Skip to content Crampons were the first type of traction device used by mountain climbers to get up steep snow and ice in rough terrain. Ice Crampons got their start as boots with nails in them. These days, they have teeth made of stainless steel that are about an inch or two high and can quickly grab onto glacier ice or snow for snow and ice climbs in the mountains. Some people call the boots they need “mountaineering boots” because they have a rigged bottom and a special heel.
In the last few decades, microspikes were created as a middle ground between shoes with no tread and shoes with full crampons. When comparing microspikes to ice crampons, these have teeth that are generally half an inch or less in size.
Some don’t have spikes and instead use wires or other types of studs, which lets them be used in different places. Microspikes are better for normal winter walks on snow-packed trails with the odd patch of ice than crampons.
At What Point Do You Need Microspikes?
As well as being expensive and heavy, crampons are hard for most walkers to use in the winter. Microspikes are a better choice. If you think you might need crampons, you should talk to the staff at a REI or outdoor gear store near you. They know what you need for your unique adventures or expeditions because they have done it before.
Microspikes: What I Think If you were debating between ice climbing crampons and microspikes and decided you want to be a hiker , you have a lot of great choices. In general, I think you should buy from a reliable company , where the prices are lower.
It gets very cold and rough on these materials, and the cheaper ones that most companies use will break down when you need them the most. These microspikes are worth the extra cost because they are more reliable.
Are crampons better than Microspikes?
You should make a choice about whether to use ice climbing crampons or microspikes for each of the trips you are planning.
Use these four things to help you decide which one to pick:
Type of Ground
Crampons are probably something you should bring with you if you want to climb steep snow gullies or couloirs, go off-trail in snowy places, or spend time on glaciers. Microspikes should work fine if you are staying on a road or a snow-packed path.
Angle of Slope
For rougher ground, you need more aggressive types of traction. On flat, snow-packed paths, hikers might not need any kind of grip. Microspikes, on the other hand, are needed even on small slopes. Should you be going up or down fairly steep slopes, you should bring crampons, an ice axe, and know how to use both.
Cost and Weight
Most of the time, crampons cost more and are heavy than microspikes. Because of this, you should give crampons and microspikes a lot of thought. Leave your cleats at home if you don’t need the extra grip they give you. They will make you feel bad.
What Kind of Boots
To use ice climbing crampons, you need special climbing boots with a cutout in the heel. You can rent a pair at most climbing gear shops if you don’t have your own. Another reason not to get them is that they cost a lot of money. Microspikes will give you enough movement.
Do Microspikes work on ice?
Microspikes work best on roads that are hard packed with snow or ice. They work best on flat or low-sloped ground; they don’t grip securely enough on steep slopes, especially ones where falling could be risky. Microspikes also don’t have very long spikes. In other words, the spikes might not be long enough to bite through thin layers of snow on top of ice.
With microspikes, you can run and hike on snowy trails all winter long. The spikes are pretty strong, so you can wear them for short amounts of time on dirt. For trips in the winter when it’s going to be cold, I keep my microspikes in my bag. They’re useful when climbing boots aren’t safe to wear because the ground is too wet.
They are also great for snowshoeing because they keep them safer on steep slopes. (There’s more on that below under “snowshoes”). Also, because you can stand more naturally, they are much more comfortable to wear than snowshoes in hard-packed snow.
Are Ice Climbing Crampons only for Snow?
No, they are also for mountain climbing, ice climbing, or hiking on steep snow or ice hills are the best things to do there.
Pros: They stick on securely to boots, have a lot of grip, and last a long time.
Cons: It’s big, heavy, expensive, needs training to use, may need special shoes, doesn’t float in snow, and takes a long time to put on and take off.
Ice Crampons were made by mountain climbers to help them get across steep, icy slopes on glaciers and frozen rivers. They are made of a two-piece metal frame that goes under your boot’s bottom.
Another part of the frame is a center bar that can bend a little to make it easier to walk on. There are usually rubber plates under the ball and heel of the foot on the frame to keep snow from building up.
How to Identify Crampons
-The frame has spikes sticking out of the bottom.
Most of the time, there are four spikes under the heel and six to eight under the front foot. Some ice climbing crampons have two points on the front as well, which you can use to kick your toe up steep hills. Crampons have spikes that are longer and stronger than microspikes. This is one of the main differences between the two.
-The straps and wire bails that hold crampons to your boots are very secure, but they only work with certain mountaineering boots. These boots have special welts or grooves on the heels and toes that the crampons can connect to. This kind of crampon is called a step-in.
You can also get crampons that stick on with bands and can be worn with any boot. The name for these is “strap-on crampons.” They are better for less technical terrain, though, because they don’t connect as securely as step-in ice climbing crampons.
At what point do you need crampons?
Ice climbing crampons are a tool that is more useful on steep hills with hard snow or ice. They dig deeper into the ice and grip it better than microspikes, which is why they are (along with an ice axe) the best choice whenever falling could hurt or kill someone.
Peak climbing, ice climbing, and any other time the slope is steep enough that a fall would be very bad are all good reasons to wear crampons. Mountaineering skills are needed to use ice crampons because there are specific ways to walk and climb while wearing them.
Conclusion
You will need crampons to go with your climbing boots if you want to do snow climbs or travel on glaciers. There are different kinds of crampons for different types of climbing, different types of ground, and different types of boots.
Both of these choices use a strap-on system, which is the most flexible option. They are made to be used in a lot of different situations.
Most of the time, micro spikes are not as strong as ice climbing crampons and are best for simple climbing trails with packed snow. They are small enough to fold up and fit in a small bag that you can slip into your backpack.
Most of the time, they’re really simple to use and don’t need any special training to put on or fit.
