Grivel G10 vs G12

These two crampons share a frame, a linking bar, the same hot-forged steel and the same binding options. The difference is two points and about 180 g. The G10 has ten downward points and a blunt toe; the G12 adds a pair of forward-projecting front points and the secondary points behind them that make front-pointing work.

So the buying decision collapses into one question: will you ever kick into a slope steep enough that you climb it toes-first? If the honest answer is no, the G10 is the better crampon for you — lighter, cheaper, and less likely to snag a gaiter. If the answer is yes, or "probably, eventually", the G12 is the only sensible pick, because a crampon without front points cannot be upgraded into one that has them.

The front points decide it

Downward points work by standing on them. You keep the sole flat to the slope, all ten teeth engaged, and the technique holds until the angle gets steep enough that your ankle runs out of flex — for most people somewhere around 40–45°, less if the snow is hard or you are tired. Past that, you either traverse diagonally forever or you turn in and kick.

Kicking is what the G12's front points are for. Two horizontal spikes project past the toe, backed by a second pair of downward-angled points that stop the foot rotating once the fronts are buried. On firm névé or a short ice step the pair goes in with one kick and holds a full body weight. On the G10 there is nothing at the toe to bury — you can front-point a G10 in soft snow by brute force, but on anything that resists you are standing on the front edge of the frame.

Note the direction of the asymmetry. The G12 does everything the G10 does, plus front-pointing, for 180 g and a slightly longer sharpening session. The G10 does not do anything the G12 cannot. It is a lighter, simpler, cheaper tool for a narrower band of terrain, not a different capability. If you want the point-count theory in full, we cover it in crampon points explained.

Weight, and what 180 g actually means

Per pair, the G10 saves roughly the weight of a small water bottle. On your feet that is more noticeable than in the pack, because it is weight you swing with every step, and over a long approach it adds up. Ski tourers and lightweight trekkers care. Alpinists who carry crampons for six hours to use them for one hour care most of all.

Even so, 180 g is a poor trade against a capability you might need. The people who genuinely benefit from the G10's weight are the ones who also know exactly what terrain they will be on, and it is snow. If your route list is uncertain, the G12 is the safer default and its weight is unremarkable for a full steel 12-point — see how it sits in our mountaineering roundup.

The G10 has a second, quieter advantage: nothing sticks out at the toe. Fewer snagged gaiters, fewer trouser cuffs shredded, less chance of catching a point on a rock slab while walking. Beginners trip over front points more than they expect.

Bindings and boot fit

Both models come in the same three binding versions, and the naming is Grivel's own. New-Classic is a full strap-on (C1) that fits any reasonably stiff boot without welts, including many B1 hiking boots. New-Matic is semi-automatic: plastic toe cradle, heel lever, needs a heel welt (C2). Cramp-O-Matic is fully automatic: wire toe bail and heel lever, needs welts at both ends (C3).

Choose the binding by your boots, not by the crampon. The most common mistake we see is buying an automatic version for a boot with no toe welt, where the bail simply will not sit. If you are not certain what your boots are rated for, read boot compatibility before ordering either model.

One fitting note specific to the G12: with the front points fitted, the crampon must be adjusted so the points project roughly 1.5–2 cm past the toe of the boot. Too little and they will not bite; too much and the foot levers. The G10 has no such adjustment to get wrong.

Durability and sharpening

Both are hot-forged, which is Grivel's core argument as a brand — the steel is shaped under pressure rather than stamped, and the resulting points hold an edge through rocky ground that rounds off softer crampons. Neither is a wear item in any normal sense. A well-cared-for pair of either outlasts several pairs of boots.

The G12 needs marginally more maintenance simply because front points do the abrasive work. Expect to file the fronts once or twice a season if you cross scree in them, hand file only, following the original bevel. The G10's downward points blunt slowly and evenly, and many owners go years between touch-ups. Neither should ever meet a bench grinder — heat destroys the temper.

The verdict

Buy the Grivel G10 if:

• Your winter is glacier walking, snow trekking, and hut-to-hut routes at moderate angles.
• You are on a rope team crossing a flat-to-rolling glacier and want the lightest full steel crampon that is still genuinely durable — see crampons for glacier travel.
• You are new to crampons and value not tripping over front points while you learn to walk in them.
• Budget matters and you are confident about the terrain ceiling.

Buy the Grivel G12 if:

• Any route on your list has a steep snow finish, a couloir, or a short ice step.
• You do not yet know what your routes will be. Uncertainty argues for the more capable crampon.
• You want one pair of crampons to cover the next decade of alpine progression.
• You climb with people who are more experienced than you and will pick harder ground than you planned.

For most buyers, that is a G12 recommendation. The G10 is an excellent crampon with a defined job; the G12 is the one that stops the buying decision from ever coming back.

Neither, possibly

If your winter is icy trails, frozen forest tracks and packed footpaths below treeline, you do not want a 12-point mountaineering crampon at all — you want microspikes, which are lighter, walk better and are far harder to hurt yourself with. The terrain line between the two categories is drawn in microspikes vs crampons. And if you are heading the other way, toward waterfall ice, both of these are the wrong tool: vertical ice needs vertical front points and a stiffer frame.

Grivel G10 on Amazon Grivel G12 on Amazon

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