Hillsound Trail Crampon Ultra Review
The Ultra is Hillsound's answer to a fair complaint about the original Trail Crampon: it is heavy, bulky and more device than most winter hikes need. The Ultra keeps the plate-and-chain layout and the Hillsound harness, then drops the spike length, thins the chassis and cuts roughly 110 g per pair. At about 380 g it lands in the same weight class as a standard microspike while gripping a little more like a trail crampon.
That makes it the most versatile thing Hillsound sells, and the one to buy if you want a single traction device for mixed winter days. It also means it gives up the two features that make the original special on steep ice: full-length spikes and, on several versions, the velcro over-strap. If your trails tilt, that matters.
| Spec | Figure |
|---|---|
| Spikes per foot | ~18, short profile |
| Spike length | ~12–15 mm |
| Spike material | Heat-treated steel |
| Chassis | Low-profile plates & chain |
| Harness | Elastomer, cold-rated well below freezing |
| Retention | Elastomer only on most versions |
| Weight (pair, medium) | ~380 g |
| Sizes | S / M / L / XL by shoe size |
| Boot requirement | None — fits flexible boots and shoes |
How the Ultra actually behaves
Shorter spikes in a denser pattern change the feel more than the numbers suggest. Where the original Trail Crampon plants a few long teeth and lets you stand on them, the Ultra spreads load across more contact points that sit closer to the sole. On packed snow, frozen dirt and moderate trail ice that is a better arrangement — steadier underfoot, less of the stilted feeling you get walking long flat sections on long spikes.
The lower profile also means less leverage on the harness. The original can rotate under a hard toe-off because the spikes sit further from the sole; the Ultra's shorter stack keeps the twisting force down, which is part of why Hillsound can get away with dropping the strap on some versions. It is not a substitute for the strap under real load, but for typical hiking it holds position well.
Bare rock and pavement are more tolerable than on the original. You still would not choose the Ultra for a mostly-paved commute, but a few hundred metres of dry trail between icy sections no longer feels like walking on marbles.
Where it runs out is exactly where you would expect. On steep, polished, refrozen descent tread — the sort where you find yourself sidestepping — the shorter spikes reach the hard layer but do not get through into anything softer. They hold, but with less margin. That is the moment the original earns its weight.
Ultra or original? The honest split
| Trail Crampon Ultra | Trail Crampon | |
|---|---|---|
| Spike length | ~12–15 mm | ~17 mm |
| Weight (pair) | ~380 g | ~490 g |
| Over-strap | Not on most versions | Yes |
| Feel underfoot | Low, stable, quieter | Tall, aggressive |
| Sweet spot | Rolling to moderate icy trail | Steep, hard trail ice |
| Packs | Reasonably flat | Bulky |
The decision is about slope and consequence, not about brand tiers. If your winter route is undulating trail with icy stretches, lakeside paths and forest roads, the Ultra is the better tool and you will carry it more often. If you regularly descend steep, sustained ice with a pack on, buy the original Trail Crampon and accept the weight. Owning both is not silly for people whose winters include both, but if you must pick one, pick for your worst-case descent.
Sizing
Sizing is the most common reason these devices disappoint, and the Ultra is less forgiving than the original because there is no strap to compensate for a harness that is slightly loose.
Size to the boot, not to your street shoe. Winter boots carry noticeably more outsole footprint than a runner in the same nominal size, and it is the outsole the harness has to wrap. Read Hillsound's chart against the number on the boot box.
Between sizes, go up for insulated boots and down for low hikers and runners. A harness that has to stretch to seat is a harness that stays put; one that slips on easily in a warm room will be sloppy at -15 °C, when elastomer stiffens and grips less. If you genuinely cannot get the heel cup over the boot heel with cold hands, you have gone too small.
Fit test before you leave: spikes centred, heel cup fully behind the heel, no bunching under the arch, and no fore-aft slide when you push the toe of the device with your hand. Repeat the check after the first kilometre — that is when a bad size announces itself.
Pros
- Around 110 g lighter per pair than the original
- Denser short-spike pattern feels stable, not stilted
- Packs far flatter than the full Trail Crampon
- More tolerable on short bare-ground sections
- Real Hillsound build quality at microspike weight
Cons
- Less bite than the original on steep polished ice
- No over-strap on most versions
- Short spikes wear out of usefulness sooner if used on rock
- Still too much device for pavement-only use
- Fit tolerance is tighter without the strap as backup
Who should buy the Ultra
Buy it if you are a winter day hiker on rolling terrain who wants traction in the pack on every outing and will actually carry it because it is light. Buy it if you found the original clattery and overbuilt for your trails. Buy it if you split your winter between packed snow, frozen forest road and short icy sections — that is precisely the ground it was designed around. It sits comfortably alongside the other all-rounders in our best microspikes roundup.
Who should not
- Steep-ice hikers. If your standard descent is sustained hard ice, get the original — the comparison is laid out in MICROspikes vs Hillsound too.
- Winter runners. Even at 380 g the plates are more than a running gait wants. Start with winter trail running spikes.
- Sidewalk and commute users. Overkill, and hard on indoor floors. Try ice cleats for walking.
- Anyone going above treeline on snow slopes. See the warning below.
Terrain limit. The Ultra is a trail device. No front points, no rigid frame, no attachment to a boot welt. Once a slope is steep enough that a fall would slide — steep snowfields, alpine gullies, icy scrambles, anything glaciated — the equipment changes entirely: real crampons, boots stiff enough to hold them, an ice axe, and instruction in self-arrest. If you are unsure where your plan falls, work through when do you need crampons first.
The rest of the range — Trail Crampon, Pro and FreeSteps6 — is compared side by side in our Hillsound guide.
FAQ
Is the Ultra just a Hillsound-branded microspike?
No. It keeps the plate chassis rather than hanging spikes off free chain, so the spike array stays flatter and more engaged when you edge across a slope. The weight is microspike-class; the underfoot geometry is not.
Does the missing velcro strap matter?
On rolling trail, rarely. On steep descents with a heavy pack, sometimes — that is the load case the strap exists for. If you hike that terrain often, the original is the better purchase.
How long do the short spikes last?
Several seasons on snow and ice. They shorten fastest on rock and pavement, and because they start short there is less material to lose before grip drops off noticeably. Keep them off dry ground where you can.
Can I use them on approach shoes and low hikers?
Yes, and that is one of the Ultra's strengths — the low stack works well on flexible soles. Size down rather than up for that footwear.