A metal framework with spikes or points that is strapped to a shoe to provide grip on ice, snow, or steep rock when climbing.
From French crampon, from Old French crampe (cramp, bent iron), from Germanic root meaning to bend or press. The tool was named for its gripping action that 'cramps' onto surfaces.
Modern crampons have 10-14 points precisely angled to cut into ice, and climbers spend years learning how to walk in them—the rhythm is almost like a dance where you must trust metal points you can't see below your feet.
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