Thread: Aluminum Crampons

I'm starting to shop for crampons to add to my spring/summer touring kit and understand that a set of steel crampons like BD Sabretooth or Givel G12 would be a pretty safe bet. But I wanted to hear from people with experience on aluminum crampons. The light weight is appealing. I'm wondering how quickly their limitations are reached. I don't intend on climbing anything overly technical though I wouldn't want to run into trouble if I encounter the odd rocky section.

I'm a JONG when it comes to this gear and part of the process will be to learn how/when to use them once I have a set, so my apologies if I don't sound well-versed.

get the best of both worlds:
http://www.grivel.com/products/ice/c...16-haute_route

Well..I have both the Sabretooths and the Neve pro.

The aluminums are awesome....so fricken light you hardly notice them. I only take them out when booting up snow or tromping on glaciers. I would not even consider walking them over rock unless I absolutely had no choice. The Sabretooths on the other hand are awesome for what the Neve's aren't good on..ie mixed ground etc.

So if you are only booting around on snow then go aluminum, anything else then steel. You can get some what "techy" with the 'tooths also.

The Grivels look like a good compromise option.

Go the quiver route and never look back if you plan on doing lots.

Check out the Aluminum offerings from Camp USA. They have some superlight all aluminum ones, as well as ones with steel-reinforced frontpoints, and a model that is all steel but about the same weight as the BD Neve...

No problems w aluminums. I've walked on rock, scree and talus plenty in mine (stubai).

Got about a half-dozen pairs of crampons and I only grab the aluminums for ski trips.

Supposedly aluminum will ball more as it conducts heat faster, and will alternately freeze/thaw as you step in and out of wet snow. But I've never noticed too much difference.

Go grivel if possible as their anti balling plates are best hands down.

wow those grivels from HC look nice. I have steels but they're almost always overkill. In the coast we're almost always on firm snow - not ice. Go with alu

Well-fitted Al pons work fine for general alpine travel, even if some rock is encountered. Camp makes some nice pons. Those bi-metal Grivels would work fine for general alpine travel. 10 point Al pons (e.g., those Grivels, Neve Pros, some Camps) are fine for general ski touring.

I have Neve Pros for my ski boots, Stubai Ultralights for my mountaineering boots. 150+ days on the Stubais and they are going strong. My two pairs of steel crampons haven't left my gear room in 10 years. Steel for sure if you are frontpointing (water or white) ice, but I'm too old for that shit.

Now for my meaningful contribution to this thread: Seriously consider getting pons with anti-balling plates. IME, the Grivel Air Tech Light has the best anti-balling plate. It's a very nice crampon. If I were buying today, I'd get the Air Tech Lights instead of my Stubais (which are fine, but I like the less aggressive points on the Air Techs for the stuff I do).

Camp. I have XLC Nanotecs (riveted steel front points) and one front point started to separate after their first use (on hard snow). They warrantied them no problem but I'd just go for the 390s if I was dong it again. Forget the Race ones - the heel isn't too secure. So light you can pack them "just in case". Unless you're climbing ice and walking over rock all the time, get aluminium.

I borrowed Grivel Haute Routes while my Camps were out of action and didn't like them as much - front points didn't sit out far enough, didn't pack anywhere near as small as the Camps, a little heavier, and the anti-balling plates didn't seem very effective. Nice idea but try them out first.

If you are just going to have one pair, go steel. That way you never have to think about it. Sure they are heavier, but not that much, and peace of mind is worth a little extra weight.

Peace of mind about what? Have you ever seen an Al alloy crampon fail? I haven't.

Originally Posted by Big Steve

Peace of mind about what? Have you ever seen an Al alloy crampon fail? I haven't.

I've worn them down and seen them worn down quickly on volcanic rock. for skiing I wouldn't buy 'pons without anti-balling plates. period.

You can walk on rocks with aluminum crampons, it's just going to fuck 'em up faster. I also have never heard of an aluminum crampon "fail" from this, although I guess it's possible.

The Stubais look burlier than many and seem like they could take some more abuse.

Camp's "nano tech" seems sketchy to me, but I've never touched them.

I have Grivel Air Tech Lights. I use them on any glacier slog, or bring them for climbing the couloir I want to ski, or strap them on approach shoes to get to the bottom of rock climbs. I probably wouldn't want to ice climb in them, but that's not why I have them.

Aluminum for glacier/snowfield travel.
Steel for ice climbing.

If you Al crampons get dull, you can always sharpen them with a file/grinder.

The Grivel Haute Route is as Hugh Conway posted best of both worlds - and they are light enough for me. The weight of the Haute Route is ca 550g - if you go full alu CAMPs come as low as ca 300g but most are around 4-500g. There's usually mixed terrain (snow and rock) when i tour so I wanted something more durable

My Grivel aluminum crampons are rounded blunt from walking on rock. I wouldn't buy that particular make/model again as a result.

They also save weight by having shorter front points, which at times I have not enjoyed, though I get nervous easily once my crampons go on and it is hard snow and over 40 degrees. If anything, that is why I like more fully formed steel models. Not for the size, just for the teeth. More emotional than anything - I do not like cramponing much - mainly because I am alone when doing so.

Has anybody mentioned crampon fit? IMO, a secure fit on the boot is more important that materials.

Yeah, the Stubai Ultralights are pretty tough. I've lost, maybe, a couple of mms of length in 150+ days of use. Most of those days I've encountered some rock, talus or scree. I've filed them a few times, maybe every 30 days of use.

For 95%+ of trips I do these days (ski tours, high routes, stratovolcano grunts, moderate alpine climbs), I would prefer the shorter points of the Grivel Air Tech Lights.

FWIW, lots of mountaineering deaths and injuries result from tripping on crampons and ill-fitted crampons.

I should clarify that I actually like the light weight and I am sure they are fine for my low-level stuff. Mine was just a comment on the Grivel aluminum rate of wear. Now that they are blunt I have left them blunt as the wear seems to have slowed. I sharpened them once but the sharper points were quickly removed, costing me a little more material.

Originally Posted by BamBam_540

Camp. [...] Forget the Race ones - the heel isn't too secure.

With two quick & simple modifications (and carefully adjusting the length), the fit is secure. But agree, as originally set up, the fit isn't too secure.

Originally Posted by Big Steve

Peace of mind about what? Have you ever seen an Al alloy crampon fail? I haven't.

June 27, 2010: My partner's Grivel alu crampons failed near the summit of Middle Sister, at one of the toe posts. Didn't even have lots of mileage on them. So maybe more of a freak manufacturing defect than design flaw?

as others have already mentioned, don't buy crampons without anit-balling plates. Wacking the side of your boot every step to prevent balling gets old real fast...

I suspect the need for anti-botte plates depends on the kind of snow you're likely to encounter -- I use my crampons almost exclusively for spring and summer snow, and hence (?) almost never experience any balling.

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

I suspect the need for anti-botte plates depends on the kind of snow you're likely to encounter -- I use my crampons almost exclusively for spring and summer snow, and hence (?) almost never experience any balling.

fresh snow in spring and summer = balling. steel crampons break too as BD stainless owners found out......

^ Yes, that matches up with my rare experiences of balling.

in a pinch use vaseline

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

I suspect the need for anti-botte plates depends on the kind of snow you're likely to encounter -- I use my crampons almost exclusively for spring and summer snow, and hence (?) almost never experience any balling.

Well, uh, yeah, varies with different snow. More common with newer warm snow but it also happens sometimes with old snow. I've experienced plenty of balling up on old snow in June, July and August. Just depends on how the snow metamorphoses. Pollen content might matter too. Worst I ever saw was on Mt. Ruth in the NCNP in July a few years ago. Hadn't snowed for a couple weeks. Anita had the Grivel Air Techs with the bubble anti-bot plates and had zero problems. I had the Stubai red anti-bot plates and had to knock the snow off my crampons every few steps. Our bud Shawn had no anti-bot plates and was completely fucked.

maybe its just me, but snow balls anytime its wet. So pretty much all spring/summer snow that has sun on it, no?
If the snow is dry & winter-like, it could be argued you should be on skis anyway...

I've had the old Grivel black latex plates, the newer yellow bubble things, & some home-made jobs on some BD strap-on crampons. The yellow Grivel seem to be a good balance between working & durability walking over rocks & scree.