Grivel G-14 recomendations

[scottgg]

I am looking for a new set of spikes, a pair more suited to steep ice/rock. Does anyone have any info on the different fastening systems for this or other crampons? Do you like the toe bail or the toe strap better? Or whould you suggest another crampon altogether? Thanks for the advice!

[Chad_A]

Here's a nice review for you...

http://climbing.com/print/equipment/crampons/

 

I have a crampomatic pair, and they fit great on three brands of boots that I have in my closet (Salomon, Boreal, and Scarpa). The Curly-Q on the front bail wire helps dampen the vibration, I believe, but in my experience, if I kick real hard, it can cause the crampon to bounce back (so, don't kick that hard, right? Haha..)

 

The heel lever adjustment works great, so you can really fine tune them. Can't say I've tried the newmatic style, but they're probably fine, as it's what I see House using in pictures and Grivel advertisements (never mind the fact that he's sponsored by them).

[RogerJ]

I have G-14's and love them. I can't say I've put them through the same rigors as vw4ever

 

However, I did have some issues with the toe bail fit on LaSportiva K4S boots and spent a bunch of time on the phone with Grivel about newmatic versus crampomatic. The fit challenge was resolved.

 

They were pretty agnostic about which was better, but did point out that the front plastic part on newmatics will need to be inspected and replaced more frequently than a metal bail. Plus it weights a smidge more.

 

I' ve used them on Scarpa Alpha's, La Sportiva Makalu, LaSportiva K4S, and my Dynafit AT boots. It never takes me more than a minute ot make the appropriate adjustments to get a nicely tuned in fit.

 

Hope this helps.

 

-r

[Don_Serl]

i used and really liked G-14s for a couple years. they're strong and well suited to both waterfalls and mountains. the flat frames don't ball-up as badly as 'cookie cutters', but anti-botts are mandatory in my opinion anyway, at least for mountain use. switching between paired points and monos is pretty quick, altho best done at home. the heel bails are the best out there. the length adjustment is dead-easy. the curly-que toe bails allow the wire to drop nice and deeply into the boot welts, but i've found i've had to re-bend the curves a bit to get perfect fit. on the negative side, these bails will only work on stiff boots with good deep welts. and the curly bits tend to snag your other crampon occasionally when you're walking unless you're more careful about splaying your legs than i am. my Scottish buddy Simon Richardson tells me the curly bits eventually fatigue, requiring replacement of the bail or at least some rebending, but i never used 'em enuf to get to that stage. i dislike yoke-style toes cuz they're colder and less tight-fitting than wire bails, but they do have the advantage of allowing a fit to almost any boot, and of being dead-easy to get on, even in horrible conditions.

overall: very fine 'poons.

cheers, don

[Mark_Husbands]

Has anyone used G-14s (mine are from around year 2000) on Invernos? Koflachs?

 

I have heard of problems with toe bail fit on some plastics. They work perfectly on my Freney XTs.

M

[NYC007]

they work on my scarpa alpha

[Fromage]

I had a pair of G-14s for a while and got rid of them because they caused some problems I hadn't anticipated. For waterfall climbing I found they vibrated too much (wire toe bail/Crampomatic), the secondary points didn't engage the ice as well as other pairs I have used, and my partner had a near accident caused by his G-14s when we were on an alpine route. The curly-cue toe bail snagged a sling on a piece of pro he was leading past on a M6 section, and he was totally trapped hanging from his tools and trying to kick his foot free from the sling. He managed to wriggle out of it before I could escape the belay to get up to him, but it was pretty hairy.

 

For waterfall ice I have yet to find a crampon better than the Charlet/Petzl M10. That crampon has more adjustability than anything else on the market, and while it is not the lightest, it climbs really well and connects very securely to Koflachs, Scarpas, and Sportivas.

 

Horizontal frame crampons tend to be lighter, but vertical rails are stiffer. I disagree with Don's point about needing anti-botts. If the snow is balling up on your crampons, that is a big flashing neon sign from the mountain telling you it's time to take your points off. Crampons are hazardous in those snow conditions, and I have seen more than one accident caused by this situation.

 

If you are looking for one pair of points to do everything, the Charlet Sarkens are light, climb ice pretty darn well, and work great on alpine routes. Plus they are priced reasonably.

[ryland_moore]

I use them with my scarpa leathers for waterfall ice and use them for glacier climbs with my Koflach Artis Expes without any problems at all. I've never had any problems with vibration. Maybe it is the style of boot. They are the crampomatic style and even worked really well over my overboots on Denali. Before my trip, I just attached them to my boots and overboot and left them on there for a week before my trip and it worked really well. These are the best crampons I've ever had. I do use the antibot plates for glacier climbs and never had a problem of them balling up.