Inga Ecker | Vastfreedom

What gear is required to climb Mount Kazbek?

Here’s the gear I used for the climb.

Note: I only recommend gear which I’ve been using for at least a couple of years already on several climbs, in all kinds of weather conditions. The gear stated here is pricey, but from my experience it’s better to invest a bit more but therefore you get reliable and good quality which will stay with you for many years 🙂 When it comes to gear, the extra money really is worth it!

Crampons	Grivel G12 Crampon New-Matic
	The grivel G12 are my go to crampons. I use them for all climbs from the Alps to the Caucasus.
Boots	Scarpa Phantom 6000
	My favorite heavy duty boots which keep you warm in any kind or weather. Also they performed well on the desert sand on the way to the glacier.
Socks	FALKE TK2 Hiking Socks, Merino Wool
Women’s Men’s	Lightweight Merino Wool socks which are perfect for any kind of hikes. In combination with the Scarpa Phantom 600, they work perfectly.
Hiking Shoes	Scarpa Neutron 2 GTX Trail Running Shoes
Women’s Men’s	Those are used for the first part of the hike from Stepantsminda to Betlemi Hut. They are lightweight, have a good profile and come in handy when you reach the Hut, you don`t want to walk around there in slippers, trust me 😉
Base Layer Pants	Icebreaker Merino 260 Tech Leggings
Women’s Men’s	Warm base layer. If it’s nice and sunny on Kazbek, you don’t even need an upper layer. I wear them all day on my climbs.
Base Layer Shirt	Icebreaker Merino 260 Tech Long Sleeve Half Zip Jacket
Women’s Men’s	Warm base layer shirt. The zipper comes in handy when it gets too hot. From Ortles, to Elbrus and Kazbek, this is my favorite shirt. Also it looks really good!
Mid Layer Pants	LD PIERRA MENT’ PT
Women’s Men’s	Love these pants. I’ve been using them for many years now. They’re so warm, you sometimes don’t even require a base layer, depending on the weather conditions.
Mid Layer Jacket	The North Face TKA Glacier Full Zip Jacket
Women’s Men’s	Nice and comfortable mid layer fleece jacket that keeps you warm, especially in combination with a merino base layer.
Outer Layer Pants	Mammut Nordwand Pro HS Pant
Women’s Men’s	Windproof, waterproof, lightweight pants. They are pricey indeed, but offer amazing wind protection. I’ve worn them in -40° and 100mph winds without any issues. Also they’re large enough to wear them above any layer. The zipper on the site opens all the way up, you can easily put them on in the middle of the climb without taking off the boots.
Outer Layer Jacket	Mammut Nordwand Pro HS Hooded Shell Jacket
Women’s Men’s	I literally wear this jacket on all my climbs. Same as with the Mammut Pants, it’s lightweight, waterproof and windproof, keeping you really warm even without a mid layer.
Gloves
	There’s always three kinds of gloves I bring on such climbs. These are: – Base Layer – Mid Layer – Mittens
Gloves Base Layer	The North Face Apex+ Etip Gloves
Women’s Men’s	Softshell gloves which can be worn as a base layer or without any outer layers. They allow good grip, this is important for more technical climbs on which you actually touch rocks.
Gloves Mid Layer	Mammut Nordwand Pro Glove
	Warm gloves, if it’s too cold for the softshell ones and the mittens are too warm.
Mittens	Mammut Arctic Mittens
	Super warm mittens, especially in combination with a softshell layer. I bring them on every climb at least to Base Camp, if a storm hits, those are the mittens you want to have.
Buff	BUFF Polar
	If I go to cold places, I always make sure that the buff I use also has a fleece part. That will keep you extra warm. In addition, the thinner layer is nice to cover your face during storms.
Glacier Glasses	Julbo Vermont Classic Mountaineering Sunglasses
	One of my favorite pieces of equipment, I love them. They don’t only look amazing, they also protect your eyes from the bright reflection of sunlight on the glacier.
Beanie	Mammut Beanie
	Nice warm Beanie. I also wear that during the night and use it as a eye mask, if I go to bed early before summit day.
Helmet	Mammut Wall Rider MIPS Helmet
	Lightweight, comfortable and offering one of the best protection systems currently on the market, this helmet is always in my gear list, no matter the climb.
Ice Axe	PETZL Summit EVO
	Kazbek is not a technical climb, therefore it is only required to bring an ice axe which you can use as a support for walking on steep sections. Hence, depending on your height, this one is 65cm long. Also an ice axe ice is required in order to stop yourself on the glacier if you’d fall or get you out of a crevasse. Don’t miss this important piece of gear.
Harness	Mammut Sender Harness
	Robust, yet lightweight harness which fits comfortably even after many hours of climbing.
Duffle Bag	The North Face Base Camp Duffle
	A big duffle bag to get your gear from and to Betlemi Hut.
Backpack	Ortovox Peak Light 30L S
	My favorite backpack for all kinds of climbs.