r/alpinism

I know this isn’t east coast-specific but I’m from VT originally and wanted to know your guys’ thoughts. I was up hiking by the Maroon Bells last week and you couldn’t pay me to ski that shit. Rotten snow and crazy amounts of rockfall like this mean one mistake is instant death. All over Instagram and YouTube I’ve been seeing guys underprepared mountaineering and skiing dumb stuff like this in Colorado for no reason. It doesn’t even look fun. What’s behind this new wave of idiots in the sport?? Are you guys seeing this where you’re from?

Hi!
Is it true that the mountain huts in the alps are generally warm enough to JUST bring a sleeping bag liner? And no actual sleeping bag?

Hi guys
I am a COMPLETE BEGINNER when it comes to mountaineering/alpinism, but i want to climb Dent du Geant this summer. Is this realistic?
SOME BACKGROUND INFO.
I currently hike once a week for multiple hours, 10+ kilometers and around 800-1200 meters of elevation. Besides that i also strength train often.
I have also climbed a lot of top rope, however only inside/in a gym, and i have done a lot of skiing around 3000 meters with no problems.
I will be acclimatized on the day, and i will be going with guide.
Is it realistic that i can do this? On a scale of 1-10? (1 being, not even if my life depended on it)

Looking for inspiration 🏔️ (for my digital peak book that I am building)

What’s your favorite summit or mountain hut you’ve ever been to, and why?

Hey !
Looking for an app similar to NZtopo50 for planning routes in the alps / europe.
I have “Footpath” which works decently well but what else are people using ? Thanks :)

Hello! You guys have been the best at helping me find the right gear so far, and here i am again, hoping for your help!
I am going to the alps this summer to do some 4000+ meter peaks. But i still need to find softshell pants, and gloves (yes gloves, mitts is not an option).
I am split between the following softshell pants:
Mammut Courmayeur SO.
Rab ascendor AS.
Rab torque mountain.
OR Cirque 2 or 3.
Which one would you pick in general? Which one would you pick if you tend to run cold?

And for gloves i am split between:
Rab Guide (2).
Hestra heli-ski-5 finger.
My hands run REALLY COLD REALLY EASY. Any other recommendations for gloves? (Mitts is not an option).
There is no decathalon where i live :(
Any help is MUCH appriciated!
Thank you!

Hey there, I am looking for a backpack that has 55-60 litres of capacity that is not too shitty to walk around with aka, that has somewhat of a backsystem and that still is not too shitty to carry around when doing good ammounts of scrambling. I have scouted out quite some nice packs, but I am still in uni for some time so I can not afford to drop 400 on a mountain hardwear backpack. I am also 2m tall which does not make this an easy search.

First off, I know there will be different answers depending on the application but this layer is so foreign to me, just looking for a general direction.

If you use a wind layer in your kit, where does it go? Is it an additional layer or a replacement for something else?

I’m curious if it’s used as a mid layer, if people are putting it over their mid layer as a replacement for a light synthetic jacket/softshell, or if it’s worn in addition to both a mid layer and a synthetic jacket.

Never really put much thought into a layer like this but after doing some research, might be what I’m looking for.

Again, know it’s different for everyone but just curious.

Looking for recommendations of good mountaineering shoes which are compatible with crampons and hence can be used while hiking from base to base, as well as on the summit push with decently heavy snow. I’m planning a Friendship Peak (~5,300 m) expedition. Summit day will be a gruelling 12-14 hrs stretch. On the summit day - expecting snowy terrain, atleast ankle-to-shin high with temperatures dropping to atleast -10 degrees C. Otherwise, largely rocky terrain with a warmish ambient temperature.

Trying to avoid the extremely heavy scarpa white one. Have a bit of a mental block seeing those (feels like they suck half the energy on a demanding summit push)

Hi guys!
I am going to do some mountaineering/alpinism in the alps this summer, to climb some 4000+ meter peaks. But i al split between the Mammut Trion 38, and the Osprey Mutant 38. The Mammut does not have that much back support, and no reversible hip-belt and i worry if its going to be a problem with the harness? But i really HATE the opening mechanism on the Osprey, and just the usage of it.
Which one should i get?

Hi everyone,

I’m finishing my studies this summer, and in September, at age 24, I’m planning to attempt Mont Blanc.

I don’t have a huge amount of mountaineering experience yet, so I’d really appreciate some honest opinions on whether my plan sounds realistic and responsible.

My current experience is mainly:

- Hiking to La Jonction in Chamonix

- Quite a lot of hiking on Madeira

- General good fitness background

Fitness-wise:

- Half marathon PB: 1:57

- Cycled 160 km averaging 28 km/h

- Running 2–3 times a week

- Strength training consistently for 4–5 years

I know fitness alone doesn’t equal mountaineering experience, which is why I’m trying to approach this properly.

I’ve signed up with Mont Blanc Guides, and the plan includes climbing Gran Paradiso first as acclimatization and preparation before attempting Mont Blanc.

Does this sound like a reasonable progression for someone with my background, assuming normal weather conditions and that I continue training until September?

Also, are there any specific things you think I should focus on before the trip?

Thanks!

I'm generally very curious about this area as these summits have generally received a lot more mountaineering attention than other 7000ers compared to say, the Nepalese or Pakistani 7000ers simply due to their locations in the Former Soviet Union and how institutionalized mountaineering was as a sport in that part of the world.

How difficult were these climbs? I understand that Peak Pobeda's notoriously known for being very hard, but how does it stack up to something like K2, furthermore, how difficult are the other peaks(barring Lenin) and because of their relative popularity, how extensive is the infrastructure and fixed line support here compared to other peaks in High Asia?

https://preview.redd.it/ulag3xl5zg1h1.jpg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00748a24c4d9596abcadd6f79255fedf1305546a

I know a lot of people here are probably tired of hearing about Manaslu Clothing, and normally I’d agree that influencer/brand drama is to be disregarded. But a recent email they sent out has me genuinely concerned that this may have crossed from questionable business behavior into an actual safety issue.

They are apparently organizing a guided trekking/summit trip in the Swiss Alps for around 10 people despite appearing to have very limited alpine experience and no visible guiding qualifications or mountain certifications.

At this point, I honestly think someone could get seriously hurt.

What concerns me is that the lack of experience isn’t speculation,  a lot of it is documented in their own content. Their “Three Peaks” video especially stood out to me because it shows what seems like a pretty weak understanding of alpine decision making and mountain safety.

There are repeated examples of questionable judgment and poor risk management, including continuing in poor conditions, getting caught in an avalanche after disregarding weather/snow conditions, and more recent clips of them running on steep slopes with ice axes in hand. I mean they aren't even wearing sunscreen, I thought that was mountaineering 101.

Everyone starts somewhere in mountaineering, and being inexperienced is not inherently a problem. The issue I see is attempting to lead organized groups into serious alpine terrain while presenting yourselves as capable organizers before having the experience, training, or judgment for it.

The Swiss Alps are not forgiving terrain. Poor decisions there can have consequences not only for the organizers, but also for the people trusting them to lead safely. Given the audience they seem to attract, I’d imagine many participants could be younger and relatively inexperienced themselves.

I genuinely hope nothing happens and that I’m completely wrong, but after seeing their recent email and going through their content, I can’t help shake the feeling that this is heading toward a situation where someone gets seriously hurt.

Am I overthinking this, or what would you do in this situation?