Obviously, the winter off-season is the only time you may feel or have the necessity for packing and/or wearing crampons. It’s fairly common for the upper reaches of Grand Canyon trails to have icy patches during the winter, sometimes right on the brink of the abyss. Many experienced Grand Canyon backpackers have the agility and balance to hike under icy conditions without the slightest slip, although trekking poles can be a helpful advantage. While other hikers, be they experienced or not, have foregone the use of crampons, slipped on an icy trail, and injured themselves, or worse.

The rule of thumb for this situation is: when in doubt, bring crampons. Backpacking ice-walkers these days are relatively cheap, and lightweight enough to not be a burden to your pack. If you have a winter trek planned make sure you always check in about trail conditions with the Backcountry Information Center. This simple act of learning which trails are nasty with ice could prevent a serious mishap. If you are unable to check in with the Park Service, a brief inspection of the trail and common sense should determine the need for crampons or not.