Alpine touring: answers to the most frequently asked questions

What counts as an Alpine tour?

Alpine touring involves navigating your way through high Alpine terrain. This includes tackling glaciers, firn fields, snow flanks, ridges and simple rock climbing. All of this calls for special equipment, such as crampons and suitable mountaineering boots, ice picks, climbing harnesses, ropes, carabiners and climbing helmet, along with knowledge of tour planning, glaciology and how to rescue people from crevasses. Many Alpine tours take place at over 3,000 metres above sea level, but altitude alone is not enough to qualify a mountain hike as an Alpine tour.

Alpine touring requires more technical equipment and a deeper knowledge of the terrain and the local conditions than a hike.

What equipment do I need for Alpine touring? What should I wear?

It is important to have the right equipment for Alpine touring. This will not only keep you dry and warm, but also make you safer. Mountain guide Angelina explains what she packs in her backpack.

You will definitely need:

• Mountaineering boots: sturdy, waterproof footwear that has a good grip and is crampon-compliant or crampon-compliant under certain conditions

• Crampons: for a secure foothold on ice and snow

• Ice pick: important for crossing steep snow fields or for safety when walking on glaciers

• Climbing harness: for walking in a team roped together, for securing touring partners, for abseiling and for crevasse rescues

• Rope: for securing, often provided by mountain guides

• Climbing helmet: for protection against falling rocks

• Weatherproof clothing: windproof and waterproof jacket and trousers

• Functional clothing based on the layer principle

• Gloves and cap: up in the high mountains, the weather can change suddenly and the wind and low temperatures can quickly make it very cold

• Sunglasses, sun hat and sun cream: even on cloudy days, snow and ice reflect light strongly

• Backpack with hip belt (30 to 40 litres): for equipment and food

Guided tours, such as those run by our partner mountaineering school Höhenfieber, provide a packing list, so you will know everything you need to bring.

How can I prepare for an Alpine tour?

Alpine touring is physically strenuous and requires technical knowledge of how to deal with Alpine conditions. It is therefore important to be well-prepared. Preparing for an Alpine tour involves:

• Endurance training: Regular endurance training such as jogging, mountain biking, trail running or fitness training that makes your circulation work harder is ideal. You could also go on mountain hikes with ascents and descents of around 1,000 metres in altitude, carrying a backpack weighing 8 to 10 kilos.

• Learning techniques: You should know the basics about climbing and securing techniques. You will also have to be proficient at using crampons and ice picks, and at walking while attached to a rope. The technical requirements vary greatly from one Alpine tour to another. It is important to clarify this early on and choose a tour that suits your skills. We recommend that beginners learn the basics of mountaineering on an Alpine touring course (in German).

• Planning: This includes organising the tour with careful consideration of factors such as weather conditions, proper equipment, maps and GPS devices. And depending on how high you plan to go, you may need to know how to deal with altitude sickness. Give yourself enough time for your body to get used to the altitude. Good acclimatisation reduces the risk of altitude-related problems, especially on tours at over 3,000 metres above sea level.

Which gloves are suitable for Alpine touring?

There is no such thing as the perfect gloves for Alpine touring. It is worth taking two pairs with you to cope with the different weather conditions and stages of the Alpine tour. For the ascent, for example, a pair of thin, breathable gloves is often sufficient. They will keep your hands warm and wick moisture away. Insulated gloves which do not restrict freedom of movement are important for Alpine touring. For example, you should be able to join or break away from a rope team without taking them off. The palms should be abrasion-resistant, so you can grip a rope or an ice pick securely.

Another advantage of taking two pairs of gloves is that if one pair gets wet, you will have a spare pair to hand. They might not be absolutely ideal for the situation you are in, but they will be better than none at all.

What kind of ice pick do I need for a Alpine touring?

The smallest and lightest ice pick might not necessarily be the best for you. Consider the following aspects when choosing an ice pick:

• Length: The length of the ice pick should be suited to your height and may vary depending on the type of tour or where you will be using it. If you hold the ice pick by its head, parallel to your leg, the end should reach around the middle of your lower leg. For a classic Alpine tour, we recommend a length of 50 to 60 cm for a person of average height.

• Curvature: Ice picks with a straight or slightly curved shaft are ideal for classic Alpine touring.

• Pick head: The hoe and shovel together form the head of the ice pick. Make sure your ice pick has both these features, so you can use the shovel to dig footholds in the snow, for example, but also secure yourself with the hoe blade. Forged heads are the most stable.