Ski Crampons – Proper Use of Ski Crampons on Your Touring Adventures

A Guide to Understanding Ski Crampons!

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Ski crampons are an incredibly handy tool to keep in your touring backpack, especially during spring tours. Here, we’ll explain why they’re essential and how to get the most out of your ski crampons!


Why Use Ski Crampons?

The purpose of ski crampons is to provide extra security on hard and challenging snow conditions. In spring, you’ll often encounter frozen, hard snow during ascents that hasn’t softened yet. Ski crampons are especially useful in exposed areas where added traction can make a significant difference in safety.

Below, we’ve compiled some key tips on how to choose the right ski crampons for your touring skis and how to attach them to your bindings.


Brand

The first step is to buy crampons that are compatible with your bindings. We offer a selection of ski crampons designed for bindings from G3, Marker, ATK, and Fritschi. While crampons from different manufacturers may look similar, they are not guaranteed to fit bindings from other brands. Therefore, always choose crampons from the same brand as your bindings.


Width

The second consideration is the width of the crampons. Choose a pair of crampons that are wider than the waist of your skis. If the crampons are too narrow, they will catch on the ski sidewalls and won’t function effectively. However, avoid choosing crampons that are excessively wide, as they can compromise performance.


With the right ski crampons, you can tackle icy and hard snow conditions with confidence, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable tour!

How to Attach Ski Crampons:

There are different methods for attaching ski crampons depending on the model. Here’s how to handle them for the most common brands:

Dynafit, ATK, Marker & Fritschi

To attach ski crampons, hold the crampon vertically on either the right or left side of the binding. Slide the crampon into place until it is centered on the ski, then lower it flat onto the ski. To remove the crampon, simply reverse the process.

While it’s easiest to attach crampons with the skis off your feet, with a bit of practice, you can save time and energy by attaching and removing them while keeping your skis on.

G3

For G3 crampons compatible with Zed and Ion bindings, the crampon is attached by pressing the two spring-loaded hooks into the mounting bracket on the binding. This is very easy to do, even with the skis on your feet. To remove the crampon, pull on the wire and slide the crampon off the binding.

Practice these techniques to make your ski tours more efficient and enjoyable!

We hope this guide has given you some insight into choosing and using ski crampons. If you have further questions or need help with your purchase, don’t hesitate to reach out to our sales manager, Hans Kristian, via chat.

Hans Kristian Folde
Sales manager and touring enthusiast