Crampons For Flexible Boots

Crampons generally fall into three groups flexible semi rigid and rigid and the more flexible your boots then the more flexible your crampons will have to be.

Crampons for flexible boots.

In general the lower ratings are for snowy backpacking and the higher numbers are for alpine ice climbing. Crampon boot compatibility use b0 boot flexible b1 boot semi stiff b2 boot fully stiff. Crampons similar to boots are rated on their flexibility and by how much support they provide. Basically if your boot bends so much when you take a step that it can wiggle its way out of the crampon then you ll need stiffer boots.

Flexible crampons c1 on the other hand are primarily designed for hiking and mountaineering on flat and semi steep terrain glacier travel and similar. C1 crampons that are flexible with simple straps and usually ten points. As they use strap on bindings they can be used with any hiking boots as long as they don t have too flexible soles like summer hiking boots. These crampons are known as basket binding or flexible crampons.

You can wear aluminum crampons with sneakers and strap on bindings for light mountaineering or glacier travel just make sure the flexibility is similar. You want what is right for you and your conditions. No crampons are suitable for b0 boots flexible walking boots. Bring along your boots when shopping.

Crampons are graded c1 c2 and c3 relative to their flexibility and general compatibility with different styles of boots.