UKC

Looking at ways of reducing the weight on my back whilst ski touring. One of the heaviest items in my pack is my crampons, (Grivel G10’s with straps) they’re 980g in their bag.

Does anyone use the lightweight alloy crampons?

How do you find them, how robust are they?

In reply to OwenM:
I use these for ski days: http://www.grivel.com/products/ice/crampons/16-haute_route

Fine for snow gullies or steep ground if needed, but if i was planning on including an easy ice climb in the day, i'd take a different pair.

In reply to OwenM:
I've got Kahtoolas - steel not alloy model though which they do as well - and they're excellent.
I really like them as a lightweight walking/mountaineering option and being steel you can use them a bit too without worrying too much...

I can see for ski touring (which I do too) that going for the dedicated alloy lightweights might be appealing. However my understanding is that you really need to use them on pure snow and ice otherwise you will shag them very quickly.
So where you intend to use them is the key question... You might take the view that they will hardly ever be used and will be just in the pack for emergencies?

cheers
Iain

In reply to IainMacG:



I'd second this - what you are going to use them for is very important. If you are climbing steep ice or scrambling over rocks to get to steeps then you'll need something a bit more substantial.

It's worth checking how well the crampons fit the boots, I have a pair of G14 new-matics and both my touring boots have narrow toes which slide forward through the toe strap. You might be better off with a wire toe bail rather than a plastic strap arrangement.

In reply to OwenM:

when I need to reduce weight I leave the axe at home, figuring that (steel) crampons and ski poles will see me through most ski touring situations.


I do have a pair of alloys that I use at times, comments above hold true.

In reply to OwenM:

There's no denying the alloy ones are insanely light (I use the Grivel Air Tech Lights), but there's also no denying the impression that they're next to useless for ice or scrambling

Buying now, I'd probably opt for slightly heavier but more robust. eg. steel front, alloy rest

In reply to Scomuir:
I'd second the choice of the Grivel Haute Route, they have steel fronts and ally backs and are a good compromise. I find the front points a fraction short but I've used mine a fair bit and overall they have been very good.

In reply to OwenM:
Depends on what you plan & encounter on your route.

If you intend hacking about in gullies, water ice etc. crampons well fitted to your boots - the more robust the better.
I reckon a lot of falls / slips etc in winter are due to ill fitting crampons.

However, if you are planning to get safely up some boiler plate then ski crampons compatible with your bindings /ski set up will be way lighter.

Bear in mind when you are perched on some water ice crying for your mammy, carrying a few extra ounces seems sensible.

In reply to OwenM:

I have a set of steel Kahtoolas for ski touring and approaching rock routes. I've only used then three times, but thus far they seem excellent. The lack of true front points seems a bit unnerving, but in practice it doesn't seem to matter for the sort of things I use them for.

In reply to OwenM: Well, not exactly a ringing endorsement, I'll maybe try having a look at the half steet half ally ones.

In reply to OwenM:

You can't expect a lightweight pair of crampons to be great at everything. Full alloy crampons have been known to bend/break when used for walking on ice. The crampons I linked to are in my opinion, a decent compromise. Quite light & reasonably durable - fine for occasional use, and no good for climbing. I guess if you are currently carrying G10's, then that's not an issue anyway. As has been said, it does depend on what you plan to do with them.