Boot Question for Denali-West Rib

[powdrx]

Howdy,

I've got plans to attempt the West Rib of Denali June 2011 and I'm psyched!! My questions center on boot selection. Our plan is to climb the West Buttress to ~14k for acclimatization and to leave a cache for our descent off the Rib. Then head down, get a little rest and hit the Rib per weather. My partner is a split-boarder and he is using the Baruntse for everything. I'm a skier and I'm not sure about boot selection for this trip. If I had my choice, I'd take my Garmont Mega-Rides with Intuition Liners and a pair of overboots from 40Below. Does this sound like a decent option to AK veterans? I feel the ski boots are warm enough with the Intuitions, dry well, and I will only need one boot set for the trip.

I have done some winter alpine climbing in ski boots (NE Butt-Chair Peak, Whitehorse) and in my reading on the West Rib, it doesn't sound too technical that I'll be crying for different boots, but I haven't been there so I don't know for sure. I've been reading Dane's blog and his posts on here reviewing boots (great stuff for sure :tup:), but I'd love to use ski boots. Any info from West Rib climbers and AK vets will be much appreciated!!

Thanks a bunch,

Aaron

 

[Dane]

Thanks for the plug :-)

 

Try here...these guys know more about AT boots/gear than most..

 

http://www.wildsnow.com/2299/ski-boots-cold-feet/

 

No blisters in 8 trips to the range. I take lwt skis and boots and my climbing boots. And boot it above 11K even if I want skis to play on at 14K.

[kukuzka1]

you can make the rib quite technical but you can also avoid the diffulcuties

[powdrx]

Yeah, I follow the WildSnow blog regularly. It has a ton of good info for a AK-newb like me. I'm going to deal with the concept of punching out my ski boots for AK and still being able to use them down here after I decide which boot system to use. Taking two pairs of boots up there isn't too bad considering all the gear we will already have!! But I'd like to avoid that large expense of another pair of boots more dedicated to AK that I might not use as much after the trip. Of course success on Denali is the #1 goal, not saving $$$.

Anyone have feedback on climbing with ski boots and intuition liners for multiple days... possible the West Rib

[powdrx]

I anticipate us taking the line of least difficulty on the West Rib. Being in AK and at that altitude will be quite a challenge in itself!! I haven't seen anything about vertical ice or extended dry-tooling on the route. Those are two areas I might suffer in ski boots with overboots and crampons.

 

[wfinley]

My $.02... if you're going to climb, take climbing boots. If you're going to ski, take ski boots. I would think that hauling the extra weight and stiffness of ski boots up the Rib would suck. Likewise descending the WB back to the NE fork is a long slog - and unless you're planning on hauling skis up the route it will be a very uncomfy walk back down.

 

I love my ski boots - but they suck for climbing. They're heavy and clunky for climbing and don't compare to a pair of climbing boots that fit well.