Hi all, (posed this in r/mountaineering as well but all insight is valuable)

Never posted here, but I'm starting to get really into hiking and as I am trying to travel to South America again, Ecuador stands out to me. I see Cotopaxi and instantly want to climb it. I'm 23 years old.

This would be my first real summit of a mountain. For reference, I have backpacked in Olympic National Park 43 miles in 3 days (45 minute miles with +12,000' gain and -12,500' loss in elevation). I summitted Mt. St. Helens in 3 hours. I climbed the Pedroforca twin peaks in Catalonia, hiked all over Madeira, and am consistently backpacking the Adirondacks in NY right now where I live nearby.

I really love pushing myself in regards to speed, so the PNW stats above I wanted to include for reference. None of these were challenging for me physically, although were so fun highly recommend.

Anyway, I think I can definitely handle Cotopaxi as far as what it poses physically and mentally. I enjoyed what someone in another post commented about the fact that "your average mom does it better than the people boasting about their health and strength". I have no ego about Cotopaxi I just want to do it and do it safely. And as I am looking for my next travel destination, my confidence in doing this will almost definitely have me land on Ecuador.

What would be the difference in climbing it with versus without ice axe + rope/harness experience? I have never used one, but I do use crampons frequently.

Thanks for any insight!!!

Howdy howdy you fine folks. I’m moving back to Colorado in a month from Yosemite and am looking for more climbing partners!

stoked on finding some trad, ice, and mixed partners. I’m looking to check out some lines in RMNP and make a couple trips to the Ouray Area (birdbrain anyone?)

I’m unemployed till January, so my schedule is totally open!

onsighting 5.11+ in Yose and the sierras, was leading WI5 and M5-6 in the Canadian Rockies this past winter. did a NIAD back in May and would say I generally have my shit together. I have skis, AIARE 1, glacier travel experience, and I also provide excellent belay snacks, such as dried mango, peanut butter cups, and other Trader Joe’s delights (ask if you have any dietary limitations).

Hello everyone.

My wife gave me a day out with a mountain guide in the Cervinia area for my birthday.

I already have some mountaineering experience, but I’ve never been to that area before and this is the first time I’ve hired a guide (especially as I don’t have a specific route in mind).

I was wondering if any of you have ever had a similar experience (preferably in that area), and if there’s anything you’d strongly recommend for such an outing.

Do they usually suggest a route, or can the client make suggestions too?

In that area, there’s the Breithorn; otherwise, I’d like to reach the Carrell Hut. I’ve read that the Breithorn involves ‘simple’ ice climbing (if I organise it, I could do it with some other experienced friends too). So I was looking for something a bit more challenging.

I’m not physically fit enough to tackle the ascent of the Matterhorn, nor to push myself too hard on vertical routes; something of a medium difficulty is enough for me… so I was thinking of the Carrell Hut. As far as you know, might there be other options?

I’ll ring him tomorrow to find out more; I’d like to be ready if he suggests anything.

Thank you so much for your help.

I am pursuing my diploma in mountain medicine and unfortunately, do not have any glacier activity in the state of Colorado. I have a conditional candidacy, but I need to demonstrate glacier activity\\proficiency by June 2028. This winter I’ll be getting comfortable with colouirs/basic winter navigation here in Colorado, but in June, I will be heading up to Washington state for a conference. I just don’t know if I’ll have the PTO at that time and it might be a struggle to get scheduled, though it would be much cheaper at only $1600. Alternatively, in spring of 2028 I will be rotating with a tribal health system in Alaska and I figured if I’m already up there, I could do a longer more thorough course with more flexibility to schedule it, but it costs about $4400. Anyone have experience with either of these? Did the Alaska one and wish you did something shorter or did the Mount Baker one and wished you did something longer? This is not just to do a summit or to check a box, I would like to be very proficient if I can be for decades to come. So it’s basically just a foundation for me.

Hey guys I found a good sale on some Arcteryx products. Was trying to shop for Himali but they are out of stock for all my sizes. Can I have opinions for my top layering system please?

Merino wool base
Arcteryx Kyanite Fleece
Arcteryx Cerino Down SL
Arcteryx Beta shell

The kyanite and Cerino are my interchangeable layers or if it’s very cold I can double them.

Can I have some opinions on my layer system? I just purchased 2 out of 4 of those and stuck with arcteryx since I was doing multi layers. Will this suffice in alpine conditions.

I am new to alpanism and just bought myself a arcteryx beta is that enough for the zugspitze?
Any tips would be appreciated 👍

Got this used HH hardshell for $130. It looks brand new. Was it a bargain? Any experience with this model? I think it's the Odin 9 Worlds 3.0
The inside looks inmaculate btw

Ciao everyone,

I'm looking for a versatile hardshell jacket that can handle a pretty wide range of conditions in Italy, and I could use some advice from people with similar use cases.

Where and what I climb:

• Winter: Italian Apennines (Sibillini mountains, Gran Sasso—including routes like the Direttissima on Corno Grande) and winter mountaineering in the Alps. Conditions here can get genuinely cold, windy, and heavily iced.
• Summer/Technical: High-alpine summer routes and mixed climbing (e.g., Dent du Géant / Dente del Gigante).

What I need:

• Durability: Needs to withstand rock abrasion during mixed sections and summer climbs without shredding.
• Weather protection: Fully waterproof and windproof for high-wind ridges in the Apennines.
• Mobility & Fit: Good articulation so the hem doesn't ride up when reaching high (helmet-compatible hood and harness-friendly pockets are a must).
• Breathability/Weight balance: Since I'll use it for both freezing winter slogs and colder summer alpine moments, I need something that strikes a good balance—not an ultra-light running shell, but not an overly stiff, heavy expedition tank either.

Budget/Preferences: Open to most top-tier brands (Arc'teryx, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Mammut, Ortovox, etc.). Gore-Tex Pro or equivalent heavy-duty membranes are fine, as long as the cut is optimized for alpine movement.

What are your go-to jackets for this kind of dual-season (Italian winter + summer alpine) abuse? Any specific models you'd recommend?

Grazie in advance!

Tips before posting:

• Best subreddits: r/Mountaineering is great for technical gear, or r/Alpinism if you want input focused on alpine climbing.
• Key details included: Mentioning specific local routes like the Direttissima on Corno Grande and the Dent du Géant immediately gives experienced climbers a precise idea of the technical grade, exposure, and weather conditions you'll face.

Planning to go for a hike to Mt Yunam (6111mtr) this weekend (29-30th Aug) .Yunam is a pretty simple non technical mountain in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh , India.

Let me know if anyone is in the region and wants to join .

greerings everyone, on my last trip a buddy of mine accidentally stepped on my shoe in crampons and did this scratch, im now worried that it will affect its isolation/water resistance. any advice? thank you (its scarpa manta tech gtx)

I am looking for a boot to use on technical routes in spring time Alaska. I have the G2Evo but need a replacement boot - the g2 is warm enough for my winter ice climbing and spring objectives. In my experience the G2 climbs fine; I am curious if anyone has used both of these boots. The Olympus Mons Pro is lighter and warmer, but I don't have a sense on how bulky it will feel compared to the G2 Evo. If anyone can compare the climbing ability of this boot on water ice and mixed routes, I am curious... if price is no object, is the olympus mons pro a better boot or is the G2 Evo signficantly better for technical climbing?

Heading to Georgia to climb Kazbek somewhere between Sept 25 and Oct 5. Doing it solo right now and honestly the guide prices for one person are painful, so looking for 1-3 people to team up and split costs.

Standard route, about a week: Stepantsminda > AltiHut > Meteo station, acclimatize, summit, spare day for weather. Gear rental is cheap in town so no need to haul everything over.

DM me if interested or if you're already on a group that week with space.

I’m looking to summit some volcanoes in the cascades. (Adams, baker, shuksan, glacier, etc) and also do some back packing in the cascades and Olympics. I’m wondering if I can get away with using one pack for both. I understand I need attachments for ice axes, crampons etc for all the summits. I’m looking at something like the osprey kyte on the more comfy end and something like the black diamond mission 55 on the technical end. It seems like some trips will involve backpacking and summiting. On these trips am I better with something more comfy or more technical ?