Front pointing

Front-pointing (or German technique) is a technique used in mountaineering and ice climbing where a climber embeds, usually by a kicking action, the sharp metal 'front-point(s)' of their modern metal rigid crampon into the ice or hard packed snow to gain a secure foothold to assist their upward momentum on the climbing route.

[1] Front-pointing places greater strain on the leg muscles than the French technique where the feet remain flat on the surface using the "duck foot" (feet pointing either side at 90 degrees), or the "flat foot" (moving diagonally up the slope).

[3] Front-pointing dates from the early 1930s when Grivel added two front points to their 10-point crampon of the French technique.

It came to international prominence when Heinrich Harrer, in his book about the famous 1938 first ascent of the Eiger north face, said "I looked back, down our endless ladder of [French technique] steps.

In the 1960s, Stubai bent the second row of points forward for additional "heel-dropping traction" when front-pointing (see image).