Crampon Classes

[AlanK]

I wonder if my old FootJoy steel spiked golf shoes would work. Hmm.

With high heels? Definitely!

[Hikin_Jim]

I think there's been a lot of confusion generated herein, so I profer the following diagram which shows the various types juxtaposed with one another. Hope this clears things up.



Personally, I don't think the 20cm size are very practical.

Seriously though, my $0.02 worth is: be prepared to turn around. If the conditions are more extreme than you bargained for, high tail it out of there. I once was doing Mt Williamson in the San Gabriels. I could kick step up the mountain with the gear I had, but the snow had a heavy duty icy crust. Had I slipped, there would have been no way to stop without an axe which I didn't have. I turned around and climbed a much easier peak w/o ice. I might well not be here had I not.

Climbing straight up a steep slope in some ways is the more obvious case. It's when you're doing a traverse across a well trodden path. It looks safe because it's so well travelled, but if it's icy the day you do it, you really have to ask "what happens if I slip." Once you're off that small strip (the trail) of relative safety, you can be in for a world of hurt.

Think critically about your situation, and when warranted, live to hike another day.

[HikeUp]

Don't tell me I have to shave my legs to use crampons?

[Mntngoat]

I have steel crampons from several years ago with several hundred miles on them that only work on plastic mountaineering boots. Make sure you get a type that is compatible with what you intend to be wearing boot wise.

Michael

[LeslieL]

Hi Tina,

I took a Snow Travel class with Kurt Wedburg and Sierra Mountaineering Intl out of Bishop (I couldn't find a local class either). In addition to instruction on gear, equipment and traveling over various terrain with and without crampons, we spent hours self arresting with an ice axe from various “falling!” positions - on your belly, on your back, head first, feet first. I learned a lot and it was great fun, too.

Leslie

[tinaballina]

this is all such great information, thank you, i will be looking into all of this...with all this snow that the mountains are getting currently i know i have to get something for sure.

[tinaballina]

[quote="zippetydude"]Hey, check these out.

http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html

The more i look at these the more ideal they seem????

[Hikin_Jim]

Looks pretty interesting. Note that they say that they're for packed snow. I wonder how they'd perform on ice which is the real killer. Probably a lot better than just plain hiking/running shoes.

[tinaballina]

Looks pretty interesting. Note that they say that they're for packed snow. I wonder how they'd perform on ice which is the real killer. Probably a lot better than just plain hiking/running shoes.

Good point there..... i am still pondering what to buy, crampons or these.

[kevin trieu]

There has been tons of advice and suggestions. Why still ponder? What I have learned from buying gear is that you shouldn't skim on the money. Don't try to save a few bucks by getting crappy gear which you will end up throwing away.

My suggestion is the Grivel G-12 below. You'll not regret purchasing this.