[pct-l] Crampons

[David Thibault]

I carried instep crampons and an ice axe from Kennedy Meadows to Sonora Pass
this year.  Used both several times and was glad I had them.   I could have,
and would have, gotten through without them but was glad to have them.
Together they were just over a pound.  I'm not the most coordinated hiker
out there so I felt much more secure on the steep transverses when I used
both.  I also don't trust using a hiking pole to glissade, so without an ice
axe I would not have done much of that - which would have been too bad cause
it is fun and saves lot of extra work getting down some of those passes.

The times I didn't use my axe and crampons I always had the thought that the
news report would say "the dead hiker was carrying an ice axe but they found
it strapped to his pack".   These thoughts were usually enough to make me
stop and use my gear.  YMMV

Day-Late


>
> Subject: [pct-l] Crampons
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
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> I look at instep crampons as insurance.  I carried them but never had to
> used them.  I hike by myself so I would rather not slide or fall down
> the hill.  Injuries pretty much ruin a hike.  The one time I needed my
> crampons I had left them home, at Mt. Jefferson the end of July.
>
> Jollylopper
>
> _.