The Alps (are not in Scotland)

In the past, there was a progression from Welsh rock to Scottish winter to the Alps and beyond, and often by default we ended up using our Scottish winter kit in the Alps. I did the north face of the Charmoz using Terrordactyl axes in my second season (yes – I am truly Jurassic). But things are different now: people often have their debut in the Alps without ever having ventured north of the border, kit is more specialist, yet the perceived wisdom is that the kit we use on Mont Blanc must also do for the Ben (and vice versa). To write this, I waited until I’d flown from Geneva to Glasgow to spend my annual week in the Highlands with a private client, before reflecting on the differences between climbing and the associated kit used north of Glasgow as opposed to south of Interlaken.

Alpine climbing is drier (but not necessarily during the hut walks)

If we waited for stable dry weather in Jocko, we’d hardly ever leave the Nevisport café. But in the Alps, we tend not to go climbing when it’s hoofing with rain. So our shell kit can be lighter: Paclite instead of 3 layer, for example, and less technical (no fully wired hoods, cordura elbows and shoulders etc.). There’s less snow than in Scotland, especially later in the season, so ditch those knee length gaiters in favour of ankle length ones that slip under your soft shell pants (more of them later). Having said that, it’s often better to walk up to the hut in the rain, so take a golfing umbrella (as long as you’re not traversing the mountain).

Alpine climbing is warmer (and colder)

Alpine pre-dawn starts can be chilly, often with a stiff breeze off the glacier, but as soon as the sun comes up, it’s frying time. We need a system that copes easily and quickly with those extremes: enter soft shell and synthetic down. Soft shell kit keeps the wind off while you’re sweating up the hill to beat other parties to the foot of the route, and a jacket or gilet like the awesome Outer Limits from Lowe Alpine over the top of the soft shell will keep you warm in the wind but can be swiftly stowed when the sun arrives.

On the other hand (leg?), whatever trouser combination you choose at the start of the day, you’ll be stuck with, so think carefully: trekking pants, soft shell pants, or powerstretch and hard shell? I’m most often in a soft shell pant, like the Lowe Alpine Ascent or Patagucci Guide.

Alpine ice is technically easier

From Scottish II upwards, we have this thing about axe and hammer, but the vast majority of alpine routes up to about Difficile go with a single axe. Keep it light but avoid alloy headed toffee hammers – chopping steps in hard ice or scrabbling out of a slot needs a forged steel head – the Grivel Air Tech is my weapon of choice. And now those nice people in Courmayeur make an Air Tech hammer, so you can do Nevis gullies with them too!

There is less oxygen at 4810m than at 4404 feet

Even perfectly normal activities like walking become harder at altitude, so get keen, enthusiastic, obsessed even, with lightness. Get rid of all that non-essential kit: spare headtorch batteries, spare fleece, spare compass etc. Spare kit drives me spare. And make the essential kit lighter, especially the heavier items: use lightweight single ropes, plus many intro routes will go with just a 30m length. Invest in lightweight quick draws for technical routes. I’ve just bought a set of DMM Spectres and they’re ace – easy to handle with gloves on and light. Use lighter boots on your feet – an Asolo Peak is easier to climb in and lighter than a Nepal Top Extreme.

Lots of little savings make a huge difference at the final weigh-in.

Alpine climbers are more sexy……

Want to be recognised as a Brit in the Alps? Wear Lifa, Ron Hills, Buffalo, a cricket hat and carry a 70 litre sack containing a full Gogarth rack and a Goretex bivvy bag just in case and, on the outside, a strapped-on broken baguette and a hydration system with the drinking tube swinging around that freezes in the pre-dawn chill. (Mr. K – that should get the complaints letters rolling in - AP)

…….and have many more interesting ways of killing themselves

On the other hand, make sure you take the essentials or else (in the words of the great Thierry Renault, he of the monster enchainements on the Italian side of Mont Blanc) “you may end up in ze beeg sheet”.