UKC

Anyone know much about this, I'm just looking for some info on the pros and cons of mono point as opposed to dual point crampons.? Any info or opinions will be appreciated..

Cheers

Jordan.

In reply to Eurny-Jordan:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=485208&v=1#x6663642

In reply to Eurny-Jordan:

Yes. I have Charlet Moser dual point crampons, where the front blades are horizontal. They are brilliant. Easy and quick to put on. I have used them for the past ten years or so. Have used them on everything from easy Grade 1 gullies up to Grade IV.

Last year I got Petzl Lynx crampons which are modular. You can choose whether to have them dual or mono point. The front blades are vertical. They are brilliant. On steep ice they are much easier and more efficient than dual blades because they don't mash the ice up so much. They just stick in. I have also recently used them in first ever dry tooling exercise - this wouldn't have been advisable with dual points .... can be used as a single mono point. Wouldn't be quite so inclined to use them on snowy gullies, however.

In reply to Eurny-Jordan:

Monos are more precise so better for small holds, and having the weight all on the one point means they're better for slabby stuff - less likely to skate off. Basically they're better for harder mixed (say V/VI upwards). No real advantage on easier stuff.

For Scottish ice I prefer dual points as there's more to bite in, but others prefer monos for this also.

In reply to Eurny-Jordan:
Switched to monos a couple of years ago and haven't looked back. Great on ice and mixed - more precision, able to cope with fluted ice and cracks, and surprising they provide better balance. Dual horizontal points are better for snow gullies though and the benefits of monos are limited on easier grades, as others have said.

In reply to Misha:


Don't you find that the mono sometimes disappears between fresh formed 'icicle' ice? I tried taking a photo of this years back http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.co.uk/2007/02/monopoints_06.html although it can be worse than that on fresher ice.