The Grivel G12 crampons netted a ‘recommended’ label in David Lintern’s winter 2021 crampon review. Find out how this ‘safe as houses’ crampon performed on the hill.
Grivel’s reputation is well deserved. The Grivel G12 crampons are the weightiest unit in this lineup and everything is ‘bomber’, so it’s no surprise that a pair takes up more room in the pack when not in use. It has the widest size range – so no faffing around for longer linking bars – and the labelling and adjustability is subtle but straightforward. The front basket is robust plastic and the leverlock at the rear is incredibly positive, with its adjuster protected by a chunky cover. The strap fastener is Grivel’s trademark circular tab and large pull, which is easy to use with frigid digits when the boot is covered in frozen crud at the end of the day!
It’s fair to say that Grivel’s rubbery yellow oval anti-balling plates are best in class at keeping snow and ice from building up between boot and crampon. The G12 points are long and lethal, and have a wider, almost spade-like profile compared to others here. The serrated heel points are particularly effective at keeping you planted when descending. All this engenders maximum confidence on the hill, but you pay for it in the weight, and the big points mean you can end up collecting a lot of heather in mixed ground!
The Grivel G12s are hard to fault. I’ve used both the G10s and G12s for many years, with both B1 (‘new classic’) and B2 (‘new matic’) bindings. If I only owned one pair of crampons, it would probably be the latter, reviewed here. They are safe as houses and will last years if looked after properly.
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