Caltech Alpine Club's guide to crampons

There are several things to consider when choosing crampons. All mountaineering crampons have either 12-points (usually) or 10-points (sometimes), including two front-points. The small "in-step" crampons, that lack front-points, are for hikers who need to occasionally cross hard snow, and are not suitable for general mountaineering.

The first choice is hinged vs. rigid. A rigid crampon has no flex, and makes walking hard; these are relatively uncommon in mountaineering, but are sometimes used for ice climbing. All crampons shown below (except the monopoint crampon) are hinged. This is an easy choice: choose hinged.

Binding systems

The second choice is binding style. There are various synonyms for each type (some names are brand-specific), but I will refer to them as step-in, hybrid, and strap-on. [If you look at the Wikipedia "crampon" page, it refers to Crampon and Boot Grading, with grades of B0, ..., B3 and C1, ... C3. I have never seen these used in the United States].

A step-in crampon requires a boot with front- and rear- welts that will support a metal bar. Although it looks nothing like a ski binding, it serves a similar purpose; the boot and crampon become locked together very tightly, and it is quick to put on. Generally, there is a lever in the rear that will lock into place. If you paid $350 or more for your boot, then it probably has the necessary front- and rear- welts.

A hybrid crampon is similar to step-in, but it doesn't require the front welt. Boots that are compatible will have a rear welt (and any step-in compatible boot is also compatible with a hybrid crampon), but don't have anything special in the front. These provide a slightly more secure fit than strap-on crampons, but are not as secure as step-in crampons. The only advantage over step-in crampons is that they fit more boots. If you paid $200 or more for your boot, then it might be hybrid compatible. In general, instead of thinking of a hybrid crampon as having the "best of both worlds", it might be more apt to think of it as having the "worst of both worlds."

A strap-on crampon will bind to any type of footwear, even lightweight hiking boots. However, for best performance, you still want a stiff boot. A heavy, all-leather backpacking boot works fine for most Sierra mountaineering (though you may be cold in winter), but a hiking boot with any pure nylon patches will probably be too light-weight (and even colder). The club's crampons are all strap-on types. They are great for walking and low-angle, but can come loose with repeated front-pointing (especially if not laced and sized perfectly), and also have poor performance on hard ice, since they are more likely to wiggle than step-in crampons. For the average Sierra mountaineer, strap-on crampons are probably the best choice due to their versatility.

Strap-on (aka walking)	Step-in (aka clampon)
Hybrid (aka newmatic aka semiautomatic)	In-step
Designed for step-in crampons, but compatible with any type	Designed for hybrid crampons, but compatible with strap-on crampons; not compatible with step-in crampons
Designed for strap-on crampons; not compatible with any other type (except for in-step crampons, which work with any boot, but are not for general mountaineering)

Front point design

There are two types of front-points: either vertically oriented or horizontally oriented. The advantage of vertical orientation is increased vertical stiffness, good for front-pointing on hard ice. The advantage of horizontal orientation is increased horizontal surface area, good for snow. But, you can use vertical frontpoints on snow, and horizontal frontpoints on ice. Horizontal frontpoints are a bit more versatile, and are more useful for the Sierra mountaineer, so the choice here is easy also: choose horizontal. Most strap-on crampons have horizontal front-points, since they are not designed for ice-climbing.

Vertical Designed for ice-climbing. This crampon (which is hinged), can be converted to a monopoint design.	Horizontal Designed for general mountaineering
Monopoint Designed for hard ice- and mixed-climbing. This is a rigid crampon (and the monopoint is vertically oriented), and would make a poor choice for mountaineering.

Material: steel vs. aluminum

Another easy choice: choose steel. Aluminum crampons are much lighter, and are a good choice for summer hikers, or for skiers, or hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail, or basically anytime when there's a chance you might briefly need crampons. But if you know that you will need crampons, then take a steel pair. They last longer and will be fine in all situations; you do not want to find yourself mixed climbing or front-point up ice with aluminum crampons.

Aluminum Crampons

Designed for pure snowy glacier travel (free of rocks and ice) and short-lifetime. These often have 10 points instead of 12 (to save weight), and almost always are hinged, with strap-on bindings and horizontally oriented frontpoints.

Steel Crampons

Heavier, but more rugged; the default choice for mountaineering. [Every crampon on this page, except for the two immediately above, are made of steel]

That's it! My recommendations for fist-time buyers: steel, hinged, strap-on, horizontally-oriented frontpoints. An example of this type is the Black Diamond Contact Strap crampons, which is the type the club loans out.

Other basic references: Wikipedia "crampon" page, and some guy's crampon article (similar to this page).

California Institute of Technology