Hello! I'm Aloys, I'm passionate about mountaineering and today I'm going to tell you about the equipment I take in my mountain bag!
I'm a big fan of light, the lighter the bag, the faster you go! So we're generally looking at a very minimalist bag!
How to choose your mountaineering equipment?
A mountaineer's bag is a bit like his home.
It must be light, but above all comfortable.
Preparing your bag is the starting point of your climb. It shouldn't be overlooked, as it plays a major role in the success of your climb.
Here are some tips I've learned through experience to help you lighten your pack while still having the necessary mountaineering gear.
Tip #1 - Travel light!
To reduce the weight of your bag, you'll have to get rid of so-called "comfort" items, since it's the accumulation of small, light items that end up weighing a lot! This is the case, for example, with a change of clothes, a toothbrush, or soap. When you're going away for two days, you can do without them.
Tip #2 - Limit accessories as much as possible
Choose a bag without accessories, as they're heavy, bulky, and not always very useful. Do you really need a solar panel on your bag to watch the latest episode of your favorite series on the approach march?
Tip #3 - Bag balance
Pack your bag and adjust it properly! It may seem silly to some, but a well-balanced bag is theoretically not lighter, but you can definitely feel it.
If the tightening is well adjusted at the hips, the shoulders will suffer less.
Packing your bag properly means not putting all the heavy gear on the right and the light gear on the left. It's important to always adapt to your run. For example, if you're only taking out your crampons the next day, put them at the bottom of the bag, while your water bottle should generally be placed on top.
Tip #4 - Organize your nutrition
Where there is water, there is food.
And again, we try to have the best possible weight/nutrition ratio.
We have rarely seen mountaineers eating light salads on the north face of the Grandes Jorasses.
They will generally look more like Yannick Seigneur with a good quantity of sausage and foie gras!
Without going to that extreme, we try to eat high-calorie foods that don't require too much water. Snickers are really good, but you need half a liter of water before you can breathe again!
This is also something to think about to optimize weight.
And speaking of Snickers, aside from being high in calories, it has packaging, and packaging is heavy! So we try to use as little of it as possible, for example by removing the protective covers and pouches that allow us to store the equipment.
Tip #5 - Don't neglect preparing your bag
As mentioned above, packing your bag is the beginning of the race. We try to choose only the appropriate equipment.
We've all seen or carried our latest trendy gadget around with us, but do we really need it?
Do we really need a GPS on the Promenade des Anglais?
A complete hauling kit in the Verdon?
A pair of crampons in the Vercors in the middle of summer?
6L of water for a 1 hour climb?
You have to be as logical as possible about the equipment you're going to use depending on your race. Preparation is an art!
Which backpack for mountaineering?
To begin, we will talk about the bag itself.
I use the ALPHA FL 30L from ARC'TERYX.
It is sturdy, it does not take on water, the bag closing system is easy and practical to handle, even with mountaineering gloves!
All this for only 635 grams if you don't cut the few centimeters of straps to make it a little lighter.
Next, we'll put in the only piece of equipment that I consider mandatory for any outing, whether it's a short multi-pitch route in the Verdon, a ski descent of the Vallée Blanche, or a quick trip to the Grandes Jorasses: the first aid kit, with the bare minimum needed to get out of a bad injury.
Inside the backpack: mountain safety equipment
My mountaineering practice is more oriented towards big walls, so I will put in my bag the mountaineering equipment necessary for a rocky or mixed climb.
The harness
Two things common to both practices is the harness.
An essential safety feature, I currently use the "Choucas Pro" from Blue Ice. Versatile in practice, comfortable and, once again, especially light at 140g for a size M.
The quickdraws
I use the “Nineteen G” from Edelrid.
It's the lightest quickdraw on the market: it's ultra minimalist and therefore ultra light 46g per quickdraw!
Afterwards, I lengthen half of my quickdraws with 80cm slings from Beal and add the carabiners from these same quickdraws.
The strings
So quickdraws are all well and good, but you have to be able to use them!
For this I will use a double rope, a “Gully” from Béal in 50m with its 7.3mm diameter and 36g per meter, you can’t get any lighter!
Depending on the difficulty of the course, you may find yourself hoisting the bag. For this, I use a strand entirely made of Dyneema without a sheath, also in 50m. It weighs 15gr/m and is 5mm in diameter and can possibly be used as a backup, during a rappel for example if one of the two Gully strands is damaged due to falling rocks (or other things).
Helmet
Rockfalls aren't just on the rope, but also on the forehead! That's why we invented the helmet to try to provide a minimum of protection. Personally, I use a classic, the "Sirocco" from Petzl.
In low light conditions, you can add a headlamp. I use the Petzl "Iko Core," which is also ultra-light, weighing only 79g! It fits perfectly on the Sirocco.
Mountaineering shoes and crampons
Now let's talk about shoes.
For summer mountaineering I wear my “Véloce GTX” from Dolomite, which I’m a huge fan of.
If I had to choose three words to describe it: light, versatile and precise.
Despite its lightness (540g for a size 42), this mountaineering shoe still allows you to climb and put your feet down!
And with these ultra-light shoes, I use “Leopard Flexlock” crampons from Petzl, also ultra-light, and perfect for approaches on snow and not having too much weight in the bag afterwards!
For the winter season, I use Scarpa's "Phamtom Tech" mountaineering boots, a warm but lightweight model; they are the perfect compromise for being fast and efficient without ever being cold.
With these boots, I use Petzl "Dart" crampons. Single-pointed for ice climbing and double-pointed if needed in a snow corridor, and without ever lacking bite!
Climbing shoes: (optional equipment depending on your type of race)
The eternal dilemma of the mountaineer setting out on a ridge route is the question of whether to stick to the "big ones" (meaning big mountaineering shoes) or whether to take slippers, to be more comfortable in the climbing steps... at the risk of adding to the equipment list.
The choice depends on several criteria: the difficulty and continuity of the passages to be crossed, the level of climbing required for the race, and your comfort in the mountains.
It's up to you to choose depending on your habits and the timing of your race!
By the way, for rock climbing I use “Edge” lace-up climbing shoes from Simond.
Basic belaying equipment
Then we find all the classic belaying equipment:
- carabiners: for this I use the Petzl "Attache" carabiners. Lightweight, with a large opening, perfect for building a belay.
- a belay system: for a certain comfort and not to push the vice of light to the extreme, we will do without belaying with a half cab or with a minimalist wooden plate. Here I use the classic Petzl Reverso with which I have been accustomed since childhood.
- straps: I also use “Pur’anneau” straps from Petzl, adapting the sizes to the terrain I’m going to be on.
Specific belaying equipment for ice
For the necessary equipment for ice climbing, you need a screw and an ice axe.
The ice screws I use are the “Laser Speed Light” from Petzl.
They are lightweight and have superb grip on ice despite their ultra-light weight!
For the ice axe, I use the Black Diamond Viper. Versatile is the best term to describe it.
Specific belaying equipment for rock
For the rock I use chocks, the "Camalots C4 Ultra light" from Black Diamond for the large sizes, and "Alien" from Alien for the small sizes.
I also have pitons of all kinds, it all depends on the rock!
And to finish the list: overview, nutrition and hydration of course!
And of course, I definitely don't forget the guidebook, which I print out on paper, not just on my phone!! We'll make sure to keep it away from water!
Then we have in our bag we also have something to drink and eat, I tend to take little water and to look carefully at my route to know if I will have enough to refill my bottle on the way. For water, I use a basic plastic bottle with a wide cap preferably. An Ice Tea bottle does the job perfectly: it will be easier to take water on a glacier.
Being a fan of fast and light, I don't take a stove and I eat cold food in the mountains.
I also eat very little or nothing, for example for a race like the Éperon Walker, or the Devies Gervasutti in Ailefroide, I take a 200g packet of Haribo Smurfs.
How to dress for mountaineering?
My ideal outfit for going to the high mountains
What is the difference between mountaineering and climbing?
Mountaineering and rock climbing are vertical activities that involve climbing rock faces. However, there are some important differences between the two disciplines.
Climbing
Rock climbing is an activity that involves climbing on rocks or artificial walls, in designated areas, either outdoors or indoors. The two main disciplines of sport climbing are climbing and bouldering.
Bouldering is practiced on low walls without ropes or harnesses. Climbers use climbing shoes and crash pads to protect themselves in case of a fall. The focus is on technique, strength, and agility, rather than height or speed.
Difficult climbing, on the other hand, is practiced at height, generally on cliffs or artificial walls. Climbers use a rope and a harness to protect themselves in case of a fall. Since the routes are longer in difficulty, this adds the parameters of height and endurance compared to bouldering.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive activity that includes not only rock climbing, but also high-altitude walking, glacier hiking, icefall climbing, the use of mountaineering equipment such as ice axes and crampons, and sometimes even rappelling.
In other words, mountaineering is a more comprehensive activity that involves more diverse skills and equipment than rock climbing.
The first ascents are generally made up of short courses allowing the physical condition and technique of the new mountaineer to be validated.
Mountaineering is a mountain activity that involves climbing peaks, glaciers, or steep rock faces. Requiring great endurance, good physical condition, and extensive mountain experience, mountaineers use specialized equipment, such as mountaineering boots, harnesses, carabiners, and crampons, to travel safely in the mountains.
In short, climbing is a discipline that comprises mountaineering. Climbing equipment (shoes, harness, and rope) does not allow you to traverse steep mountain ranges while climbing.
