Objects Database

Grivel Foot Fangs

Accession Number

889.2011.1(a-b)

Object Name

Grivel Foot Fangs

Created

20/01/2011

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

20/01/2011

Brief Description

Pair of Grivel foot fangs. Nylon webbed straps with metal buckles. 16 points.

Materials

metal, nylon, plastic

Dimensions

35(l) x 9(w) x5(h) cms

Number Of Objects

1 pair

Inscription Description

"GRIVEL" on foot rest

Colour

silver, black, blue, orange

Maker

Grivel

Provenance

Looking rather more like a Meccano set than a pair of crampons, these Giant Footfangs are a copy of the original versions which were created by American climber, Mike Lowe, in 1976. Quite how Grivel got around the patent laws we are not sure, but assume the Grivel versions appeared a couple of years after Mike Lowe’s originals. - 1979/80.
At this time climbers were looking to climb ever steeper ice and needed rigid crampons to compliment the front points. Another American, Yvon Chouinard, had created his own rigid crampons in 1968 and the Footfangs were a pretty poor variation on the theme. Consequently, they went in and out of fashion very quickly, though the ‘mono’ print version had some popularity in later years.

Acquisition Date

20/01/2011

Condition Check Date

20/01/2011

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

20/01/2011

Go Back

Related Items

Chouinard (rigid) crampons
Lowe Salewa Foot Fangs