World's Lightest Crampon Boot?

New from Mammut is a boot that they're saying is possibly the lightest B1-graded, crampon-compatible boot in the world, the Mt. Ciff GTX.


The new boot weighs a claimed 1240 grammes for a pair of men's size 8.5 and just 1050 grammes for a women's size 5.5, which is pretty reasonable, particularly given that the boot has been designed to work with strap-on type crampons. It's mooted as ideal for mountain walking, hiking and via ferrata climbing.

The Mt. Cliff's uppers are primarily made from tough Dropstuff textile reinforced with 'velour leather', it says here. There's asymmetric lacing designed to boost pressure on the big toes and increase precision and Mammut Base Fit technology 'uses free-sliding bands to transfer the force of the lacing to the sole, ensuring a great foothold'.

Other features include a Gore-Tex waterproof liner, a small neoprene gaiter and a Vibram Mulaz sole incorporating a smooth Climbing Zone in the big toe area. Stiffness comes from board-lasted construction and there's a protective rubber toe-cap.

Definitely worth considering if you're after a light, stiff which is recommended boot for crampon use and don't want to clump around in a heavy, traditional winter boot. The boot comes in both men's and women's versions including half sizes and retails for £150.

If you're wondering when Mammut started producing boots, the range with the Mammut label was introduced when the brand incorporated Raichle, so Mammut outdoor footwear is effectively the old Raichle range along with new additions like the Mt. Cliff.

More details at www.mammut.ch