Red Yeti's Blog

So, a couple of months to go until we set off walking the Haute Route. “We” being my girlfriend LB, and three friends.

It’s less “technical” (marginally!) than what we usually get up to given a chance to get to the mountains. I think of it as “luxury mountaineering”. In that you get to walk through mountains carrying very little gear and having meals and a bed at the end of the day. Hardly mountaineering at all!

We (that’s LB and one of the three) have done the part of the route where it shares a couple of days with the Tour of Mont Blanc. Breathtaking scenery.

I’ll be putting a few posts up about what I think is worth carrying (and what I don’t!). These posts are really meant for the people that are coming but I’ll write them in a way I hope might be interesting to others stumbling in here!

In the mean time – check out Wikipedia’s article on the Haute Route. It was a bit of a muddle so I spent a while editing it with a bit of help from our guide (writer!) on the route, Kev Reynolds.

“Suitable” footwear – What’s “suitable”? To me and to an increasing number of others it’s “approach shoes” or even “trail running shoes“.

The difference between having lightweight well designed approach shoes and clunky old leather boots is amazing. A pair of these can make the largest immediate difference to how easy I find it to move about – except perhaps for not carrying a pack!

Ask anyone that’s been with me recently in South Wales – I’ve started running up hills (with a pack on) for no apparent reason. It’s just such a pleasure, and I don’t normally enjoy running.

This isn’t some crack-pot idea used only by a few crazed thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. One of the foremost advocates of the use of approach shoes for summer and winter (using “mid” height versions) is Chris Townsend. Who, apart from having a truly awe inspiring amount of walking experience in all conditions has just become head of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (congratulations Chris!). Someone whose opinion it’s therefore hard to dismiss.

I used approach shoes the first time I did half the TMB in 2003 but for some reason persuaded myself to go back to boots until this summer. I’ve got a pair of Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCRs but it’s a bit of a hard choice between them and the Keen Targhee IIs for me (LB has a pair that she loves).

However, there’s no way to be sure without trying them on. Remember to bring any insoles like Superfeet that you might use! Even then, walking around the shop isn’t enough, you must try to hammer your toes into the front of them by stomping down a slope (any good shop outdoor shop should have one).

It’s also vital to try walking across a slope (the edge of some stairs with someone’s shoulder below you to steady you will do it). You need to let your ankles start to “turn over” and see if the cuff starts to push hard into your foot just below your ankle. Almost any shoe will do this to some extent so it can be hard to judge. But if it’s quickly uncomfortable then beware, a few kilometres of walking could bruise and/or blister it.

Finally, like anything else, remember to check for stitch faults in the pair you decide on. I was surprised to find a bad one in a pair of Montrails that I got from Snow & Rock (who replaced it of course – but they also have a three month “half your money back if they don’t fit” policy that applies no matter how much you’ve worn them).

I certainly won’t be writing this much detail about everything on here! But there are certain things that are so important to comfort on a long walk that they’re worth concentrating on. Like socks for instance.

There’s no point in spending a money on good footwear if you then put on a pair of cheap socks. We’ve tried X-Socks Smartwool and Sealskinz as well as a host of cheaper ones. The cheaper ones aren’t worthy of mention. I’ve found Bridgedales to be fine but only Thorlos give Smartwool any competition in my experience.

What we’ll take

You certainly don’t need a fresh pair of socks every day! You’d probably need an extra bag to carry them.

I’m planning to take one pair of thick Smartwools, two Smartwool liner socks and a pair of Sealskinz in case it gets really wet.

Then, each night in the hut, I’ll wash out the thick sock and liner from that day. Roll them up in my towel and squeeze the water out. They should be dry enough by the morning. Even if they’re not completely dry you’ll be putting on the dry, spare liner sock and quickly getting them damp with sweat anyhow.

Taking an extra pair of thick socks pretty much guarantees that you’ll have a dry pair each day and taking just one pair for a week seems like under doing it, but it can be done!

X-Socks

The X-Socks were of the lightweight hiking variety (I must admit I’m not sure which ones now – have you seen how many there are?). We found they were too thin and both ended a weekend with slightly sore feet but that’s our own fault really for choosing the wrong thickness. But the most off-putting thing was the smell! Being synthetic it was very, very cheesy after just a day’s walk. There are lots of people that love these socks but even with thicker ones I wouldn’t want to put up with that smell.

Smartwool

Gorgeous. Really cushioned and grippy. Best of all, because it’s only Merino wool in contact with your skin, they are amazingly smell resistant (there’s elastane in them but it’s not touching your skin). Nothing much more I can add. Wouldn’t buy anything else. Apart from a pair of…

SealSkinz

Sealskinz appear to be tougher than other brands of waterproof socks. Possibly because they’re not a laminate fabric. And to be clear – they have nothing whatsoever to do with seal skin!

Wearing waterproof socks whilst walking up hills with a pack in pouring rain obviously will not keep your feet 100% dry, but they do at least get no worse than rather damp. Which means warmer feet of course.

My first pair actually failed within four days of use but that seems to be very much the exception. Also, I simply stuck them in an envelope with a covering letter saying they leaked and they sent me a brand new pair within a week.

There are now many people that use an unlined approach shoe (no waterproof membrane), which is cooler, combined with a pair of Sealskinz when it’s wet.

Liner Socks

Both LB and I went from thinking Liner Socks were just more unnecessary faff to not wanting to be without them. They can certainly prevent blisters in our experience. The theory being that they provide a slip plane between the liner and the outer sock that prevents friction raising a blister. Smartwool make these as well.

The Haute Route in August – ah… warm and sunny. Maybe…

Obviously we need to bring water proofs. Although I’ve been hugely impressed by a pair of Paramo Cascada trousers for winter user - Paramo’s just too heavy for summer. So something light and breathable.

I’ve been amazed at how breathable eVent based clothing is. My Rab Drilium jacket has actually allowed me to dry out after I put it on over a wet t-shirt. But if I had to get a new jacket I’d probably go for the Montane Quick Fire I’ve not used one but I’ve been very, very impressed by all the Montane gear I’ve had and I hear good things about the Quick Fire in particular. They’re well cut – especially their women’s range.

For trousers it’s hard to beat the weight of the Montane Atomic Pants (“Atomic Pants” – that sounds very odd in British English!). My large ones weigh in at an amazing 178 grams and really do pack down to the size of a large orange. They’re pretty breathable (not to eVent standard but not bad at all) and the pair I have now are very waterproof. The first pair leaked like tea bags! But Montane sent me out a new pair (with a credit card number as security) that I needed in a hurry while they tested them. Sure enough there was something wrong with them and that was that. So if you have a pair that don’t seem right – send them back!

With my long legs and a pair of approach shoes the rain runs straight off the trouser legs and into my shoes. So I spent a while looking for small, short, light gaiters. And a thread on OM turned up the perfect pair (all outdoor knowledge is there… somewhere…). They’re made by a Canadian company called Integral Designs who are a very nice bunch of people and are happy to talk about making up kit to order should you be so inclined (I haven’t have anything made… so far). Shortie eVent Gaiters are perfect. At 70 grams for the pair including the stuff sac there’s no reason not to throw them in the bag.

And of course – the SealSkinz socks I might have already briefly mentioned in an earlier post.

One bit of kit that’s proved to be incredibly useful in the recent sun/rain/wind cycle that we seem to be running through every half an hour in the UK has been a Montane Lite Speed wind proof. Fantastic bit of kit that I wish I could have bought years ago. It has a really big range of comfortable conditions from sun (with wind) through to a showers. And with mine weighing only 186 grams (large) and packing down, as they say on the site, to the size of an apple it’s always with me. But, probably not on the HR. I’m expecting warm and dry, or wet and soggy. So at the moment I think it might stay at home. I’d be interested to know if anyone would take one though?

So that’s

• Waterproof jacket
• Waterproof trousers
• “Shortie” gaiters
• Waterproof socks
• Possibly a wind proof

The Haute Route in August – ah… warm and sunny. Dust-dry trails, roiling heat haze rising from glaring rocks… Here’s hoping!

Sunblock

Sunblock is a no-brainer. The excellent and amazingly comprehensive web site over at Needle Sports (no I’m not sponsored by them – exactly the reverse in fact) has some nice smallish tubes of sun cream that should last for the whole route for one person. I’ve been looking for an alcohol based gel block for the last ten years (since I used some in Australia) but I’ve only just managed to find one in the UK. Garnier have brought out Ambre Solaire Clear Protect Gel that dries almost immediately with hardly any residue. Pretty strong on the perfume though! Not tried it properly yet but next year I might try Lighthiker’s trick of squeezing some into a plastic soft drink bag.

Sunglasses

I’d count sunglasses as essential in the Alps in summer (and winter of course!). Although I’m happiest without them, even I can’t put up with the glare coming off the rock for hours on end. And there’s good evidence that exposing your eyes to that much UV will damage them in the long run. A wrap around pair is preferable of course just to keep the light to a minimum. Also, it’s possible for cheaper specs to be worse than no glasses at all since they may not block the UV properly. Because they’re dark, your pupils enlarge but since the they’re not blocking the UV your eye is getting even more UV exposure than it would have done if you just squinted. So, probably not worth skimping on the price too much.

I’ve just come across the Adidas Evil Eye sun glasses. The interesting thing for me is the versions that come with the ability to convert into ski goggles. The arms click out and are replaced with a head band and there’s a thin foam insert that clips to the back of the frames to form a seal. They also have a clip-in prescription lens available that you can take to an optician and have ground for your eyes. I’m not sure how well they’d work with regard to condensation since they’re only single skinned but the potential weight and bulk savings make them look very interesting…

Hat

I’ve always hated hats but something has just converted me: An LTM6 Airflo Tilley Hat

These things are beautifully put together and thought out. They deliberatly don’t fit closely to your head but instead sit on top of it loosely with a comfortable chin strap to stop it blowing off. The strap works well and has kept it on my head whilst walking over the windy tops of South Wales recently. I read recently that Ryan Jordan reckons his Tilley is his favourite bit of kit (notice he’s almost always wearing one in pictures) and Chris Townsend gave the Tilley T3 a “Best Buy” in a recent TGO review

Extra Water Container

Typically I only carry two litres of water but I’m going to bring an extra bottle in case it’s very warm. For once I’m not about to recommend some cutting-edge, shiny bit of gear for this: an old tonic water bottle is perfect!

Any plastic bottle that’s been used for storing fizzy drink works. They’re made of much tougher stuff than the ones for still water. Wash it out, fill it with hot water and bicarbonate of soda for a couple of days, wipe off the sticky label residue with meths or white gas and your done. Tonic water bottles seem to have the least residual taste/smell from whatever they held before.

In summary:

• Sunblock
• Hat
• Extra water container