Crampons

Ski touring crampons buying guide:

What type of crampons to choose depending or your activity?

Crampons are getting more and more specific to an activity. Ultralight models are designed for daily winter time snow hiking. While, more traditional mountaineering crampons are dedicated to glacier and rock expeditions. They can be recognized by their ultra-durable steel teeth for a flawless hold, while offering a great abrasion resistance. Aluminium crampons are ideal for ski touring approaches. Their minimal weight makes them better in the climbs, however they wear faster than steel when used on rocky terrains or smooth ice. Aluminium crampons are the lightest, but what you save in weight, you lose in durability and strength. Aluminium is therefore a good choice provided you avoid rocks and blue ice. There are even some crampons with hybrid points like Petz offers, with rear aluminium points, and steel ones in the front. They offer an excellent grip on ice while having a lightweight construction. An excellent weight/efficiency ratio.

Most crampons have 10 or 12 points. 10-point models, steel or aluminium, allow first and foremost to save weight. A crampon for ski touring boots with 10 points is ideal for glacier expeditions but shows some limitations when the inclination steepens. On the other hand, a 12-point steel crampon is more specific to technical mountaineering and enables to progress on any terrain. For walking on snow, a 10-point aluminium crampon is enough.

Are my boots compatible with my mountaineering crampons?

Knowing the compatibility between your boots and crampons is essential for performance and safety. To begging with, determine the type of your boot. Does it have a notch at the front or the rear? Is the sole stiff? What are you planning to do? For example, ultra-lightweight strap-on crampons work with most ski touring boots, snowboard boots or other soft boots. From Petzl, crampons featuring the Flexlock system offer a Black Flex attachment system at the back for maximum compatibility. With stiff sole mountaineering boots with dual notches, you can opt for step-in crampons with a metal bar at the front and an ultra-fast fastening system at the back, even allowing to be used one handed on steep slopes. The most common choice remains medium stiff boots with a notch at the rear suited to hybrid crampons. Thanks to a front strap and a heel clip, the boot fits easily. If you are in any doubt, here is a summary chart to choose the proper crampon depending on your boot.