Review: Black Diamond Snaggletooth Crampons

A big mountain dilemma: There isn’t a single set of crampons that are ideal for crossing glacial terrain and then climbing steep snow and ice to reach a summit. Until now. The aptly named Snaggletooth is an innovative hybrid developed with ice and mixed master Whit Magro that combines the stability of horizontal frontpoints (which handle better in snow and névé) with the precision of a mono point (which excels in vertical ice and mixed terrain). “For harder routes on a peak like Rainier, these spikes are a real godsend,” said one tester. For dedicated ice and mixed climbing, look elsewhere, but for long routes with technical cruxes in glaciated ranges, look no further.