Gear Checklist

Gear > Checklist

Apart from your ski or snowboard equipment there is a lot of other gear you will need to carry. The principal concerns are weight and bulk. Climbing with a large heavy rucksack is hard work but it is on the descents where it can act as a pendulum, making turns harder and in some circumstances, dangerous.

Day Equipment Checklist

I am grateful to Eric Barbier who prepared this list for PisteHors.

• Small Day Sack with side compression straps for carrying skis and ice-axe
• Ski Crampons (Harscheisen)
• Climbing Skins + Glue & Tape
• Skis, Poles, Boots
• Crampons for all routes with slopes steeper than 35 degrees
• Lightweight ski ice axe for all routes with slopes steeper than 35 degrees
• Harness - for glaciated terrain and routes involving climbing or cornice traverse
• Avalanche Transceiver in full working order
• Avalanche Shovel
• Avalanche Probe
• Space blanket or bivvie bag
• Food for the day
• 1 - 1.5 litres of drink + bottle
• Goggles
• UV400 Glacier glasses
• Cereal bars / dry fruit
• Large hat to keep sun off when climbing
• Sun cream for skin and lips
• Warm hat
• Ski gloves + Goretex over gloves
• Fleece
• Waterproof breathable jacket and trousers
• Wicking under clothes
• Compass/inclinometer
• Altimeter
• 1:25,000 map

Multi-day Tour

You should add the following equipment for a multi-day tour

• frontal lamp + batteries
• Stove + fuel
• Lightweight pots and pans
• Knife/spoon
• Wine - we are French skiers after all!
• Food for each day - this should be quick to cook as fuel will be limited
• Dry soup
• Tools to repair bindings + wire
• Lightweight sleeping bag - most European refuges have blankets but these always let drafts through and are often damp
• Auto inflating mattresse (except where you know refuge has mattresses)
• Ski wax
• Glue for skins
• Anti balling treatment for skins (white candle will do)
• Slippers for refuge
• Change of underclothes and socks
• Spare pair of gloves
• Spare sunglasses for afternoon at refuge
• Radio for weather forecasts or mobile phone

Glacial or Climbing Routes

The following additional equipment is required for routes involving travel across crevassed glaciers or climbing/abseiling.

• 25 meters of 8mm climbing rope
• Lightweight harness
• Crampons
• Ice Axe
• Descender (figure of 8)
• Prussik Loops x3
• Screw Gate Carabininer x3
• Loop
• Ice screw

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