 The Seattle Times - NW Weekend
Climbers have the advantage of crampons for their heavy, stiff mountaineering boots, but hikers have been left to slip and slide on the snowfields they encounter. Until now. The new Kahtoola crampon seems tailor-made for Northwest hikers.
April 2002 - GETTING IN GEAR: A lightweight crampon for Cascade hikers
Consider this: More than any other range in the Lower 48, the Cascades of Washington are mountains of snow and ice. There are more glaciers in our Cascades than in all the rest of the continental U.S. combined. All that ice is a result of unmatched snowfall that blankets our mountains.
For Cascade adventurers, that snow and ice means slick, potentially treacherous footing on many high routes all year long. Climbers have the advantage of crampons for their heavy, stiff mountaineering boots, but hikers have been left to slip and slide on the snowfields they encounter. Until now. The new Kahtoola crampon seems tailor-made for Northwest hikers.
The Kahtoola crampons weigh just 19 ounces per pair, yet they are incredibly versatile. The featherweight crampons fit on virtually any footwear from light trail-running shoes to heavy hiking boots. The crampons are not designed for extreme alpine ascents (though they have been used for fast, ultra-light assaults up some of the biggest peaks on the planet). Yet they are perfectly suited for the occasional mountaineer or high-alpine hiker who spends time above the snowline periodically throughout the year.
The Kahtoola features an adjustable spreader bar that lets the toe and heel sections slide apart to fit any size boot (there are three bar sizes - to accomodate footwear from kids' tennis shoes to size-14 mountaineering boots). Folks with bigger feet will find there's a bit of a gap in traction in the center of the foot, but for modest snow travel, the real need is for bite under the heels and toes, so this isn't much of an issue. I felt well supported with the Kahtoolas on my size-11 feet.
The crampons attach with a simple cross-lace system, using wide, durable strp laces and rust-resistant metal buckles. The center bar is made from two layers of high-strength steel that flexes up and down along with your shoe, but provides excellent lateral strength.
The Kahtoola really shines on those transition areas that fall between scrambling trails and mountaineering routes, such as the southern approach to the Mount Adams summit, or the ascent of Mount St. Helens in late spring and early summer. With no need for special boots to fit the crampons, you can carry the Kahtoolas and, if traction is needed (for instance, a cold front blows in and the slushy snow turns to ice) you can slap them on whatever you're wearing and move along in complete security.
If there is any knock on the Kahtoola Crampons it is that they won't last forever. The light weight of the crampons comes from being made of high-tensile aluminum rather than steel. That means the points will wear down quickly if worn across too much rock. But with a little care and common sense, the Kahtoolas should provide years of service for those times when snow and ice is expected during high-country hikes.
—Dan A. Nelson, Special to the Seattle Times
« previous review | next review » :: back to Reviews page |
