When researched different crampon techniques, I found out about the hybrid American method. There was very little information online, so I went ahead and made this guide!
So, what is the American technique when travelling on crampons? The American Technique is a crossover method. You stab your front foot directly into the ice, while your back foot you keep flat.
The American technique places less strain on your calves, while also being sturdier than walking flat-footed. This makes it ideal for ice up to 80 degrees, because you can get good footholds without burning a lot of energy. Because of this, the American technique is favoured on long snow slopes, especially when carrying heavy gear. However, this technique is also slower than front-pointing, and walking sideways like that can become awkward after a while.
The American Technique
So, what is the American technique? To understand it better, it’s easier to understand the two other techniques that spawned it:
- The French Technique: In this method, you walk flat-footed on the ice, allowing all ten points of your crampons to grip. This is more natural on flat surfaces, and it places less strain on your calves. When the going gets steeper, however, the French Technique becomes more difficult.
- Front Pointing (German Technique): This method is used for steep or vertical surfaces. Kicking straight, you drive the front two points of your crampons into the ice and then perch there. By doing so, you achieve a steadier foothold, but you burn a lot more energy, especially in your calves.
Among the two techniques, there was a bit of understanding: for ice less than 50 degrees steep, the French technique was easier and more natural. For ice steeper than 70 degrees, front pointing was really the only viable option.
On the remaining 20 degrees, however, there’s a bit of an issue: neither of them works terribly well. French is a little slow and awkward, while front pointing becomes needlessly tiring.
To solve that issue, the Americans took the hard work of other people, mashed it together, and called it their own (it’s a joke, please don’t get mad at me!). Therefore, the hybrid technique was born.
In this method, you front point with your lead foot and walk flat-footed with your back foot, turning it sideways so that it’s perpendicular to the angle of the slope. This allows you to rest on it, while still enjoying the benefits of front-pointing.
To see what this looks like, check out the 3 minute mark of this video:
To perform the American technique, use the following steps:
- Turn your body slightly sideways so that one foot is positioned uphill
- With your front foot, kick directly into the ice until your front points stick
- Step up onto that leg and straighten it, using your axe for support if necessary
- Bring your back leg up so that it’s even with your front leg
- Turning your back foot sideways, place it down flat on the ice
- Settle the foot so it has a firm grip, lift your front foot, and repeat!
Pros
So, what are some of the upsides of the American technique?
Conserves Energy
This is one of the main benefits, and one of the reasons that this method was invented. Front pointing burns up your calves, especially when you have to do it for prolonged periods of time. By turning the back foot out, you allow yourself to rest with a straight leg, taking some of the weight off of your muscles.
This is especially important for expeditions, when you might be carrying lots of weight, covering lots of ground, or both. The opportunity to rest is something that should always be taken advantage of. It can also be faster in the long run, because you don’t need to take as many breaks.
Allows for Good Traction
One of the main weaknesses of the French technique is that you rely lots on friction, and not as much on your crampons actually being driven into the ice. This increases the danger of a fall, especially on exposed or steep terrain.
With the hybrid technique, though, your drive the front crampons of your lead foot into the ice, which secures you in place. This gives you a good purchase point to step off of, and it ensures that you won’t slip quite as often. It also just feels more secure, and peace of mind can be a major thing when you’re in the no-fall zone.
Can be Used on a Variety of Terrain
Another major benefit of learning and mastering this technique is that you can use it in lots of different scenarios.
Like I said, one of the main downsides of both the German and French techniques is that they only work within their range of effectiveness. Outside of that, you need to switch to something else. The Hybrid technique, however, can function within the range that both of the other two will be useful; that means that you use it much more often.
Cons
Now, with that being said, no one method is perfect. These are some of the things you should be aware of when using the American technique.
Not as Effective on Steeper Ice
Sure, it’s versatile, but it’s not completely infallible. When the ice gets near-vertical, this technique becomes impractical, because you simply won’t be able to bend your ankle enough to make it viable.
That means that you can’t just get away with knowing the American technique. Effective front pointing has to be part of your arsenal if you’re going to be going into steep terrain.
Uncomfortable on Your Ankles
Because of the way your back ankle rests, this method can become uncomfortable really quickly. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, find a steep hill and try to walk sideways across it for more than five minutes. You’ll find that, pretty quickly, your ankles start to hurt from the bend they’re being put through.
Even in high-ankled mountaineering boots, this becomes an issue after too long. Switching sides can help, although it might not be as comfortable, and will only give you a temporary reprieve.
Slower
The one major flaw with walking like this is that it’s slower than both the French and German techniques. Of course, what it lacks in speed it makes up for in energy conservation, but it can still be frustrating to plod your way uphill when you know that switching to another method would be faster.
Because of this, if you’re in an area where you can comfortably walk flat-footed, I would recommend doing that. Of course, you never want to compromise safety for speed, but when able, just walk normally.
Can Lead to Imbalances
Finally, the American technique is inherently one-sided. You have a lead leg and a follow leg, and they stay in that order until you decide to switch them.
Because of this, you might have to worry about one muscle group getting more tired than the other. More specifically, your front leg is going to be doing the brunt of the lifting. Your back leg will get to rest, but its ankle is going to get twisted.
Swapping sides can always help with this, but that can be precarious depending on how steep the slope is. Additionally, if you have any muscle imbalances, you might find that one side is stronger or more natural-feeling than the other
When to Use the American Technique
So, when do you want to use the American technique? This method is best suited for walking on ice or snow that’s 50-75 degrees steeps. You can do shallower ice if you’re wearing a heavy pack or simply aren’t comfortable walking flat footed.
If you do it on shallower ice, you’re probably just wasting your time and would be better off walking normally. On steeper ice, you won’t be able to find a good perch for your bottom foot, so it becomes a hazard. In such a scenario, front-pointing becomes the way to go.
Do You Need an Ice Axe?
Strictly speaking, you don’t need an axe to be able to utilize this method. However, with that being said, using your ice axe can help steady yourself when performing the American technique. You can utilize it in one of two ways:
- As a third point of contact: This is perhaps the best method for using your ice axe. When you step, you plant the ice ace into the snow and lean on it, transferring some of your weight. This increases your stability while one foot is off the ground.
- As a handhold: This is only for use on steeper terrain, and only if you really know what you’re doing. You can drive your ice axe into the slope just the way your would when climbing vertically, so that you can hang off of it while you move your feet. If the ice is steep enough to do this, though, you might be just as well switching to front pointing.