Snowshoes or crampons

[Papa Bear]

Stabilicers

The past weekend on the Willey Range and Twins-Garfield traverses, I used an old pair of Stabilicers (tradename, but not sure of the spelling), which are ideal for mixed rock, packed snow, and especially thin ice, where snowshoes and conventional crampons do not work well. Because Stabilicers extend the length of the entire boot, they work better than instep crampons; these things are essentially a few sheet metal screws embedded in pieces of automobile tire, with vecro straps for lashing to the boot. I am told that when the heads of the screws get worn out by abrasion on rock, you simply replace the screws.
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I just got a pair of Stabilicers and used them on Coburn last weekend. They seem ideal for early season mixed conditions of ice and snow. They seemed to help where it was really too steep for snow shoes.

The are better built then you have implied. They are not built on old automobile tires but on Vibram soles which seemed rather durable. They are something I'll bring along in the future when conditions do not warrent crampons.

But at $48, they are pricier than Yaktrax but you get what you pay for. Yaktrax would have been a laugh on Coburn last weekend.

If you have snow shoes AND crampons and you still want another boot add-on, try Stabilicers. I like them.

Pb

 

[CaptCaper]

You'll need both. I've found most trails are packed down and ice by the weekend. So crampons would be my first pick but not by much at all.

 

[jpzortman]

... last winter bought during a GREAT sale a pair of MSR Denali Ascents . . .

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Denali Ascents, they are light and have VERY aggresive crampons (and that is saying a lot for someone so afraid of ice) and I got the tails for free which just means that I can use them in very deep snow when the conditions warrant it . . .

I also bought a pair of MSR Denali Ascents a couple of years ago... and I also LOVE LOVE LOVE them! Biased as I may be, they are the best because of the aggressive crampons (as noted by Sli74), the tail extenders make walking in deep snow easier while removing them makes walking in packed snow easy without the drag.

If you gonna buy a pair, go with MSR. I just bought my first pair of crampons yesterday. Climbing Marcy, Gray, Skylight on Friday. Having both means you get to the summit. Only having one means you may make it near the top.. with out the view from the top!

Good Luck!

Joe

 

[SherpaKroto]

I've gotten through a winter where I climbed 11 4Ks without using my crampons once. I used my snowshoes (MSR Denali Evo Ascents) nearly every climb. On the other hand, if there isn't much snow, it would be nearly impossible to go above treeline without campons. I always go out with both (except early season, like now, I'll only take crampons). If you can ONLY buy one to start, get the snowshoes, and go for a "mountaineering" model. You'll buy the crampons the day after you get turned back on ice (and they are a lot less expensive). I use Grivel G-10's. I'm not an instep fan, but those Stabilicers had me intrigued when I saw them at Hilton's. For now, I'll hold off.

Ask Santa for the Snowshoes, buy the crampons

 

[shadowcat]

mask snorkel and flippers

as i sit here looking out my window on thanksgiving day if you're out hiking in the daks ...... you'll need flippers!

 

[Nonlegit]

I always bring both, but generally wept more about forgetting the snowshoes. Now usually ill go backcountry skiing after a storm, however; i only own alpine gear, so i carry my skis and shoe up. I summited a few 4kers in the winter with split grain day hikers, as well as done greylock after a couple of blizzards with the same boots, and although it wasnt the best, it can be done. I think that although bulkier, i probably use the shoes more.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I was showing the video "The Day after Tomorrow" in my Global Climate Change class this morning and I noticed that Dennis Quaid (aka paleoclimatologist Jack Hall) and his team were wearing Atlas snowshoes on their march from Greenbelt, Maryland, to New York City to rescue his kid. Only one of the three died when they had a "Touching the Void" mishap falling through a glass roof of a shopping mall, so those shoes must be good, eh? Good ice ax arrest also, considering the stop was made in a few inches of powder on top of glass.