Crampons: How to Choose - REI Expert Advice Learn at REI > Expert Advice > Crampons: How to Choose Crampons: How to Choose Crampons are a necessity to securely travel on snow and ice. With them, you can cross glaciers, ascend snow slopes, climb frozen waterfalls and scale ice-smeared rock. Because most alpinists and ice climbers today wear leather or synthetic-leather boots (instead of plastic mountaineering boots), semi-rigid construction with horizontal frames are the rule. And, thanks to modern design and manufacturing technique, crampons have become lighter and better fitting. The Right Crampons for You Crampons are becoming more specialized by activity. Super-lightweight traction devices are made for everyday winter walking. More traditional crampons handle snow and glacier travel, technical hiking (when you bring along an ice axe) and mountaineering. Crampons designed for frozen waterfalls or mixed ice/rock routes are now increasingly technical. Use this chart to help match the crampon to your activity. Activity Flexible construction (i.e., spring center bars) Strap-on Waterfall ice and mixed climbing Steel Shop REI's selection of crampons .

Crampon Frames Frame Materials Steel crampons are best for general mountaineering. Their durability makes them essential for technical, steep and icy terrain. Stainless-steel crampons offer corrosion resistance as well as the other benefits of steel crampons. Aluminum crampons can be ideal for approaches and ski mountaineering. Their lower weight makes them better on alpine climbs, but they will wear out significantly faster than steel if used on rocky terrain. Frame Alignment It used to be that you'd buy crampons with a vertically oriented frame to use with double plastic boots. However, since climbers have generally moved from plastic boots to insulated leather boots, crampons aren't required to be as rigid. Horizontally oriented frames are now the rule. Horizontal frames flex for walking and, because the steel or aluminum lays flat, your feet are closer to the ground than with vertical frames so you enjoy greater stability. The flat bars also repel snow efficiently. Weight Aluminum crampons are the lightest, but as you save weight you generally decrease durability and strength. For non-technical climbing, aluminum is a good choice—just avoid mixed rock-and-snow climbing in aluminum crampons.

Construction While hinged and rigid crampons are still available, the vast majority in use today are considered semi-rigid. A semi-rigid design offers the advantage of good performance in the broadest of conditions. It provides sufficient flex for winter walking yet is rigid enough for moderate ice climbing. For example, I have used semi-rigid crampons to climb Telluride's Bridal Veil Falls since I needed something that could perform on the approach as well as on the technical climb. On some models, an adjustment can be made to the linking bar (the bar between the toe and heel piece) that changes the crampon from a semi-rigid to a flexible mode—making it more comfortable for hiking and less likely to ball up with snow. Semi-rigid crampons are easier to adjust than the old rigid designs and fit a greater variety of boot shapes. If you have a highly curved boot, you can get an asymmetrical center bar as an accessory to get a better fit. Or you can try a longer or flex (spring steel) center bar depending on the size and type of your boot. Note: There are left and right crampons in a semi-rigid design. This is determined by the orientation of the center bar.

Types of Bindings Crampons attach to most boots using one of the 3 binding types described below. If you wear overboots (for high-altitude or very cold conditions), make sure you try on crampons with these boots in place, as their extra rubber and fabric can affect crampon fit. Some manufacturers also make bail wires compatible with telemark boots. Hybrid Sometimes called mixed or semi-step crampons, hybrids feature a heel lever and toe strap. They require boots with a stiff sole plus a heel groove or welt to hold the heel lever. The toe strap, however, doesn't need a welt to fit securely. These are easy to put on with gloves since you don't need to clean out the toe welt and line it up—you just pull on the toe strap and throw the heel lever. Step-In In this system, a wire bail holds the toe in place while a heel cable with tension lever attaches the crampon to the heel. If the boot/crampon fit is right, this results in a very secure system. This is also the easiest style to put on with gloves and in snowy conditions.

For a step-in binding, boots need to have rigid soles and at least a 3/8" welt or groove on the heel and toe. An ankle strap is also typically part of the system. Another advantage of a step-in system is that you can move the front bail to adjust the length of front points according to the type of terrain. Step-in crampons are recommended for use with ski mountaineering and telemark boots. Strap-On This style usually features a pair of nylon webbing straps per crampon. The beauty of this system is that it can be used with virtually any boot or shoe you have (just make sure the center bar is compatible with the flex of your boot or shoe). While these take longer to attach than other styles, they can be fit tightly enough for moderate ice routes. They are a great choice if you'll be using multiple boots with the same crampon. Strap-on bindings, however, aren't quite as precise as step-ins—you can get a small amount of movement between boot and crampon. Points Number of Points Most crampons have 10 or 12 points. You want the points to be in the right place (under your instep and following the shape of the boot).

You might need to adjust the front bails of the crampon to get the correct point extension. Nowadays, a few highly technical models have points with serrated sides allowing the crampons to grab even in places where a point doesn't penetrate the snow or ice. As a crampon's end-use transitions from winter walking and mountaineering to overhanging mixed routes, its number of points (and rigidity) increases. Most 10-point crampons are ideal for ski touring and glacier travel. You can use these to climb volcanoes or traverse the Haute Route. Crampons for technical ice and mixed climbing have more aggressive frontpoints that are often adjustable and replaceable. These waterfall-specific crampons sometimes allow you to change the length of the front points on the body itself. Waterfall-specific crampons allow front points to be configured as dual-point, monopoint or monopoint offset. Sometimes climbers change the droop angle of their crampons, with steeper droops set for dry tooling, when pulling in with the feet is necessary (like with climbing slippers on overhangs). For general mountaineering, it is easier to walk with less frontpoint sticking out. For technical climbing, you'll want longer frontpoints.

Most step-in technical crampons have different front bail positions, so you can adjust the toe position according to whether you are walking or climbing. Frontpoints This refers to the forward-facing points (or point) on crampons: Horizontal: These dual points are suitable for almost any alpine climbing or ice/snow climbing. Vertical: These dual points are preferred for steep waterfall and mixed climbs. These frontpoints slip easily into cracks and are adjustable and replaceable. Some technical-ice crampons have secondary frontpoints for added support and traction. Monopoint: This single point is popular for technical waterfall and mixed climbing. The specific demands of a technical waterfall or mixed alpine route (as well as the conditions) often dictate the type of crampon that's best suited for the task. Modular vs. Non-Modular Points are either modular (adjustable) or non-modular (fixed). With modular front points, you can replace the teeth or reconfigure them to support the type of walking or climbing you have planned. If you are doing a lot of mixed rock-and-ice climbing and think you'll need to replace your points eventually, get modular crampons. While non-modular points can be sharpened, they get shorter with wear.

These one-piece forged marvels tend to be lighter than their non-modular cousins. Also, since there are no moving parts, you don't have to worry about screws coming loose. Crampon/Boot Compatibility Boot and crampon compatibility is essential for performance and safety. Your boot type ultimately tells you what options you have in binding systems. For example, ultralight strap-on crampons will work on ultralight hiking boots, but they are not suitable for mountaineering or ice climbing. A crampon strapped to a flexible-soled boot will not fit as securely as on a rigid-soled boot. Some considerations: Determine what type of boot you have. Is the sole highly flexible, semi-flexible or rigid? Does it have toe or heel welts, or both? If you have highly flexible boots without toe welts, you may need a new boot if you are planning to wear them with technical climbing crampons. What activities are you planning? For mountaineering or ice climbing, look at the toe and heel of your boot. You have several crampon binding options. For walking rather than climbing, consider less-technical crampons with a strap-on binding.

If you want step-in crampons, keep in mind you need stiff-soled boots with thick welts or grooves at the toe and heel. Match the flexibility of your footwear with the flexibility of the crampon. For highly flexible boots, get crampons with a flexible center bar that connects the front and back. You can wear aluminum crampons with sneakers (and strap-on bindings) for light mountaineering or glacier travel, just make sure the flexibility is similar. Bring along your boots when shopping. This is a smart way to make sure a crampon fits. Make sure the center bar fits the boot for flex, shape and length. Climbers often make micro-adjustments, like adjusting the toe bail, to secure a seamless fit. When in doubt, go with a strap-on system. This fits most footwear best, and it's always better to error on the side of getting a crampon that fits! Shop REI's selection of crampons . Crampon Accessories Anti-balling plates: All crampons come with an anti-balling plate (usually made of ABS plastic) to prevent snow from sticking to the bottom of the crampon. This is important to keep you from losing traction.

Anti-balling systems are highly recommended by the UIAA (the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation). Crampon cases and point covers: Protect your pack and yourself from sharp crampon points with rubber point covers or a crampon case which is typically made of rugged, puncture-resistant nylon. Cases make for quick and easy storage; rubber point covers are less bulky and less expensive. Gaiters: In addition to a crampon case, consider a sturdy pair of gaiters to protect your lower legs and apparel from getting nicked by sharp crampon points. Spare parts: You can buy alternative center bars for most crampons. These bars can make the crampon more or less flexible, or allow you to extend a crampon to fit bigger boots. If traveling to remote area, it's a good idea to bring along extra toe and heel bails, screws and center bar. Crampon Care How to Choose Ice Climbing, Mixed and Mountaineering Boots How to Choose Ice Climbing, Mixed and Mountaineering Boots MATERIALS PLASTIC UPPER Plastic boots have a hard plastic outer shell, and a durable and removable synthetic inner boot.

This double-boot model is great for all alpine climbs, expeditions and multi-day situations because the inner boot can be removed and dried overnight. While plastic boots are waterproof, protecting your foot from snowmelt, stream crossings and glacial pools, etc., the inner boot will still become wet from sweat. Still, plastic boots are the warmest footwear. Some are outfitted with knee-high gaitors—an expensive set up normally reserved for 8,000-meter peak-bagging. Plastic boots are generally very stiff, which makes them great crampon bearers. Strap-on crampons work well with plastic boots because the straps can be cinched very tight, without affecting circulation to your lower extremities. Plastic boots perform well at ice and mixed crags, too, but not nearly as well as lighter leather or synthetic boots. SYNTHETIC Every serious climbing-boot maker has one or more boots with a synthetic, or partial synthetic, upper. This breed of mountaineering boot is lighter and more comfortable (with a shorter break-in time) and dries faster than all-leather footwear. Disadvantages?

Synthetic materials can make a boot softer (less supportive on steep ice) and can be less durable than all leather, although unless you practically live in your boots you’ll likely never wear them out. The trend is for all-synthetic boots and with each passing season these designs get better and better, smartly blending stiff plastics with softer fabrics, and are not to the point of being the standard rather than the exception. LEATHER Leather mountaineering boots have withstood the test of time and virtually every breakthrough climb, from Everest to K2, to Cerro Torre to Denali, was accomplished by climbers shod in leather. Leather boots are tough, stiff and solid enough to withstand the jagged harshness of ice, rock and snow, yet often comfortable enough to hike in all day. Make sure your leather boot has: a high enough upper to support your ankle, a good lug sole, toe and heel welts, a stiff shank to help with frontpointing, and a hard toe and heel to protect your foot from kick and plunge steps. Leather boots are often light enough to climb technical rock—make sure they fit well so you can edge with them.

STIFFNESS Choosing the stiffness of a boot depends on the technical difficulty you are interested in pursuing. You won’t need a rigid boot for exploring glaciers, and you wouldn’t want a flexible boot for heading up the 1,200 feet of vertical ice of Quebec’s Le Pomme d’Or. RIGID The most rigid boots, such as plastic boots and extremely stiff leather boots, are most at home on technical ice routes. When your entire body weight is on two front points shoved an inch into a flow of ice, your calves will appreciate the stiffness of a rigid boot. Hiking across moraines and along other rugged trails is, of course, possible in the most rigid boots, but takes some getting used to. You will have to learn how to heel-toe up to the technical bits. Not ideal, but the choice of many climbers. MEDIUM FLEX These boots are best for less demanding snow and ice routes. They will provide enough support for standing in aiders, climbing cracks and lower-angle ice, while allowing for an increased degree of comfort. Both leather and synthetic boots work well in these situations, as long as the sole is firm and the upper provides support above the ankle.

These boots can also be used on alpine rock climbs, where you’ll be jamming your foot into cracks. However, don’t expect to climb at your rock on-sight level. FLEXIBLE The most flexible boots are for trekking through snow and ice, stream and talus. This footwear is not going to be at home on more technical routes, but your dogs won’t be barking at the end of a long day. Flexible boots should pair with flexible crampons. These boots will work well on easy approaches. They are often light, which can mean the difference between reaching camp before dark or not. CRAMPON COMPATIBLITY Technical boots will have a deep toe and heel grove just above the upper edge of the sole. This is to secure a step-in crampon with a toe bail and a heel bail with a tensioning lever. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU TEST YOUR CRAMPONS ON YOUR BOOTS BEFORE YOU BUY. Unlike ski bindings which are universal and conform to the same DIN standard, crampon bindings vary drastically from one model or company to the other. Some crampons, due to their shape or height or thickness of the bail won’t work on some boots—they’ll pop off under the stress of frontpointing.

This is a big problem that manufacturers are only now beginning to address; some offer different bails for different models of boots. Many models of crampons have hybrid bindings, with a plastic or nylon toe piece that wraps up and over the boot toe, and only have a heel bail. These crampons are meant for less technical climbing, such as snow mountaineering and glacier travel, where the crampon doesn’t need to fit super snug and a bit of crampon wobble isn’t a concern. Crampons with hybrid bindings don’t require a stiff boot or a grooved toe welt. GAITERS Many boots meant for extreme high-altitude conditions of cold, and some top-end technical boots, have integrated gaiters. Building a gaiter into the boot saves weigh because lets the gaiter become part of the boot’s structure, and provides the best weather-tight seal against snow and water. The disadvantages are that they zipper can break (keep it clean and lubricated), necessitating an expensive repair (if you are fortunate enough to have the zipper blow out at home), and the gaiter adds an additional layer of expense to the boot.

QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever—Crampons QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever—Crampons QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever—Crampons It's worth mentioning that as Kolin and his team were developing this post over the past few weeks (which is the culmination of years of testing and documentation), we became aware of some discussions in a couple online climbing forums and blogs filled with rumors and misinformation about BD crampons and the people who work here. We watched the discussion—dominated by a handful of posters with well-documented personal vendettas against us—devolve into a series of irrational personal attacks, lies paraded as insider knowledge, and misleading and bullying of fellow forum members who voiced support for BD or asked for facts to support the claims. As the vitriol became more and more erratic, personal and baseless, we realized it would be best not to engage in such dialogue that is unconstrained by facts or respect. Fortunately, KP and his crew continued developing this post, and we feel this serves to bring all the facts to the table.

This QC Lab provides the technical data and crucial manufacturing insights for climbers who want to be fully and properly informed on crampons: how they are designed, how they are built, the materials used, how they are tested, why they break, how often they break, and how to increase their lifespan. We realize that to some people, to innovate is to disrupt; it makes them uncomfortable. This is nothing new. When we made the climbing world's first wiregate carabiner or carbon fiber ice tool, there were doubters who were spooked by the nonconformity and innovation of our designs and materials. And now? Those radical designs and revolutionary materials have become iconic standards of innovation in climbing equipment. Building our crampons out of stainless steel is just another step down that path of innovation. Climbing is not merely our business—it's our life, it's our passion, it's what we do—and all of us here at Black Diamond Equipment are obsessively dedicated to innovating, designing and building the absolute best gear possible in support of you, our fellow climbers.

Stainless steel crampons have become, by far, our best selling models of all time—a point of pride we share with every climber, from paid professional to weekend warrior, who uses our crampons. We appreciate your feedback, your vision, and your stoke, and are continually humbled by the summits and climbs you have achieved with our equipment. In the last QC Lab post we covered ice tool picks—why and how they break, CE requirements for picks, some testing we do here at BD, how different types of picks are oftentimes more suited for particular application, and that they don't last forever. This time it's crampons, which, you guessed it, also don't last forever. In this post we'll not only delve into why crampons don't last forever, but also why you must select the right tool for the job in order to get maximum performance and lifespan out of your gear. Crampon Design It's tough to clearly categorize crampons nowadays. Years ago there was "hinged" and "rigid". There aren't a lot of truly rigid crampons around anymore—most frames are of a similar hinged design.

One could argue that it may make the most sense to categorize them into vertical front points (for waterfall ice) and horizontal front points (for alpine and snow). Vertical Front Points They are typically more rigid and provide a more solid platform for front pointing. Think of the front points as 2x6s placed vertically for added rigidity. They climb vertical ice better (less ice shattering), plus it's possible to track in your pick placements and get the points into cracks when mixed climbing. The added rigidity results in them being able to take more cyclic abuse before the metal fatigues. The downside is they are heavier. Horizontal Front Points Points are oriented for more surface area for better purchase while snow climbing. Think of the front points as 2x6s placed horizontally for a wider, but less rigid, purchase area. They are lighter. The downside is that because they're lighter (i.e., less material) they generally can't take the amount of abuse as a pair of vertically oriented front point crampons. CE Requirements Most crampons on the market adhere to the CE (EN893) and UIAA 153 requirements.

These requirements include: minimum length of spikes, prevention against slippage, bending and breaking strength of spikes, strength of bails and retention system and strength of the frame. For a bit more insight into the CE and UIAA requirements for crampons, click here to go to the UIAA's webpage on safety standards . Additional Testing As with all BD products, we are obsessively dedicated to designing and building the absolute best gear possible (which means going above and beyond CE and UIAA standards), so we have created a battery of testing machines and tests that our crampons need to go through before they hit the market, including: fatigue testing, material wear testing, ultimate strength testing, crampon balling testing, high and low temperature testing, salt spray testing, UV testing and, of course, the fun part: field testing. Manufacturing Nearly every single manufacturer uses the same combination of the following processes: vertical front points are hot forged; frames and horizontal front points are stamped, laser cut, milled or water jet from sheet and then cold formed. We do the entire crampon manufacturing downstairs here at BD HQ, and it's cool to go down there and watch the process unfold.

Crampon Material Selection Crampons are built with two basic materials: aluminum and/or steel. (And as shown in this photo, climbers on a super-thin budget have been known to bang together a homemade pair out of wood, duct tape and screws...) Aluminum is lighter than steel, but also not as burly—so you'll usually see aluminum crampons as non-technical products intended for snow/glacier travel only. Take a pair of aluminum crampons on a waterfall ice climb or walking over rocks, and they will be a bent and busted mess in no time. Steel is the common material of choice: chromoly or stainless, with many different compositions of each available. As far as weight, steel is steel and there really isn't much variation, however, different steels have different advantages and disadvantages when it comes to manufacturability and performance characteristics: machinability, formability, hardness, toughness, wear, durability, and, of course, cost. Chromoly To Stainless A few years ago, Black Diamond switched from using chromoly steel to stainless steel for our crampons. The reason?

Stainless, though roughly three times more expensive than chromoly, is less susceptible to rust, doesn't require toxic paint or powder coating, performs better and, as a bonus, looks cool. As climbers, we count on stainless steel in critical areas every day: most newer bolts and bolt hangers are stainless; cables, ball swages and many parts on cams are stainless; and many ice axe heads, spikes, crampon and ice tool components use stainless. But before we made the switch on our crampons, we did a ton of testing to verify material selection. As well as targeting all of the CE and UIAA requirements, we performed our battery of additional tests: wear testing, crampon balling testing, fatigue testing. What did we learn about stainless? Field Testing: We tested stainless steel crampon protos around the globe for more than two years, from single-pitch mixed rigs to multi-day Himalayan giants to free solos in the Canadian Rockies, by some of the top climbers in the game (as well as some of the top hacks in the game—myself included). Athletes, testers, and employees put the stainless steel protos through pitch after pitch of use and experienced significant improvements in several performance characteristics (see below).

Wear: In our field testing and point wear test comparison in the QC Lab, we saw improved point durability in the stainless we selected over our previously used chromoly. Point geometry and rust (see below) were also significant contributors to how quickly points became dull. Snow Balling: When brand new the stainless steel sheds snow about the same as a brand new powder-coated chromoly crampon. However, we noticed in the lab and in the field that when comparing used powder-coated chromoly crampon to a used stainless steel crampon, the stainless, with its smooth finish, sheds snow significantly better than the chromoly with its scrappy, flaked off powder coating. Rust: In our non-calibrated salt-spray comparative testing, the chromoly crampons became completely rusted while the stainless crampons showed virtually no signs of rust, save for the toe bails and center bars, which are not made from stainless steel. By pitting and corroding the chromoly, rust acts as a wear accelerant, especially on the tips of the points. No rust = less snow balling and better long-term durability.

Fatigue: As noted in the previous QC Lab post regarding ice-tool picks, there is no official CE requirement for the fatigue life of crampons (or any climbing gear, for that matter). Fatigue life and optimizing the gear we make is extremely important to us, so, CE requirement or not, we designed and built our own crampon-specific cyclic machine (three actually) that test fatigue life (think: bending a coat hanger back and forth over and over until it breaks). Our goal was to determine if there was a significant difference in fatigue life based on material selection, geometry specifics, varying the loads, placement of loads, frequency of loads, etc. We cut old geometry out of stainless, we cut new geometry out of chromoly, we tested old Black Diamond products, other manufacturers products, and many iterations of prototypes—all in order to get a true understanding of where geometries, materials and the competition all stacked up as it pertains to cyclic durability. Overall, we tested hundreds of crampons, and continue to test as new styles and various performance characteristics adjustments are developed. Below is a graph that shows a variety of front-point cyclic fatigue comparisons of BD Cyborg and Sabretooth crampons in both stainless and chromoly.

What this test showed us was that, in regards to fatigue life, stainless steel was in the same ballpark as chromoly. Crampons Break Even given all of the design work, material selection and testing that Black Diamond and most other manufacturers perform, under certain circumstances—and as with picks and most any gear—crampons won't last forever. Crampons can and do wear out or break in the field—they always have. Points can become dull and eventually too short from continuous sharpening, bails can get tweaked, bent or rusted, points can bend or break from being torqued in a crack or heavily, single-point loaded during climbing or even walking (often while descending on hard ice or rocks), and points, center bars or crampon frames can ultimately break from the continuous pounding from metal fatigue. In 2001, the British Mountaineering Council created a pamphlet to help educate climbers on gear, its uses, limitations, gear maintenance and inspection. Here's an excerpt from the pamphlet regarding crampons: Crampons take an incredible amount of punishment â€“ a climber carrying a heavy rucksack and walking over rock or boulders transfers a large force onto the points of the crampon.

(For the technically minded the impact force can be around 3kN, which on rough terrain might be shared by only two or three of the points!). Also the crampon bends slightly, even on the stiffest boot, and this happens on every step. On a ten-mile walk a crampon could experience 10,000 bending cycles. Metal will break if cold enough and either bent with sufficient force (brittle fracture) or flexed back and forward enough times (fatigue failure). The surprising thing is not that some crampons break but rather that most crampons don't break â€“ a testament to our equipment manufacturers. Click here to read various reports —albeit ones that are a bit dated—that the British Mountaineering Council posted on their website about crampon and all kinds of other gear field breakages. How Often Do Crampons Break? The BMC pamphlet reports only 31 crampon field failures over a 15-year period. Not many. But remember that this information is from more than a decade ago.

The current reality is that gear makers are pushing the limits of design (i.e., making gear lighter and more performance oriented, which usually comes at a cost of durability) and climbers are being harder and harder on gear because climbing styles and difficulty have changed so much in recent years. Crampons break; they always have. No manufacture has a magic material or process to produce an unbreakable crampon. Every company has warranty returns, but all I will cover here are crampons that have been returned to Black Diamond. Our data includes everything from a broken frame or center bar to a slightly frayed strap to an ABS plate that has baked and melted in a car fire. All inclusive, our historical return rate for crampons is less than 0.1%. Specifically, crampon warranty return rates were around 0.06% for the eight-year period prior to using stainless steel, and around 0.02% since switching to stainless in 2009— as you can see in the chart below.

We have rarely ever seen vertical front point crampons returned (remember that 2x6 analogy), so if we divide the warranty return rate down by model, it creeps close to 0.2% for technical crampons with horizontal front points (not shown specifically in this graph). How Do Crampons Break? Every piece of climbing gear returned to BD Warranty eventually comes across my desk. We in the QC Lab analyze the returns and complete a comprehensive investigation. We treat every return as a serious opportunity to understand what happened, how it happened, and what's going on in the field, as well as an opportunity to improve our products through refinements and meaningful design tweaks. Even though all of our crampons exceed all international standards, we do not hesitate to improve and optimize them based on real-world usage. Historically here at BD, we would see a few random crampon returns for frayed webbing, plastic toe straps getting beat, bent front points or tweaked down-points. Sometimes we would see bent or broken rear down-points—usually from people descending hard ice or rocks and the heel down-points taking the brunt of the load.

And sometimes we have seen broken crampon frames or center bars—often returned from trekking companies whose crampons see tons of mileage on glaciers, usually with people wearing really soft boots that flex a lot and cause a bending load on the frame. We all know you can break anything if you try hard enough and that there have been and always will be anomalous failure modes. While investigating a couple of crampon warranty returns from this past season, we noticed a direct correlation: As crampons have gotten more and more specialized and lighter (20 years ago, crampons weighed upwards of 1400 grams per pair, now you're seeing technical crampons as low as 800 grams per pair), boots are getting more asymmetric and significantly more flexible (think old plastic boots that were comfortable to climb in but made walking feel like you had wooden planks nailed to your feet vs. the comfort of today's flexible, rockered leather boots). Unfortunately these two trends contribute negatively to the durability of a crampon.

(It's worth noting that currently there are no significant CE requirements for boot soles or the crampon/boot interface or compatibility, though this topic is being discussed in annual meetings of the UIAA Safety Commission, which I attend on behalf of Black Diamond.) Back in the day, when people were climbing vertical ice with big, heavy rigid plastic boots, it was the boot—not the crampon—that was taking the bending load during climbing. But now with the popularity of lighter and more flexible boots, the crampon ends up taking the bending load as you're front pointing. And as the BMC article states: metal fatigue by bending is one of the main factors that lead to crampons breaking. This, of course, is exacerbated as the load increases (heavier climbers) and as the moment arm increases (bigger feet). What does all that mean in regards to boots? It means that when climbing in modern day (more flexible) boots, a big, heavy guy with big feet is going to abuse a crampon more than a lighter woman with small feet. Check out the animated gifs below that show how much boots flex when loaded by an 80kg climber, front pointing in size 45 boots.

You can see that the old plastic boots have virtually zero flex and therefore transfer virtually zero bending load to the crampon. The other two boots are popular current models, one lightweight ice boot and one medium weight mountain boot—the amount of bending load transferred to the crampon is dramatically significant. What can you do? Crampons I don't think we've ever seen a vertically oriented front point crampon frame break, but we have seen horizontally oriented front point frames break. As a general rule beefier crampons with vertical front points performed better in cycle fatigue than lighter crampons with horizontal front points. This should be no surprise. So if you are planning on doing a lot of front pointing on water ice or you're an Alpine MOG that tips the scales over the 90kg level, you will best be served with a vertical front point crampon. We wanted to be able to put some actual numbers to the difference in fatigue life, so we did a comparison on our homemade cyclic machine that represents repeated front pointing. And, as always, we not only tested our own current-model crampons but also other manufacturers. As you can see, pretty much across the board, vertically oriented front points do better than horizontal.

Once again, this increased durability is from the vertical oriented front points increasing stiffness and being able to take more abuse before fatigue. Boots and Center Bars Proper boot selection and fit to the crampon is critical in optimizing performance and maximizing lifespan. If you're using a boot that has lots of flex, a flexible center bar allows the crampon to move with the boot, thus reducing the bending load forces on the front frame of the crampon. We wondered how different boot and center bar combinations affected the lifespan of crampons—so we tested it. We ended up comparing how many cycles a crampon could take before failure, depending on which boot was used: a soft hiking boot mid-stiff boot (modern day, typically used for climbing vertical ice) truly rigid (plastic) boot. As well as, which center bar was selected (rigid or flexible) (Note: This test doesn't directly correlate to any actual real world pitches of ice or miles of walking. It must be taken as a direct comparison within it's own dataset.) The results show that the softer the boot, the fewer number of cycles the crampon frame can take before metal fatigue—which makes sense since the crampon ends up taking the bending load.

The results also show that using a flexible center bar can greatly increase the life of your crampon. Currently all horizontal front point crampons (the Sabretooth, Serac, Contact and Neve) come equipped with flexible center bars, and the vertical front point crampons (Stinger and Cyborg) are equipped with rigid center bars. Performance-wise, flexible center bars improve walking performance, but result in a slightly reduced technical performance. Once again, the Brits got it right in the BMC pamphlet: Also the crampon bends slightly, even on the stiffest boot, and this happens on every step. Metal will break flexed back and forward enough times (fatigue failure). i) Choose a crampon suitable for your boot type â€“ putting fully rigid crampons on flexible boots may damage the boots, the crampons and possibly your feet into the bargain. ii) Choose a crampon appropriate for your intended use â€“ using highly technical crampons for walking on mixed terrain will increase the likelihood of fatigue failure. Similarly, using crampons with long front points for climbing on rock will probably result in broken front points very quickly!

iii) Regular inspection â€“ be aware that your crampons take the most abuse of any of your mountaineering equipment so be extra vigilant with frequent inspections. Care and Maintenance: Proper use care and maintenance is crucial to increasing the usable lifespan of your gear. Inspect your gear often. Read the manufacturer's instructions. Click here to download ours , and read below for excerpts from other companies' instructions, all of which provide similar directions for care and maintenance. LIife of crampon: Sporadic use with a seasonal concentration = between 5 and 10 years. Regular use throughout the year on difficult routes and some ice falls = between 3 and 5 years. Frequent, professional use on new routes and ice falls = between 3 and 6 seasons. Dry tooling, modern mixed, competitions = between 1 and 2 seasons. The materials do not last forever. Check the tool before using it every time and do not hesitate to replace it. You can damage your crampons by walking on rock carelessly (or running up the cable car steps!) so check then regularly. They will not last forever. Their life span depends on how they are used, on what sort of terrain and how often.

The crampons are designed for alpinism on snow, ice or mixed routes. They should be adapted to the intended use and to the types of boots. Note: the boots' sole should be rigid or semi rigid. Checking, points to verify: Before each use, check the attachment of the front and rear In addition to the inspection before each use, an in-depth inspection must be carried out by a competent inspector. In addition to the normal inspection required before, during and after each use, this product should be annually examined by a competent person; the recording of this check should be done on the life sheet of the product. Before using the crampons check that the binding system fits the boots that will be used. Only use crampons with a flexible linking bar on soft mountaineering boots. Maintenance and lifespan Check your crampons before, during and after each use. Check that there are no cracks on the metallic parts. A more thorough examination shall be made at least every year by a competent and trained person. The maximum lifespan of the crampon is 5 years of use. This lifespan can be reduced to one single use in case of severe load (fall). If you have any doubt about any piece of gear, retire and destroy it.

Bottom line Yowsa. This is one seriously long QC Lab post! So what does all of this data and info mean? The bottom line: Vertically oriented front points are best for climbing water ice and/or heavy climbers, and tend to do better in cyclic fatigue. Horizontal front points are best used for the alpine. Flexible center bars can increase the lifespan of your crampons, but at a cost of performance. Boots aren't as rigid as they used to be and break down/wear in quicker. Use flexible center bars with truly non-rigid boots. Regardless of the version or model of BD crampon you own, when matched with appropriate boots and center bars, they can be trusted perform to the highest of standards. Just like with ice picks, no one has a magic material or process that produces an unbreakable crampon. Gear doesn't last forever. Regardless if the gear is new age or old school, lightweight or heavy, Black Diamond or any other manufacturer, no climbing gear will last forever. Climbers should know the limitations of their gear, its appropriate use, and inspect often. If you take care of your climbing gear and use it in the proper application, it will last longer.

And, as always, if you're questioning the strength or usability of a piece of gear, retire it. Stay tuned for Part Three in this series in a few weeks, were we'll cover slings and quickdraws. Be safe out there — Eastern Mountain Sports Outdoor Schools | Ice Climbing & Mountaineering Ice Climbing & Mountaineering Home / Gear List / Ice Climbing & Mountaineering GEAR LIST Ice Climbing & Mountaineering Clothing is as important as your boots and ice axe. Being properly dressed is essential to enjoying your outdoor adventures. Cotton has no place in your winter layering system: it keeps you cold if you sweat and it takes a long time to dry out. Synthetic fabrics or wool keep you warmer when they become wet with sweat and certain synthetic base layers are designed to wick the sweat away from your skin to keep you drier and warmer. In order to make your experience more enjoyable, please do not wear any cotton as layering pieces. Also, remember, you have to carry all your clothing with you, so packing efficiently is important. If you can’t wear it all at once, you don’t need to bring it.

We expect that you will be dressed and ready to go upon arrival to the School. The items below are REQUIRED unless otherwise specified. If you have questions about what to bring please call the Climbing School at 800-310-4504. Clothing Base Layer (top & bottom) There’s no way around it. You sweat. Wear fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin. Unlike 100% cotton that gets wet and stays wet, wicking fabrics help you regulate your core temperature and avoid overheating or chilling. Great examples of winter base layers include EMS® Techwick® Lightweight and Midweight polyester which wicks, packs, wears, and washes like nothing else. Top and Bottom. Light to mid-weight synthetics, snug fit and close to skin. Over-Base Layer (top only) Mid-layers add mild insulation to help retain heat that your body creates, and are worn between the base layer and insulation if needed. Examples of over base layers are EMS® Techwick® Midweight or Heavyweight or any lightweight wool shirt. Top only. Light-weight fleece or heavy-weight EMS® Techwick®. Power-Stretch and micro-fleece are ideal materials for this layer.

Insulation Layer (top only) Mid-layers add insulation to help retain heat that your body creates, and are worn between the base layer and outer jacket. Examples of insulating mid-layers include a fleece jacket or a synthetic jacket made of Prima Loft® or Thermore®. Jacket only. 200 to 300 weight fleece, heavy weight soft shell or light weight Prima-Loft sweater. Uninsulated Waterproof/ Windproof Shell (jacket & pants) Forget about bulky coats. Wear an outer shell (over your base and insulation layer) to shed water and snow. Layering will give you more versatility, depending on the weather and your activity. Outerwear that is waterproof with increased breathability will be more adaptable and can help transfer moisture away from your body to keep you dry and protected from the elements. Jackets and pants. EMS System III, Gortex®, or similar waterproof/breathable material. Jacket MUST have an integrated hood. Flimsy “stow-away” nylon hoods are not adequate. Full side zip on pants are very helpful. *Soft shell pants and jacket can be very appropriate on days when we are not expecting heavy snow or wet weather.

They provide wind and water protection while still allowing you to breath. Fabrics that fall into the category are PolarTec Powershield and Scholler. “Over-it-All” Hooded Down or Prima-Loft Jacket This crucial layer is often added when you stop for a break. It helps to maintain your body temperature while you are resting and is essential for keeping you warm on those cold descents and during inconvenient breaks above treeline in high winds. This layer is generally worn over your outermost layers–yes, even over your Gore-Tex® or System Three® jacket. Gloves or Mittens, and Glove Liners We recommend having 3 pair of gloves/mittens with you. Glove liners are very useful for the more aerobic approach to your climb. Insulated gloves (like ski gloves) with a windproof/waterproof shell are a must for higher elevations and more technical climbing.

Mittens with a windproof/waterproof shell are essential for those colder temperatures at higher elevations (tip: you will not be dexterous in mittens, so if you couple a pair of liner gloves inside your mittens, you can have both!) Fleece Hat You’ve probably heard that most of your body heat escapes from your head. When you’re feeling cold the first piece to add to your clothing system is a hat . This hat should cover your ears and can be made of fleece or wool. Remember to fit the hat so you can wear it under a helmet. Wool or Synthetic Socks How many times have your feet been way too cold? Wool or wool blend socks are great natural insulators, even when wet. For most cold-weather sports, wear wicking liner socks and mid weight wool or synthetic socks. Make sure you fit footwear with heavier socks for more warmth. No matter how thick your socks are, if your footwear constricts your toes, your blood flow will slow down and cause your feet to be cold–fit your shoes accordingly. Footwear EMS will provide all climbers with appropriate plastic winter mountaineering boots. Boot sizes range from women’s 5 – men’s 16.

If you have a larger or smaller foot please let us know before you arrive. Accessories Backpack 2,000-3,000 cubic inches or 30-40 liters is recommended, max 20lb load. A properly fitted pack will make your day 100 times better! It is essential to have a backpack which has a comfortable hip belt to help support the bulk of the weight. Use a backpack large enough to stow all of your gear on the inside without having to strap any of your personal gear on the outside where it is exposed to the elements. Also, make sure your backpack has ice axe loops you can use to carry your mountaineering axe when you are not using it and side compression straps to cinch the load close to you. Tip: Pack your backpack with your gear before you arrive and make sure you still have enough room to stow your puffy jacket, gortex jacket, and extra warm layers for the initial hike in. This will save an enormous amount of time in the morning! Winter Gaiters Gaiters cover the top of the boot to keep out rain, snow, and ice. They should cover your entire calf and be able to fit over a plastic ice climbing boot.

They also cover your Gore-Tex® pants and provide a clean surface around your legs. This way, you are less likely to trip on loose pant legs and damage them while walking and climbing in your crampons. Meals Food Fuel your body. In the mountains, lunch starts when breakfast ends and ends when dinner starts. In other words, we eat all day. A typical climber or skier will consume about 3,500 calories during the course of a day. Pack foods that don’t freeze hard, cover all the food groups and are easy to eat. Pre-make peanut butter sandwiches, or bring last night’s pizza, and those oh-so delicious candy bars. Carry your bars inside your jacket to keep them warm and gooey. Water Wide-mouth water bottles are recommended for winter. 2+ liters is a minimum to keep us hydrated during the day. Please, do not use hydration systems, metal water bottles, or thin plastic, Poland Springs, narrow-mouthed bottles. All of these systems freeze easily making the water unavailable to you. Before coming to the school, please consume ¾ to a liter of water. This will ensure you are starting your day well hydrated.

Optional Items Plastic mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, harness, helmet, climbing hardware, ropes. Helpful Tips 1) When packing clothing for your outing, do not pack any more clothing than you can wear at once. If we empty your pack and you can’t wear all your clothes because you packed too many layers, you will need to eliminate some clothes. 2) If you are doing a multi-day program, remember all this gear needs to be worn for multiple days. If it will not dry over night please bring extra for the following day(s). Although we have tricks for drying your synthetic long underwear in the tent, its nice to have a spare set of “next to skin” layers and socks to wear while your other clothes are drying. 3) If you need help determining which layers to wear, bring more rather than less, and ask us to help you pack. Drop us an email or call with questions. Remember we are out there every day.

How to Dress for Ice Climbing - From a (One Time) Beginner - Campfire Chic How to Dress for Ice Climbing – From a (One Time) Beginner 29 Flares 29 Flares × Dressing for ice climbing as a beginner always gave me a headache. The problem is that you are dressing for two extremes; standing around in freezing weather, followed by intensive climbing. You need both warm layers and freedom of movement with the bonus of having to carrying in everything on your approach hike. After a lot of trial and error, I feel like I’m finally happy with my setup. Unlike other sports, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information out there on dressing for ice climbing so I’m hoping I can save someone else the hassle of figuring it out themselves. So, here is what I bring & wear ice climbing: Feet Two pairs of wool socks. I wear my first pair on the drive out, then I switch to my second pair once we’ve parked and I’m changing into my ice climbing boots. Driving to a location can be anywhere from 1-2 hrs so I prefer to start my climbing day off with feet that are as dry and warm as possible.

My ice climbing boots fit a bit large so I prefer thick wool socks but the key is that you want a sock that will not compress your foot too much in your boots. Driving boots and ice climbing boots. Ice climbing boots are very stiff which can make driving and long rides uncomfortable so I rarely wear them out of my house. You can rent boots from a local sporting store but if you think you will get out even once or twice a year, buying your own boots is well worth it. MEC (the Canadian REI) has a gear swap website and also sells returned items at a discount which is how I bought my boots. Ice climbing boots also make great snow-based mountaineering boots if you’re looking to kill two birds with one stone. As for fit, just remember that want your boots to be big enough that your toes don’t slam into the front every time you kick. For me I had to go a size up to achieve this and used insoles to help perfect the fit. My boots are Scarpa Mont Blancs . Superfeet insoles. I got the warmest insoles ( hot pink ) and find they really do help keep my feet warm. I also use the same insoles in my ski boots. Crampons.

I would suggest renting these unless you plan on getting out a lot. Mountaineering crampons and ice climbing crampons are quite different so don’t expect that you’ll be able to use the same pair effectively for both activities. I usually rent Black Diamond Cyborgs (or Petzl Sarkens ) from MEC. Bottom Wool or synthetic (or both) long underwear. How many and what type of long underwear you choose will depend on you, and the weather where you’re climbing. For the coldest of days I’ll wear a light synthetic pair, a heavy fleece-like pair, and a heavy wool pair. On warmer days, a lightweight synthetic and wool pair. I tend to be on the cold side and the weather here is cold and dry. Softshell pants. I have a pair of Alpine Guide pants from Patagonia that I love. They are stretchy enough to wear multiple layers underneath but not too bulky. I’ve never worn hardshell pants as I find my softshell pants are water resistant enough to deal with the occasional drips. Gaiters. The idea behind gaiters is that they keep crampon points away from pant legs and the more you climb, the better you’ll get at doing this.

I prefer not to worry about catching points on pant legs so I always wear gaiters. As a bonus, they help block wind and keep your legs warm. Harness. A rock climbing harness will do in a pinch, but there are some things to be aware of. Firstly, you’ll have more clothes on so make sure the leg loops will fit over your layers. Secondly, it’s really helpful if your harness has slots for ice clippers. These look like plastic carabiners that slip through slots on your harness. You can clip ice tools (useful for rappelling or being lowered) or ice screws (if you’re seconding a multi-pitch) onto them. Top Sports bra, synthetic tank top, long sleeve wool layer, long sleeve fleece/synthetic layer. On my top, I notice a big difference between wool and synthetic in that having one wool layer is warmer than just synthetic layers. I also pack an extra warm fleece in my bag in case it gets cold. Another consideration is how sweaty you’ll get on the approach. If you remove layers as you go to regulate your temperature, you will arrive dry.

If your approach is strenuous, you may get sweaty anyways in which case bringing a change of tops will keep you from getting chilled from being wet. Down sweater. My Patagonia down sweater acts as my insulating layer as it’s thin but warm. Softshell & Hardshell. Depending on temperature and wetness, I’ll wear one or the other. If I’m warm, I prefer the softshell because it’s stretchy and fitted which is great for your range of movement. If it’s colder out, windy, or wet, I’ll wear my hardshell as I can fit more layers underneath and it provides more protection. Belay jacket. You’ll only wear this when belaying or waiting to climb. Down is the way to go and you want to make sure the jacket is big enough that it fits over all the above layers. If you plan on doing multi-pitches, a jacket that packs up small is a bonus. Belay mittens. I use my Swany ski mitts with handwarmer pockets for cold days. Any warm mitten will do but make sure they’re not so bulky that you can’t belay properly. If you’re cragging, you’ll leave these with your belay jacket while climbing.

If you’re on a multi-pitch, you’ll zip these into your outmost layer when you climb to keep them warm. Climbing gloves. Gloves are the way to go when climbing. They don’t need to be as warm as your mittens as you’ll take them off when belaying and zip them in your belay jacket (this keeps them warm and lets them dry). I use Black Diamond Arc Gloves as they’re thin, relatively warm and waterproof (which also makes them great for mountaineering or alpine climbing!). You can also keep your hands warm by avoiding over-gripping your axes. The tighter you grip, the more you’ll cut off circulation to your hands! Ice axes. This is another item I rent from MEC. I really enjoy Petzl Nomics and Black Diamond Cobras but this is a personal preference. If you’re renting axes, make sure that they are sharpened before you take them out. It’s happened a few times that I’ve picked up my axes and they were not only unsharpened, but the tip of the pick was missing! Umbilicals/leashes. For multi-pitches these are a necessity for me as I REALLY do not want to be dropping tools.

I use the Black Diamond Spinner Leash . For single pitches I don’t use them. Head Warm hat, neckwarmer and sunglasses. Anything that fits under a helmet will do. I like wool hats and a wool buff. Helmet. I use my Petzl Meteor but would recommend something harder like the Elios / Elia as falling is very common. Other gear Backpack. If you’re doing a multi-pitch you will likely need a small day pack that you can comfortably climb in. For single pitch days, anything goes! Belay device, carabiners, etc. What hardwear you bring will really depend on what kind of day you’re planning on having and what gear your partner(s) are bringing. Best to double check with whomever you’re going with than to show up empty handed! Hot chocolate & snacks. Be nice to yourself, nothing beats a hot drink on a cold day :) Snacks are also better than a full lunch as sitting around means getting cold. My personal favourite is the bacon sandwich. Notes about the photos used in this post — First Photo: Enjoying my first multi-pitch at Louise Falls on a warm day in my softshell. That checked off one bucket list item!

My second multi-pitch was on a much colder day at Professor Falls. Photo credit goes to Sarah Hueniken who took my friend and I out. My ice climbing boots did double duty on a mountaineering trip to the Wapta Icefield . Despite a late July departure, the trip was snow-filled and the only rock my boots saw was on the approach hike. Third Photo: Trying out a mixed climb on a cold day in Haffner Canyon . This was one of the last trips when I trusted that I could wear pants without gaiters. After this I because very proficient in patching holes Do you ice climb? Categories Categories This is a for profit blog. Opinions expressed are solely my own and based on my experience. For more information, see the Disclosure Policy . Do not publish any content without prior permission. Campfire Chic is my story as a crafty camper. I share my story as a 9-5er looking for adventure and a handmade life. The posts I share encourage readers to take risks and try new things, like camping, rock climbing, and yoga, while maintaining their current interests and responsibilities. Campfire Chic is about accepting challenges, setting achievable goals, and documenting the journey toward the finish line.

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Question: In climbing and mountaineering, where are crampons worn?
Answer: Feet