Have the right gear. It is not possible to climb a glacier in your hiking shoes. Many tourists turn up to glacier hikes with the expectation that they can do so. Occasionally this is possible on small roped-off areas provided for tourist amusement, but this gives an unrealistic impression of climbing and still is not guaranteed to be safe. The right gear includes:
- Solid climbing boots
- Crampons
- Helmet (yes, falls and blows to the head happen)
- Waterproof jacket (e.g., Gore-Tex)
- Gloves (suitable for ice/snow)
- Layered clothing for mountain hiking or climbing
- Ice axe (for self-arrest, boot axe-belay and ice testing)
- Waterproof trousers/snow pants
- Thermals, polyprops (layering is important as you can get hot when climbing)
- Socks (hiking/climbing, not cotton)
- Hat suitable for climbing/balaklava
- Sunglasses/goggles for glare and cold protection
- First Aid equipment
- Ropes (you should know how to use these from your training); z-pulley rescue system
- Harness
- Gaiters (some prefer the gaiter/thermal/shorts combination, some add gaiters as well as pants - dependent on temperature)
- Sunscreen/zinc cream (even if there is no sun, you can still be burnt badly.
