Best Crampons

The 6 Best Crampons

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Today, crampons are an integral part of mountaineering equipment. But that wasn’t always the case. For safe locomotion in high alpine terrain, the crampons are attached to the soles of the shoes. The crampons provide stability on icy ground and on snow surfaces. The early Christian writer Tertullian, who lived between 150 and 220 A.D., already reports on crampons. An indication of the existence of crampons was also discovered on the ancient Constantine Arch in Rome from the year 312. In the 16th century, the Swiss national expert and theologian Josias Simler described three-pronged crampons in a treatise, which were attached to the soles like horseshoes. A short time later, four-pointed crampons for hunters, lumberjacks and miners were also found. In the first half of the 19th century, the Alps were increasingly developed. Crampons could not be dispensed with. They were individually forged for each wearer and did not yet follow a fixed shape.

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In the course of the 19th century, crampons gradually took on the shape known today. They now had considerably more serrations and enclosed the entire sole of the shoe. The Tyrolean mountaineers accepted the climbing aid with thanks. The English, on the other hand, still resisted the new climbing aids. The dispute played a role especially in the competition for the first ascent of the Matterhorn. The step hitting in the firn or in the ice, which had been necessary until then, became partly superfluous with crampons. Also the mountain troops of the military used crampons quite soon. So this aid has quickly established itself with many mountaineers. After all, it was the British mountaineer Oscar Johann Ludwig Eckstein who made a name for himself with crampons. He invented the ten-pointed crampons that are still common today alongside the twelve- and fourteen-pointed crampons. Eckstein’s Zehnzacker was now able to make progress on ice surfaces with inclinations of up to 35 degrees without hitting steps. These crampons also established the so-called cornerstone technique. In addition, the Brit also developed a groundbreaking ice axe. In his homeland people remained sceptical about his inventions for the time being.

Crampons are either rigid or movable, depending on their intended use. The steel base plate is rigid for particularly difficult tours in the ice, because the soles of the shell shoes are also rigid. Otherwise, crampons have two interconnected movable base plates. On the sides of the steel plates, in addition to the attachment for the shoes, there are usually ten, twelve or fourteen sharp triangular points. There are also crampons with fewer teeth. So-called Grödel, for example, are particularly light irons with only four to six diagonally set points. The teeth of most crampons, with the exception of the two front ones, are attached at right angles. For the first two teeth, the angle is greater than 90 degrees. Modern crampons are made of steel, aluminium alloys or, more rarely, titanium alloys. Antistollen plates made of plastic or rubber prevent the formation of studs. Some crampons have an additional heel spur and are therefore intended for mixed climbing in ice and rock. In the scene, the heel spur, which is intended to facilitate locking positions, is controversial. Special crampons are also available for climbing trees or masts.

How a crampon has to be made depends essentially on what kind of tours you want to do with it. A comparative winner in the crampon comparison are the Petzl Lynx crampons with exchangeable frontal serrations. The Black Diamond crampons Sabretooth also received very good marks. The Ramone Stalker Semi-Au and the Stubai Trekking Universal crampons also perform well. A decisive criterion in the comparison was the number of teeth, which must be sharp in any case. A distinction is made between vertical and frontal serrations. The vertical teeth are attached to the long side of the crampons and provide stability and support, especially in flatter terrain. The frontal serrations are located at the tip of the shoe. They are used for mountaineering in steep and rising terrain and must be very stable. A distinction is made between half crampons (Grödel), light crampons with six to eight teeth and full-fledged crampons with ten or more teeth.

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