Climbing in Scarpa Maestrale-grades, crampons?

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 Roberttaylor 27 Oct 2015
I've bought a pair of Scarpa Maestrales and ski touring kit for this winter. Two questions; how hard do people find they climb in touring boots as opposed to climbing boots, and what crampon do people recommend for the Maestrales, as I've heard that grivel models don't fit the heel well.

From what I've read online it seems that climbing ice/gully stuff up to my normal grade should be possible, maybe a bit less so for mixed?

Looking forward to giving it a go.
 MG 27 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Grivel G12 work fine with mine. Size 33, note.
 Harry Ellis 27 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

I used darts with mine, fit was great
 DaveHK 27 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Grivel crampomatic work fine on mine.
 Al Todd 31 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Along with various routes in the Alps, I climbed Green Gully last winter wearing Maestrales and previously used another pair on Tower Ridge when it was in largely rock/ mixed conditions. I'd happily use them on classic V's both ice and mixed although the latter would quickly wear the Shells out. Crampons used are BD Cyborg which fit well on the Maestrales
 AdrianC 31 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

The main thing I notice when climbing in touring boots is the reduction in ankle flex. For front-pointing they're fine and I'm happy climbing steep ice in them but for mixed climbing or on moderate terrain when you want to roll your ankles and get all your points on the ground they're not as good as a mountaineering boot. But it's still better climbing in a ski boot than skiing in a climbing boot.
In reply to Roberttaylor:

I've done Eagle Ridge in winter in Dynafit Ski Touring boots - no problems.
 Aly 31 Oct 2015
 tjoliver 31 Oct 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

For what it's worth, as a very general rule of thumb, in winter/spring time in Chamonix you tend to see people approach and climb alpine routes in ski touring boots up to around M6 (Scottish 7?). Generally it's only when the difficulties get above this that you see people ski in with a pair of separate mountaineering boots on their packs.
 Mr-Cowdrey 01 Nov 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

I climbed the Chere couloir in Maestrales. Although, i didn't quite fit my crampons properly (Petzl lynx) as when we abbed off, one crampon came loose and was hanging off my boot.

Besides the ill fitting on one boot, the other kept firm and was easy to climb in. But the front points were at an angle to the front of the boot as opposed to pointing straight.
OP Roberttaylor 01 Nov 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Thanks all, good knowledge as always.
 smithaldo 02 Nov 2015
In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:
Had you climbed the whole route before it fell off? Seems strange it would come off abbing rather than on the steeper climbing where the impact of kicking might cause a shearing type motion?

Actually thinking about it, were you using the plastic attachment? When we were abbing off that route we met a couple at one of the belays and the girls crampon was very nearly coming off with the maestrale and some crampon with a similar horseshoe type front attachment.

Perhaps they dont fit those types of attachments at all as the side to side movement when she was kicking in seemed massive, as in the whole front of the boot was slopping left to right across the front of the crampon.

FWIW, a mate of mine has climbed extensively in this very boot up to about m6 with I think DMM terminators or maybe petzl lynx as well in the past couple of years? As long as you use a wire front bail most crampons should be fine.
Post edited at 10:18
 Mr-Cowdrey 02 Nov 2015
In reply to smithaldo:

We only climbed the first few pitches before we got stuck behind a slower party, who were behind another party.

Yeah, I had the plastic basket on as I didn't have time to swap to the wire bail, thinking it would be fine. It was the first time I had used them on my ski boots as they were set up for my B2 mountaineering boots.

Still, lesson learned and I'll be using the wire bail for future alpine climbs in them.
 chris687 03 Nov 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

I think you can climb pretty hard in them, just get used to moving using your upper leg a bit more. Which may sound odd. I have had problems with petzl sarken crampons which twisted on the boot. No solution I'm afraid, just something to avoid maybe
 jonnie3430 04 Nov 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Black Diamond Seracs with the plastic toe bale are not compatible with maestrales, the metal ridge at the dynafit binding smashes the rivet holding the toe bale on. I would assume that this applies to all BD plastic toe bale crampons.
 philipjardine 04 Nov 2015
In reply to jonnie3430:

Jonnie is absolutely right about the problems with plastic toe bales and boots with dynafit inserts. The rivets on the crampon seem to get damaged very quickly and the crampon falls apart at the toe. Wire toe bales are the only suitable crampons for ski boots.
 blurty 04 Nov 2015
In reply to philipjardine:
> Wire toe bales are the only suitable crampons for ski boots.

This advice is spot-on. I un-retired an old pair of Grivel crampons from the 80s, that I used to use with Asolo super-softs. They have been really good on my Maestrales.
Post edited at 13:33
 jonnie3430 04 Nov 2015
In reply to Roberttaylor:

P.s. I've now got darts and they seem fine, what to watch for is if the rear clip sits under the upper half of the boot and stops it pivoting, usually locking the boot forward. This happens with scarpa matrix and g14s.

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