UKC

For winter running, hillwalking beginners, moderate slopes, and days when snow and ice conditions are thin and patchy, full crampons might be overkill. Here's where microspikes and their ilk come into the picture. Dan and Edith Bailey check out the range on offer from market leader Kahtoola. 

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Your comment about the short spikes underfoot being good for things like Striding Edge and Crib Goch struck a chord with me - I last did winter traverses of Crib Goch a year ago, and Striding Edge a month ago. For years of winter climbing in England and Wales I've favoured a pair of CT Nuptse 12 point and BD Snaggletooth 11 point crampons BECAUSE of their relatively short downward pointing points, because with marginal winter conditions becoming ever more common, you are less often cramponing in deeper snow conditions and I've found more often on ice and snow glazed rock and going through the snow to gravel, grass or slab underneath. Shorter downward points are definitely much more stable and less prone to causing trips that crampons with longer points. I'm sure I'd miss the frontpoints though as from habit I do sometime kick in to snow, even if it would be perfectly possible to flat foot it all.

I love this middle ground area grey area. A few years ago a friend and I both wore Grivel micro spikes out over Aonach Mor. We found something interesting in terms of their limitations. Whereas I'd worn them with some fancy pants carbon soled Salomon X Alps (or whatever they were called?) and my friend wore La Sportiva trail running shoes; I was fine on ice, but she struggled. The hard ice effectively forcing the spikes upwards into her soft soled shoe and not getting any purchase, whereas my firm soles forced the spikes to dig into the ice. Conversely, firm soles fared less well on soft snow, compared to the trail shoes.  

Just an FYI for the KTS you can buy Snow release Skins, a handy addition.

https://kahtoola.com/accessories/kts-snow-release-skins-srs/

Thanks, that's good to know - though I've not found them too bally at all!

Ye I just noticed a one line in your review mentioning it, and everybody loves accessories!!!

Review now updated, thanks Euan

I think Kahtoola products are great. I've had a pair of Microspikes for years, and I recently got a pair of Exospikes for running.

I have Micro and Exospikes. I've been running a lot in Exospikes on woodland trails and they're great at biting in ice but if the surface is soft or slushy I do find they slip a little when going uphill on anything that isn't flat. The interesting thing is despite thinking a few times that I'd rather have the Microspikes, I still reach for the Exospikes every time. I like them that much, they're so unobtrusive.

I usually bring my Microspikes ski touring or hill walking in winter. I've used the Microspikes on ski boots to ascend steep gullies before skiing down and they were fine. I was glad to have an axe but I don't remember thinking I wish I had full crampons. Whereas if it was firmer or front pointing was required I would have wanted a full crampons so not 100% sure where the KTS would fit in, I think the micros are great.

I reckon that's more to do with the boots than the microspikes, you can kick steps in pretty hard snow with ski boots on. I've gone up gullies in ski boots with no crampons where I'd definitely have been wanting them in other footwear.

Would've been good to add 6-point instep crampons to the comparisons as they fit into the use category these ones will often be used for - "just in case".

You might have a point there, but then ski touring is a good use case for them, since they're quick and easy to put on and take off wearing gloves, they're light and more importantly take up less room in the pack than a set of full crampons. There's also less chance of injuring yourself on them or damaging your fancy touring pants. 

I agree that there is something in too squishy a sole and microspikes. I would also say that some do not place the spikes under the areas which contact more firmly - so forefoot and heel. I use Microspikes on Salmon Alp-4 with a sole that is just about able to take a flexible crampon - and the microspikes work well. Under my trail running shoes, microspikes do not work well.

I also think there is a place for a full 12 point but with more modest spikes. Something I would use for 'walking', with axe and possibly simple rope work of slings and dead-men, but not something I head out with to deliberately front point, set up pitches and take a full rack with me.