Mono Point or Dual Point Crampons

Looking for thoughts and opinions on Mono Point or Dual Point Crampons.  Experience with both during different ice conditions would be helpful.  

You can use either and do just fine.

I first climbed in older G14s with dual points.  Chandelier and featured ice was often difficult. On intricately featured ice, generally wi4 and up, you can start to see and feel where it's easy to miss kicks because one of the points will miss the ice or displace too much. Planar ice they're nice.

I've done a large amount of climbing in Snaggletooths up to wi4 and m9. They work well on mixed though you'll wear the point quickly. They work great on sloppy, wet, low angle ice and snow. They work ok on vertical ice, but I do feel less secure relative to single vertical points. They perform poorly on harder ice especially after deep cold cycles. I find the horizontal point tends to blow out chunks of ice opposed to a mono vertical point, which displaces less ice.

I climbed about a season in Blade Runners. These are the bees knees for any cold, hard, vertical ice. The mini secondary points help stabilize on planar ice, but can be a little finicky on thinner features.  They are annoying on mixed rock.

I had to change boots and the Blade Runners no longer fit, so now I'm on G20+. These are similarly the bees knees for feeling good on delicate and vertical ice. Even on lower angle, across the spectrum of ice quality, these things just feel secure. They are a joy for mixed and anything ice. I haven't climbed in Darts, but I bet they offer the same feelings of joy.

If climbing vertical or near vertical ice, I would want vertical mono points. If climbing up to easy wi3 with lots of snow I would want Snaggletooths. Personally, I don't want dual horizontals unless climbing mostly snow. I also don't prefer dual verticals for just about anything because I think the mono has a broader range. That being said I think the pros were climbing wi6 and whatever Will Gadd can dream up in dual horizontals for a long time. In plasticky hero ice anything will work.

With modern crampons which you can swap out on a dime, isn't this question becoming a bit moot? Just get a Lynx or something similar and change out depending on route and conditions. 

I spent last weekend climbing on monos for the first time. It took me some time to get used to but ended up really liking it, especially on vertical or near vertical hard ice. I'd still change to duals for anything snowy or less than 70 degrees though. 

I stay on mono (petzl lynx) in case there's thin mixed moves or cracks. I started on dual but feel perfectly fine climbing with mono, so I never bother to switch. Plus you get to save an extra pair of points!

Jake gave you a really good answer. My short version - DO NOT buy a dual-only crampon until you've spent a cold day on vertical monopoints. They really are better.

And If for whatever reason, you really just can’t decide and are on the fence, go with the Snaggletooth.   Closest thing to a “best of all worlds” compromise that does it all and it definitely won’t hold you back until you just sample them all and “Know” what’s perfect for you.  (With ease of adjustments nowadays, it’s super easy to borrow someone else’s for a spin to take a test drive) 

depends on what you're climbing. pure ice, mixed routes or alpine adventures with steep snow, variable conditions etc?

from an all around standpoint, it's hard to fault dual front point as a single quiver do it all crampon (sarkens etc.)

+1 for the Snaggletooth.  It has become my go-to crampon for most everything I do.

My Bladerunners are a bit better on really steep, hard ice, but if I were to own only one crampon, it would for sure be the Snaggletooths.  

Jimmy Strange wrote:

G20+, done. All else is excess. 

I don't find a front anti-bot plate to be excess, especially on a rigid 'pon like the G20+.

I call the excess on the Bladerunners cheating, especially on steep cauliflower climbing 

Doug Hutchinson wrote:

I don't find a front anti-bot plate to be excess, especially on a rigid 'pon like the G20+.

I call the excess on the Bladerunners cheating, especially on steep cauliflower climbing 

I agree that the G20+ really needs a front anti-bot plate.  I can't understand why Grivel designed it without one.  

I have the G20, and the front balls up like crazy in warmer snow conditions.  

I won't purchase a crampon without full anti-balling protection.  

Also agree that the Bladerunners are the best steep ice crampon I've used.  

Mark Pilate wrote:

And If for whatever reason, you really just can’t decide and are on the fence, go with the Snaggletooth.   Closest thing to a “best of all worlds” compromise that does it all and it definitely won’t hold you back until you just sample them all and “Know” what’s perfect for you.  (With ease of adjustments nowadays, it’s super easy to borrow someone else’s for a spin to take a test drive) 

CAMP Alpinist Tech would be a better choice for a "one and a half frontpoint" crampon IMO. Better steel and a vertical mono.

Duals are great all round crampons. Singles are nice finesse crampons. 

The main advantage of duals over singles is when one is on thin ice. Duals distribute the weight over the ice in two places whereas in one with singles. So lowing the chance of blowing out the ice.

Gunkiemike wrote:

CAMP Alpinist Tech would be a better choice for a "one and a half frontpoint" crampon IMO. Better steel and a vertical mono.

I own these.  I much prefer the Snaggletooth.  Also, the Alpinist Tech are more finicky about which boots they fit.  Snaggletooth has a more universal fit.  

I have Stingers, Snaggletooths, and Sabretooths. I will always prefer horizontal front points for everything that isn’t drytooling. I’ve only used the Snaggletooths on easy ice and I like them so far, they’d likely be the ones I’d use on alpine moderates like Athabasca NF. With some time though, I could see myself switching to them full time for ice climbing.

I spent most of my climbing life on various iterations of the Sabretooth and I think it’s as good as any other crampon. I don’t really buy into the idea that at a certain grade you MUST use vertical points (unless you’re Stas Beskin-ing your way up insanely small pillars).

I’ve never like vertical duals and I find vertical monos to shear really easily. To each their own.

Remember, it’s never the crampon’s fault if you can’t climb something. It’s you. 

I've enjoyed using duel points for the stability on pure ice but I feel I'd rather get good on mono points for when I need them on mixed and dry pitches. Snaggle tooth seems nice but I'd want a replaceable front point. 

I have darts but G20+ seem like the shit tbh