For the frozen morning trail that no boot sole handles
Kahtoola MICROspikes
The most useful 300 g in this whole catalogue on a winter or early-spring trek — they turn a terrifying frozen descent into an ordinary one, and they are completely unnecessary in a dry October.
Skip it ifGlacier travel or steep snow. That is crampon territory and this is not a substitute.
About the links on this page.Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend: every card here also says who the item is not for, and a few things we think you should simply rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara instead, which earns us nothing.
The rest of the shelf
Best valueEnough grip for a village path in frost
Yaktrax Diamond Grip
Fine on level frozen ground and around lodges, and clearly out of their depth on a steep frozen descent — which is exactly where people find out.
Skip it ifAny steep, exposed frozen section. Spend the extra on MICROspikes.