Recommendations for mountaineering boots and opinions about Meindl Makalu Pro 3000 MFS

Cheers

I'm just getting into mountaineering and I'm in the market for my first pair of boots. I'm from the Hague and we have an outlet store here that has everything 50% off. Yesterday I found a pair of Meindl Makalu Pro 3000 MFS that were fitting me well at € 150 from € 300. Since it was the only pair and I have a full year to return them if unused I bought them until I make up my mind.

Looking for review online, I didn't find much about them and I was wondering if you guys have any experience with them. I'm currently shopping around and I'm gonna go try som other boots but the high price difference (since i got the discount) drags me toward keeping these.

Nevertheless, in the end the decision will be made with high regards to performance and durability.

Do you suggest other boots? Why?

Thanks a lot for your help :)

Those look like burly hiking boots, not mountaineering boots. What mountains are you looking to climb? That will dictate the type of boot you need. Is there going to be glaciers? Ice climbing? How high and cold? 

Cory Brooks wrote: Those look like burly hiking boots, not mountaineering boots. What mountains are you looking to climb? That will dictate the type of boot you need. Is there going to be glaciers? Ice climbing? How high and cold? 

Thank you for your answer.

Meindl says they are "suitable for alpine trekking on rock, scree and glaciers" I am getting into ice climbing as well so I'm looking for something that is good for both. As my experience right now is minimal, I am looking for something that I will not need to change as I advance. I do expect to go for glaciers as well. For the foreseeable future, I reckon the max height will be around 4000-4500 m and temperature wise I would guess until -10 -15.  

https://www.meindl.de/service/type-of-use/?lang=en

Looks like they recommend a different category of boot for ice climbing (D).

...I don’t think I’d wear those to 4500 meters. Agree with the above - burly hiking boots. With that said they do look like they’ll take an step in crampon and seems to be a stiff boot with a full length shank. 

jdejace wrote: https://www.meindl.de/service/type-of-use/?lang=en

Looks like they recommend a different category of boot for ice climbing (D).

Thanks for pointing that out. To be honest I did not check their website. They do have the same division printed on the back of the box but they do not specify anything related to ice climbing neither for C or D and I just mistakenly assumed they would both do the job since they are both suitable for crampons.

Mark NH wrote: ...I don’t think I’d wear those to 4500 meters. Agree with the above - burly hiking boots. With that said they do look like they’ll take an step in crampon and seems to be a stiff boot with a full length shank. 

Thanks for your reply. They are suitable for crampons according to Meindl and yes, they are stiff.

So it seems as though they’ll work for allot of what you’d want to do - though I’d still not go to 4500 meters in them. Your choice comes down to - use them as long as possible until you buy a better boot or save a bit more money and buy the right boot that will do everything (and which will last a long time).

Oh, don’t always trust what the “marketing people say!”  

Yeah you can put crampons on a lot of boots but the ones meant for climbing vertical ice tend to be more rigid (and heavier, and less comfortable to walk in, and warmer). These look like a La Sportiva Trango class of boot. Good for scrambling, summer mountaineering. Less for steep ice. Of course that's just an educated guess, I know nothing about Meindl beyond their website. 

As others have said those are purely hiking boots that will take a crampon. If you are planning on ice you want something different. I would return those and keep shopping.

Thank you guys for all the great responses.

I guess I'll return these. Would you recommend me to look at any other particular models?