UKC

Mount Kenya, Batian North Face route, footwear advice please..

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 Fredt 08 Aug 2011
I'm off to climb Batian by the North Face Normal Route, in September.

I'm pondering footwear. Most online advice says bring a pair of rockboots for the climbing sections.

I will be taking my soft leatherhiking boots for he 4 day walk in, and considered taking my 5:10 Guide Tennies for the whole of the climb.

Or should I take a more solid, climbing type of mountain boot?
I'd rather avoid taking three pairs of boots.
 radson 08 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

I was pondering this the other day as well.

From:

http://www.cosleyhouston.com/kenya-eq-list.htm

Footware considerations for Batian

Climbing Shoes - On Batian, what to wear on the feet for the summit climb is not a straightforward question.

Option 1 - We prefer to start from camp wearing a very light rock/mountaineering boot which we will wear up through the initial pitches of climbing to the Amphitheater. Good, lightweight examples of this sort of boot are the Sportiva Trango "S", or the Salomon Pro Rock - both quite rigid, with low profile soles. If you adopt this strategy, be sure that you can climb 5.7 rock in these boots.

Above the Amphitheater, we switch to loose-fitting rock shoes, leaving our boots at the Amphitheater. Rock shoes make the climbing go faster and more enjoyably. Be sure your rocks shoes are comfortable for many hours on end of climbing. On the way down, we switch back to our boots at the Amphitheater.

If the route high on the mountain is snowy, we may choose to bring our mountaineering boots to the top as they perform well in these "mixed" conditions.

Option 2 - You can also wear rock shoes right from the start of the technical climbing. In this scenario, you can hike up to the start of the climbing in your walking shoes, switch to rock shoes at the first pitch and remain in them for the entire climb, up and down. This makes the climbing a bit faster, but can be cold on the feet in the predawn pitches, and tiring or painful after a long day. Also, the scrambly, somewhat loose nature of the first few pitches is not as well suited to rock shoes. But they'll work and be fun to climb in.

One disadvantage of this option is that potentially snowy conditions in the upper mountain can make for slippery and cold feet, if all you have are rock shoes. To deal with this you may need to carry your walking shoes to the summit. This works, but such shoes may not perform well on the occasional rock moves high on the peak.

Option 3 - There are many "hybrid" rock/approach shoes out there as well, and these can be a good choice so long as you can climb well in them at difficulties of 5.8 and 5.9. These shoes have the added advantage of light weight, a bit of warmth and good scrambling ability.
 Conan 08 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

I managed with Scarpa Mantas back in 1998 for the entire route. At least they coped better with the snow storm at the top. We did the traverse which I would recommend. Abseil secent down the South Face route
 climberuk 08 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

I've been considering this as well. I'm heading out to do the same route hopefully at the start of september. Would rather not have to travel with my winter boots just for the climb then have to carry them around for the next 3 months while i'm over there.

I have a basic pair of summer walking boots that should be ok provided crampons are not needed at any point. So i'd probably have to change into climbing shoes from P1 of the climb and keep my socks on in them.

Have you lined up a guide to climb with?
OP Fredt 08 Aug 2011
In reply to climberuk:
> (In reply to Fredt)
>
> I've been considering this as well. I'm heading out to do the same route hopefully at the start of september. Would rather not have to travel with my winter boots just for the climb then have to carry them around for the next 3 months while i'm over there.
>
> I have a basic pair of summer walking boots that should be ok provided crampons are not needed at any point. So i'd probably have to change into climbing shoes from P1 of the climb and keep my socks on in them.
>
> Have you lined up a guide to climb with?

Yes, I'm planning the same strategy as you, but the tennies are great for all day wear, (they were great on the Cuillin Ridge for 16 hours!)
Are you taking your walking boots up the climb?

(I have a guide lined up).
 climberuk 08 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

Dont know if i'll need to take them up the climb or not. I'll take advice on it from the guide I do it with.

I havent got a guide lined up yet. I looked into a couple of options but was not keen on transferring money abroad to them before going. Also some of them were very expensive.

Which guide/company are you going with?
OP Fredt 08 Aug 2011
In reply to climberuk:

yhm.
OP Fredt 16 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

A blatant bump.
 Martyn Maltby 17 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:

I'm off to do this route in September, and I too am undecided about footwear.
I was planning on just using my Guide Tennies, but this thread has me wondering about taking my Mescalitos. I have always assumed crampons needn't be taken.

 Solaris 17 Aug 2011
In reply to Martyn Maltby:
> I have always assumed crampons needn't be taken.

There are (or were when we there a few years ago) horror stories of traversing the Gate of the Mists in rock shoes for the descent off Nelion...
 jezzah 17 Aug 2011
Hi,

You would either descend back down Batian if you're in rock shoes or you'd take boots and descend down nelion- otherwise you'd end up having to walk around the mountain and out down the naro moro route in rock shoes or barefoot- neither of which would be particularly appealing.

I reckon you'd want boots & rock shoes- sort of alpine style. If you're traversing the mountain then just stash your boots in your rucksack.

As to crossing the gates of the mist- don't bother with crampons- you might want an axe tho and cut steps (you'd need about 10 or so steps across the ice) onto the rock on Nelion.

Cheers
Jez
>
> There are (or were when we there a few years ago) horror stories of traversing the Gate of the Mists in rock shoes for the descent off Nelion...

 Solaris 17 Aug 2011
In reply to jezzah:

Ha! You are quite right; I must have mis-remembered. I must have been thinking of people who wished they'd taken an axe.
OP Fredt 18 Aug 2011
In reply to jezzah:

I'mn not planning to traverse the Gates of Mist, we're straight up and down Batian by the NW Ordinary Route. I think most of this descent is abseiling.
Still can't decide whether my big boots should be comfy soft hiking boots, or stiff mountain boots. Taking my stickies anyway.
 jezzah 18 Aug 2011
In reply to Fredt:
Hi,
A lot depends on whether you are using porters/ camping/ or what's likely to be on your back lower down the mountain. For the climbing part of batian, just have comfy rock shoes and trainers. As you point out the descent is a series of abs and small scrambles around rocks.
Good luck and enjoy
Jez

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