What do people think of light alloy crampons for ski touring use? I was looking at autofix models. I think Camp does one, are they solid enough for a hut to hut tour?

I’ve got some of the Grivel Airtech Lights which I think are the sort of thing you mean, I think they’re absolutely great. I thought they’d be good for walking on glacier ice and the like but I’ve found you can climb a short mixed section and they’re just fine. Anything more and I’d use the standard airtechs I also have.

I’m not entirely sure I’d recommend them though, not without caveats at least. The two biggest being, first, I’ve a choice, I can take out standard crampons if I want and second, on sustained mixed sections day in day out I think you’d trash them pretty quick. I reckon something the Airtech Lights would last a couple of weeks in Scotland for example.

I have some CAMP XLC step in crampons, they also do a version with straps. You can’t get the points as sharp as steel crampons so I tend to use them for mid-mountain ski touring on neve and hard, even icy, snow. For anything on a glacier I take steel crampons which are not that much heavier anyway but give much better grip on hard ice. You don’t need ice climbing crampons.

Ian’s Grivel Airhead Lights look the business.

Make sure you get some anti-balling plates. Nothing worse than developing snowman feet on a steep pitch.

Using Camp XLC for anything linked with ski in winter, except on water ice it’s no pb and I won’t climb an icefall with skis on the backpack On glacier it’s good enough, though they will wear off faster. I also use a ultra-light Camp piolet mostly aluminium but with a special steel peak so that I can anchor or dig a step in anything.