I picked up a pair of Petzl Leopard Crampons towards the end of last winter for a back-country ski trip to Iceland. While I had been happy with my Petzl Vasak’s I wanted to shed some weight from my back-country touring kit and the Leopards do just that! I pair them with the Arcteryx Procline Boots which happen to be 45% off right now (just sayin’) Let’s take a closer look at these crampons to see if they are right for you! First the manufacturer’s deets!
Manufacturer Description
Ultra light crampon with LEVERLOCK FIL binding, for ski touring and snow travel
Extremely light due to their aluminum construction, LEOPARD LLF crampons are perfect for ski touring and snow travel. The CORD-TEC flexible linking system minimizes bulk for ease of carrying.
Description
- Very lightweight:
– crampons made entirely of aluminum, optimized for snow travel
– very lightweight (only 330 grams per pair) - Very compact:
– CORD-TEC flexible linking system optimizes volume of crampons when packed in their bag (included)
– tool-free length adjustment - Binding system especially adapted to the usage of these crampons:
– self-adjusting elastic strap around the ankle
– strap for good handling and easy removal
– compact heel lever facilitates crampon installation/removal
Specifications
- Number of points: 10
- Boot sizes: 36-46
- Certification(s): CE EN 893, UIAA
- Material(s): aluminum, stainless steel, nylon, Dyneema®
- Crampons come with protective carry bag
Alright, that’s out of the way so let’s breakdown the good & bad starting with…
Weight/Pack-ability
This was the biggest reason I chose these for my ski mountaineering kit. When your crampons only weigh 11 ounces it is hard to justify not packing them “just in case”. The CORD-TEC adjustment system lets them pack up into the smallest stuff sack I’ve ever used for crampons measuring about 7 by 4 inches.
Sizing/Fit
First make sure you select the right model! For ski boots you want the “LeverLock Universal” (LLF). The regular “FlexLock” (FL) model is suitable for hiking boots with or with out front and toe welts.
I’ll admit I was skeptical about sizing a crampon that joins the heel piece to the front piece with string! Ok, maybe “string” is not the right word. The “CORD-TEC” is actually a woven 100% Dyneema cord. I measure it just shy of 5 mm (3/16 inches). That would give it a breaking strength around 6000 pounds… so not “string”. Dyneema is also highly resistant to abrasion.
Petzl does sell a replacement for it if you ever wear it out somehow. I have a hard time imagining how much use it would take to requirement, but the option is there.
Adjust-ability
I found the CORD-TEC system to be very easy to adjust for both of my ski boots. No tools required an quite intuitive. Do not be intimidated by the instructions, once in hand you could pretty much size them without looking at the instructions, but if you are having any issues give them a look!
DEAL ALERT!
Backcountry has almost a full size run of the Arcteryx Procline Carbon Lite Boots at 45% off right now!
Buy on Backcountry
Ok, sorry about that, back to the crampons!
Performance
These have been tested over a few thousand feet of snow climbing in on neve, spring corn, and classic NH “windboard”. For an ultra-light aluminum crampon they perform great! They have not, and will not, be tested on waterfall ice or mixed rock routes. They are not designed for that and I’m sure such uses will shorten their life-span. So far they have only been in contact with snow but I’m not too worried about walking over short sections of granite to get to the next patch of snow this Spring. It’s gear. It should get beat on from time to time! These will be my choice model for my next trip to climb in the Cascades.
Summary
These are for ski mountaineers, back-country skiers, and riders who have found themselves on a steep slope wishing they hadn’t left their crampons in the car. These could also be a nice step up for many winter hikers who sometimes rely on Kahtoola MICROspikes in terrain where more aggressive traction would be more appropriate. Just make sure you get the Flexlock model. Skiers should get the LevelLock model. Finally these are for anyone who is looking to shave ounces off their total kit while still having the tools they need to reach the places they want to play. If that’s you then you should consider checking these out!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
These crampons were purchased with my own money. Affiliate links above support the content created at Northeast Alpine Start.
Northeast Alpine Start 
I love mine. I have the flex lock and they work great for glacier travel and I’ve climbed up to 60 degree snow in them without issue, in scarpa approach shoes. I would recommend a stiffer shoe for steeper snow but the crampons themself work great and strap down securely and pack down great into a backpack as well.
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I might need to get a Flexlock model down the road for my approach shoes! Thanks for the comment!
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Dave. I have the Camp version and the basket style worked well on my approach shoes for summer mountaineering in the tetons and beartooths this summer.
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just curious, because i notice these dont have anti balling plates. is that not an issue? when one of my anti balling plates fell off last summer, i had to smack my shoe with my axe every 5 minutes to prevent ice building up under my feet. thanks!
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Solid question! I haven’t noticed much balling but I’m sure they would in certain conditions. I also think even anti-balling plate equipped crampons ball up in the right sticky conditions. Since weight (or lack there-of) is the focus on this design I think adding a anti-balling plate might tip the scale to much. Every five minutes sounds good to me! I’ve had days in other crampons where it was every few steps!
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I used the full strap on version with LaSpo Trango Techs over the weekend for a climb in the North Cascades. I used a modified lacing strategy to tension the inside strand of dyneema on each foot to get a closer fit. Initially I was a bit skeptical but they stayed tight and didn’t move much at all with 1500′ of side stepping my way up to the summit. The snow was perfectly frozen for cramponing on the way up and perfect for heel plunging on the way down, couldn’t have timed it better. I have the Petzl anti-balling plates and didn’t notice any problems but don’t know if that was due to the snow or the plates.
One of the nice things about the new Petzl line up is the ability to swap components around. I have a pair of Sarkens as well and can swap toe and heel bails between the two pair of crampons very easily to have either pair in any configuration of straps and bails that I want. It works really well.
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