UKC

Toby Archer checks out some winter hardware from Italian Brand Climbing Technology. It's reasonably priced, but is it any good?

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3300

In reply to UKC Gear:

I've been looking into buying my first set of crampons, so I'm glad to see a review of these. What I'm struggling to decide is wether the 12 point Nuptse crampons would match up well with my Scarpa SL's for winter walking and low grade (I or II probably max) or if I should just save a tenner and go for the CT Nevis 10 point crampons?

My plan was initially to go for the cheapest 10 points I could find (the CT Nevis) to use for the above activities, then when I get into harder routes (III or IV, assuming I ever get there!) just go straight to B3 boots and some proper climbing crampons. But I'm starting to think that if the Nuptse's are suitable for my SL's then why not take advantage of the the more numerous and agressive points?

Any thoughts appreciated.

In reply to MarkDH08: I'd go for the Nupstes with the plastic back and front binding on those boots. They'll be fine for walking but also able to climb in them; at a guess I'd say they would be OK on III and maybe IV. I was wearing them with my now v. old and a bit too flexi Scarpa Fitzroys at Xmas when I did Cautley and it was fine.

The Nuptse points are noticeably shorter than on say, G12s, which I think makes them better for walking in. I'll try and post a photo later.

In reply to MarkDH08: Mark - I put a picture up on my blog showing the Nuptse compared to my G12s: http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2011/01/spikey-things.html You can see that the front, secondary and third points are all slightly shorted on the Nuptse which makes them a bit less wobbly to walk in when you aren't on thick snow.

In reply to MarkDH08: Scarpa SLs are quite bendy. Do any of the CT crampons have a flexible adjustment bar Toby? If they're rigid, they might bend permanently.

In reply to Jamie Hageman: I don't think the bar is particularly bendy, but as I say, my Fitzroy now do have a fair amount of forefoot flex, and I had no problem with the crampons staying on on either 200 mtrs or so of front pointing on Cautley, or perhaps 300 mtrs + of steep snow on Snowdon, so they seem OK with boots with some flex. I also used them with an old pair of Sportiva Trango S and they were fine frontpointing in them to.

But I don't know if modern SLs are very flexi? Scarpa's website say B1, so I guess I shouldn't recommend a C2 crampon for them, but I can't imagine the boots I've been using them with would be worth more than B1 these days... :-/

In reply to UKC Gear: There was one little mistake I made in the text as well:

"You also get anti-balling plates, bolts should you wish to replace the tool-less adjustment system, and even a velcro-closure crampon bag to put them in!"

The bolts are actually to 'shorten' the connecting bar for getting the crampons to fit very small sized boots, not to replace the tool-less adjuster. That is fixed. Sorry.

In reply to TobyA: I have B1 Salomons that flex similarly to Scarpa SLs and have worn the same C2 crampons on them for about 10 years (Stubai Tyrol 12 point with rigid adjustment bar), and the bars are quite distorted. Having said that, they still work fine and have never let me down, so can we assume that no real harm is done wearing rigid crampons on bendy boots, so long as the front and rear bindings are secure?

In reply to Jamie Hageman: It's an interesting point - and with the modern easy to use non-step in bindings, I think there is a tendency to use crampons with lighter and lighter and boots and people just use what they have, i.e. G12s on scrambling boots in the summer alps. You don't actually hear of crampon bars snapping very often do you? I guess they are strong even if they do bend.

BTW to no one in particular; a woman I climbed with last week had the CT Nuptses and that she had worn to just below 8,000 metres on Cho Oyu earlier this year!

In reply to TobyA:

Toby, thanks for the input. I didn't realise that the Nuptses were C2, was looking for this information online but couldn't find it (probably missed it somewhere,) so I assumed they were C1 as they can come with plastic bails front and rear. I think I would prefer the Nuptses but I'm not sure how they'll get on with my boots now, don't have massive feet but they are UK 10's/Euro 45's so they may flex a bit more. Luckily there are a few shops around Glasgow that are stocking Climbing Technology so I will have a play around with them in there.

In reply to UKC Gear:

I was looking at buying a secondhand pair of G12's or similar but these look really good value; about the same price or maybe even cheaper!

Perhaps a little competition will bring down the price of the Grivels etc which seem to have risen massively over last couple of years. I know sterling has fallen versus the euro but Cimbing Technology are an Italian company so are working in Euros as well.

In reply to MarkDH08: Mark - I started climbing (and working in gear shops) before Brian Hall had invented the B and C rating system, so perhaps don't think about it as much others do. I know that Hall's ideas were to give a rough guide, which it does very well and makes sense for beginners - but I don't actually know if CT or any shop that sells their products would call the Nuptses "C2" or not. Looking at other crampons that get called C2, the Nuptses are similar, but I don't think you have to take these things as complete gospel.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about putting the Nuptses with the plastic back and front binding on any boot that is crampon compatible, such as SLs, but that's just me. Don't take advice from strange men on the internet - it can get you into all sorts of trouble! Pick a good shop that sells them and see what the people think there for example.

In reply to Slarti B: When I was reviewing them I started off thinking "so, perfectly good twelve point all rounders. Nowt wrong with them but what on earth can I write for UKC that wouldn't be true of any other similar crampons???" Then I looked at the price! So yeah - totally agree, they are simply bloody good value and shows it's possible for quality kit made in Europe to retail at a great price. The fact you even get a bag and anti-bots with them just makes them even more of a bargain.