 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm looking to buy a pair of snowshoes to leave in my place in Les Arcs for days when skiing isn't possible and I'd like a gentle walk through the snow. I don't know anything about snowshoes, other than there seems to be a wide range of prices and features. What should I look out for? They won't be used for anything very steep, mostly along paths or pistes, most probably with a bit of fresh snow and maybe a prepared base underneath. Is it all quite simple, just strap in and stride on or are there particular features I should ensure I get?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Basically it's strap in and stride on (with long, XC length poles, ideally). Obviously strong walking boots make sense - you don't want to be strapping on to a pair of daps.
I would have thought a basic pair would be fine for those requirements - even basic ones have a "heel lift" option for uphill, which is great. It's some years since I bought them - probably these days there are all sorts of go-faster-and-smarter-and-more-expensive gizmos. The ease, speed and security of strapping in would be the main thing I'd be looking at.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Tempted to get some here too. They have them in the local Hofer (Aldi) for €50, doubt they're very good, but they wouldn't get much use
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Yeah, (mostly) what @pam w says. Some of them have multiple straps which can take a couple of minutes to get correctly adjusted. In my limited experience of our own and sometimes renting or borrowing them (from the ski school/guides) for guests they're much of a muchness. Make sure you use adjustable poles though; your ski poles may feel just right, but in practice, particularly on variable slopes, it's really useful to be able to adapt them to the conditions on the day.
XC ski poles are too long and often won't have proper powder baskets, so I would not recommend them
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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yes, I'm interested too
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| swskier wrote: |
| Tempted to get some here too. They have them in the local Hofer (Aldi) for €50, doubt they're very good, but they wouldn't get much use |
Depends on what you're using them for. For marked snowshoe trails they should be fine. A definitive buying guide can be found here, written by a friend who's a professional guide.
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I used XC poles because I didn't have anything else. Once in untracked snow (even if there's a firmer path somewhere below) poles are essential for balance for most ordinary mortals. We didn't do a lot of snow-shoeing but what we did was mostly on unmarked, unprepared, footpaths which we walked regularly in summer. On our first outing we sat to have a hot drink from a flask, and a sandwich. I unthinkingly got up with my phone, without the snowshoes, to take a photo and just sank into several feet of snow and fell flat on my face.
Our straps were a bit fiddly - a ratchet arrangement would probably be preferable.
On the prepared/bashed paths round Saisies you didn't need snowshoes (though lots wore them). Good pair of walking boots was fine. But on some steeper sections, with icy bits, the snowshoes gave very welcome additional traction, especially going downhill.
And it makes you feel like a proper explorer, trekking along the virgin snow in the forest!
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| A definitive buying guide can be found here, written by a friend who's a professional guide. |
Thanks for the link to Ian’s guide to buying snowshoes. Much appreciated.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The Canadian standard is Tubs, but I don't think anyone really bothers about brands and stuff, they're just things which work. I just looked at their site and was surprised to find, for example, that they have different versions for different sexes, which seems way over the top. Probably they change the paint jobs each season. I reckon that's all marketing BS. I've used a lot over the years and never noticed much difference between them, or even really looked at them. That said, I'm not climbing mountains with 'em.
I've not seen any without full-time spikes of some description. The strap arrangements seem much the same to me; usually you'll only touch those twice per trip anyway.
Look at the straps before putting them on to work out which is the left and right foot (the fasteners generally go on the outside...). Then just walk and don't think about it.
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| swskier wrote: |
| Tempted to get some here too. They have them in the local Hofer (Aldi) for €50, doubt they're very good, but they wouldn't get much use |
Depends on what you're using them for. For marked snowshoe trails they should be fine. A definitive buying guide can be found here, written by a friend who's a professional guide. |
Mainly just dog walking I'd imagine, and just to have them there as an option. Will have a read through the guide though, thanks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@swskier, For dog walking around here you'd probably get more use out of something similar to this
https://www.kochalpin.at/en/snowline-chainsen/chainsen-light/
than snowshoes.
Most paths that are used for dog walking are cleared, but end up with a slippery, icy layer.
@rob@rar, Look for some with the BOA system. They're far easier to use with cold hands and gloves than ratchets or buckles.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| A definitive buying guide can be found here, written by a friend who's a professional guide. |
Thanks for the link to Ian’s guide to buying snowshoes. Much appreciated. |
My MSRs are excellent... but maybe a bit more hardcore than you need if just for occasional use/dog walking etc.
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Snowshoeing. A good walk ruined.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have some Aldi/ Hofer ones from a few yrs ago. They are fine for in forests and on tracks, but no good on steeper icer terrain, then you need something like Tubs or MSR.
They also build up with snow on the heel piece which can be very annoying. Silicone spray will help prevent snow build up.
A cross country touring pole, bigger basket will work fine, or touring ski pole.
Gaiters are a good idea to keep snow out of boots.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Snowshoes can be useful for stomping down a path in fresh snow. I just came across this when putting together some photos for a photobox collage. Snowshoes were useful to get out of our apartment after a LOT of snow because the "official" cleared path was far less convenient.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I use verts, mostly for climbing up stuff I can't skin, but have used them like snow shoes as well. They aren't hinged at the toe, but they are a light, cheap and easily packed solution. They are super useful on deep days for getting out of trouble as well. I usually carry them in my pack on big powder days.
https://www.verts.com
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Our cheap Decathlon snowshoes have bags with shoulder straps. These are quite useful if you have to get on a navette or carry them any distance. The temptation is to leave the bags behind but carrying them is a bit awkward, if you've also got poles, and the bag means you're not impaling yourself and others on the teeth if you're in a confined space.
They really have transformed our trips - We realised just how often we went out skiing in bad weather or crowded days, simply because there was no alternative. In many places, the racquette routes get you out and away from busy pistes really quickly, while keeping you relatively near to the resort.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@rob@rar, I used a pair once last year to get up a route the rest were skinning (not long after my ACL rupture). Dead easy. I see@Chaletbeauroc's advice and can't top that but the Decathlon buying advice and range seems pretty good (I borrowed mine from Concept and they were Decathlon's finest).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When I bought mine a few years ago (brand TSL) I seem to remember that body weight came into the equation somewhere - I guess due to the surface area of the shoe needed rather than for any durability reasons
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I used mine yesterday for a 6km walk with about 200m up. The snow was deep so we were making our own tracks. It was flat through an Alm, then a slight hill up. Footwear - pick something waterproof, I use gummi boots, then trousers with gaitors. Poles - big baskets, so ski touring/off piste poles. Snowshoes - mine have heel risers which are a must for steep stuff, they are TSL brand and fantastic. It was Bens first snowshoe outing, he borrowed a pair that didn't have heel risers and they are fine for this but I wouldn't want to use them up steep pistes. It's hard work chomping through deep snow, a proper workout. It's very satisfying on ice as the spikes come into their own - think ski touring with crampons. Pick strong metal not soft metal - that's the price difference. Coming down hill through powder is a new experience too. So much fun. We will be doing snowshoeing again this winter for sure. Enjoy the new discovery! Ange.
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| Quote: |
trousers with gaitors
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yes, good point, if you're yomping through fresh snow then gaiters are essential.
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@flangesax, ange
.link to the actual snowshoe please?
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| davidof wrote: |
| Snowshoeing. A good walk ruined. |
Worse than that, the snowpack is ruined for ski tourers as well! Nothing worse than having to dodge hephalump sized holes on a track. It’ll be banned when I’m world king
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@holidayloverxx, I don't have a link. Mine are TSL and they are borrowed from a buddy and probably several years old.
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| Inboard wrote: |
| davidof wrote: |
| Snowshoeing. A good walk ruined. |
Worse than that, the snowpack is ruined for ski tourers as well! Nothing worse than having to dodge hephalump sized holes on a track. It’ll be banned when I’m world king |
No but seriously, who wants to walk around looking like John Wayne wearing a nappy? Especially as Pam points out, most of the trails are hardpacked anyway and you could walk around in tennis shoes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| davidof wrote: |
No but seriously, who wants to walk around looking like John Wayne wearing a nappy? |
Funnily enough I have a masochistic mate who does a few ultras in deserts. He reckons snow shoes are great training for running in sand, so he does it a fair bit. Even better, his training involves carrying heavy packs as well. As mates go he's right up there for usefulness - happy to snow shoe a six pack of beer and three days of food to a hut for me while I have a leisurely skin carrying a day pack.
Under those circumstances I have no problem with divots in the skin track 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Snowshoeing sounds boring, but it really isn’t. We discovered it during Covid lockdown when we had trains up the hill but no ski lifts. Cheap snowshoes from Decathlon were fine, and they still serve us well today. It’s amazing where you can go. Lauberhorn above Wengen.
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I said there was no need for snowshoes on pisted tracks, but also that they're great for getting OFF the beaten track and doing walks which would be impossible even in good walking boots.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have 2 pairs, the first ones were decathlon 40 bucks, and had a wide enough strap to fit over snowboard boots, so they got plenty of use with a snowboard hanging from the backpack. I then made the mistake thinking I needed some fancier ones for longer deeper hikes so I splashed out 200 EUR one xmas and thought I would soon be hiking to crazy altitude (you know, like over 2000m). Sadly the fancy straps didn’t reach over the snowboard boots, clearly designed for a normal hiking shoe, so I’ve never used them. Anyone who wants to make a lowball offer I’ll post pics.
I ended up getting a split board of course so both sets of snowshoes are now redundant, but I’ll keep the cheap ones for any non skiing visitors / or touring friends without a splity.
I’ll never understand snowshoeing up steep hills. I see it everytime I’m up there. Someone puts in all that effort to break ground and then just turn around at the top and walk back down the hill. Is there a better example of wasting good snow? It’s akin to digging a hole and immediately filling it back in. Utterly mindless.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yeah. These people who climb mountains are morons, aren't they?  Like sailing somewhere, only to turn round and sail back again. Bonkers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| polo wrote: |
| ... Here are the offensive weapons, have seen more dust than snow. My only serious point, if there was one at all, is the cheap ones worked out better for me and got a lot more mileage. |
Very pretty though. Compared with standard deep forest snow plodding BC hire stuff, those look way too skinny.
They'd look great hung on the wall, but I think they're intended for a very specific condition.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@polo, I might be interested, I'll ping you a pm.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The overall "surface area" of those looks quite a bit less than the ones we had.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Doesn't look to be much greater than the surface area of the boot you strapped in.
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FAQ
.....of course not everyone wants to ski down and/or carry up heavy equipment. Each to their own....and I don't have an issue with snowshoe tracks either, there is plenty of space and snow for all alpine activities.
