As a matter of course, crampons are now part of the equipment of mountaineers. That was not always the case. For safe locomotion in high alpine terrain, the crampon attached to the soles of the shoes. The crampon provide support on icy ground and on snow surfaces. The early Christian writer Tertullian, who lived between 150 and 220 AD, already reports of crampon , Also on the ancient arch of Constantine in Rome from the year 312 was an indication of the existence of crampon discovered. The Swiss historian and theologian Josias Simler described in a 16th-century treatise in a treaty three-pronged crampon which were attached to the soles like horseshoes. A little later, four-pointed crampons for hunters, lumberjacks and miners could be detected. In the first half of the 19th century, the Alps began to develop more and more. On crampons could not be waived. They were individually forged for each wearer and did not yet follow a firm form.

Forerunner of today’s crampons

During the 19th century, the crampons gradually took on the familiar shape. They now had much more spikes and enclosed the entire shoe sole. The Tyrolean mountaineers gratefully accepted the climbing aid. The English, however, still resisted the new climbing aids. The dispute played a role especially in competition for the first ascent of the Matterhorn. The hitherto necessary stepping in the firn or in the ice was partly superfluous with crampons. Also the mountain fighters of the military used crampons quite soon. So this tool has quickly prevailed among many climbers. After all, it was the British alpinist Oscar Johann Ludwig Eckstein who made the money for the crampons. He invented the ten-pointed crampons that are still common today with the twelve- and fourteen-pointed crampons. With Eckstein’s Zehnzacker it was now possible to move forward on ice surfaces with gradients of up to 35 degrees without stepping. At the same time, so-called cornerstone technology was established with these crampons. In addition, the Briton also developed a pioneering Eisbeil. At home, people remained skeptical about his inventions.

The construction of modern crampons

Crampons are depending on the purpose rigid or movable. For particularly heavy tours in the ice, the steel base plate is rigid, because it is the soles of the shell shoes as well. Otherwise, crampons have two interconnected, movable base plates. On the sides of the steel plates in addition to the attachment for the shoes usually ten, twelve or fourteen sharp prongs in triangular form attached. There are also crampons with fewer spikes. So-called „little things“, for example, are particularly light irons with only four to six diagonally set points. The tips of most crampons are mounted at right angles to the two front. In the first two peaks, the angle is greater than 90 degrees. Modern crampons are made of steel, aluminum alloys or, more rarely, titanium alloys. Anti-ball plates made of plastic or rubber prevent the formation of cleats. Some crampons have an additional heel spur and are therefore intended for mixed climbing in ice and rock. In the scene, the heel spur, which is to facilitate rest positions, controversial. Special crampons are also available for climbing trees or masts.

Crampons in the test

What a crampon must be like depends essentially on what kind of tours you want to do with it. A comparison winner in the crampon comparison are the Petzl crampons Lynx with interchangeable frontal neck. Also very good grades received the Black Diamond crampons Sabretooth. The Ramone Stalker Semi-Au and the Stubai crampons Trekking Universal also perform well. A decisive criterion in the comparison were the spikes, which must be sharp in each case. Here, a distinction is made between the vertical points and the frontal neck. The vertical points are attached to the long side of the crampons and provide stability and support, especially in the flat terrain. The Frontalzacken are at the top of the shoe. They are used at high speeds on steep and rising terrain and must be very stable. In total, crampons, light-weight irons with six to eight spikes and full-fledged crampons with ten or more spikes are distinguished.