Supplemental oxygen is bottled oxygen, delivered through a mask and regulator, that high-altitude climbers breathe to offset the thin air on the world's highest peaks. Used widely above about 7,000-8,000 metres, it reduces the risk of altitude illness and frostbite and aids performance, though some climbers ascend the 8,000ers without it.
Strap-on (universal) crampons attach with flexible straps and a toe cradle, fitting almost any footwear including flexible boots and even some trail shoes. They are the most versatile and beginner-friendly crampons for glacier travel and general mountaineering, trading some precision and security for broad compatibility.
Step-in (automatic) crampons attach with a wire toe bail and a heel lever, clipping on like a ski binding. They give the most secure, precise fit but require stiff boots with both a toe and a heel welt. They are the standard for technical ice and steep mountaineering on fully rigid B3 boots.
Monopoint crampons have a single central front point instead of the usual two, giving precision on thin ice, small rock edges, and mixed terrain. Favoured by ice and mixed climbers for their accuracy and ability to slot into small placements, they are less stable than dual-points on lower-angle snow.
An ice tool is a short, curved-shaft technical axe designed for climbing steep ice and mixed terrain, used in pairs. Compared with a mountaineering ice axe, it has an aggressive, drooped pick and an ergonomic grip for swinging into vertical ice and hooking rock. Ice and mixed climbers carry two.
A jumar is a handled mechanical ascender used to climb a fixed rope, gripping when weighted and sliding up when pushed. 'Jumar' is a brand name turned generic, and ascending a rope this way is called 'jumaring' or 'jugging'. It's essential for big-wall aid climbing, expedition fixed ropes, and crevasse rescue.
A picket is a sturdy aluminium stake, typically 60-90 cm long, used to build snow anchors. It can be driven into firm snow at an angle or buried horizontally as a deadman in softer snow. Pickets are the workhorse snow-protection piece for steep snow climbing, crevasse rescue, and snow belays.
A snow stake is a flat aluminium stake driven into or buried in snow to build an anchor where there is no rock or ice. Used as a vertical placement or a horizontal buried 'deadman', its holding power depends on the snow's firmness. It's a staple of the snow-anchor toolkit alongside the picket.
Mountaineering boots are stiff, insulated, crampon-compatible boots built for snow, ice, and high-altitude climbing. Their rigid soles support precise cramponing and kicking steps, while insulation — and on the warmest models, double-boot construction — protects against frostbite. They're categorized by stiffness and warmth to match the objective.
An ice axe is the fundamental mountaineering tool — a shaft with a pick-and-adze head and a spike at the base — used for balance and support on snow slopes, cutting steps, building anchors, and, crucially, self-arrest to stop a slide. Every snow and glacier mountaineer carries and knows how to use one.