B2 or B3 for Grossglockner/Breithron/Grand Paradiso/Matterhorn/Mont Blanc, with an eye toward 5-6k peaks later?
Hey all, trying to figure out my mountaineering boot situation and could use some input.
I'm still fairly new to this, the highest/most technical thing I've done so far is Triglav. So I don't have a ton of personal reference for how B2 vs B3 actually feels on steeper alpine terrain yet, which is part of why I'm asking rather than just trusting my own judgment here.
Near-term goals in order (next few seasons):
* Grossglockner (Normalweg)
* Breithorn
* Grand Paradiso
* Matterhorn (Hörnli ridge)
* Mont Blanc (Goûter route)
After completing these gouals would like to go up in elevation where a B3 is necesarry
I found two solid deals locally and I'm trying to decide if I actually need B3 now or if B2 covers everything on my near-term list:
- Scarpa Ribelle HD (B2) - around 165€
- Simond Ice Evo (B3) - around 185€
My actual questions:
- Is B2 genuinely enough for all four of my near-term peaks, or does the Matterhorn/Mont Blanc combo push you toward wanting B3 for confidence on steeper icy sections? Tho Matterhorn has been crumbling as of late.
- Would you just buy both (one lighter B2 for the easier days/multi-day approaches, one stiffer boot for the technical days) given the prices are decent, or is that overkill for someone still building toward 5-6k objectives? I wouldd only like to buy one if thats possible.
Appreciate any first-hand experience, especially from anyone who's done Matterhorn or Mont Blanc in a B2 boot vs B3 and especially from people who were also relatively new when they stepped up to that kind of terrain. Don't want to under-gear myself out of inexperience, but also don't want to overspend/overbuild for where I'm actually at right now.