Mont Blanc gear: what worked and what was too much

A good kit list is a list of things that are needed, tested, suited to the route and sensibly split between people and stages.

My kit list started long before the trip. After the glacier course I began to understand what I would need, what I had, what was missing and what I could not yet use well. I packed my rucksack several times. I weighed, moved, removed and added things, and still had too much.

Rucksack and weight

Before the trip my rucksack weighed about 20.2 kg without water. Too much, given several days on the move, the climbs to the huts and the fatigue that follows. Some of that weight came from going independently, acclimatising on Gran Paradiso, carrying spare food and gear for different options. But some of it was simply excess.

After Gran Paradiso we cut things down. I left behind some freeze-dried meals, spare bars, raisins, microspikes, approach shoes and things I would not need later. A very good decision: before Tête Rousse and the Goûter every kilogram counts.

I lightened the rucksack in stages. Some things stayed in the car after Gran Paradiso, some at Tête Rousse, and I took even less from the Goûter for the summit. There I left spare items, dirty clothes and my wash bag. I wore some of the clothes, which also took weight off the pack.

Personal gear

My basic personal gear included:

• Mountaineering boots
• Step-in crampons
• An ice axe
• A helmet
• A harness
• Karabiners
• Accessory cord
• Thin and thick gloves
• Mittens
• Glacier glasses
• Goggles
• A hat and a buff
• Clothing layers
• An insulated jacket
• A hardshell
• A head torch
• A flask or bottles
• Food for the route
• A personal first aid kit
• Electronics
• Documents

Owning it is not enough. You need to know where it is in the pack and when you will use it. What has to be at hand? What can go deeper? What do I put on before leaving? What do I add at the Vallot? What stays in the hut?

Clothing and layers

On Mont Blanc you dress in layers. Temperature and how cold you feel change with altitude, wind, sun, pace and fatigue. You can leave the Goûter in a set that seems warm enough and an hour later, in strong wind, need an extra jacket, a thicker hat, goggles and mittens.

A layering system worked well for me: base layer, a fleece or active layer, a softshell, and insulation and a hardshell when needed. On the summit day I also carried spare gloves. Thin gloves are handy for handling gear, but in strong wind they may not be enough. Mittens are much warmer, but it is harder to handle the ice axe and gear in them.

An insulated Primaloft jacket, bought especially for Mont Blanc, worked well. Its hood fitted over the helmet, which helps a lot in strong wind. The softshell and a Polartec Alpha hoodie with a zip also did well: warm, but not as bulky as thick fleece. Mittens turned out to be one of the most important items: they were my heat reserve when it got really cold.

My glacier glasses broke, even though they were in a case. Luckily I had goggles, otherwise I would have had no proper eye protection on snow and in the sun. Since then I always take a second pair.

Boots and crampons

Mountaineering boots and crampons are one of the most important combinations. They must fit each other. I would not test them for the first time in the Alps. Crampons should be checked with the specific boot, and walking in them should be practised beforehand.

On Mont Blanc you walk in crampons for many hours. A poor fit, rubbing, strap problems or lack of practice can ruin the day.

Step-in crampons worked well, because they go on quickly, even with gloves, in the cold and wind. Approach shoes, on the other hand, were a mistake. From Bellevue to Tête Rousse I walked in approach shoes and carried the heavy mountaineering boots in my pack, where they took up almost a third of the space. Next time I would wear the mountaineering boots from the start.

Ice axe and sharp points

You need an ice axe, but its sharp spike and pick are a logistical problem. The same goes for crampons. Sharp points must be covered. In the van, in the rucksack and in the hut it is easy to cut or damage something.

Covers for the axe and crampons protect the gear, the pack, clothing, people and the car.

What was too much

I had too much food, too much spare and a bit too much electronics. Some things gave me peace of mind at home, but on the climb they were just weight. Typical on a first trip like this: you do not want to make the mistake of missing something, so you make the mistake of carrying too much.

Next time I would split things more firmly into:

• Essential
• Very useful
• Emergency
• Comfort
• Unnecessary
• Gear table

Good gear is gear you know how to use, that is tested, fits the rest of your kit and did not end up in the pack by accident.