Gear List - Ice Climbing

Winter Alpine conditions can be very cold indeed - perhaps minus 20 Celsius, so be prepared! It's a dry cold, often with little wind.

Boots Best if they are totally rigid (B3) leather boots or lighter and more versatile. You can also use plastic double boots.
Boots can be hired easily in Chamonix or Argentiere if you need.
Rucksack – ideally about 45 litres capacity.
Shell Jacket & Overtrousers Goretex or Paclite -type jacket with a large hood (preferably sewn in), and the trousers should ideally have long zips so that you can get them on/off over boots and crampons.

Down Jacket or equivalent 'belay jacket'. (Essential)
Fleeces & Spare warm layer. I like using priamloft jackets as they are warm and light.
Fleece Trousers
Thermal top

Gaiters - Yeti style or alpine gaiters with front zip.
Gloves - a thin pair (recommend windstopper) and a thick warm pair for climbing (Warm extremity gauntlets or good ski gloves - not mitts.)
Fleecy Hat and Balaclava. If you carry both then you automatically have a spare. Neoprene face masks are great in really cold conditions.

Sun Glasses
Ski Goggles are essential if you want to be able to see or do anything in windy / snowy conditions!
Headtorch and spare battery
Emergency Items : orange plastic survival bag or blizzard pack ; whistle ; penknife ; emergency food, small personal first aid kit (blisters, lipsalve !), mobile phone....
Thermos Flask & Food
Camera.

Provided (if you don’t have your own)
Harness, Helmet, belay plate, 4 screw gates and 2 long slings per person, prusik loops. All ropes and climbing hardware. Crampons, 2 Technical climbing axes. Transceiver, Shovel, Probe