ALL A CRAMPON NEEDS TO BE. WHERE SOME SEE A SUPER-TECHY FERRARI, WE SEE A CRAMPON STREAMLINED TO IT’S NECESSARY PARTS. FOR MIXED ALPINE YOU WANT A CRAMPON CAPABLE OF THE PRECISES STUFF, YOU WANT IT LIGHT & YOU WANT IT TO WALK WELL – THE G20 & 22 NAILS IT. WHERE MOST TECH CRAMPONS HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA METAL WITH TEETH GOING EVERYWHERE, THESE HAVE THEM EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED THEM AND RELATIVELY SHORT – SOMETHING USUALLY FOUND IN MORE PEDESTRIAN CRAMPONS AND SOMETHING VITAL WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF ROCK, WHICH IS WHAT AN 8000m MIXED RIDGE WILL REQUIRE. WE’VE BEEN WEARING G20’s ON HARD HIGH ALTITUDE ASCENTS FOR OVER 5 YEARS NOW AND THINK THEY’RE THE BEST CRAMPON FOR THE JOB EVER MADE BY A LONG WAY.
THE CENTRAL TEETH WON’T TEETER ON THE ALU LADDERS OVER CREVASSES BECAUSE K2 DOESN’T HAVE THEM, AND THE GRIVEL HEEL BAIL IS THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO FITTING AROUND THE WIDE HEELS OF BIG BOOTS. THESE CRAMPONS ARE IMPRESSIVELY LIGHT, AND JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE GEAR WE OFFER ON THE TEAM DEAL, COMBINE TO CUT KGS THAT WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE SUMMIT.
A BIG PRO WITH THESE CRAMPONS IS THAT THEY DON’T COLLAPSE, MAKING THEM HUGELY EASIER TO PUT ON; NO MORE HAVING TO ORIENT THEM TO STEP INTO, THESE ARE THE ONLY CURRENT CRAMPONS THAT CAN BE RELIABLY PUT ON BY TOUCH OR SINGE-HANDEDLY.
2021 SAW THE RELEASE OF THE KATANA – A REPLACEABLE FRONT POINT IN ARMOR STEEL – WHICH LIKE THE ELITE CLIMB PICKS, WE THINK IS WELL WORTH IT. PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE HOW HARD ARMOR STEEL IS UNTIL IT COMES TIME TO SHARPEN IT. FOR A ROUTE THE LENGTH OF THE NORTH RIDGE PLUS ALL THE GLACIER STUFF, EQUATING TO WEEKS OF ACTUAL ON-MOUNTAIN DAYS, HAVING FRONT POINTS THAT WILL SEE THE DISTANCE IS A REAL ADVANTAGE. IN TIBET THEY WILL LAST A SEASON ALMOST BETWEEN PRIMARY SHARPENINGS.
