Black Diamond Contact Crampons Review

Overview

The Black Diamond Contact is a 10-point stainless steel crampon with a strap-on binding, built for glacier travel, snow slopes, and icy approaches. It fits nearly any stiff-soled boot, which is the reason RMI guides hand them to first-time clients and the reason they have stayed in the catalog for years. The trade-off is weight: at 808 g a pair, they are a mountaineering tool first and a thru-hiker’s snow-section insurance a distant second.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	808 g (1 lb 13 oz) per pair
Points	10, with dual horizontal front points
Material	Stainless steel frame
Binding	Strap-on with flexible toe bail and heel wrap, tool-free adjustment
Fit	One size, EU 36–46 (US 4–12 per REI); longer boots need the Long Center Bars, sold separately
Anti-balling plates	Dual-density ABS, included
Certification	CE EN 893, UIAA
Also available	Clip version
Price	About $190

Performance

Traction. The Contact is a classic walking crampon. Ten points means no extra side points for prolonged hard ice, a limit Wilderness Magazine’s reviewer noted. The same design is lighter and less prone to balling up in soft snow. The horizontal front points give a solid platform on steep snow and kicked steps, and the secondary points are serrated. Owners who have strapped them to boots for Rainier, Adams, Hood, and St. Helens summits report they handle that terrain without complaint. Reviewers on SummitPost give the same caution: stay within moderate snow and ice, and don’t treat them as a technical climbing tool.

Durability. Stainless steel is the Contact’s signature. There is no powder coating to chip off, and nothing to rust in a gear closet or a wet pack. Wilderness Magazine’s tester found the points only slightly duller than new after a weekend of early-winter travel that included scree and rock scrambles. When points do dull, steel can be sharpened. Section Hiker’s Philip Werner makes this point when comparing them with aluminum crampons, which wear faster and are harder to sharpen.

Fit and attachment. The strap system is the Contact’s main selling point. Owners describe it as quick to put on, easy to retighten mid-climb, and tolerant of a wide range of boots. One long-term owner timed it at 2–3 minutes to put on and 1–2 to remove, so it is not instant. The same owner found the buckles too small to work with gloves on. Strap-ons need a stiff sole. Section Hiker advises against using them if the sole flexes more than 5–10% when pushed up at the toe, which rules out trail shoes and soft hiking boots. The crampon is also narrow, so wide boots deserve a fit check first, though the slim profile pairs well with approach shoes.

Sizing quirks. The “fits to US 12” claim does not always hold. Several REI reviewers with size 11 boots found the included flex bars too short and had to buy the Long Center Bars. One reviewer also reported that the heel area did not seat fully on some boot brands. Check the fit at home, not at the trailhead.

Weight. Section Hiker’s Werner notes that the weight disappears once the crampons are on his feet. In the pack, 808 g is a real cost. Microspikes are far lighter. A medium pair of Nortec Fast Micro Crampons weighs 247 g. Those are a different class of traction, though, meant for packed snow and trail ice rather than steep snow. The redesigned current version with Black Diamond’s I.C.E. modular bails lists 872 g, about 64 g more than the strap-only version covered here.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Stainless steel won’t rust and keeps its points through repeated use
• Strap binding fits almost any stiff boot, including ones with no welts
• Dual-density ABS anti-balling plates are included
• Horizontal front points are secure on steep snow
• Sharpenable steel; REI reviewers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 100 reviews
• Simple and field-serviceable, with no moving parts to fail

Cons

• 808 g is heavy next to microspikes or aluminum crampons
• Long boots (US 12 and up, and some size 11s) need separately sold center bars
• Small buckles are fiddly with gloves
• Not suited to technical ice; no extra side points
• Needs a stiff sole; soft boots and trail runners are out
• Strap-ons take longer to put on than step-in or clip bindings

Who Should Buy This

The Contact suits a first-time mountaineer, a winter hiker who wants more bite than microspikes, or a backcountry skier who needs boot-agnostic crampons for a glacier crossing. It is also a sensible spare for climbers who already own a technical pair. Thru-hikers facing Sierra snow on the PCT or JMT who already carry stiff boots, and want something that will take a real slope, can consider it. Anyone counting grams on a trail-runner-based kit should look at microspikes. Ski mountaineers and climbers with fully rigid, welted boots should check out the Clip version.

Verdict

The Contact is a durable, simple crampon that works on almost any stiff boot and holds up to years of snow travel. It is not light, and the included flex bars may not fit longer boots, but for general glacier and snow travel it does the job without fuss. Buy it for mountaineering. Skip it if low pack weight is your top priority.