The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your pack to a minimum.

You must bring the following items:

Clothing

• Waterproofs - Trousers and Jacket (with hood)

• 2 x Long-sleeve thermal tops (merino wool is best)

• Mid-weight stretch fleece leggings (Powerstretch) or soft-shell trousers

• 2 x mid-weight tops (fleece or synthetic insulation)

• Oversized synthetic jacket (with hood)

• 2 x thin warm hats (these need to be able to fit under a helmet - no bobble hats!)

• Balaclava

• Gloves - bring at least 3 pairs (1 thin liner pair, 1 mid-weight pair and 1 thick heavy-weight pair)

• Spare gloves/Mittens (1 big pair of warm gloves or better mittens)

• Mountain Boots (see notes below)

• 2 x thick mountaineering socks

• General town clothes

Equipment

• 35-45 litre rucksack

• Rucksack liner (dry bag or rubble sack)

• Headtorch and spare batteries

• Small personal 1st aid kit (plasters, painkillers, crepe bandage, blister plasters, zinc oxide tape etc.)

• Wash kit

• Sunglasses

• Ski Googles (ideally with clear or yellow lenses)

• Sunscreen and lip screen

• Crampons – 12 point mountaineering crampons NOT micro-spikes NOT 10 point aluminium crampons MUST be fitted with anti-balling plates*

• Ice Axe*

• Helmet*

• Trekking Trousers (i.e. not cotton)

• Waterproof overtrousers - with long leg zip designed to put on whilst wearing boots

• Underwear

• Thermal Base Layer x 2 (one long sleeved for glacier travel)

• Fleece jacket or pullover

• Waterproof jacket (with hood)

• Water bottle 1 litre x2 (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)

• Water purification tablets

• Small, lightweight wash kit and pack towel

• Dry bags(s) for daypack/kitbag contents (to ensure they keep dry)

• Small hand sanitizer gel

• Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters, blister treatment (zinc oxide tape and ‘Compeed’), insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).

The following items are optional:

• Change of shirt and trousers

• Mountaineering harness*

• Screw gate karabiner x 1*

• Thermal baselayer - leggings

• Shorts (for non-glacial travel)

• Rain cover for Rucksack

• Earplugs (particularly if you are not the one snoring!)

• Repair kit – (eg. Pocket knife, needle, thread, duct tape etc.)

• Camera

• Trekking poles x 2 (with baskets)

• Gaiters

• Travel Clothes (can be left at your hotel)

• Travel Shoes (can be left at your hotel)

• Small Padlock (for trek bag)

• Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

Notes

Mountaineering Boots - Recommended boots for this trip are comfortable, warm and sufficiently stiff to take a crampon securely (a sturdy B1 or a ‘worn in’ B2 boot is ideal). Rigid B3 boots are NOT suitable for this trek.

Crampons: Modern strap on crampons are perfectly acceptable for this trek and will fit any boot. All crampons MUST be fitted with anti-balling plates. Grivel Crampons - G10 or G12 with a strap system are excellent and they come fitted with anti-balling plates. We do not recommend semi-automatic crampons for use with softer boots since with this system, the pull on the heel can lead to blisters.  Aluminium crampons are not suitable for this trip (they are not strong enough over mixed terrain).

Equipment hire: :Equipment marked with a *can be hired from KE. This can be reserved when you book your trip or closer to your departure but we advise booking hire equipment as soon as possible to ensure availability - equipment hire must be booked through the KE office prior to your departure. Any hired equipment will be collected on arrival from your guide, we do not hire mountaineering boots, but there are several shops in Chamonix renting boots that are suitable for this trip.

Sleeping bags are NOT required as bedding and hut shoes/slippers are provided at mountain refuges. However, you should bring a sheet sleeping bag.

Needle Sports (specialist mountaineering equipment shop)

Needle Sports is the English Lake District's foremost specialist climbing shop supplying mountaineering, rock, ice, alpine and expedition equipment worldwide. Internationally recognised as among the very best of the UK's top technical climbing gear retailers. They have a good range of equipment appropriate for this trip and offer knowledgeable advice both on their website and in store. View >>http://www.needlesports.com/