading reviews on various sites, threads here on cc.com and other sites, etc. Most of the discussions have been about the Men's version of the boots, which is still helpful, but I'm just curious if there's anyone out there who can speak to the Women's versions. I'm thinking about a few different pairs -- Garmont Tower GTX, Lowa Mountain Expert, and the Trango EVOs. Since I live in Chicago, there's nowhere that carries women's mountaineering boots to try on (that I know of), so I've ordered a bunch online from places with free shipping to try out. Obviously, fit will be the key (I have pretty narrow feet), but I'm a little worried that the Trangos (and possibly the Towers) won't be warm enough. My feet don't necessarily run super cold, but probably colder than the average guy. Does anyone have any input about warmth or other experiences with the Women's version of these (or other similar) boots? Thanks!

This is great... I was just doing some research on these things (there are a million out there -- ShePee was my favorite name). Didn't know REI sold one, I'm getting one next time I'm there...

What helps me is to mentally break the climb down into smaller pieces -- e.g., I'll take a break once I get to "x" point, or I'll just focus on getting to "x" for right now. I have a tendency to get a bit overwhelmed when I think about the entirety of a big trip -- little pieces are more manageable. Also helps for me to think about the rewards/payoffs -- whatever they may be for you (the views, a candy bar, a warm sleeping bag).