I like the concept of this product, I already had the Sabretooth crampons and got a seriously great deal on the 'shoes because the store owner knew that they were a bit specialized and didn't want to sit on them until next season. I really like Atlas snowshoes and have used the backcountry series before. The Summits seam quite rugged and well built.Once on properly they perform very well, although they can be a bit difficult to get on, the secondary points must be perfectly positiond into the plate on the shoe before you can tighten the buckle, easy on firm snow, not so easy if you wait until you need the shoes... I also noticed a tendency of the crampon freezing to the plate on the shoe on my last outing. I had to remove the crampon to get the two separated, not really difficult but a little annoying. Because of the minimal strap, they nest together easily and attach to your pack very well, they also weigh less than the full 1233... The main consideration with these shoes would be the need for this compatability... you must wear the shoes with the crampons, this requires a crampon compatable boot. If you already have these things great, if not I'm not sure I'd look all that closely at his product. Fortunately there doesn't appear to be any diminished "ease of travel" with the full crampon beneath the shoe. I did have my concerns about this. If you're using this setup for alpine climbing or a long day out in the mountains in snow it seems ideal. I'm using mine with Scarpa Inverno double boots which are quite warm and comfortable, with theSummit BDs I'm probably getting more value and use out the Invernos as well. All in all a good setup albeit a very specialized one. 4 out of 5 stars pending some tweaking... 5 out of 5 for value if you've got the other stuff, If not ... forget it.

The compatibility with the sabertooth crampon works well for most montaineering situations.

It not ideal for short ice climbing approaches because it doesn't take rigid crampons and without crampons on these snow shoes they don't have traction.

I have a different model than the shoes shown here. The model that I have are blue with black and yellow buckle. I purchased them in 95' for 300.00. They are called the summitt 33. They are very easy to put on and remove, thanks to the snowboard style buckle. The buckle is much quicker than the strap models. I,ve used these shoes on many trips during the last three years with no problems. This is due to the simple design. Weight is always a factor when packing or climbing; these shoes are light and packable!

Similar Products Used:

None