Thoughts on mountaineering boots for winter 14ers?

[Natelovestoclimb]

I've heard many different opinions on the use of mountaineering boots for winter 14ers so i'd like to hear what yall think.

[cottonmountaineering]

winter 14er boot tier list IMO

1- ski/snowboard boots + skis/splitboard
2- kamiks/sorels with the rubber bottoms (warm, light, comfy, can put snowshoes on them)
3- trail runners + warm socks
...
99 actual mountaineering boots because they are heavy, clunky, uncomfortable, and unnecessary in winter

an argument could be made about mountaineering boots for spring but couloirs are generally not avy safe in the winter

[Veory]

ski/snowboard boots

I can assure you long talus hikes in ski boots are, in fact, very not fun.

I get cold feet and need a full on boot if I'm not in ski boots, but I'm also looking to hear what other people have to say

[mtree]

It all depends on the conditions and how long you plan on being out.

I just use my summer hiking boots with warm socks. I wear my snowboard pants which also act as a gaiter and wind/snow protection. In fact, except for NO snowboard boots or helmet, my entire winter setup is my winter snowboard setup! Pretty simple swap.

I find snowboard boots a bit unwieldy and crappy traction. I also have a pair of warm winter boots (hunting?) I've used, but I consider them overkill. I prefer mittens over gloves.

[Anima]

Depends on the terrain:

Class 2-3: Salomon Tundra Forces. Excellent winter hiking boots. They are "comfort rated" to 40 below or something like that. My feet are always warm in them. I usually bring microspikes with them as the soles could use some more traction.

Class 3+ or need crampons: La Sportiva G2 SM. Another excellent boot, although they don't make it any more and the successor, the G2 evo, is much more uncomfortable. Is a double boot overkill for some days in Colorado? sure. On other days, they aren't.

One thing I don't understand about people: the obsession with running shoes for 13ers and 14ers. In the summer, fine, but in the winter, really? The only application of these in the winter that even seems reasonable is if you are going out on a very nice day where you know you don't have to break trail. Something like Bierdstadt when its going to be 25 degrees and there isn't a storm coming in overnight. I think people who only wear running shoes in the winter are arrogant. Arrogant enough to think nothing will happen to them. If someone on here has a story about being forced to spend an unplanned night out (no sleeping bag, sitting cause you're hurt, etc—not merely walking in the dark) during the winter in only running shoes and doesn't have frostbite damage, I would love to hear it. Perhaps people don't want to spend the money on real winter boots so they try to get away with what they already have and it has happened to work out for them.

If I used running shoes on everything I've done in the winter I would no longer have any toes. Perhaps I climb in too many storms. Even three season boots have left my feet seriously cold in storms in October.

Don't use running shoes until you know what you're doing. And even then you are rolling the dice.

[Monster5]

^Trail runner rant spoken like someone who doesn't own La Sportiva Blizzards.

Agree mountaineering boots aren't necessary for most (arguably any) standard winter 14er routes. The technical difficulty at which they come out depends on the person. Some stiffness is still nice for snowshoe or lightweight strap crampons to keep from pinching or sliding too much.

Modern mountaineering boot soles are so thin and not durable these days, and the boots so expensive, that I can't help but wince at seeing folk wear their nice mountaineering boots on local rocky training hikes.

[wineguy]

I agree with much of what has been said. I never wore mountaineering boots until I climbed Rainier, and that was because RMI required them. I was very happy to have them. My feet tend to run warm, but not after hiking several hours in the cold of night. The boots provided much needed water protection and warmth. Mountaineering boots are especially helpful if you're hiking in slushy conditions where regular boots could soak through. That said, I did fine with my Asolo GTX hiking boots on Mt. Hood, Granite Peak MT, Gannett Wy, a few winter 14ers, and many other snow climbs. Mountaineering boots definitely help keep your feet warm and dry, but whether they are necessary depends on you and the conditions.

[DaveLanders]

There is a big asymmetry in the risk associated with this decision. If your footwear is too warm or heavy then you may be a little uncomfortable on your trip but that's it. If your feet aren't warm enough then you might lose toes or worse.

[Anima]

^Trail runner rant spoken like someone who doesn't own La Sportiva Blizzards.

Agree mountaineering boots aren't necessary for most (arguably any) standard winter 14er routes. The technical difficulty at which they come out depends on the person. Some stiffness is still nice for snowshoe or lightweight strap crampons to keep from pinching or sliding too much.

Modern mountaineering boot soles are so thin and not durable these days, and the boots so expensive, that I can't help but wince at seeing folk wear their nice mountaineering boots on local rocky training hikes.

I just don't like trail runners because the people who wear them make me feel slow.

Monster5 you have a nice winter check list. I would be curious to hear exactly what boots you wore up Capitol, the Bells, Jagged, Dallas, Vestal, etc. in the winter. If you did any of those in La Sportiva Blizzards I will overnight-ship myself a pair.

I agree that people shouldn't be banging up their $800+ boots on things like Grays just for the hell of it. I can see a use case for something special like the La Sportiva Blizzards, but stuff like that hasn't been specified by previous posters—the term "trail runners" brings to my mind the La Sportiva Bushido II and the likes, which just doesn't seem like a great idea for winter endeavoring. Hiking boots (waterproof), or even better, winter hiking boots, seem to fit that sort of activity.

Here's a list of boots I've seen people (all of whom have a decent amount of winter summits—so no "one off" wonders) wear in Colorado during the winter:
La Sportiva G2 evo
La Sportiva Spantik
Scarpa Phantom Tech
Scarpa F1s (when on skis)
Salomon Tundra Forces + other similar well insulated "winter" hiking boots, though I don't know the brands.
La Sportiva Nepal Cubes

Again not saying trail runners can't be used—off the top of my head I can think of a trip report from a couple of guys who used them (though I'm pretty sure a winter version, something like the Blizzards) on one of the last days of calendar winter to get the Chicago basin peaks. In my experience, people aren't typically using those.

[Anima]

There is a big asymmetry in the risk associated with this decision. If your footwear is too warm or heavy then you may be a little uncomfortable on your trip but that's it. If your feet aren't warm enough then you might lose toes or worse.

This. Excellent way of putting it.

[cottonmountaineering]

There is a big asymmetry in the risk associated with this decision. If your footwear is too warm or heavy then you may be a little uncomfortable on your trip but that's it. If your feet aren't warm enough then you might lose toes or worse.

people get nasty blisters wearing mountaineering boots when not appropriate, if your feet arent warm enough all you have to do is go down

lets be real here though doing "winter 14ers" for most people is just running up and down quandary in a couple hours on a nice day

[timewarp01]

Blizzard gang