Super Edge to the Rescue!

By Scott Pendleton Ranked #30 - Alpine Touring Bindings March 5, 2011

I hadn't tried ski crampons until recently because some now-former-friends told me they weren't that great. They were wrong. For going straight up something steep it's true, they're not that useful, but that's not what they're for. Where they're amazing is traversing, especially steep and firm slopes. These make your edges bit and stick on traverses, they keep your edges planted on kick turns, basically ski crampons are SUPER EDGES, like a super hero of sorts. Or maybe edges on steroids. You probably get the picture. You need grippy skins for fore-aft grip, but for sideways stability ski crampons are amazing. They do more or less eliminate glide, but if you're on something steep enough to want these you don't care about that.

On to these specific crampons: I don't know why BC doesn't have them in stock anymore, BD still makes them and they're still available. I like them, they're durable and easy to use. Installing on Fritschi bindings is literally a snap, just step out, snap them in, and step back in. I use them on the Diamir Explores and they're a tight fit but still good. If you use heel riser they will dig in less; I find that with the highest riser they barely touch the snow. Of course, why are you traversing in the highest riser? If you're going to traverse, there's no point in going so steep! They get good penetration in the second highest riser, though.

Bottom line, I never enter the BC without them anymore. They make skinning steep stuff enjoyable because traversing switchbacks and kick turns are so much easier with them.

View Details: Fritschi Diamir Ski Crampon

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