Hey all,

I'm planning on a gap year in about 10 months, and I'm looking for some boots that will function as both hiking boots for general use and as mountaineering boots (not super technical but preferably allow use on snowy peaks/glaciers). I don't want to buy 2 seperate boots due to both weight/pack size and budget, so does anyone know of any boots that are a good blend between being stiff/warm enough for snowy mountains and also usable for general trekking? Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Anything B1 rated but tbh you will be much better off rethinking and having 2 different pairs of footwear. Get a pair of light trekking sandals if weight is an issue. 

Truthfully there's two approaches here. The first being a big B2 traditional boot and the second being a big B2 traditional boot and a pair of approach shoes. In my opinion the half way houses between mountaineering boots and walking boots don't work that well. If you want something that will last forget anything light. Scarpa mantas or la sportiva Karakorum are probably best for what you want. Then a pair of trail runners or approach shoes would be a good idea.

I have Scarpa Ribelle CL for exactly this use. You may also consider La Sportiva Aequilibrium series if they fit you (didn't fit me, super small volume).

It would be great to know a bit more about the trekking and mountaineering you have in mind - location, time of year, altitude, types of mountaineering routes.

In my view the main issue with buying a single lighter and more 'hike friendly' semi-technical mountaineering boot (like the Ribelles or Aequilibriums) is that they're expensive, and I suspect they'll get thrashed if used for extended hiking. Also, they'll likely still have gore-tex or other waterproofing and a degree of insulation, so if you're going to use them for extensive hiking in warmer conditions then they will be sweaty.

On the assumption that you're looking at a combination of low level/warmer trekking up to mountaineering at lower altitudes with potentially semi-automatic crampons, I agree with others that the most flexibility (and amount of wear you'll get for your money) would be one each of

1. a pair of leather B2 boots for mountains and heavier duty trekking (if you are going to be places that are wet/cold/rough underfoot/carrying a big pack), such as Sportiva Karakorum HC or Nepal Trek, Scarpa Manta, etc. and
2. a separate pair of light hiking boots or trail shoes.

This will give you a lot of flexibility across different climates and terrains, and enable mountaineering into somewhat cold and technical conditions with semi-automatic crampons.

On the other hand, if you're really looking at the 'lower' end of the mountaineering scale, i.e. mostly trekking with the occasional low angle snow/glacier peak (but no technical/mixed/steep glacier terrain), then perhaps an alternative could be a heavier leather B1 that takes strap-on crampons, e.g. Scarpa SL Activ, Lowa Tibet, Meindl Himalaya. These would probably work for trekking in most conditions and could also take you up snow slopes/low angle icy terrain, although not as far as a pair of B2s could.

Ribelles were what I thought of. I don't know which model I have but they're very light, they'll take a crampon, they climb well and I'm happy walking for days in them.