The Mountain Everest links Modern Climbing Equipment By Peter Firstbrook Today, technology has far exceeded anything that Mallory and his fellow climbers could have dreamed about in terms of fabrics, metallurgy, weather forecasting and understanding high-altitude physiology.
Modern climbers wear an inner layer of silk, cotton or modern 'breathable' fabrics next to the skin.
Outside are the new 'fleece' fibres, which are light, warm, and dissipate moisture quickly. The outside layers include heavy fleeces and wind-proof jackets. Mallory's leather boots and woollen socks have now been replaced with high-altitude insulated plastic boots and synthetic socks, which keep feet both warm and dry. Mallory's boots had thick metal nails fixed to the soles - good for scrambling around rock and ice, but inadequate for prolonged climbing on ice and snow. Today's climbers strap crampons to their feet, and these 'spiked footpads' give superb grip in snow and ice.