UKH

Hi everyone,

just looking for some advice on both boots and down jackets!

im heading to Cotopaxi next year to summit it(hopefully lol) for Crisis UK. I’m just looking to see maybe from anyone who has already been up there and see what boots and down jacket they took?

I have a pair of Nepal Extremes which I’m pretty sure are not gonna cut it, and a Montane Anti Freeze XT jacket which I also think won’t cut it!

advice is much appreciated🤣

We did this a few years ago (maybe 18 yrs) in normal leather b1 boots and the most basic crampons. No fancy jackets, just layers and a goretex shell. All good, not saying it was easy but we acclimatised well beforehand and had no troubles. 

I suspect modern gear of anything like what we had would be fine. 

A great trip, hope you're successful and have fun

S

We rented double boots in Quito, was pretty reasonable. I think I took a Rab Neutrino jacket, depends on the day but I don’t remember being cold. Get some good gloves or mitts.

Enjoy, it’s a beautiful area and volcano. Will you be walking elsewhere whilst there? 

Oh wow that’s reassuring to hear!

thank you!

Do you think double boots are an essential? Like I said I have the Nepal Extremes and I’m generally a very warm person, but just seeing online everywhere(kit lists for example) just constantly listing double boots as a minimum and it just got me worried over whether I’d need to invest!

will definitely need to get some new gloves for to that’s for sure!

not walking anywhere else as it seems to be quite a contained charity event, so other than the usual acclimatising peak, I don’t think there’s much else.

Couldn’t say on the boots, I’m more at home walking in the UK, just followed the advice of our tour guide and I was happy to have warm toes. I think it was $10 a day to rent boots 5ish years ago so not too expensive. 

Ah nice, Ecuador is a great country to visit and Cotopaxi is definitely a highlight!

Humboldts and Edward Whympers travels are interesting to read before you go. 
 

We did it even longer ago (I just worked it out .... 25 years!), in old school plastic boots.  I'd think the Nepal Extremes would be fine.  Like Spike says, layers and goretex.  We carried duvet jackets & big mitts on the day just in case, but certainly didn't need them.  

Making sure you're acclimatised properly is key.  I recall some scree and straightforward snow plodding, with one crevasse with a ladder over it.  The summit view is quite something.  Have a good trip.