Hi

I bought myself a pair of La Raichle All-degree Lite GTX boots while walking in Canada this summer and was sold them thinking at the time they were B2 boots so could take C2 crapons. However Im now having doubts and wondered if anyone knew if they are B2 or can tell me a way of checking for certain.

Thanks Tom

The All-Degree Lite GTX is a B2 crampon-compatible boot.

nowt like a good crapon eh! Tom.

How about finding an edge (like a pavement)and standing on the toe edge of the boots? If the boot bends more than an inch laterally, then you're going to want a C1 crampon. Having a boot sole which flexes stresses the crampon, particularly the joining bar. Flexible crampons take this abuse far better than C2's.

It's also worth remembering that the boot's stiffness can be linked to the length of its sole and that boots can soften and lose stiffness through use.

Thanks for the help, just need to save enough for crampons now!