Chris Townsend tests Petzl’s Irvis crampons. Here’s what he thought
The new Irvis crampons are lightweight and have 10 sharp points. They’re available with a rear clip and front cradle or two cradles. I tested the latter. The cradles are attached to metal bails which does make them firmer than some more flexible cradles but also means they don’t fit some boots quite so well, with gaps between the cradle and the boot.
Rather than the two rings common for tightening the strap on cradle bindings these crampons have a two-part rectangular metal buckle that I found easier to tighten and undo.
The anti-ball plates have soft centres that move in and out so they actively push snow away. The Irvises are good crampons. I only have one slight doubt about them and that is that the fl ex bar isn’t actually very flexible which makes me wonder how well it will last with regular use on flexible footwear. With semi-stiff or stiff boots there shouldn’t be a problem.
