I'm putting together my handwear system for the West Buttress. The standard advice is obviously to pack heavy down expedition mitts for upper mountain cold, but I’m debating between a dedicated high-loft mitt (like the OR Alti II) versus a heavy modular trigger-finger system combined with thin touchscreen liners.
For those who have stood on the summit ridge in sub-zero wind chills:
- How often did you realistically need to pull your hands out of heavy mitts to manage carabiners, ascenders, or running protection between High Camp and the summit?
- Did chemical hand warmers stay activated inside your mitts at 6,000 m without choking on oxygen deprivation?