[pct-l] Crampons for trail runners

[Matt Signore]

It seems that people feel the trail isn't that steep until they get off
trail.  Then they realize how steep the terrain is, and now they brought
the proverbial knife to a gun fight.  There have been more than a few times
where people get off trail.  There it can get real steep, and a microspike
is close to useless on steep terrain.  It might be worth taking the extra
few ounces and carry a walking crampon.

Also if one were to take a course on how to self arrest they, AMGA or IFMGA
certified guides, will teach you to kick the front points of your crampons
into the snow as part of the self arrest procedure.  So, if you fail to
have front points and are on firm snow it is all up to your ice axe.  In
short if you don't have front points and are on firm snow you better be
able to hold onto your axe.  If you don't have a leash on your ice axe, and
it skitters away now you are relying on a microspike product more
applicable to shoveling the driveway versus saving you life.

Live Long and Prosper


On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 9:04 AM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:

> I solved the whole microspikes rubber twisting thing by simply
> threading bootlaces through the rubber and tying them securely.
>
> The Kathoola KTS do look a lot more sturdy than microspikes and it
> looks like they now make a steel version that is cheaper and quicker
> to attach although a couple ounces heavier.
>
> Most of the time you're not doing any serious mountaineering. Just
> because Mather Pass might be really scary steep doesn't mean you need
> mountaineering gear. Mather Pass is the only place I wore my instep
> crampons and I think now that I could have done the front steep side
> without them. (I hiked in 2008, a regular snow year.)
>
> The worst thing about some types of crampons (like my instep
> crampons, don't know the brand) is that they may be too difficult to
> put on and take off. If the snow is sporadic, you'll soon realize you
> can't walk over rocks with them on. Then you'll be faced with the
> unappealing thought of taking them off, putting them on, taking them
> off over and over, which of course you won't do.
>
> You can walk on rock and trail in microspikes. If I had had
> microspikes for Mather Pass I wouldn't have slipped and fallen on the
> icy back side. But because I had instep crampons that were difficult
> to put on and hard to wear on rock, I had taken them off at the top
> and really didn't want to put them on again. At least my pants didn't
> shred on the long, exciting ride down.
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-- 
Matt Signore
worldwidesadventures.com