Choosing footwear

[hawgorn]

Hello, a newbie to the Himalayan area here. I've read the faq, but I'd still like some input about choosing footwear. My wife and I will be doing the ABC trek in November with a group, so guide and porters are a given.

I've used these Haglöfs boots (http://www.haglofs.com/en-us/products/footwear/trekking/men/haglofs_solid_hi_en-us.aspx) for backpackig (20-30kg load) in the Finnish Laplands and Norwegian fjells. They are sturdy, but obviously heavy. Are they too heavy and maybe too high shaft? My other choice is these Zamberlans (http://www.zamberlan.com/catalog/index.php?lang=en&pg=prod&idprod=244&idcat=2) which are my "city users" for rain, snow and sleet here in the cold North. Thank you for any advice.

[Petrus]

Out of those two the Zamberlans of course. If there is snow you will encounter it only for one or two days. I have been there twice in joggers (in -84 model Adidas..., and there was 30 cm of snow) and with trail runners (2009, some snow beyond MBC). I would use just trail runners again, or something like this:

http://www.salomon.com/us/product/xa-pro-3d-mid-gtx-ultra.html

People tend to "overboot", trails are better than they are in Lapland.

[hawgorn]

Thank you Petrus. I guess I'll take the Zamberlans for "wootwear" :)

[yakshaver]

Out of those two the Zamberlans of course. If there is snow you will encounter it only for one or two days. I have been there twice in joggers (in -84 model Adidas..., and there was 30 cm of snow) and with trail runners (2009, some snow beyond MBC). I would use just trail runners again, or something like this:

http://www.salomon.com/us/product/xa-pro-3d-mid-gtx-ultra.html

People tend to "overboot", trails are better than they are in Lapland.

I agree, with the fact that people tend to "overboot" for Nepal. Most treks are much better than the trains I have done in my native Carpathians, the Alps, the New Zealand Alps, and many bushwalks in Australia.

Still, thinking about going down Cho La, or even Thorung La a few years back- and especially planning for Larkya La in a few weeks time in January, I am thankful that I do have my heavy duty La Sportiva Makalu pair. Great for the ice (can take technical crampons) and scree. I was flying straight down the scree at some incredible angle, no zig-zagging! For the rest of the trek (apart from the high passes) I was wearing lighter footwear - I have the Zamberlans right now, awesome boot!. But I change into the "overboot" (ueberboot, shall we say...) for when my confidence levels are affected.

[Petrus]

The problem with boots is that people think only about the worst place they are possibly going to get into during the trek, not what 98% of the conditions are likely to be. So, there might be snow on Thorong La during one day, and you clomp along for three weeks with those great Makalus or Scarpa K2 or what ever, I have seen a big German group starting form Dhumre on plastic Koflachs even! That was in -86.

Last time I was up there for 52 days of trekking I had mid weight Scarpa boots, and trail runners. I wore the boots two times: When coming back from Samagaon in 30 cm of fresh snow (trail runners would have served well), and while crossing Kang La from Nar-Phu (not really needed there either).

With porters having boots is fine, as they carry them, for my peace of mind. If I have to carry them I just leave them at home, for the normal routes including Cho La, Thorong La etc. Deep winter with warmth issues is a different matter, as are the more adventurous routes like Amphu Labtsa, Zartwa La trail to Mera etc. But when in -85 (those were the days...) I made a visit to Lho La camp 1 on Everest West Ridge at 6000m level, I had just the Adidas trainers, and the real climbers wore Nike joggers...

[yakshaver]

I guess it is also a question of weight, as I think I mentioned in other posts. You can wear runners ok if you're 65kg, provided the weather is ok for it. It is different with 89kg, and a 20kg pack. You need support. In fact you need proper support on your feet even without the 20kg pack if your're 89kg or more.