Grivel Ski Matic 2.0 Tour and Race Crampons Review

Overview:

In the past year I have taken these Crampons from the Cascades and Alaska, to the Himalaya. To say the least I am utterly impressed with this new technology. The main highlight being how much they speed up my transition times, and how easy they are to put on in any situation. With a really long dry spell on Denali, AK this year, I found myself dodging blue ice. On a steep slope skiing down from 17,000 ft I hit a solid patch of blue. I was able to get onto my edges, place an ice screw, and switch into these crampons. It was amazing how fast I was able to switch from skis to crampons and I felt so much more secure that I would not drop one.

The speed at which you are able to transition with these is due to the unique way they attach to your ski boots. You start by sliding the heel piece on the back of the boot, then you just snap the toe piece down and clip the tether into the buckle of your boot. There is no threading of any buckles to attach the crampon to your foot. Another added bonus is by not having a heel lever the crampon does not sit weirdly on the walk mode of the ski boot. This allows for a much more secure feel on many types of boots.

Specifics:

These crampons come in the Tour and Race models. The difference is that the Tour has steel front points and aluminum backs and the race are fully aluminum with no anti balling plates. I found myself using the Tour for big trips and climbs where I thought I may encounter firm conditions and I used the aluminum for less committing objectives or where weight was the most important consideration. 

Comparison:

Overall I found the Tour crampons to feel much more secure. However during a trip to South America climbing and skiing the Volcanoes of Chile I brought the Race crampon. It was a very icey trip and the crampons held up well and got the job done. There were a few moments when I did wish I had the security of the heavier steel front points. However with the 11 oz weight difference I find myself reaching for the race when I am planning anything where weight is my priority or the majority of my tour will be skinning. 

Compatibility with mountaineering boots: I used the Tour crampons to summit Denali in mountaineering boots. Overall they worked great but do not seem to have a benefit over other crampons. They come with a separate strap so that you can secure the crampon to your boot. The only other downside was that the toe piece is a bit big adding for the ability to catch the other crampon when walking. Once used to and aware of it, this was not a problem.

Con:

The only thing I think could be improved upon would be that the front points of the tour came as sharp as something like the Grivel G12. If that was possible they would feel incredibly secure and be a great tool for any route requiring ice climbs or very firm steep conditions. Also I did not use these with any ski-mo style boot that only has a top buckle and a BOA system. So, I cannot attest to if the system would reach the top buckle, or if you would have to use the provided ankle strap to secure the crampon.

Final Word:     

To sum it up, these are my go to ski boot crampons. The ease of use and decreased transition time is unbeaten by any other crampon on the market. I find having both is awesome but if I were to just have one it would be the Tour. I would use this crampon on any type of firm snow that would be worth skiing. If you want to speed up your transition times and have a crampon that is easy and quick to attach no matter your position, these are for you!

Follow Connor to see all of his adventures @connorclimbing