[Scrooge]

advice requested The experts at Marmot Mountain Works say they don't go together, that hiking boots are too flexible so the crampons won't stay on. Iguess I'm a little sceptical. I can't believe all the hikers who occassionally venture up onto the ice and snow of Baker or Glacier actually carry along (or wear, or own) a special pair of rigid-soled mountaineering boots to wear with crampons. So - any experience, advice or model recommendations would be appreciated.

[Tom]

I have a pair of Stubai Ultralight aluminum "strap on" crampons. I use them with my Vasque Sundowners which are not the most rigid of hiking boots. The crampons stay on just fine if attached properly.

[David¹]

I have all leather Danner St. Helens boots and my wife has Vasque Sundowners - we have regular Charlet Moser 10 point crampons and have never had a problem with them falling off

[Scrooge]

Thanks. I'd just about decided to try it even before the encouragement.

[catwoman]

Isn't it just more important that they're rigid boots if you're doing ice climbing or something?

[Malachai Constant]

Rigid boots are not usually needed for hinged crampons (with straps) in my opinion. The ones used for serious ice climbing (solid framed and often step in) can break if the boot flexes too much.

[salish]

I've got the Stubai Universal Ultralites, too, and use them with my Sundowners. They go on & off really easy and worked well for me on icy trails on Mt. Si last winter. I think Tom & I got them from the same vendor for $75 or so. I would recommend them without hesitation.

[rubberlegs]

The aluminum Stubais are excellent for occasional use. They are good enough for anything I'm willing to do (not into ice climbing or scary stuff). With the straps over the toe and around the ankle, they almost work with running shoes. I've used them to climb Olympus in low-top "approach" shoes that are little more than Goretex tennies. Works great. If you use step-in crampons, better have a very stiff boot though. Otherwise you'll walk out of the crampons. Example: Camp makes aluminum crampons with the toe bale and rear lever heel scruncher thingie-ma-jig. If not adjusted perfectly, you can walk out of these step-in crampons. Done it... prefer the strap ons like Stubai. I think you can get them at Pro Mountain Spurts on University Ave (about 10?? blocks N of campus area).

[catwoman]

Do these particular crampons come in different sizes?

[rubberlegs]

Most crampons are adjustable. The new Stubai aluminum crampons are pretty easy to adjust. The older ones required a wrench, but still easy. Some crampons come in different sizes, so bring your boots to the store to make sure they will fit.

[Scrooge]

Thanks, again, for the detailed advice. - And no thanks to the"experts" at REI and Marmot. - Pro Mountain Sports advertises crampons that will work with every kind of boot, and provides a really nice chart of which boots are for what on their website. I got Stubai Universal Ultralights on Friday afternoon and tried them out Saturday at Baker. They worked fine! I did have one come loose once. Apparently the adjustment button got hit just right while crossing a stretch of rock, so they slid open. Other than that, I used them for about three hours, poking around snowfields at the top of Railroad Grade, crossing snow, rock, sand and mud with no difficulty and no slippage. Spent about half an hour on the Easton Glacier, photographing seracs and crevasses, all on snow, however. I didn't try the crampons on any hard glacial ice. The little that was exposed was a bit too close to the lips of cravasses for comfort. Anyway, I was able to to a lot of stuff that I couldn't have done in boots alone, and had a marvelous time.

[MCaver]

Ok, stupid question but....when should I use crampons over snowshoes? Remember, I'm from Texas. This snow stuff is new to me.

[rubberlegs]

Mcaver, it depends. Snowshoes: use when the snow is so soft that you'll sink in to your knees. Generally from Dec to Apr (very approximate -- sometimes snow conditions are firm enough that you don't need them). Crampons: use when the snow is so hard that your boots won't make a dent. Generally from Jun to Nov (but can be any time of year), usually in the morning or any time on ice. Boots by themselves: when snow is firm but not rock hard.

[Hiker Boy]

I use Austrian Alpine 10pts which are basically the same as Grivel G10's. While I agree with the hinged crampon, I think that soles of your hiking boots should have some rigidity to them. If you can easily bend the soles of your boots with your hands, I wouldn't recommend using crampons with them.

[Scrooge]

HB - REI and Marmot will appreciate your business. If you just answered my original question, without reading the thread, I apologize for the insult. Truthfully, though, my experience makes me glad I took the other folk's advice.