All About Snowshoeing:
Snowshoeing is one of those great activities that anyone can do that get’s you to places that not just anyone can get to! Walkers and nature lovers will love this activity. You attach the snowshoes to your walking boots and once you've mastered the technique (levelling your weight over the shoes), pristine winter wonderlands become accessible to all - perfect for escaping the hubbub of the ski resorts. Read our blog , 'What is Snowshoeing', for more details about this amazing sport.
Equipment:
Modern snowshoes are high tech, not like the old fashioned tennis racket ones! They spread your weight out over a greater surface area so you don't sink as far in to the snow allowing you to walk without sinking up to your knees every step. You can have your heel free which is the best position for most conditions or fixed in to the snowshoe for more stability going downhill or traversing. For going up hill there is a heel lift feature to make it easier and for icy conditions there are little crampons and front spikes for grip! It is adviseable to use poles when snowshoeing to help with balance.
Safety:
The avalanche risk in winter is a very real and dangerous one and it is important to choose routes that are safe. If you are snowshoeing on your own, you should stick to the way marked snowshoeing routes which are in low avalanche risk areas. However, if there has been a big dump of fresh snowfall or if the avalanche risk is 4 or above, care is still
required.
Snow conditions can also change whilst you are snowshoeing. Nice firm snow that supports your weight easily can easily transform into soft sinking snow in the sun, which turns the 5 km of easy walking down the valley into a massive physical challenge for the way back!
We highly recommend choosing a guided holiday for snowshoeing.
Best Snowshoeing Holidays in Europe:
Any mountain range in Europe where snow falls will offer holidays. We have a very popular guided snowshoeing holiday for a week in France in the Southern French Alps that has fixed departure dates that you can join and meet like minded walkers and snowshoers. For those wanting a shorter break we also have a snowshoeing and husky sledding short break in the same French Alps destination.
We can also arrange a tailor made short snowshoeing break tailored to you if you are looking for a short break doing some winter walking!
With the wide variety of snowy landscapes perfectly adapted to snowshoeing in this part of the Alps it is host to some of the best snowshoeing holidays in Europe.
If you are a walking club or have a large group, we can also arrange group snowshoeing trips with discounted prices so please ask!
If you would like to try snowshoeing before launching into a full snowshoeing holiday, then you can also try it on any of our Winter Multi Activity Holidays.
Snowshoeing is also a great activity to combine with cross country skiing. Have a look at our cross country skiing holiday in Norway which has a snowshoeing option.
FAQ's
How big are the groups?
We generally have groups between 6 and 8 people for our guided snowshoeing holidays but sometimes larger for busy dates. We prefer smaller groups for higher quality snowshoeing experiences.
Can I book on a trip as a solo traveller?
Yes, we have fixed departure date trips that are suitable for solo travellers. Have a look at our guided snowshoeing weeks in the Alps.
How fit do I need to be for a snowshoeing holiday?
Snowshoeing is like walking but a bit more strenuous, depending on the conditions. We recommend being 'hill fit' to enjoy a snowshoeing holiday. Have a read of our top tips for getting fit for snowshoeing for the over fifties. We also adapt our snowshoe walks on our trips to take account of the conditions so will choose a shorter walk if the snow is very deep!
