WINTER MOUNTAINEERING BOOTS
This review is the first in a new format for our comparative reviews: from now on they will involve two reviewers and be split as evenly as possible between men’s and women’s gear.
FFOR LOWLAND rambles in winter, and hillwalking where no snow is present, ‘ordinary’ three-season hillwalking footwear is just fine. But with the addition of snow and ice, hillwalking suddenly blurs into mountaineering, requiring additional skills, clothing and equipment. The most (literally) fundamental of these is footwear.
This test is specifically about footwear for more demanding terrain covered in snow and ice, where boots with stiffer soles than three-season footwear become much more useful. Winter Mountain Leader Lucy Wallace says, “From a teaching point of view, it’s impossible to impart good footwork skills in bendy boots.” In David’s journey onto steeper winter ground, he’s found more confidence, comfort and security in stiffer footwear. Why?
Even gentler inclines can become icy and threaten long sliding falls, so a firm footing is essential. A stiffer sole and wraparound rand means it’s easier to kick steps into snow and ice, which provides a solid platform and involves less stress on the toes. A stiff boot sole also makes it easier to ‘edge’ (with a scuffing or slicing motion) into snow and ice, especially when contouring on a slope. When descending it’s often necessary to ‘heel plunge’ to gain traction. Climate change has increased the variability of snow conditions with rapid freeze-thaws, and ‘big boots’ offer improved traction and waterproofing. Wet feet in winter can lead to frostnip or worse.
We’ve chosen to focus on boots with a heel ‘welt’ in this review, because they allow more secure fastening of crampons (the semi-automatic variety, with a heel clip lever and a simple front plastic basket). Winter boots are often graded in stiffness between B1-B3; we’ve mostly gone for B2s here, which aim to strike a balance between all-day comfort and technical security. B1 boots are fine for most hillwalking in
