Vitaliy
Before fancy foamy boots like Millet Everest/OneSport, LS OlyMons etc, people used to climb 8000m peaks in Scarpa Vega/Inverno (same thing US vs EU). Of course they are not as warm as MilEv or OlyMons, but are more durable and more versatile. Spantiks may also be warmer and probably lighter (plus they have a rand etc for more tech climbing). You should note that Scarpa and LaSportiva fit differently. I take a 47 in LS but a 47 in all Scarpas is too short (but wider).
But for Denali WB? You can use plenty of boots. I used an old pair of Asolo AFS 101, the famous and popular grey & purple boot from the 1990s. They fit OK, not too tight, and my feet were never cold, with temps down to -50C in May there. I had 40Below overboots and used them on summit day, but in colder temps down low before that my feet were fine.
As others have said above, comparing ratings and Himalayan things to other things is inaccurate. Altitude slows you down and makes everything seem colder, but on the other hand it can be 30C at 6000m in Pakistan or Nepal. It will pretty much never be 30C at 6000m on Denali!
Companies can be quite misleading in their claims about boots, including LaSportiva (who I really like), always bigging-up what their boots can do. You need to work it out for yourself based on experience and common sense. Just because a boot was used 'on' Everest does not mean that it was worn to the summit of Everest - LaSportiva were guilty of this line with the Baturas a year or two ago.
Also, people often push gear beyond 'normal' limits if they are doing something abnormal, which is why Vince Anderson and his partner used a BD Firstlight tent to climb the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat - they had good weather, and anything else was too heavy for a climb like that so there is not really a choice.
In all cases, fit is the most important thing, as you will read now on all web forums - but not necessarily in the same way for all things. For something cold but easy like Denali, you do not want a close fit, you want a bit of room so that you can wear two thick socks (not too tight) and still have room to wiggle your toes. If your heel slips a little - so what? You are really only walking on routes like that, no frontpointing. It's more important for them to be comfortable and warm.
Read this: http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/article ... tain_boots
As time goes by and gear progresses, the 'minimum' that people will accept, or think they need, keeps increasing. You see it on all the popular mountains. If better gear is available, people will buy it because they think they need it. Ice tools are a good example, people now want Nomics to climb WI4. Fear and nerves also play a role, as does people having too much money and not enough experience. When I did Denali in May 2000, only a few people had Millets - they were considered overkill. Now it seems lots of people use them (esp if they intend to also do Ev etc). I guess if you have money to burn (freeze?) it does not matter. I have never had money to burn.
So long as you have decent double boots in OK shape that fit well, it's more important to do things like:
- stay hydrated
- eat plenty of calories
- don't put cold boots on
- don't put damp socks on
- keep moving, don't stand around
- if your toes do get cold, swing your legs and kick your feet to warm them back up before they get worse
- don't "push on" with numb toes, especially uphill
- keep your core warm
And so on ...
D
