| Grivel G10 New Matic Crampon |
| Price: £60.00 |
| Weight: 950 grammes per pair |
| Features: C2-graded – C1 with New Classic binding – 10-point NiCrNo steel crampon with thermoplastic toe cradle and quick-release heel-clip, nylon security strap, asymetric three dimensional reief stamped technology for added strength, sprun adjustment bar for easy fitting and compact storage. Fits boots size 35-46. |
| Pros Great lightweight general mountain walking crampon Cons Not designed for steep front-pointing terrain |
Not a bind any more…
If you remember the days when donning crampons meant agonising
fiddling with the braided steel of frozen webbing straps or fiddly
threading of neoprene through buckles, you’ll love the latest
generation of crampon bindings.
 |
neat New Classic binding system (C1 graded) |
The G10 is available both with Grivel’s excellent New Classic
binding, which features easy to use thermoplastic cradles front and
rear for quick and easy donning – graded C1 – or in the New Matic
guise tested with a cradle front and click-release heel clip at the
rear. As a New Matic it’s graded C2 and needs a stiffened sole with
compatible lug at the heel of the sole unit.
It’s a great binding for easy use, in fact easier than a full
quick release binding because you don’t have to fiddle around with
locating wire toe bails and clearing welts of snow. It also has the
advantage that wear to the front of the toe unit of the boot due to
front pointing won’t effect the security of the binding, unlike with
a bail fixing. The security strap is easy to release as well.
Only downsides are that you need a B2 or B3 boot to use the New
Matic system and with some boots, you may find that the heel clamp
presses on the back of your heel through the leather.
Grivel – Ten Pwoints
So the binding is great, but what about the crampon? It’s aimed at
general mountain use rather than climbing – hence the second points
are near vertical – and the use of ten points rather than the classic
12-point configuration both saves weight and makes the crampon more
suitable for those with smaller feet.
An alloy crampon would be lighter, but not as hardwearing or as
strong as the G10 which uses thicker sections of steel in some areas
to up its strength. It’s a near ideal general mountain walking
crampon. The shortish points help balance on hard ice and the front
points, while not suitable for serious ice climbing, are fine for
adding grip when kicking into steeper snow slopes. So performance in
use is fine.
Practicality killed the cat…
Adjustment is very easy with a sliding, flexible steel bar with a
spring-loaded locator allowing quick transfer from boot to boot. It
also means that the crampon can slide together for compact carriage
Note For more information on the crampon / boot
compatibility grading system see this
page on the Scarpa UK web site.
| Verdict: Near perfect lightweight steel walking crampon, though if you’re planning on any climbing you’ll want a more aggressive design with forward-orientated secondary points. The crampon itself is well up to general winter walking and adjusts easily while still compacting neatly for carrying. The binding system is excellent – tolerant of different boot shapes and exceptionally easy to use even with freezing fingers. Easy to release as well. If you have B1-graded boots, take a look at the double-cradle New Classic version as an effective alternative. The ten-point design is also ideal for those with smaller feet. Good crampon at a good price. |
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