Trango S / crampons for Rainier

[russ]

Looking at climbing the Kautz Glacier this coming weekend - I'm becoming such a weight weenie that I'm consider doing it in Trango S'. Anyone used them on Rainier - are they warm enough?? (with crocadile type gaitors)

 

Was planning on using S12 crampons, but the weight weenie fairy has me considering Stubai Ultralights. The alum. worked great on the Emmons a month ago, but I'd expect the Kautz to be much icier.

 

Any thoughts?

[Alpinfox]

Alum crampons worked great for me on Liberty Ridge a while back (not icy though) and Jim Nelson (www.promountainsports.com) climbs shizzle like this in his:

 

[Rainier_Wolfscastle]

Don't aluminum crampon points bend when you kick them into ice? I'd like to get a pair, but fear trashing them on the first ice or rock I may inadventantly encounter. How about crampons with steel front points, and the rest aluminum? I wonder if that would work?

[Rodchester]

Wolfie:

 

I have used a apir of very lightweight aluminums made by Camp.

 

I have been fairly surprised at what they can do. I tend to be more cautious with them and only use them on basic mountaineering stuff. But I have used them on a some short, steep, hard blue ice sections. They actually held up fine. Again, I don't lick in as hard as I would with steel.

 

That said, I am sure they won't last as long as steel and would wear out fast on rock and would eventually bend on hard ice.

 

[JoshK]

I used stubai ultralights in the candian rockies this past winter and climbed WI6 in them.

 

No, seriously, I did.

[russ]

In follow-up I decide on Trango S and S12's, the combo worked well. The boots were plenty warm enough for summer stable weather conditions. The ice on the steep section of the Kautz was hard enough that I was glad I went with the steel crampons.

[Lambone]

G14's work well on the S's also.