Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Lost Crampon on Mt Baldy...xmas eve

Hey all- needle in a haystack but thought I would give it a stab. Went up Baldy on Saturday morning and on the way down from the summit on the backbone trail I lost a crampon. There was a lot of wind out there and I doubt many were insane enough to go that way, but if you did and you came across my left Petzl Vasak Leverlock crampon, it would be an xmas miracle.

Just purchased them on their maiden voyage. sniff sniff. Reward if found and returned!

Cheers and happy holidays!

I was on Baldy Saturday, but didn't see any crampons - sorry.

I believe Richard P. and Shin were there as well. I don't think they post on this BB, but do on the WPBB, so you might PM them over there.

KevinR- Thanks for trying to help! I attempted to post on WPBB but it wont let me as a new member and Richard P.'s personal message mailbox is full.

Anyone that is around that area, pass the word along...I dont live far away and would love to be able to do a bowl run without shelling out another $160.

Cheers and happy holidays to all!

Rather than shelling out $160, call Charlet Moser to see if they will replace the one that is missing.

I lost my Garmin 60CSx a week ago up Ice House...if someone find it..., anyway, I called Garmin because they were sending me and another unit to the replace the unit I lost, a semi-long story. They only charge me $110 rather than the $210 that was already on the books.

I have found the outdoor industry is pretty damn good in these matters.

Your message HAS been posted on the Whitney Portal Store Message Board

Excellent idea!- thank you! I contacted Julbo when one of the side shields of my sunglasses popped off on a Mt Whitney summit. I originally contacted them to find out what color it was. Needless to say, they replaced it for free! Kudos to Julbo!

One more thing...a friend of a friend lost a crampon up on B-P few years ago early in the season. He told a friend approximately where he thought it dropped off his boot. We found it couple down that spring.

That guy was shocked when it was handed to him.

Even pro guides have lost crampons, but probably not a second time.

You probably know all this by now, but here's some crampon advice:

Your Petzl bindings are (were) hybrids, which require a rigid sole boot. Non-rigid sole boots will cause the bindings to loosen more easily.

A proper fit - tight. Have a knowledgeable store clerk check the fit on your boots before you buy the crampons.

Consider using strap-on crampons for average (Mt. Baldy) mountain conditions. While not as tight a fit as hybrids or step-in crampons, there is one advantage: Strap-ons usually have one strap that goes around the ankle which will help keep the crampon on your boot (if the crampon comes off it will flop around, alerting you to a problem...ha ha.)

The truly paranoid might also rig a safety strap around the ankle; something like a ski binding safety strap.

Check your bindings before descending the mountain, especially in deep snow.

The crampons really fit well when they were on my La Sportiva Makahlu's (which have been murder on my feet even after putting on a considerable mileage going up Whitney, San G, and Baldy a few times.) I really liked the way they felt and have been borrowing crampons until now. I definitely didn't lose them when I was wearing them.

I lost them when I took them off and had my partner tie them on my pack so I could put them back on if need be. Apparently the combination of high winds and a few slips, and one of them got away. The problem is that I dont know where.

Alas, it was a needle in the haystack attempt. Not life threatening, just a few $$. Lessons learned!

Cheers all!

Okay, I see. Well, so much for the "quick, painless break-in" La Sportiva advertises. The only rigid sole boots I ever felt comfortable in were Galibier Superguide boots. Wore out a pair; I should have bought a second pair when they were cheap...