Crampons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crampons are generally an attachment to outdoor footwear that features metal parts to provide traction on snow and ice.^[1] Many crampons designed for mountaineering and glacier travel are not well suited for vertical ice climbing. For ice climbing, specialized crampons that provide better support for front pointing are advised. Most crampons require welted boots to ensure proper fitting.

Crampons with 10 points were first introduced by Europeans in the early 1900s. Because they lacked forward pointing spikes, they required step cutting on steep terrain. In the 1930s, two additional forward-slanting points were added, thus creating today's 12-point crampons. While 12-point crampons are now the normal selection, a few 10 point crampons can still be found on the market. The two additional front points further reduce the need to chop steps into the snow or ice, by allowing the climber to "front-point" up steep snow and ice. The angles of the first two rows of points also determine the best use for a particular set of crampons. Having the first row (front points) point downward, and the second row be angled towards the toe, reduces calf strain by allowing the boot heel to be lower. In this case, these crampons are better suited for front-pointing. When straight points are used instead, the crampons are much better suited for snow & general mountaineering.

While crampons are an invaluable tool for a mountaineer, they were not used as often as today until the development of plastic-shelled climbing boots, because the straps used to affix the crampons to early mountaineering boots (which were made of leather) had a tendency to restrict blood flow to the feet of the wearer.

Crampons can be made of hardened steel, or light weight aluminum. Lighter weight aluminum crampons are popular for alpine ski touring where the need to wear them is less frequent & counterbalanced by the need for a light pack yielding fast, efficient travel over long distances.

A problem encountered using crampons, especially in temperatures not very far below freezing, is packed snow "balling up" on the sole. (The term evokes both the packing of snow in making a snowball, and the rounding, at its edges, of the snow packed onto the sole of the crampon.) This build-up reduces the length of the crampon points that can penetrate into the frozen surface, even to the point of eliminating any penetration; it also reduces the force exerted by the points, since the balled snow supports part of the wearer's weight. All of this interferes with function of the crampon's points (other than horizontal front points) of providing "traction" -- resisting any forces parallel to the sole of the boot. One of two main approaches to the problem is to periodically knock the accumulation loose -- in extreme conditions, even with every step taken. This can be accomplished by banging the shaft of an ice-axe against the inner edge of the sole, but one can often kick tree trunks and (with caution) rock outcrops with the same spot. Prevention is also feasible: Many crampons can be fitted with shaped slabs of somewhat flexible plastic called "anti-balling" (or "anti-bott" or "anti-bot") plates, which engage with the body of the crampon, and present the snow with a hydrophobic surface to which ice will not freeze.

Contents 1 Hinged versus rigid 2 Ski crampons 3 Crampon grading 4 Crampon attachment types 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Hinged versus rigid

There are two types of crampons: hinged and rigid. Hinged crampons provide flex at the instep and bend with the natural motion of walking and thus are the preferred style for almost any type of mountaineering except steep technical ice climbing. A rigid crampon does not bend at the instep so when climbing up steep technical ice, they allow the climber to keep their heel lower when front-pointing, thus less tiring as a result. However, rigid crampons tend to be heavier and will not perform as well in mixed terrain. Generally, most people will use hinged crampons.

[edit] Ski crampons

In ski mountaineering, climbers will often remove their skis and use crampons on their boots for sections of steep, icy terrain or technical glacier climbing. However, where slopes are at an angle sufficiently low that skis can stick, they also employ special "ski crampons" that increase the bite of climbing skins, especially on hard or icy snow. To avoid confusion with boot crampons and because they are far more common in the Alps than in the US, these ski crampons are also known by their European names: Harscheisen (German), couteaux (French) and coltelli (Italian).

[edit] Crampon grading

Crampons are graded C1, C2 and C3. These grades are used to determine compatibility with a walking or climbing boot. Boots are graded B0 (incompatible with crampons), B1 (a sturdy hillwalking boot), B2 (a stiffer mountaineering boot) and B3 (a fully rigid climbing and mountaineering boot). The number of the boot must be equal to or higher than the number of the crampon, so a B3 boot would generally be compatible with all types of crampon. A B2 can be used with a C2 or C1 crampon and a B1 boot can only be used with a C1 crampon.

[edit] Crampon attachment types

There are three main types of attachment systems for crampons. These include Step-in bindings, Hybrid bindings and Strap bindings.

[edit] References

• Crampons - Spadout

[edit] External links

• Crampon Review from Climbing Magazine, No. 226, December 2003.
• Caltech Alpine Club's guide to crampons

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crampons