Grivel Ski Race Review
The Ski Race is a stripped aluminum crampon built for one situation: a racer or fast tourer who has to cross a firm snow boot-pack, wants the security of real points, and cannot justify carrying steel. At roughly ~380 g per pair it is among the lightest crampons made, and it is honest about being a compromise rather than a mountaineering tool.
It is excellent inside its lane and poor outside it. If your day includes water ice, rock, or any slope where a slip has serious consequences, this is the wrong crampon and no amount of careful technique fixes that.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Points | 10, short profile |
| Material | Aluminum alloy |
| Weight | ~380 g per pair |
| Binding | Race-oriented minimal system for ski boots |
| Boot rating | Ski touring and skimo race boots; check welt geometry |
| Terrain | Firm snow and névé only |
| Not for | Water ice, mixed ground, rocky approaches, general mountaineering |
What aluminum actually buys and costs
Aluminum is roughly a third the density of steel, which is where the entire weight saving comes from. It is also far softer. A steel point pushed into hard névé deforms the snow; an aluminum point pushed into water ice or dragged across granite deforms itself. That is the whole story of this crampon, and it is why the specification table lists terrain it must not be used on.
Wear is fast and visible. A single day with meaningful rock contact can visibly round the points, and a season of scrappy approaches can take them past useful. Unlike forged steel, alloy points do not file back well — there is little material to spare and sharpening removes the geometry rather than restoring it. Treat the points as consumables with a short life and inspect them before every trip, not every season.
The broader case for and against alloy is covered in aluminum vs steel crampons. The short version: aluminum belongs on snow, and only on snow.
On the boot-pack
Within its intended use, the Ski Race works well. Short points bite firm morning snow adequately, the crampon is stiff enough not to fold under a light race boot, and the low profile means it does not interfere with the fast, shuffling gait of a boot-pack ascent. The frame is minimal, so it packs almost flat and disappears in a race vest or the lid of a light pack.
Transitions matter more than grip in this discipline. A race crampon that takes 40 seconds to fit is a failure regardless of how well it grips, and the Ski Race is designed around getting on and off quickly with a ski boot. Practise the fit at home until it is automatic, then practise it wearing gloves. Fumbled transitions on a windy col are where race gear either earns its place or does not.
One consequence of the short points: on softening afternoon snow the crampon contributes little, because the boot sinks past the point length before the alloy engages. That is not a defect, it is physics, but it does mean the Ski Race is a morning tool on spring couloirs.
Fit and compatibility
Ski boot soles vary enormously — different toe lug profiles, different heel shapes, different amounts of rocker — so any race crampon must be test-fitted against the exact boot you will use it with. Do that before the season. A crampon that half-seats on a ski boot will release under lateral load, and it will do so at the least convenient moment.
The Ski Race is not intended for hiking boots, and pairing an ultralight race crampon with a soft-soled boot compounds two problems: a flexible sole levers the frame, and the frame is not built to resist that. If you want a light crampon for walking boots, look at steel or hybrid options in the ski touring crampon roundup instead.
Do not confuse this with a ski crampon (the harscheisen that mounts to your binding and bites while skinning). Boot crampons and ski crampons solve different problems, and a firm traverse may call for the latter.
Pros
- Among the lightest crampons available at ~380 g
- Packs nearly flat, easy to carry all season
- Fast to fit and remove in a race transition
- Real points, unlike traction devices, on firm snow
Cons
- Aluminum points wear quickly and cannot be sharpened back
- Unsafe on water ice, mixed ground and rock
- Short points do poorly in soft afternoon snow
- Ski-boot-specific fit needs careful checking
- Not a general mountaineering crampon in any sense
Who should buy the Ski Race
Skimo racers who need a crampon on a mandatory kit list, and experienced ski mountaineers doing spring couloir lines on firm snow who have already judged that steel is unnecessary for the day. It belongs among our best aluminum crampons for exactly that reader: someone making an informed weight trade, not someone economising.
Who should not buy it
Almost everyone else. If this would be your only crampon, it is the wrong purchase — a first crampon needs to cope with conditions you did not plan for, and alloy points do not. Buy a steel 12-point such as the G12, or the lighter steel Air Tech if weight matters and you still want to front-point.
If you want low weight for ski touring but expect to meet ice or rock, a hybrid with steel front points is the safer answer; the Petzl Leopard and its hybrid siblings sit in the same weight class with different compromises. The full Grivel range is compared in the lineup guide.
The failure mode of an aluminum crampon on ice is skating, not gradual loss of grip. On a firm couloir a slip runs, and a race crampon does nothing to stop it. Carry an ice axe you can self-arrest with, know the snow you are on, and read crampon safety basics before treating any traction device as permission to be on steeper ground.
Verdict
The Ski Race is good equipment with a narrow brief. For a racer it is close to ideal: minimal, fast and light enough to carry without resentment. For a ski mountaineer on firm spring snow with an honest read of conditions, it is a reasonable tool. As a general-purpose crampon it is unsuitable, and the wear rate means even the right buyer should treat it as gear with a service life measured in seasons rather than decades.
FAQ
Can I use the Ski Race on ice?
No. Aluminum points skate on water ice and blunt immediately on rock. If there is any ice on your route, carry steel.
How long do the points last?
Far less than steel. Rocky approaches wear alloy points visibly within days, and they cannot be filed back to their original profile. Inspect before each trip and retire them once the points are noticeably rounded or shortened.
Is it a substitute for ski crampons?
No. Ski crampons mount to the binding and bite the snow while you skin; boot crampons are for walking with skis on the pack. Firm traverses often need the former.
Will it fit my touring boots?
Test-fit before the season. Ski boot sole geometry varies a great deal between models, and a partially seated crampon can release under sideways load.