Crampons

Stepping up to the high elevation mountain ranges is a whole new realm of hiking gear. At a certain point you will find that you are among vast fields of permanent ice on glaciers, or even the infamous Khumbu Ice Fall at the base of Mt. Everest. Hikers cross these perilous ice fields wearing crampons, metal spikes affixed to their boots, and they're able to get good footing in an otherwise impassable terrain. Usually an ice climber will wear plastic boots to give better protection from soaking through and the strap on the crampons to help them get across the slippery ice. It is important to ensure that whatever boots you will be wearing will be able to support the crampons. Fit them in advance to make sure they will have a solid fit and that they will be easy to fix if they get dislodged.

There are conditions where the crampons will become much less effective. The idea of the spikes is to bite into ice and to hold on, but when the ice has melted too much and is soft or when you encounter the aged and hardened blue ice you will find that the crampons can't make traction. Having soft, soggy snow also makes passage very difficult. The best is to have cold, dry snow and ice that has a little "give" to it for the crampons to dig in and hold. On some crampon sets you can adjust the settings of the spurs for the steepness and thickness of the ice, and you can alter the stiffness of the step for more comfort. The weight of the material is also a major factor to reduce your fatigue in the grueling conditions and to ensure that the spurs don't snap off and cause you to slip adversely. Aluminum and titanium do well for lighter conditions, but for maximum grip and harsh ice conditions stainless steel will do the best.