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Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Over-the-Calf — The one thick pair you keep clean for the pass and the summit day
Warmest

The one thick pair you keep clean for the pass and the summit day

Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Over-the-Calf

Heavy merino cushion, over-the-calf

4.7 on Amazon (1,107 ratings)

The warmest sock worth carrying, and the reason people sleep through a night at Lobuche — far too hot for anything below 4,000 m, so it is a single dedicated pair, not your daily sock.

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What you get

  • Real warmth on a pre-dawn pass crossing
  • Full-calf coverage under gaiters
  • Doubles as a sleeping sock

What it costs you

  • Too warm for ordinary trekking days
  • Bulky — check your boot still fits with them on
  • Takes a full day to dry

Do not buy this if: Treks that top out below 4,000 m, or anyone whose boots are already a snug fit.

Treks we recommend this for

Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.

The alternatives

Everything else we recommend in socks, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.

Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion — The three pairs that do a whole trekBest overall

The three pairs that do a whole trek

Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion

Take three pairs and you can wash one, dry one and wear one for a fortnight — the price per pair is high enough that people talk themselves into cheaper socks and regret it around day four.

Skip it ifNothing, honestly. If the budget is tight, buy two pairs of these rather than five of anything else.