When to use snowshoes
Snowshoes let us walk on snow-covered routes where we probably could not get through any other way.
There are situations where, walking without snowshoes, even though there is a frozen crust on the surface, in some places there can still be the risk of sinking in, so much so that progress becomes slow and tiring, given the constant effort of hauling yourself out of holes and hollows. In other circumstances too much powder snow can even ruin the hike, and not even snowshoes are enough to get round the problem (but that is the mountains too).
The snowpack is constantly changing because of wind, temperature, rain, frost and thaw. We can make predictions about the consistency of the snow, but it is very hard to know precisely what conditions we will find and how difficult the walking will be.
Snowshoes have the advantage that they can easily be strapped to the rucksack on our winter outings, whether trekking, skiing or anything else, and used whenever the terrain calls for them.
To walk with snowshoes you need no special athletic ability or technical knowledge; we are in any case in a mountain environment and we must pay attention to the weather forecast, to the snow conditions and to the choice of route.
Warning: it may seem a pointless thing to say, but snowshoes certainly will not solve or spare you the dangers of the mountains, such as crevasses and avalanches.
How do you put snowshoes on?
Snowshoes have to be put on correctly so as not to risk losing them at the very worst moment. As we have seen, snowshoes come with different types of binding, but for every model you have to tell the left from the right, so that the fastening buckle always ends up on the outside.
On models with straps you slide your foot in so that the toe is locked into the front housing; you tighten the front straps and then fasten the rear ones, which usually anchor the foot firmly inside the frame. The straps must be left “dangling” on the outside of the foot and not on the inside, so as not to risk tripping up or, worse, stumbling and falling.
On modern models the most common bindings consist of a plastic cradle for the front of the foot and a second, smaller cradle for the heel. The straps, in this case, are made of plastic and run through a ratchet fastening; doing them up is quick and simple, while still keeping the boot firmly on the snowshoe. Some snowshoes have automatic bindings, made of two metal bails (one at the front and one at the back), which lock into special grooves on the boots.
There are special bindings suited to children, and also for those who take part in snowshoe running races.
Walking with snowshoes...
Once we have put on our snowshoes, chosen our route and checked the weather forecast, we can set off.
On flat routes or gentle slopes the movements are the same as for a normal walk, apart from a few small tricks.
Let us imagine we are walking with our snowshoes on our feet and our ski poles in hand; the footprint of the snowshoes forces us to keep our legs slightly apart so they do not knock against each other. To get a smooth, not too tiring stride, we should try not to lift our legs too much, almost sliding the snowshoes along (if we have the pivot, let us leave it free); legs and arms must move crosswise (right leg, left arm). In this way we always have support on both the right and the left, keeping our centre of gravity in the middle of our body; this way we ensure the best possible balance.
On steeper slopes the climb should be tackled in small steps, facing up the slope. At every step we must mind our balance, planting the front crampon and the pole firmly before moving the other leg. If our snowshoes have one, let us use the heel raiser to avoid tiring our muscles too much.
Going down, you first sink the tail in well and then the tip with the crampon; on steeper routes you have to bend down on the front leg, so lowering your centre of gravity, using the telemark technique.
Snowshoes are not particularly suited to traverses and very steep routes. Above all, we do not want to give the impression that you can go anywhere with snowshoes. You always need common sense, experience and a good knowledge of the mountains as a whole.
Accessories for snowshoeing
When moving on snowshoes it is important to use ski poles. They give us better balance on slippery or deep-snow sections and above all they let us offload some of our weight, sparing our knees.
At the bottom of the poles there is a basket that stops them sinking into the snow.
Today telescopic poles are preferred, because they are easier to carry on the rucksack and can be adjusted to the slope we are tackling (e.g.: the uphill one shorter than the downhill one).
Among the possible accessories, the heel raiser is without doubt one of the most useful. On climbs it lets us raise the heel, so the foot stays more level, giving us a smoother stride and less muscle fatigue; usually they are engaged by hand by flipping a small lever, but there are models on the market where the heel raiser can also be engaged with the pole, so you do not have to bend down.