Hey everyone,

I'm interested in the La Sportiva Baruntse as an all around boot that I will be able to use both on Rainier throughout the summer season (in 2017 I will either climb in mid June or the end of July), as well as potentially on Denali and then other future peaks. My concern after reading more reviews is that it will be too hot for Rainier's summer season. Most of the reviews are several years old, and Im wondering if there is any more consensus now. So far it seems that people who had not personally tried the Baruntse on Rainier during summer tended to say it would be too hot, while people who had actually used it said it was hot but not to a detrimental degree and that it was a great boot.

I've heard its surprisingly good boot for technical climbing, and it fits my hard-to-fit food shockingly well, which are two additional reasons why Im considering it.

My next climb will be with a guide service (AAI), and if I go in June they may require a double boot regardless.

Thank you very much for any info you can provide, but especially first hand experience!

So, I've not used the Baruntse, but have used boots as warm or warmer in the summer on Rainier. (Scarpa Invernos with Intuition liners and insulated super gaitors). You might be hot on the approach, but you can always wear running shoes and carry your boots.

ExcitableBoy wrote:So, I've not used the Baruntse, but have used boots as warm or warmer in the summer on Rainier. (Scarpa Invernos with Intuition liners and insulated super gaitors). You might be hot on the approach, but you can always wear running shoes and carry your boots.

Thanks a lot for your input!

Last time I was on Rainier, I saw an IMG guide hiking up to Camp Shurman wearing flip flops, with his La Sportiva Baturas strapped to his back pack.

BITD when I started climbing, plastic boots were all the rage, and it was quite common to do the approach in running shoes while carrying the plastic tanks on your back. The modern insulated single leather boots have obviated the need for both double plastics and light approach shoes for most climbs.

ExcitableBoy wrote:Last time I was on Rainier, I saw an IMG guide hiking up to Camp Shurman wearing flip flops, with his La Sportiva Baturas strapped to his back pack.

BITD when I started climbing, plastic boots were all the rage, and it was quite common to do the approach in running shoes while carrying the plastic tanks on your back. The modern insulated single leather boots have obviated the need for both double plastics and light approach shoes for most climbs.

That makes sense. So would you suggest something like the Batura 2.0 instead? I think the Baruntse is significantly more walkable than the old double plastics.

NHWare wrote:

ExcitableBoy wrote:Last time I was on Rainier, I saw an IMG guide hiking up to Camp Shurman wearing flip flops, with his La Sportiva Baturas strapped to his back pack.

BITD when I started climbing, plastic boots were all the rage, and it was quite common to do the approach in running shoes while carrying the plastic tanks on your back. The modern insulated single leather boots have obviated the need for both double plastics and light approach shoes for most climbs.

That makes sense. So would you suggest something like the Batura 2.0 instead? I think the Baruntse is significantly more walkable than the old double plastics.

I would not recommend any of the '6000 meter' style boots for the Cascades in the summer. The Cascades are a rugged range, as you have probably figured out, and an all mountain boot, that is a single, leather boots like the LS Nepal Top, Scarap Mont Blanc, Kayland Super Ice Pro, Lowa Weisshorn, etc. is going to be the most versatile boot one can own. 6000 meter boots while great for many things, are warmer than necessary and much less durable than a leather boot. For Denali, pick up a pair of plastic double boots, put an insulated super gaitor or over boot on them and call it good.

Found some Baruntse's on sale for my huge feet (size 48) for a few bucks less than I can find the EVO's in my size, debating on grabbing a pair for this summer but I can't decide. If I could find EVO 48's in my size at a decent price, I'd definitely jump on those, can't decide how miserable the Baruntse would be in summer out there...

eastcoastarmy wrote:Found some Baruntse's on sale for my huge feet (size 48) for a few bucks less than I can find the EVO's in my size, debating on grabbing a pair for this summer but I can't decide. If I could find EVO 48's in my size at a decent price, I'd definitely jump on those, can't decide how miserable the Baruntse would be in summer out there...

Climbing boots are the absolute WORST place to try to save a couple bucks. Nothing in your kit has the ability to make you as miserable as improper/poorly fitting boots. A good quality pair like Nepal EVOs will last a very long time, the difference in price divided by the number of trips you wear them on is going to be very small.

ExcitableBoy wrote:

eastcoastarmy wrote:Found some Baruntse's on sale for my huge feet (size 48) for a few bucks less than I can find the EVO's in my size, debating on grabbing a pair for this summer but I can't decide. If I could find EVO 48's in my size at a decent price, I'd definitely jump on those, can't decide how miserable the Baruntse would be in summer out there...

Climbing boots are the absolute WORST place to try to save a couple bucks. Nothing in your kit has the ability to make you as miserable as improper/poorly fitting boots. A good quality pair like Nepal EVOs will last a very long time, the difference in price divided by the number of trips you wear them on is going to be very small.

I for sure feel ya on that one... I wasn't as much concerned about saving money, as I was about getting the Baruntse's for $125 less... The Nepals and Baruntse's come out to pretty much the same price, $500, just wasn't sure if it would be at all worth it to get a bigger boot like that while it was on sale. After my Washington trip this year, I'd like to move to more technical terrain, and not necessarily higher altitude (for a while at least). If you think the Nepal's are better, I'll just grab those, you guys know the area way better than me.

If you start climbing a lot, you will end up owning a lot of pairs of boots and shoes. I have three pairs of mountaineering boots, one summer weight (Scarpa Charmoz), one all mountain leather boot (Kayland Super Ice Pro), and one winter/big range boot (Scarpa Phantom 6000). That does not include my approach shoes, my multiple pairs of rock shoes or my ski mountaineering boots. My point is that there is no 'one' boot that will do everything well. LS Nepals will be the most versatile, but if you want to climb in Alaska or other cold/high altitude ranges, you will need a warmer, drier boot.