G-12

 

Page Type Gear Review
Object Title G-12
Manufacturer Grivel
Page By keema
Page Type Jun 2, 2002 / Jun 2, 2002
Object ID 330
Hits 10489
Vote
This classic, 12-point crampon is designed for general mountaineering, mixed climbing and moderate ice climbing. Horizontally-oriented frame resists snowballing underfoot and flexes with rockered soles New-Matic bindings are simple and efficient, allowing use of new, lighter weight mountaineering boots without significant welts at the toes. Front Zytel straps attached to the front posts anchor the toes, while clip-in cams secure the heels; nylon ankle straps fasten with 2 ring buckles. Crampons adjust easily without use of tools; one size fits U.S. men's 5-15



Weight: 2 lbs. 2 oz.

Fits shoe size: 5-15

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Reviews


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keema - Jun 2, 2002 6:57 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I have the New Matic. I use them with my Montrail Moraine Boots. The bindng is nice since the there is no appreciable toe welt on my boots and a nice heel welt. The two ring buckle is simple to use when fingers are cold. The adjustable heel cam makes for a very secure fit. I have used them on slopes to 50° with some hard snow / ice and have felt secure with the bite these crampons provided.

ben jammin - Aug 8, 2002 12:55 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I have only positive things to say about the G12's: they're a great pair of flexible general-purpose crampons and I've had very satisfactory performance from them.



Although these crampons aren't meant for anything really steep, I like the fact that the front 4 points are somewhat more aggressive that on the comparable Charlet Moser S12's or BD Sabretooths.



I specifically bought these crampons because I wasn't comfortable with using a wire toe bail fixing in conjuction with my somewhat flexible boots (Sportiva Makalus).



Contrary to by atomicfireballs' experience, I have found the plastic front straps pretty indestructable, but I can understand that one would be pretty pissed if they did break.



HTH.

ben.

tbnelson - Oct 14, 2002 8:51 am - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
Great crampons. I have use them on long glacier slogs to vertical ice. I use the step in version. They are easy to adjust and put on.

hmronnow - Aug 17, 2003 2:46 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I have the new-matic version with plastic front and heel clip-in cam, which fits both my leather boots (LaSportiva Karakoram) and plastic boots (Koflach Arctis Expe).



Ever reached the glacier just to find out that you forgot to adjust the crampon length to the boots? I've more than once been thankful to the clip-system that allows adjustment of the crampon length without tool - even with gloves on!



Attaching the crampon wearing gloves also works well with the double ring locking mechanism, which has never come loose while wearing them.



They ball up less snow than vertical frame crampons such as the Rambo - probably same as any similar crampon.



On cold snow/ice, however, I find that they bite very well, and the rather aggresseive angle of frontpoints and second points gives a safe feeling even on steep glacier. They even bite into water ice, though harder kicks are needed than for sharpened teeth crampons.



They are comfortable for longer clacier walks and compact reasonable when not needed.



They seem very durable. The teeth are still quite sharp although almost every trip I take involves shorter or longer stretches of rock or stone-filled snow. Though I have never owned any, I doubt that the light-weight aluminium crampons on the market can take anything but pure snow.



Overall, I am very happy with these crampons, and would chose the same again.

vertx - Sep 28, 2003 12:18 am - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I traded in my G10's for the G12's and have not been disapointed. The G12's work great in a wide range of snow/ice conditions. The fit is tight and secure. Super crampon.

grandwazoo - Oct 27, 2003 6:58 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
Great pair of crampons for the price. Fit my Boreal Bulnes and Scarpa Thermo Cerro Torre perfectly.

Haven’t had any problems with the plastic portions..yet.

Jerry L - Feb 20, 2004 7:19 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I've owned these for several years and haven't had a single problem with them. I've logged quite a few miles with them on ice, snow, and rock. I've done some basic ice climbing with them and they performed well. They are easy to attach and detach from your plastics as well. I've yet to sharpen mine but as I write this that may be something I do this week-end. I would purchase these again.

jtostenr - Aug 3, 2004 1:08 am - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
I bought the G12 with the strap on bindings to use on my Montrail Torre GTX hiking boots. They fit great without any adjustments.



Unfortunately, I can't even make any adjustments. This is my first set of crampons, so maybe I'm just missing something, but there are rivets holding the plastic pieces together as well as attaching the plastic pieces to the frame. In the manual it says these should be screws, which makes sense, because it tells you to take out the screws and reposition it to fit yout boots. I am not talking about the length adjustment underneath, which does have a screw.



My only experience with these was on the South Spur route up Mt Adams. Before the weather warmed up and the snow was firm they worked great. After the snow started getting soft, it was still better than with no crampons but not much. However, I guess this would be true of any set of crampons.



Anyway, besides the stupid rivet issue, I really like these and would recommend them.

Ardvark - Jan 6, 2005 11:21 am - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I've used probably a half dozen crampon pairs and, as a climb leader, have had to futz with a much wider variety. The G-12 is the standard. It's easy to put on, easy to tighten, simple to check and easy to use underfoot. No wonder so many large guide companies stock the G-12 as their rental crampon.

awagher - Feb 8, 2005 2:19 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I love the ease of putting these things on. And they adjust easily as well. I use mine in everything form mixed terrain to ice and they are a dream. I have the newmatic ones that are alot easier to manipulate (I think) with gloved hands.

kovarpa - Mar 21, 2005 11:16 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I have the in-step version, i.e wire in the front. They fit great and work with both my plastic and leather boots. I don't do extreme ice and for basic ice climbing they are quite adequate. Very easy to put on, even with gloves on. The wire in the front also worked with my OR overboots.

I wrapped the metal piece that goes from the wire with tape because it seems to be quite sharp and I didn't want to cut my fingers off...

The Defiant One - Mar 28, 2005 10:18 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I've used these for two years, I bought them to replace my Black Diamond Contact Strap. I'm not really into ice climbing and would probably invest in other crampons if i were. these are easy to put on, even with thick gloves, i've used them up to 20,000 ft and they weren't so heavy that i hated them, in fact their weight is quite reasonable for how heavy they are. They've always felt quitte secure and solid, but comfortable enough to wear for multi-day climbs.

mountaindog - Jun 5, 2005 4:39 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I had the same pair for 5 years and they remain reliable. They cinch down well and they have never come unfastened at any time. They fit just about any type of boot. What I like is their comfort in normal walking situations combined with the control on steeper ice. You can almost (I said almost) climb water ice with them. A good duable purchase at a fair price.

fdoctor - Dec 5, 2005 3:15 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
These really are fantastic crampons.The trick with many of us is to find a multi-purpose crampon that can be used not only in differing situations but often on different boots. I have strained these crampons to the max , fitting them on curvy Sportiva Trango S (size 10) as well as rigid Scarpa Vega plastics (size 12) All UK sizes. The only time I've had trouble with fitting was on a boot between these two extremes, the Sportiva Nepal Extreme.

Steve Larson - Jan 22, 2007 6:19 am - Voted 5/5

Versatile, all-around crampon
I've worn these on everything from plastic boots to the lightweight Trango EVO S, and they work great on all of them. Adjusting the length is a breeze. Getting them on and off, even with gloved hands is a snap. I have the newmatic style toes, and they've never even hinted that they might come off. They've stood up to all kinds of abuse. I've used them on everything from snow to WI4, and they've performed flawlessly.

Woodie Hopper - Jan 28, 2007 2:29 am - Voted 5/5

G-12
Easy to use, durable and versatile. I have the crampomatic (step-ins) and newmatics. I got mine on sale at Ashford mountainhaus (run by RMI).

skagitteam - Feb 6, 2007 10:31 pm - Voted 5/5

Good
I've been very happy with these, although mine are too old-school for the anti-bot plates and all. My only complaint is that they don't fit well on very large boots without the extension plate, another $20 or so.

weeds19 - Feb 7, 2007 2:36 am - Voted 5/5

G-12
Great all-around crampon. I've used it everywhere and have never been disappointed. I've even had good luck with wet snow not balling up on the sole w/o the add-ons. My pair fastens to the welt on the back and straps down on the front. The ability to adjust sizing without tools is also a big advantage on the mountain.

EverydayExplorer - Sep 18, 2007 4:56 pm - Voted 5/5

Newmatic
The newmatic system is awesome. Easy to use and secure. Definately a buy.

BSPclimber - Sep 30, 2007 12:39 pm - Hasn't voted

Newmatic
These crampons are awesome, perform great, and fit on my Koflach plastics, Raichle leathers and even my Asolo hiking boots (in a pinch). And the anti-bots work pretty dang well in cutting down on the balling. Get these and be happy.

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