CRAMPONS 101 & Reviews

[@brianrodman1033]

All I have to add is that I feel very fortunate to have the chance to learn from a climber as accomplished as you are, Vitaliy. This is seriously a huge treat to be able to watch videos made by someone with your level of experience. Its probably no coincidence that you come across so humble and still eager to learn yourself (rather than a pompous know it all) which is a trait that is typically shared by those few who have achieved a high level of skill or mastery in their chosen disapline. You have seriously inspired me in the last year or so from reading your trip reports, especially the Sierra Nevada FA’s. Thank you for sharing knowledge, your positive attitude, and most importantly the excitement that inspires people to get after it. If anyone else has experience wearing La Sportiva Trango S Evo’s, or other models with the Trango last, and can recommend (semi pneumatic) crampons that they have had good luck with using that would be a big help. My current crampons dont seem to be able to achieve a totally secure fit with my size 46.5 boots. They are the V1 BD Sabertooths with a semi pneumatic binding and it feels like I can’t dial in the correct length. Its is right in between two of the adjustment holes, so either too short or too long, with no “just right” setting. Also the rocker of the sole doesn’t make contact with the crampon along its entire length. Maybe that issue could be improved with some careful bending of the bars?

[@Climbandrun]

Wow thank you for such a kind compliment. Is there a back or the front bail that can be adjusted? Maybe playing with them could make it work better?

[@dougmcdonald1753]

Awesome to see your channel, I assume it's new. Read your trip reports in the past... very legit! Wish you success in your endeavors.

[@Climbandrun]

Hey, yeah I’m hoping to share more from my experience with training and gear. Wish people with legit experience shared more of that, but it’s usually just plugs for their sponsors.

[@tlokush]

Great video, thanks for all the detailed information, Vitaliy! One thing I'd like to confirm, at ~ 12:40 you say "...and then pick the length and direction of the middle section" I'm assuming you mean this is achieved appropriately by either picking a hole on the right or left set (/row) of holes going down the length of the middle piece? For example, say, would this mean that picking a right hole on the right foot crampon would allow for a more "aggressively" curved shape on the crampon; and choosing the left hole on the same would allow a more "straight" crampon?

[@Climbandrun]

Yeah exactly! It usually takes a trip to climb ice to figure out what position feels the most natural for your kick.

[@davetaddeo]

thanks for doing this video. i just bought my first pair of crampons. i got the irvis to go on my zamberlan 1996 viox lux hiking boots. my boots are size 45 and the irvis fits maximum size 45. the crampons just fit! i plan on backpacking up turner glacier the first week of september to camp at mount asgard and mount loki. this will be my first glacier trip. any tips? (i don't know anyone that uses this kind of equipment to ask). thanks.

[@Climbandrun]

Woah Turner Glacier in Antarctic? I've never been there and know nothing about how rugged it is. Typically, glaciers involve travel over crevassed terrain and require people to be roped up together. I don't know what Turner looks like, maybe it's a super flat and chill as a dry glacier, I just don't know. It sounds like an amazing place to backpack. Is it hard to get to? Do you have to carry a rifle because of the bears? I'd advise to take your set up for at least a short hike/mountain climb on any peak where you can test it out, before going somewhere remote.

[@YangiTheCat]

Vitaly M. from supertopo wow loved your TRs. RIP TACO And thanks for crampon advice.

[@Climbandrun]

Hey!!! Don’t know if I miss supertopo or if I’m more happy there is one less forum to look at and waste time on. :)

[@YangiTheCat]

@@Climbandrun Was an amazing repository of climbing legends posting their stories and reminiscences. Too bad the photos are gone. Especially for the trip reports.

[@artyparty_av]

Any thoughts on the snaggletooths? I found them to be the best all around alpine crampon due to feel secure on steep snow and snicy neve, but also holding their own on mixed oitches and waterice.

[@Climbandrun]

Hey Artem, I have never used them and would have a hard time reviewing something I haven’t tried. It looks like they have a very nice build for general mountaineering with some technical mixed sections that aren’t expected to be too severe. Of course the user’s skill is more important. However, I prefer a single vertical front point for mixed. I try to focus on mixed at or close to my limit, ice and technical first ascents that may be from moderate to above my head. What I’m personally looking for the most: 1) performance/flexibility (mono to dual vertical front points) 2) light 3) durable 4) less expensive 5) performance on moderate slopes. I feel like when considering all that, for me personally, Dart is the best pound for pound, like I said in the video. Lynx/Darts can do anything snaggletooth can do, but they are easier to adjust and would cost less money to maintain, since you can replace one front point at a time after they get dull. At $230 snaggletooth seems just as expensive. I think I saw Lynx or Darts for $180-90 in the links I found online. Also, similar weight as darts. So idk why I would choose it, or for what in particular. But I’m sure they would do just fine for most objectives in the mountains where one doesn’t expect to climb at their limit. One of the things I don’t like about BD crampons is that they don’t wear to be very sharp either. lol maybe it’s just appearance but general mountaineering crampons from Petzl look a lot sharper.

[@artyparty_av]

@@Climbandrun the snaggletooths were developed for climbing in Patagonia on rime ice and other relatively loose strata - but also have a mono for mixed. I definitely prefer a vertical mono for mixed as well - but less so when my crampons are shearing through steep snicy alpine ice! Tradeoffs, tradeoffs, tradeoffs

[@Climbandrun]

⁠@@artyparty_avhaving had experience of digging through multiple rime mushrooms, I’d have to call bullshit on snaggletooth helping any more in that situation. If boots are flailing through, a single horizontal crampon point won’t help much at all. At least to justify a, in my personal opinion, decline of performance on mixed terrain. On those mushrooms even special wings for ice tools don’t help all that much. A shovel is probably the best option. If I was going up the Torre again, I’d bring a shovel for rime ice and dual front points on darts. Just a personal preference.

[@artyparty_av]

@@Climbandrun I was only referencing the development process. It originally came around from Chad Kellogg cutting the secondary off of his sabretooths so that they mixed climbed in Patagonia a little better - and BD engineers freaking out about the structural stability of the modification, therefore leading tk genesis of the snaggletooth. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed the horizonal mono being much more stable in snicy/rimey climbing than any vertical point - dual or mono.