Alpine Fit Guide

Ice climbing boots for beginners

Prices and stock read Nov 4, 2026. Check the store before you order.

Ask your course whether it rents boots before you buy any. If you're buying anyway, you want a stiff mountaineering boot that takes crampons, and the three below are the ones backed by more than one source. Where a number didn't hold up, it was left out.

Rent first, if you can

Boots are the one thing many ice courses expect you to bring. New England Mountaineering's $79 rental package covers crampons, ice tools, a harness, gaiters and a helmet. Boots aren't in it. They also say hiking and winter boots won't do: "You will need proper mountaineering boots for ice climbing."

Other schools do rent them. For its Rainier glacier course, Alpine Ascents lists single boots at $82 and double boots at $118. That's a different course on a different mountain, so treat it as a reason to ask, not as a price you'll see.

Two phone calls to schools near you will save more money than any table on this page.

If you're buying, three things matter

  1. Crampon fit. Step-in crampons need a rigid sole and a welt (a ledge or groove) at both heel and toe. REI puts the minimum at about 3/8 inch. A boot with both takes every crampon style. The crampon page has a lookup.
  2. Warmth. Single boots are a trade. Alpine Ascents says single boots usually aren't enough on its Rainier course in May, June and September, and wants double boots when it's cold. A January ice day can be harsher than any of those, so a single boot means cold-weather socks, fresh liners and not standing still.
  3. Size. Try them on with the socks you'll climb in. Backcountry says customer feedback suggests the Scarpa below runs small.

Three boots, side by side

BootPriceWeight of one bootCrampons it takesWarmth
La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX$599 (Backcountry and REI)About 2 lb 3 ozStep-in. Backcountry also says automatic.Insulated GORE-TEX lining
La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX$699 (Backcountry and REI)About 2 lb (1 lb 15 oz at Backcountry, 31.5 oz in the Alpinist review)Automatic or semi-automatic at Backcountry. Step-in at REI.Insulated footbed, lighter build
Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTXSee the storeLeft out. The sources disagree.Automatic or semi-automatic (three shops agree)Not confirmed

La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX

Backcountry lists 2 lb 3 oz for one boot. REI lists 4 lb 7.4 oz for the pair, which comes to about the same per boot. Stock is thin. Backcountry showed "Only 2 In stock" and REI says it has moved to a newer version and its listed sizes are sold out.

Outdoor Gear Lab tested an earlier version in May 2013. The reviewer liked it on ice and found the toe box roomy, with a pressure spot where the laces cross the top of the foot. That test is old, so read it as background.

Nepal EVO GTX at Backcountry

La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX

The lighter of the two Nepals. The Alpinist reviewer found it comfortable after a night in a freezing tent vestibule, but wasn't sure it was warm enough for winter vertical ice. The same review notes a thinner sole than older Nepals, so you may need to adjust your crampons. REI showed it as a pre-order with sizes sold out. Backcountry showed sizes and no stock label.

Nepal Cube GTX at Backcountry

Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX

Alpinstore describes it as made for high altitude and mixed terrain: rock, hard snow, névé and light ice. That's a lighter job than steep ice, so keep it in mind. Backcountry says customer feedback suggests it runs small and recommends sizing up. Alpinstore says to go half a size larger if you're unsure.

The weight is left out. Backcountry's figure and the one Vertical Addiction and Alpinstore share are far apart, and Scarpa's own spec sheet couldn't be reached to settle it, so neither number is printed here. No price is shown either, because only one source gave one.

Mont Blanc Pro GTX at Backcountry

Boots looked at and held back

Before you order

Sources

Every page below was read on Nov 4, 2026.