Cassin Coincidence

[carversprint]

Maybe it’s a coincidence, maybe I am wrong but... a couple months ago I was pulling out gear to get ready for an ice climbing trip and noticed that one of my Cassin crampons were fractured right under the ball of my toe. I use plastic boots so it should not be the result of flexing. I emailed Cassin to ask if they were interested in looking at them- at least from a Quality Assurance standpoint. No response.

My first and only set of ice tools were Cassin (circa 2001). My wife and climbing partner were in the Canadian Rockies a couple weeks ago, she was telling me I was beating up the ice. “Place your picks, don't wack the ice” she said. I told her that they popped out if I ‘just placed them.’ Of course her thought was I was being a whiner. She tried them, and had same result. She weighs 50 lbs less, is a better ice climber than I am and could not get started on a route she lead just minutes prior.

“La, di, da,” I thought. Then she switched back to her tools, same route, up no problem. The tips are sharp, curved the same as her Cobra, just don’t work.

So for now, I am retiring from Cassin.

BTW, the route was a very interesting, thin, short pitch in King Creek in the Kananaskis area that ends in an alcove. It is between two larger WI3-4s falls.

 

Edited February 3, 2007 by carversprint