Hot Steel for Cold Ice: Grivel G22 Crampons

If steep, technical ice flows make you shiver with delight, check out the Griven G22 Crampons ($225, grivel.com). One tester spent four days climbing fresh ice in Cody, Wyoming, and was amazed at how well the G22s (available in one size) penetrated dense water ice. “They sunk in with very little effort, which boosted my confidence and efficiency,” he says. Among the G22’s secrets are its razor-sharp dual frontpoints. By using hot-forged chromolly steel, Grivel is able to strategically shape the points for added performance over a wide variety of conditions and terrain. They don’t have any unnecessary metal in the body and underfoot spikes. This keeps the weight down to scant 2 lbs. per pair. One female tester wrote, “Their weight was a luxury! I barely felt them on my feet or in my pack.” Grivel’s final touches included anti-balling snow plates and heel levers that were described as “simple, effective, easy to adjust, and glove-friendly.” —Dave Sheldon