ahtoola was founded by Danny Giovale after surviving a life-altering experience in the Dolomites of Italy. While descending Campanile Basso in the dark, Danny slid headfirst down an icy gully. He survived thanks to his helmet and daypack. This horrific ordeal was the catalyst for the developing the Kahtoola Traction System (KTS) approach crampons; an easily adjustable, compact, lightweight crampon for hiking and trail running that fits over all types of common footwear. After various designs and many patentable features, Danny launched the KTS flexible crampons, which have also been called running crampons, backpacking crampons, fast-packing crampons, thru-hiking crampons and peak-bagging crampons. Kahtoola means directly in Tibetan. Not only do their hiking crampons and MICROspikes help get travelers where they are going safely and directly, the Tibetan spirit of Kahtoola also provides a guiding philosophy for the company. From the innovative, high-performance strap-on crampons to the commitment to corporate responsibility, they re a new generation of company with a conscience, determined to improve the quality of the outdoor experience and make a difference in peoples lives. And Kahtoola wants to give something back, contributing 1% of their sales to help in supporting the preservation of Tibetan culture. Kahtoola also supports the Mountain Fund, whose mission is to organize grassroots nonprofits and non-governmental organizations from a wide variety of disciplines. The Mountain Fund supports and coordinates these organizations efforts to eliminate poverty, its causes and symptoms, in indigenous mountainous communities worldwide.