What are you all using for mountain hunts in the "stan" countries? I am asking about hunts where the temperature can easily drop to below 0 on the Fahrenheit scale.

If your hunt involves horses it's a pretty challenging find but Schnees seem to be the best choice but they aren't super warm but a good compromise when you need to walk lots and ride horses.

I've always been a firm believer in over size stirrups for these occasions.

Grizz

Don't forget Sock Liners and Dirty Tough or Smartwool socks.

No horses.

It is seriously cold. I am concerned.

Larry,

I hate teh cold, but do spend a lot of time walking in frozen areas in the Alps and mountains in BC in Canada.

I buy cold weather boots from Amazon - Columbia - that are certified to minus 30 plus degrees.

Works great.

For what its worth I have summited 21 CO 14'ers during the winter months using Scarpa Mont Blanc's. Several of those days it got REALLY REALLY COLD! I also slip them on for winter hiking here in Wisconsin. If you stay active, especially at elevation, you don't really need a ton of insulation to say warm. Also, and I don't know if it matters, crampon compatible boots are a god send if you are ever in a situation where you are putting on and removing them over and over again.

I find toe warmers to big a big help they let me wear lighter boots and still keep warm.

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
For what its worth I have summited 21 CO 14'ers during the winter months using Scarpa Mont Blanc's. Several of those days it got REALLY REALLY COLD!

That is impressive. Which ones have you done in the winter? I have done quite a few but only one in the winter and it was the easiest: Bierstadt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODeqTYdhUQ&t=231s



If you are doing Tajikistan you will most likely have very little "outside" time. There was a lot of glassing from the trucks and then a stalk was planned. The longest time was on my ibex, we were out about an hour and a half.Husband's marco polo was probably less than a 15 minute climb and shoot.

I agree completely with the Canadian's post about staying active and shoe warmth. We just returned from Greenland where my husband did the Polar Bear Challenge (a marathon and a half) across the ice fields. It was brutally cold but everyone wore running shoes and spikes.

One of the runner's posted a video (see link).

[/QUOTE]

That is impressive. Which ones have you done in the winter? I have done quite a few but only one in the winter and it was the easiest: Bierstadt.[/QUOTE]

Bierstadt is a nice one to do in the winter as long as there is a trail to follow. It gets a dicy if you have to navigate your way through the willows. I have done a few more in what is still considered 'fall' but I tried to stay out of the big mountains during the spring.

The List:
Pikes Peak-both routes

Bierstadt then took the saddle over to Evans-Side note: the snave fantastic route to try in the summer.

Longs Peak-Old cables route. This one took about 5 tries before the weather and the mountain cooperated

Quandary Peak-normal route but also did the north side in the fall

Democrate/Lincoln/ Cameron/ Bross- this took two trips. The first trip the wind was so bad on Bross we had to crawl to the summit.

Sherman- normal route?

Greys/Torreys Peak- Went up Kelso ridge and down the normal route.

Normal routes on Missouri/ Oxford/ Belford- same trip

Huron Peak- normal route and sucked!!

Mt. Massive and Mt. Evans- Over night trip

Mt Yale and Mt. Princeton- Another overnight trip

Mt. Holy Cross- There was almost no trail to speak of going in. It ended up taking us 3 days (only planned for 2) to get it done. Thankfully conditions were right and we were able to go up the cross couloir.

Pyramid Peak- Took us three days due to weather

I tried Capital peak with a group of people but we were not able to summit, we came close though.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I find toe warmers to big a big help they let me wear lighter boots and still keep warm.

The problem with that is the lack of oxygen at the high elevations. Most of these work by exposure to oxygen. The elevation impairs their usefulness.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODeqTYdhUQ&t=231s



If you are doing Tajikistan you will most likely have very little "outside" time. There was a lot of glassing from the trucks and then a stalk was planned. The longest time was on my ibex, we were out about an hour and a half.Husband's marco polo was probably less than a 15 minute climb and shoot.

I agree completely with the Canadian's post about staying active and shoe warmth. We just returned from Greenland where my husband did the Polar Bear Challenge (a marathon and a half) across the ice fields. It was brutally cold but everyone wore running shoes and spikes.

One of the runner's posted a video (see link).

It can be the luck of the draw from what I understand. Personally, I prefer to be outside walking. I just don't know how realistic this is.

I can also remember my last sheep hunt. We sat there for 5 hours waiting for the sheep to move one day. At -15, it doesn't sound like fun were we to try something like that .

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:

That is impressive. Which ones have you done in the winter? I have done quite a few but only one in the winter and it was the easiest: Bierstadt.[/QUOTE]

Bierstadt is a nice one to do in the winter as long as there is a trail to follow. It gets a dicy if you have to navigate your way through the willows. I have done a few more in what is still considered 'fall' but I tried to stay out of the big mountains during the spring.

The List:
Pikes Peak-both routes

Bierstadt then took the saddle over to Evans-Side note: the snave fantastic route to try in the summer.

Longs Peak-Old cables route. This one took about 5 tries before the weather and the mountain cooperated

Quandary Peak-normal route but also did the north side in the fall

Democrate/Lincoln/ Cameron/ Bross- this took two trips. The first trip the wind was so bad on Bross we had to crawl to the summit.

Sherman- normal route?

Greys/Torreys Peak- Went up Kelso ridge and down the normal route.

Normal routes on Missouri/ Oxford/ Belford- same trip

Huron Peak- normal route and sucked!!

Mt. Massive and Mt. Evans- Over night trip

Mt Yale and Mt. Princeton- Another overnight trip

Mt. Holy Cross- There was almost no trail to speak of going in. It ended up taking us 3 days (only planned for 2) to get it done. Thankfully conditions were right and we were able to go up the cross couloir.

Pyramid Peak- Took us three days due to weather

I tried Capital peak with a group of people but we were not able to summit, we came close though.[/QUOTE]

My fav hike in CO is to get dropped off at Guanella Pass, hike to the left side, do up to the flat plateau about 13K, then climb to Mt Evans by passing over the Sawtooth. Then over to Rosalie, traverse the ridge/mountains going east, then drop down to come out near Lion's Head. Takes 2 days. Never done it in the winter.

https://www.irishsetterboots.com/

Larry, I have used a 800-1000 gram insulation boot from Irish Setter. Then you are able to do some normal walking and climbing.

Morten

This is really very strange.

Just came back from the Swiss Alps.

I have boots I bought there, says they are good to -18 C.

I was up a 3330 Meyer mountain, and temperature was -17.

No problem with cold feet at all.

Another day I was up the same mountain, temperature was -13.

My toes felt they were going to fall off, freezing completely!!

Just got one pair that are rated to -32 C.

Will try them next.

A huge factor for cold/warm feet is moisture. Small amounts of moisture can make a huge difference and often explain why you have cold feet on one day and warm feet on the other.
What helps me is a thin under layer sock under your wool socks.

I would second what sheephunterab stated and go with pacs. Whites, Schnees, or Hoffman. My preference is the Hoffman Outback. They have a heel stabilizer eyelet that helps lock in the heel and they climb better than the other pacs, IMO.

You can get different thickness of liners for pacs, and you can take two or three pair of liners. Change them out daily to keep a dry pair on your feet.

The best advice I ever got for keeping my feet warm was not to snug up my laces so much. You restrict blood flow. Blood flow warms the feet, restrict it and you guaranty cold feet.

The mountaneering boots suggested by thecanadian would be good, but I don't think you need a boot that stiff.

Jeremy

Canadian/AAZ:

Ruined my knee's going in to Capital Peak.
Hell of it is: Aug '70, summer hike.
Never had legs worth a damn since. I was 26 then. Will turn 75 end of this month.

Wish you the best, and Larry too.

Good contact Larry would be Bobby7634 or whatever the numbers are. He's been over there more than once.

George

The hunt is over. It was cold, damn cold! It was below 0F every morning. I remember some days with -12F.

I used two different boots. Solomon Toundra Pro as well as some Irish Setter boots that had 1,000 grams of insulation. Both were lite. Both were inexpensive. Both kept my feet warm.

I lived in the North West Territories in the cold old days. A month of -40F everyday for a month was common for January. The best foot gear was moccasin rubbers, moccasins and duffle sock over wool socks.

The next best was boots with felt liners, over one or two pairs of wool socks.

But here is the secret; Always wear fresh dry socks made of wool or some poly wool blend. Never cotton! "cotton kills". For a real cold hard day spray a little deodorant on you feet so the don't sweat as much.

Also never wear cotton underwear when it's real cold. Use wool or poly blend.