Another new gear item that I got specifically for North Pal was Black Diamond’s Sabretooth crampon.

I knew going in that we’d be facing at least a little technical ice climbing the U-Notch Couloir.

That made my aluminum crampons (currently I use the Camp XLC-390) a bad choice. Plus, the boots I was using didn’t have a toe welt for crampon attachment.

After a bit of a search, the BD Sabretooth Clip emerged as an ideal choice for the trip. Plus, I just love saying the name: Sabretooth.

Full Review: Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampon