Gratton89 wrote:Haven't read any replies from anyone. Just read your initial question/ post.
That being said, I climbed rainier with IMG 4 years ago and you wont be disapointed. Great guides and I even went the climb the mexican volcanos with them the next year.
When I first went on Rainier, I was in your position and owned almost no mountaineering gear since I live in Ottawa and the biggest mountains around are the daks. If youre like me and dont have a mountaineering store near by, I suggest your rent the boots from IMG. They had plastic boots and at least they will give you the feel for plastic. Everyone knows how it feels to walk in synthetic boots like the evos but plastic boots are an other animal. After renting plastic I ended up buying Koflach EXPE boots.
Ive had them for 3 years now and they are bomb proof. Used them in mexico and chile for high expedition stuff and use them at -30 in the daks and new hampshire. Ive never been cold with them.
If you plan on doing denali in the near futur, try to get something that is at the minimum warm enough for that. Which the Expe are.
Sorry if I cant help you with size, but I really recommend you rent. You will get a feel for boots, size and you will have the chance to talk to guides (the best guys in the biz) about potential boots for your plan.
Fyi. Im also 27 and always looking for hiking, climbing or mountaineering partners in the north east. Let me know if you need any othe advice on IMG or gear.
Hope I helped

Awesome man, I really appreciate the input! What kind of double plastics did you rent from IMG? Getting a lot of recommendations for the Expe, which would definitely be nice to take on the colder areas... Boots are pretty much the only thing I haven't gotten yet... Will probably take your advice on renting and see how that goes, then make a decision on what to purchase... I'm always down to do some hiking and climbing anywhere in the NE... I was thinking about heading to NH or somewhere this winter and do something. Let me know what kind of plans you have for this coming season and we'll do it! I definitely have a tough time finding partners around here too, especially anyone who can keep up. Thanks again man!

eastcoastarmy - IMG rents Koflach Expes.

I'm the same height and shoe size as you, and I bought and had to return a pair of size 13 Nepal Evo GTXs. They were way too narrow for my feet, and just too small in general. I now use a pair of size 14 Scarpa Mont Blancs, which I've worn up Adams and Hood. They aren't perfect, and I usually get blisters, but they work OK. At least they are wide enough for my feet.

If your ambitions are Rainier and beyond, maybe plastic boots are a good choice for you. If you are thinking of doing more lower mountains in the cascades, I'd recommend trying the Scarpa Mont Blancs.

Sangye wrote:I'm the same height and shoe size as you, and I bought and had to return a pair of size 13 Nepal Evo GTXs. They were way too narrow for my feet, and just too small in general. I now use a pair of size 14 Scarpa Mont Blancs, which I've worn up Adams and Hood. They aren't perfect, and I usually get blisters, but they work OK. At least they are wide enough for my feet.

If your ambitions are Rainier and beyond, maybe plastic boots are a good choice for you. If you are thinking of doing more lower mountains in the cascades, I'd recommend trying the Scarpa Mont Blancs.

What size EU were the Evo's that didn't fit you? Would that be a 47 or a 48 in EU? I'll have to look into the Mont Blancs as well... Will probably end up renting at IMG before making a decision on what to purchase, unless I end up traveling somewhere that has boots that I can try on I'm not even sure anywhere in my state has somewhere that carries mountaineering boots), but I definitely feel your pain on the footwear issue.... Do the normal extender bars on the crampons fit your boots pretty well? And what size gaiters do you use with those boots... I just returned some OR Crocs in XXL because they were massive, have a pair of XL's on the way now.

I've found that the majority of climbers find a good fit from LS (narrow forefoot) or from Scarpa (wide forefoot). Try on as many brands as you can get your hands on to find the brand that fits your foot best. A cobbler well versed in fitting boots can suggest additional refinements to the boots like stretching certain areas, padding others, etc.

Zappos.com has free delivery, even on returns, so you can buy as many pairs in varying sizes, return what you don't want, and not get charged extra. Also, Second Ascent https://secondascent.com/collections/mo ... ring-boots is a mountaineering/bicycle shop in Seattle that has been around for over 20 years that often sell boots that were purchased and used for a single mountain then sold for between half to a quarter of the retail price. I have seen brand spanking new Koflach Erctis Extrmes, Scarpa Inverno, etc. for $100. It is worth a call to see what they may have on shelves that might fit.

If you visit Seattle, it is worth a visit, much more so than the REI Flagship store. The owner buys gear for his own collection and displays it on the store walls including Greg Child's tent from Gasherbrum IV, Ed Viesteurs' down suit he used on his solo attempt at Everest, as well as something like 50 vintage Chouinard ice tools. Ed's boots from some Everest trip were on sale (Koflach Arctis Extrem). For only being 5'10, Ed has some might big dogs: 13 US.

Also, if you stay in this game a while, you will end up with more than one pair of boots or shoes for climbing. http://www.alpineinstitute.com/articles ... -climbing/ There does not exist a single pair of boots that are suitable for every mountain and route, however, a good quality leather insulated, full shank 'all mountain' boot comes close. Some obvious examples include Scarpa Mont Blanc, La Sportiva Nepal Evo, LS Nepal Cube, Kayland Ice Pro, or Lowa Weisshorn. As an example, my current quiver, after selling and giving away quite a few pairs, include:

* Scarpa Summit - Insulated, full shank, leather all mountain boot, predecessor to the Mont Blanc

* Kayland Super Ice Pro - Insulated, full shank, leather all mountain boot. Bigger and burlier than the LS Nepal Top. Bought it specifically for ice climbing and winter alpine climbing and because they were on sale. I would descry their fit as lying between La Sportiva and Scarpa.

* Scarpa Inverno - Double Plastic boot with insulated super gaiters. For Alaska, Ranier in winter, and other very cold, extended trips. I replaced the stock liner with Intuition liners after the stocks one packed out after 10 years. Bought them in 1994, still in very serviceable condition. Koflach Arctis Extremes would be comparable.

Note that Marc Twight recommended buying plastic boots one size down, throwing out the stock lines, then replacing them with heat molded liners. Intiution liners are lighter and made from closed cell foam that does not absorb water. They are also far warmer than the stock open cell foam liners. I do know that replacing the stock liner of my Invernos with the same size Intuition left a lot of room in the boots and a rather sloppy fit. Something to consider in your hunt for a boot large enough to fit your dogs.

* Scarpa Charmoz - Summer weight, full shank mountaineering boot. Similar to the ubiquitous LS Trango, these are light so they are less noticeable in the pack when you are actually rock climbing with your rock shoes. They are much cooler than full on leather boots which is nice for the summer, but don't stand up to sharp talus like a leather boot.

* La Sportiva Boulder X approach shoes (fits on the narrow side, but climbs very well). My toes hurt after a long hike, and I bought them oversized and wear a very thin liner type sock with them.

* Dyanafit Z-Zeus skin mountaineering boots. I wear these on Rainier and other volcanoes in winter and early season when the objective involves skiing.

* Scarpa Tambo Ski mountaineering boots. Built originally as a slight weight boot, they are much heavier than most regular boots. These are well out of date and I should give them to a homeless shelter that is looking for donation of ski mountaineering equipment. One probably exists in Boulder, CO.

* Evlov Rock climbing shoes. I bought these after selling or giving away at least half a dozen pairs of rock shoes because they no longer fit my feet after I turned 40 and my feet grew wider.

* La Sportiva slippers rock climbing shoes. For sport climbing/gym climbing. Too tight for my feet, but they pop off easily enough between routes.

Thanks for the info brother! I really appreciate all of the help. That definitely gives me a start and some good information to roll with... For my normal backpacking and hiking trips out here, I normally use my Vasque St Elias boots, which have a somewhat narrow toe box in comparison to others, and they seem to fit my foot well... I wear a 47EU (13US) in those, and I have a little bit of room in the toe box... I'm hoping a 48EU in the Nepal EVO or something similar will work out for me. I'll pretty much have to travel somewhere in order to try any full shank boots on, would love to be able to make it out to Seattle before the trip. I will definitely be up in the White Mountains a time or two over the winter, so hopefully I can find a spot up that way to try some boots on.