Are my old double-leather boots adequate for a Denali ascent?

The Muldrow Glacier is one of the classic routes up Denali—the route the first parties to ascend the mountain used. It’s also a loooong route, as you no doubt know. You can’t fly in to the Muldrow Glacier, so you have to hike in the 15 miles from Wonder Lake. Fred Beckey has a great account of that approach in his book, Mount McKinley: Icy Crown of North America. If you haven’t read that book, then I heartily suggest you do.

As for your old boots: Well, they might work. Heaven knows plenty of people have climbed Denali in double-leather boots. And plenty of them lost toes. You’d need to reinforce their cold-weather capabilities with vapor barrier liners and full overboots such as Outdoor Research’s Brooks Ranger Overboots ($135; outdoorresearch.com). Beyond that, I actually wonder if your old boots still fit that well. Feet change, spreading a bit as you age. And you have to allow for the fact your feet will swell as you ascend. So if they aren’t at least a full size over your normal boot size, then I’d be skeptical as to their effectiveness.

So what to do? Admittedly, size 14 is on the far edge of what boot makers are putting out. One possible option is the Koflach Vertical ($390; koflach.com). It has the same shell as the Koflach Expe, but a thinner liner so it’s billed as going up to size 14. And it’s rated for cold weather, down to minus 40. You’d still want the Brooks Rangers, though. I also like Scarpa’s recently redesigned Inverno ($335; scarpa.com), which goes up to size 13 in the UK range, and that translates to 14 in the U.S. Scarpa’s newer Omega ($360) offers a little more precision on rock or ice, yet still keeps your feet warm. They also go up to size 14.

So, get yourself to a boot store and give some of these a try. And remember, you want them to be a little too big. Good luck!

The Gear Guy reports from 2007 Winter Outdoor Retailer, the bi-annual gearapalooza in Salt Lake City. Check out his top picks for gear to watch in 2007.