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September 6, 2010

Grivel G14 Crampon Review

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Grivel G14 Crampon

Climbing > Crampons

Price: $179.96 - $225.00 at 3 stores.

Average Rating: 5 out of 5

Store	Price
Backcountry.com	$179.96	Buy Now »
Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)	$225.00	Buy Now »
Mountain Gear	$225.00	Buy Now »

Mountain Gear

Whether you're ascending ice or trudging across glaciers, the semi-rigid G14 Crampons from Grivel take both in stride. Forged points penetrate hard ice with less vibration, while configurable front points go mono or dual depending upon the angle of ice.

Features:

Antibot plates are included to keep snow from building up underfoot
GSB binding is available specifically for use with Scarpa GSB system boots
The low-profile design places your feet closer to the ice for heightened sensitivity and is less likely to ball up in wet conditions
They are constructed from ChroMoly steel for outstanding strength
They come in a dual point configuration but include spacers to build mono point crampons
You are able to place the same point in different notches on the frame to change the length and inclination of the point, allowing customization of the crampon for a particular style of climbing

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)

The do-it-all Grivel G14 Crampons convert from a flexible to rigid platform, fit both leather and plastic boots, and have vertical front points that convert to a mono point setup. A dream come true for those who mix in ice climbing with mountaineering.

Features:

2 pounds 3 ounces per pair
Adjusts to fit metric boot sizes 36 to 47
Front points are simple to configure on the G14, allowing the user to build mono- or dual-point crampons and replace worn points easily
Gorged points penetrate hard ice better with less vibration
Includes antibot plate to prevent snow buildup
Secondary points are very long and aggressive (key for vertical ice)
The low profile of the crampon frame places the climber's foot closer to rock or ice and is less prone to balling up

Backcountry.com

The incredible versatility and supreme technical performance of the Grivel G14 Crampon make it a favorite for steep ice climbing and burly alpine ascents. Its two vertical front points have excellent ice penetration, and hot-forging makes them strong enough to stand up to repeated bashings on too-thin ice. The G14 Crampon can also be configured with a monopoint for mixed and highly technical ice climbing—no extra parts required. This Grivel crampon's all-around performance won it the Climbing Magazine Editor's Choice Award in 2004 and made it a favorite of alpine climbers with an eye for good gear.

Bottom Line:Steep ice and burly mixed routes are a walk in the park for the Grivel G14 Crampon.

Love Them

Daniel Philp at Backcountry.com on 05/21/2010

Rated:

These are light, fit securely, and are easy to switch from dual to mono. I haven't owned another pair of crampons, so I am not sure I can make a fair comparison, but these have been great to me.Mine came without the mono spacers. I called Grivel and they sent them to me for free, along with a sweet sticker. I <3 good customer service. Just bumped my review to five stars.I tried to fit these to my GF's size 5 boots and the extension bar ran into the rear points of the crampon. I had to file them down. When I bought a pair specifically for her boots, they had already been cut down substantially in a similar fashion, so it was not a problem specific to my pair; they just aren't made for tiny boots right out of the box.

Fits like a glove...

climber at Mountain Gear on 11/11/2008

Rated:

Haven't had a chance to scratch them up yet, but they fit my Scarpa Alphas and Kayland M11s without any problems. Mine have the new-matic binding.

Great crampons that are worth the $

Adventurer at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 02/02/2008

Rated:

These are great. There are no worries about slipping. You always have a secure grip, either it be ice or snow. Great on all terrain: icy trails, hard packed snow, and vertical ice. They are a slight bit heavier then some but they are worth their weight. You have to oil them after every climb to make sure they don’t rust (They are steel, this will happen!) They are also worth every penny.

great all around crampon

oldman at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 01/01/2008

Rated:

The G14 are a great all around crampon. I got a little rust on mine but i did not oil them when i put them away for the summer. so that is my fault. They did not work with the Vasque Ice 9000 double boot. the boot was to large for the front bail. They work great with the Nepal extremes though.

Good set of spikes

andy the ice addict at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 02/02/2007

Rated:

It works great, versatile. I like the mono/dual option. Had some difficulty getting screw in when switching to mono points since the point didn't fit nicely into the appropriate notch. After that they were awesome.

Not for vertical ice

salamander at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 02/02/2007

Rated:

An aggressive alpine crampon, but the secondary points are too far back for vertical ice.

great crampons

andy at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 02/02/2007

Rated:

awesome crampons, so far ihave only been able to use them on vertical ice and some mixed climbs, but they are great and i have faith that they will do great for alpine routes

These crampons are tough...

MMT at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 09/09/2006

Rated:

These crampons worked well with my Koflak Degree boots (also recommended). I used them for both vertical glacier climbing and in the deep snow and ice of Mt Elbrus. They went on very easily (careful, they are sharp) and provided an unfaltering grip. They were one of the most commonly used crampons among the guides in the Caucaus Mountains in Western Russia. One problem I noted upon return was their tendency to rust - not sure if that is systemic of all crampons.

Heaven...

PH at Backcountry.com on 08/09/2006

Rated:

These babies are the best! Technical Ice is perfect... I brought two pairs for myself and one pair for a climbing friend of which we are both in New Zealand. They bite in well, clip on excellent - the best fitting clip on (cramp-o-matic) crampons I have ever owned. Simple transition from dual to mono point. The anti-bots are SUCH an improvment over the older model anti-bots which were hard heavy plastic ones (of which it was better to use an cutdown icecrean lid). These are lightweight, strong, and flexible, and well designed! Possibly slightly heavier than other brands, but when you need to deliver the goods...it is all go!!! The strap-on over the top of the boot is also excellent preventing loss! Just buy them. They work for you!

Make sure they fit your boots

Alois at Mountain Gear on 04/04/2006

Rated:

I just bought a pair of these crampons (New Matic style) to use for semi-technical, mostly summer alpine climbing. I already own BD Sabretooths, old Lowe Footfangs and Grivel G-12s (New Matic)which my girl just took for her own. So I thought the G-14 would help me up the occasional Sierra ice gully and work as well as the G-12s with a bit more stability and better (vertical) front points. Unfortunately the crampons do not fit any boot that has rocker sole. They do not fit either my Sportiva Trango S Evo, Scarpa Triolet light mtn. boots nor my plastic Koflachs or my leather Sportiva Makalus. The crampon rails are somewhat straight and do not contour the boots at the toe very well resulting in pretty large gap at the toe. I wear size 9.5 (US) and like my crampons to fit well. These unfortunately don't. IMHO, they would do better on rigid and straight sole, but one can buy other makes of crampons designed for waterfall ice and technical mixed climbing. The G-12 rocker design is perfect. Why didn't they just copy the shape from the G-12?

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