Best beginner Waterfall ice crampons

I’m just starting to get into ice climbing for the first time and I need some crampons. I will most likely be climbing waterfall ice. So I think I will need vertical front points. And I think I want the fully automatic bindings. Any suggestions on which ones you think I should get?

Also I’m not looking to spend more then like $200

I'd say have a look at the classifieds here. Anything with full auto bindings and vertical frontpoints by a decent brand will do at first and you don't have to spend anything near 200 bucks.

If you want to buy new, the Petzl Sarkens may do you well. But keeping an eye on used gear may get you a better deal. 

Whatever you think looks the coolest of vertical front points and automatic bindings from: Grivel, Petzl, Simond, Black Diamond, Camp/Cassin, Ederid, Singing Rock. Also, vertical front points are not essential. Even something like Grivel G12 or BD Sabretooth would work great and not hold you back. The more important questions: What boots are you using and what size? Maybe then you could get some specific recommendations for which crampons fit which boots best. 

I'd recommend horizontal front points, used, and a budget of $50.

David Maver wrote:

If you want to buy new, the Petzl Sarkens may do you well. But keeping an eye on used gear may get you a better deal. 

I take dozens of new climbers out on ice each year. And Sarkens are just a miserably bad crampon for water ice.

+1 to the post above suggesting used 'poons. And don't assume that monopoints are for experienced climbers only. The aforementioned beginners do extremely well on monos, especially those with weak kicks (one point going in deeply > two getting marginal penetration).

Full auto vs hybrid binding depends 100% of your boots. 

I would avoid dual vertical points.  Since you will avoid them later in life, no reason to start with em.
either go straight to a vertical mono, or start with something like a Snaggletooth that will have you climbing well in no time and you may never need to  get another pair (although you will, just for fun and expanding your quiver)

If you go with dual verticals, be sure to wear large gaiters over your pants so people can easily identify you as a noob and offer you all sorts of valuable unsolicited advice ;)

You can learn on virtually anything. Make sure they fit your boots properly and don’t spend a ton on them.

Once you know what you like and don’t like about your current set, then spend $200 on a pair. 

Steve McGee wrote:

I'd recommend horizontal front points

Everyone told me get an "all-around" horizontal point crampon at first. Well, now I have G12s that have been used once, along with my well used Lynx and two pairs of Darts. 

OP, I don't know how much importance the word "beginner" has to you in the title, but to build on what Gunkiemike said, there aren't "beginner" crampons. The right tool for the job makes learning easier, and there is no reason that a beginner should learn on one type then switch to another later. It isn't like giving your kid a tricycle before they can learn to ride a bike.

Honestly while you're getting into it, just get the cheapest ones you can. Used and abused is your best bet. Once you branch out and climb with more people that let you try out their gear, you'll get a feel for what you like. It can take a few seasons to figure out what you like and what fits your style. Don't worry about horizontal/vertical front points – you'll learn to appreciate whatever you end up getting. I know of folks who lead steep ice in horizontal points, and many prefer it. I don't, but they're way better than I am haha

Mark.  I guess  I  am a  noob  . I know  few  other super  solid guys  that  also  like  duals  in cyborgs and lynx. More  stable  on the  thin stuff  and  better when it is candled. that being said I was looking at a pair of bladerunners yesterday and with all those secondary points they look pretty stable and almost have a hard time calling them mono points. 

As far as horizontal dual points, let me further explain my reasoning, and it has nothing to do with beginner or not. They can often be had cheaper. They are good for many activities. As a less-experienced ice climber, I highly doubt they will be climbing above WI5 for a while. Under WI 5, it’s nbd between the two. by the time said climber gets to 5 and up, they will want something else that is newer or looks cooler anyway. I am not saying one SHOULD start with say, G12s, but that at those grades, it shouldn’t really make a difference, unless the ice is super duper hard. If it’s not hard, and it’s shitty, I would rather have horizontals than verticals. Mono vs dual is just personal preference, and has nothing to do with noob vs not. Plenty of people better than 99% of the people on this forum who are too busy actually crushing it wear duals. I prefer monos, because I like only having one point to think about and place (I don’t like kicking) but it really doesn’t matter.  

Will you be doing any alpine ice climbing? As in, frozen snow? If you are just starting your alpine adventures, dual horizontal points will work better for both AI (alpine ice) and WI (water ice) than vertical dual points and much batter than a mono point. As with so many things in climbing, with time most of us end up with two or more pair of crampons. As others have shared, start with something simple. 

Someone one told me when I started ice that for your first set of gear, you want to buy a set of ice tool that is recent (geometry changer in the last 10 years) but for crampons it doesn't matter, you can use anything that is made for ice as long as it fits your boots, buy a used set of Rambo 1 for 25$ that is 20 year old and you won't notice. as you get better you'll have more experience and you'll know what you want and then you can sell back the rambos for the price you paid. 

DeLa Cruce wrote:

As far as horizontal dual points, let me further explain my reasoning, and it has nothing to do with beginner or not. They can often be had cheaper. They are good for many activities. As a less-experienced ice climber, I highly doubt they will be climbing above WI5 for a while. Under WI 5, it’s nbd between the two. by the time said climber gets to 5 and up, they will want something else that is newer or looks cooler anyway. I am not saying one SHOULD start with say, G12s, but that at those grades, it shouldn’t really make a difference, unless the ice is super duper hard. If it’s not hard, and it’s shitty, I would rather have horizontals than verticals. Mono vs dual is just personal preference, and has nothing to do with noob vs not. Plenty of people better than 99% of the people on this forum who are too busy actually crushing it wear duals. I prefer monos, because I like only having one point to think about and place (I don’t like kicking) but it really doesn’t matter.  

All of my hardest leads were with BD Sabretooths. I think they’re awesome for most ice related pursuits, unless I know there’s a ton of drytooling in vertical cracks. For that kind of business, Stingers or Snaggletooths.

John Vanek wrote:

Will you be doing any alpine ice climbing? As in, frozen snow? If you are just starting your alpine adventures, dual horizontal points will work better for both AI (alpine ice) and WI (water ice) than vertical dual points and much batter than a mono point. As with so many things in climbing, with time most of us end up with two or more pair of crampons. As others have shared, start with something simple. 

Not this season but hopefully eventually

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

Mark.  I guess  I  am a  noob  . I know  few  other super  solid guys  that  also  like  duals …

No doubt there are experienced and top notch guys that prefer dual verts.  A solid climber can make anything work, and everyone develops certain preferences that work best for them and fits their style and local conditions.  It’s all good and really splitting hairs for the most part.  If you’ve climbed on Footfangs and straight shaft axes, any modern gear is like ballet slippers in dexterity.  There’s no wrong answer, and as others have stated, good boots and fitting something to those boots is more important than front point styles..

I’m merely helping Cutler to not just be good and solid, but to be among the very best  (lol)

So, I didn't ask people on MP to tell me what they recommend. I searched ebay for a few weeks, followed several auctions (at least 20), watched the For Sale forum here. I learned that horizontal front points aren't cool anymore (easily gleaned from this thread, too) and that it is simple to get used crampons under $50 if you get horizontal. Go ahead and buy cheap vertical points, but you'll have to wait to find the needle in the haystack. Unless worn, bent, missing parts, rusted parts, etc. are no problem for you because you have a metal shop and a forge.

Or spend $200. Not everyone who climbs is price-sensitive. Have no idea what happened in the last 20 years that brought so much money to climbing.

Just pick a crampon type and be a dick about it.  

CAMP USA demo ice gear on sale https://www.camp-usa.com/outdoor/products/demo/
Blade runners $150

Petzl Lynx for sale: mountainproject.com/forum/t…