Need female input on mountaineering boots

I have some questions for all the girls out there with cold feet. I am looking for a versatile mountaineering boot for my wife with Raynaud's and gets cold feet and hands. Also we just moved to Alaska.

She is not a hard charger will never go out looking to crush hard ice or take down big alpine routes. Primary uses will be glacier travel, easy/moderate alpine routes, snowshoeing, possibly short easy ice.

Thoughts are La Sportiva: G2 SM, Nepal Cube, Nepal Evo, Trango Ice Cubes, or Scarpa Phantom Tech or Guide, Mammut Norwand something else possibly a lighter weight alpine/hiking boot?

I have a pair of Sportiva G2's and think they may be overkill but they are incredibly warm and that is a priority. Also I have the LS Trango Ice Cubes that I really like (smaller profile than the G2's and still warm) but I am nervous they will not deliver the warmth she needs.

Needs (In order of importance)
#1 - Keeping the little piggies warm
#2 - Crampon compatible (prefer front and wear welts)
#3 - Lightweight
#4 - Versatile - she isn't going to have a boot quiver looking for one boot

My feet definitely run cold (my mom has said I have Raynaud's but I don't know; when my feet are cold, sometimes a couple toes or part of my foot will turn numb/white/yellow).. anyway! I got some Nepal Evos last year before an ice climbing trip in December in Alberta and my feet were mostly okay except for the day it got to around minus 5 Fahrenheit. I wear smartwool socks, one pair, and these boots have been awesome. I think getting the right fit is super important for circulation. The Nepals fit my feet well, accept auto crampons, and I think I'll be wearing them for many years, year-round in Washington (maybe not for winter Rainier ascents).

Alaska, That's not the lower 48, Koflach Arctis Expe or Arctis Degre which are plastic or la sportiva spantik, la sportiva baruntse, unless we are just talking hiking in the woods. I have the Nepal Evo GTX which are great for the Lower 48. I've used the Arctis Expe, which your feet will never get cold but they are a bit clunky but I still did mix climbing in them.

Are we talking a lot of glacier travel and hiking or technical ice climbing? There is a huge difference. If she's going to be moving a lot, I would get something like, but warm like LS Trango Ice Cubes or Scarpa Phantom Techs. They are light but still pretty warm. If she's going to be climbing waterfall ice which involves a lot of standing around, I'd go with LS Spantiks. Even in SW CO, I find Nepals too cold for standing around in the snow. Female climber here...

She could try out the Baturas if she doesn't need double boots for expeditions. They're warmer than the Nepal models and not as clunky as the double boots.

What does she have now? Maybe try adding a supergaiter if she otherwise likes her current boots?

Or you could just get her double boots. They weigh more but at least she'll be warm.

jdejace wrote:She could try out the Baturas if she doesn't need double boots for expeditions. They're warmer than the Nepal models and not as clunky as the double boots. What does she have now? Maybe try adding a supergaiter if she otherwise likes her current boots? Or you could just get her double boots. They weigh more but at least she'll be warm.

She doesn't have boots now only used various rentals. This is why I was leaning toward the LS G2's since they are even warmer, lower profile (less clunky), then the Baturas and Nepals.

doligo wrote:Are we talking a lot of glacier travel and hiking or technical ice climbing? There is a huge difference. If she's going to be moving a lot, I would get something like, but warm like LS Trango Ice Cubes or Scarpa Phantom Techs. They are light but still pretty warm. If she's going to be climbing waterfall ice which involves a lot of standing around, I'd go with LS Spantiks. Even in SW CO, I find Nepals too cold for standing around in the snow. Female climber here...

95% Glacier/Hiking/Mountain 5% Ice when company comes in town and she wants to join everyone. I have the Trango Ice Cubes as well and love them but I am scared they will be too cold for her. Any chance you have tried the new Nepal Cubes? I am going to call LS on Monday and ask since they are new but thinking these might be an option as well.

I tried Nepal Cubes and was not impressed. I would go either Baturas or Scarpa Phantom Techs. I only have a personal experience with Phantom Techs though. They were superlight (for hiking long distances), and I stood around all day during the Ice Fest here in Ouray and didn't get cold (granted it wasn't that cold this year, but standing around my feed do get cold even when it's 40s). I also suggest your wife cuts a little closed cell foam and brings with her on the outings. I find my feet get cold from standing on or in the snow, so getting some insulation off the ground makes huge difference.

Go with a proper double. My fiancee has a few options, but almost always opts for her Spantiks for mountaineering and ice climbing around CO. She loves them. They're really not as clunky as you might think.

doligo wrote:I tried Nepal Cubes and was not impressed. I would go either Baturas or Scarpa Phantom Techs. I only have a personal experience with Phantom Techs though. They were superlight (for hiking long distances), and I stood around all day during the Ice Fest here in Ouray and didn't get cold (granted it wasn't that cold this year, but standing around my feed do get cold even when it's 40s). I also suggest your wife cuts a little closed cell foam and brings with her on the outings. I find my feet get cold from standing on or in the snow, so getting some insulation off the ground makes huge difference.

GTK thanks!

try heated insoles

I liked the Raynauds suggested remedy . . . might try it to see if it works since I have the worst case of Raynauds of anyone I've ever met. Nonetheless, I've managed to work with it for years now and still do alot of winter mountaineering and ice climbing, etc.

Anyway, because of my Raynauds, in most cases in winter, when my feet will be covered with snow for most of the hike/climb, I use my Scarpa Phantom Guides (doubles). They still get cold if the temp is super cold, but at least it's manageable (sitting down and getting off my feet for 1-2 minutes, they warm right up because most of the time my core is super warm from hiking or climbing).

Andrew . wrote:try heated insoles

Have you tried the heated insoles? Just curious how well those work. She has tried the heat packs taping them to her feet, heated socks, and still gets really cold feet. Granted her feet have not been inside a good double boot and that may make the difference. However if not I may resort to trying those heated insoles out. If a double boot and heated insoles don't work guess she is just going to have to stay inside ;-).

Going to get a good double boot and see where that gets her during a season in Alaska.

SinRopa wrote:Cut and pasted from a previous thread about using contrast hydrotherapy to cure Raynaud's: Raynaud's Cure: Time needed: 100 minutes per day for 10 non-consecutive days Conditions needed: cold weather (cold enough to induce shivering within minutes when sitting stationary outside) Materials needed: 4 buckets (or 2 buckets and a large cooler), hot water Step 1: Strip down to your boxers and sit inside at room temperature (68-72 degrees) for 10 minutes, with hands and feet submerged in buckets of hot water (hot = 100-104 degrees) Step 2: Move outside into the cold, and remain there for 10 minutes, with hands and feet submerged in the hot water Repeat above steps for a total of 5 rounds. Do this every other day for 10 days. My friend's experience: "I did this in the dead of Colorado winter, and it was well below freezing outside. Instead of messing around with buckets and coolers, I used a bathtub inside and a hot tub outside. I filled the tub up with hot water and pulled a chair up to it and plunged my hands and feet in, and then after the time was up, went outside and did the same in the hot tub. Having a partner would help manage the water temps if you were doing this with buckets/coolers. I feel like they'd need some topping off to keep the water hot enough, especially after being outside in the cold for that long." Another overview of the treatment and theory of why it works here: nytimes.com/1988/01/19/scie…

Very interesting read... Going to pass this on and have her try it out.

SinRopa wrote: Another overview of the treatment and theory of why it works here: nytimes.com/1988/01/19/scie…

This article just turned 28 years old. I wonder if treatment has developed or improved since then. Worth looking into. This is the first time I have ever heard of Raynauds.

trentbrown wrote: This article just turned 28 years old. I wonder if treatment has developed or improved since then. Worth looking into. This is the first time I have ever heard of Raynauds.

My wife is an MD and there are medical treatments like calcium channel blockers for those that experience severe Raynauds. I think she wants to try and get through a winter here in Alaska first before resorting to using something like that.

Update...

I got her the La Sportiva G2's and we just spent 2 days in an Avalanche class up here in Alaska. So lots of standing around in deep snow ie. good conditions for her feet to get really cold. Heading into the trip she was bracing for miserable conditions and by the end she was shocked, her feet NEVER got cold. I can't think of a better test subject with severe Raynaud's the G2's are legit!