Climbing Equipment
Rental
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Ice Axe w/Leash
General mountaineering tool. Sizing is important: under 5'7" use a 60cm tool; 5'7"- 6'1" use a 65cm tool; over 6'1" use a 70cm tool. (Too short is preferable to too long). No rubberized grips-they are heavy and do not plunge well into the snow. Make sure that you have a leash that is designed for use on a glacier axe or a leash that you make from 9/16 webbing.
$47
Crampons
With flat rather than 'cookie cutter' frame rails. Your crampons should be steel, not aluminum for strength and durability. A combination heel bail/toe strap is a more universal system than a heel and toe bail system. We strongly recommend crampons with anti-balling plates
$25
Climbing helmet .
40ft 6mm accessory cord
Primarily used for Prussiks. Please bring as a continuous piece, prussiks are cut as part of the curriculum. Choose cord that is
soft and supple. Note: Bring your prussiks if you have attended a climbing course and know how to use them.
$25
Alpine Climbing Harness
Harness should fit over all clothing, have gear loops, adjustable leg loops and be reasonably comfortable to hang suspended in. Make sure you can get into the harness without having to step through any part of it.
Carabiners (4)
2 Pear locking (Screwgates are OK) and 2 standard oval carabiners.
$35
Adjustable 3 section Ski/Trekking Poles w/ Snow Baskets
Shock absorbers are not recommended.
Footwear
$65
Double Mountaineering Boots
These must be either plastic (warm but cumbersome) or high end leather/synthetic type. Both types with removable
$37
Gaiters .
Wool or Synthetic Socks
3 pair heavyweight wool or synthetic socks (wool is warmer) to be worn over the liner socks. When layering socks, check fit
over feet and inside boots. It is very important to buy new socks regularly as they lose their cushioning over time. Socks with padded shins are especially
nice with plastic boots.
Liner Socks
3 pair of smooth thin wool, nylon or Capilene to be worn next to the skin. This reduces the incidence of blisters and hot-spots and makes the outer sock last longer before needing to be changed. They should fit well with your heavyweight socks.
Light Hiking boots or trekking shoes
For acclimation hikes and wearing in towns. Light weight, supportive and comfortable.
Technical Clothing
Synthetic Short Underwear.
2-3 Pairs of NON-Cotton short style underwear. (boxers, briefs, panties, bras etc.) Amount based on personal preference.
Lightweight Long Underwear ( M | W )
2 pair tops & bottoms, Capilene, other synthetic or wool. No Cotton. Lightweight is preferable as it is more versatile (worn single in warmer conditions and double layer for colder). Zip-T-neck tops allow more ventilation options. One set of white for intense sunny days on the glacier and one pair of dark for faster drying gives the most versatility.
Heavyweight Long Underwear ( M | W ). 1 pair top and bottom. Expedition weight Capilene for extra warmth.
Soft Shell Jacket ( M | W )
Mid-heavyweight. A full-zip version is easier to put on and has better ventilation than a pullover.
$56
Soft Shell Pants ( M | W )
You will most likely wear these everyday during the trip as they are very versatile and durable.
$59
Hard Shell Jacket w/ hood ( M | W )
We recommend a waterproof breathable shell material with full front zipper, underarm zips, and no insulation. This outer layer protects against wind and rain.
$57
Hard Shell Pants ( M | W )
Waterproof, breatheable. Full length side zippers preferred because it allows easy removal of pants, 7/8th zippers allowed but is more difficult to remove pants. No short 1/2 length, or short lower leg zippers allowed as it is difficult to put pants on when crampons are already on.
$99
Insulated Down Parka w/hood ( M | W ). Must be fully baffled, have an attached, insulated hood, and go below the waist.
Headwear
Wool/Synthetic Ski Hat .
Balaclavas .
Baseball Cap or other Sun Hat .
Buff
Used to shade your neck and cover your mouth. Protects respiratory system when traveling in dusty conditions.
$38
Goggles
1 Pair. Goggles are used instead of glacier glasses when weather turns severe. Clear lens preferred (for climbing during night when windy) with
100% UV/IR. They can double as emergency glacier glasses.
$42
Glacier glasses (w/ side covers or wrap around).
Regular sunglasses are usually not sufficient. 100% UV, IR, high quality optical lenses designed for mountain use, must have side covers and leashes. No more than 10% light transmission. If you wear contact lenses we recommend packing a spare pair of glasses - it is a good idea to have these with "photo-gray" or equivalent light-sensitive material so they can double as emergency sunglasses. If you wear glasses we recommend prescription glacier glasses (gray or amber).
Handwear
Lightweight Synthetic Liner Gloves
1 Pair. To wear alone on very sunny days for hand protection or as a layering piece with your Shell mitts.
$38
Shell Gloves w/ insulated removable liners
1 Pair. Waterproof, breathable shell with a removable liner for warmth and dexterity.
Shell Mitts w/ insulated removable liner
1 Pair. Waterproof, breathable shell material. We recommend that the insulation in your mitts can be
Personal Equipment
Backpack
Internal frame pack from 2,800-3,500cu. in.(46-50 Liters). Keep it simple and light. You must be able to get your sleeping bag, personal
items for one night in the refuge and climbing gear up a 45 minute climb to the refuge.
Sleeping Bag
(Expedition quality rated to at least 0°F). Goose down preferred over synthetic for bulk & weight. If well-cared-for a down bag will last much longer than a synthetic bag. Your bag needs to be long enough that your feet are not pressing out the foot box which will make you colder. It should be roomy enough for comfortable sleeping but snug enough for efficient heat retention.
Compression Stuff Sacks for reducing volume.
$47
Self-Inflating pad
One 3/4 or full length pad. Make sure to include a valve stem and patch repair kit.
$10
Closed-Cell foam pad
One full length closed cell is recommended.
Cup :
$12
Headlamp (LED)
Bring spare bulb & batteries. No Halogen bulbs: they take more power and have a shorter life.
Sunscreen
SPF 40 or better, 2 small tubes. Note: Sunscreen older than 6 months loses half of its SPF rating, make sure that you have new sunscreen.
Lipscreen .
Water Bottles :
(2 - 3 total) One bottle with 1 liter capacity and one bottle with 1/2 liter capacity. Bottles should be wide mouth made of copolyester (BPA free plastic). No water bag or bladder systems, they freeze or are hard to fill and no metal bottles as lips have a tendency to stick.
Water Bottle Parkas (2)
To insulate liquid in freezing conditions.
Pee Bottle.
1 Leak proof, wide mouth bottle with 1 liter capacity. Make sure the bottle is clearly marked, ‘Pee Bottle.’
Pee funnel for women
Practice, practice, practice.
Ear Plugs
Knife. Medium size. Keep it simple and light, needs a blade and screwdriver.
Toiletry Bag.
Include toliet paper, alcohol hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste. You should also include soap, shampoo for
Trash Compactor bags (4).
To line stuff sacks and pack. Trash Compactor bags are made from a heavier plastic.
Camera gear: Optional. We recommend a small instant or point and shoot cameras. Please do not bring large SLR cameras
with extra lenses. For the best pictures bring slow speed film, 50, 100, or 200. Simple and light. Disposable and digital cameras
also work well.
Traveling
Travel Clothes. Nylon trekking pants are nice for the acclimatization hike. We stay in Hotels in between and after the climbs. Having a couple of
changes of cotton clothes is encouraged for those times. Note: Shorts are not commonly worn in Ecuadorian culture.
Netbook or similar. Optional.
We will stay at several lodging places where Wi-Fi service is available so if you want to stay connected you should bring one.
Bathing suit.
Running shoes and Sport Sandals.
For travel and use at hotels and lodges.
Nylon Stuff sacks.
Several different sizes to organize gear.
Expedition Medium duffel bag w/ travel lock.
1 to get better organized while traveling and to store excess gear when necessary. It is better to get
one with regulation size for carry-on convenience: 12 x 21 x 12. Capacity: about 3,200 cu. in. Soft sided construction preferable.
$30
Expedition Large Duffel Bag w/ travel lock.
Capacity: 8,000-9,000 cu. in. Soft sided construction preferable.
First Aid
Small Personal First-Aid Kit
(Simple and Light) Aspirin (Extra Strength Excedrin is best), Antibiotic ointment, Moleskin,
molefoam, waterproof first-aid tape, athletic tape, Band-Aids, personal prescriptions, etc. The guides will have extensive first-aid
kits, so leave anything extra behind. Please let your guide know about any medical issues before the climb.
Drugs/Medications/Prescriptions.
Climbers should bring Pepto Bismol. Ciprofloxin (Cipro) 500mg tablets for traveler’s diarrhea and for urinary
Ecuador Climbing Lunch Food List
Electrolyte Replacement Cold Drink Mix (Gatorade, Emergency, Cytomax, Nuun).
8 days worth for the 9 Day Trip, 10 days worth for the 12 Day
Trip and 13 days worth for the 16 Day Trip.
Energy Gel. Optional.
For summit days on Antisana, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo (GU, Powergel, Clifshot) : 6-8 Packets per climb.
Energy Bars. Optional. (Cliff bar, Power bar, Balance bar, Luna bar, etc.):
Bring some of your favorite energy bars.
Candy Bars or Granola bars. Optional. (Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Hershey, Nature Valley, etc):
Bring some of your favorite ones.
Note: Depending on the days activity, we provide granola bars, chocolate bars, trail-mix, cookies, crackers, fresh fruit (bananas, tangerines, oranges,
etc.) and also bread, cheese, ham, peanut butter, jelly for sandwiches.
Rental Agreement Terms and Conditions
Rental Information
Confirmation:
Allow 48-72 hours for rental confirmation via email. Please note confirmations
might differ from original reservation, please check your confirmation as that list
contains items scheduled to ship.
Payment:
Credit card on file will be used to process rental payment. Charges are
processed at time of shipping (two weeks prior to departure date) and will include a
$50 Security deposit per item and shipping . Shipping cost is based on size and
weight and can only be determined at shipping.
Security Deposit:
Fees are fully refundable upon timely return (one week from end of trip date).
Fees may be assessed for repair or replacement of damaged item. Please allow
up to two weeks for your refunded to be credited. Please note that items not
returned within one week after trip end date Alpine Ascents reserves the right to
withhold all or part of your Security Deposit.
Shipment:
Rental items are scheduled to ship two weeks prior to departure. Once received
verify all items are correct and fit appropriately. Please note sizing information
provided is used to determine the sizes of items shipped.
You are responsible for rentals once items are shipped and until items are
received back at Alpine Ascents. We encourage you to insure your shipment.
