Snowshoeing for beginners: from choosing a pair to waymarked trails

56 cm. That is the snowshoe length the manufacturer MSR recommends for an adult weighing 57 to 79 kg, gear included, on packed snow [1]. Rather less than the giant rackets most of us picture, and all the better for it: a small snowshoe is easier to walk in. The whole art of starting out lies in that choice, and then in choosing where to walk.

Float and grip: what a snowshoe is for

Handed down from the trappers of the Far North, the snowshoe lets you get about on snow whatever the terrain and whatever the state of the snow, in open country as well as on a groomed, waymarked loop, explains Nordic France, the federation of France’s Nordic ski areas [2]. It does two jobs. The first is flotation: not sinking too deep into the snow. The second is grip, provided by crampons underfoot and, depending on the model, by steel traction rails or aluminium frames along the edges [3].

The American manufacturer MSR divides its range into three families according to terrain: recreational snowshoes for flat and rolling ground and established trails, then more aggressive models for slopes and variable snow, with heel lifts that raise your heel on steep climbs, and finally lightweight models for high mountains [3]. To start out on waymarked trails, the first family is more than enough.

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Choosing the size for your weight and the snow

The heavier you are, the more flotation you need. MSR asks you to count your weight with your clothes and rucksack, and suggests adding 4.5 to 7 kg for gear as a starting point; the French manufacturer TSL, for its part, assumes an average rucksack of 8 kg in its online size finder, which asks for your weight and shoe size [1] [4]. The snow matters just as much: the lighter and deeper it is, the more surface you need.

Here’s the detail that changes everything: MSR advises choosing for the snow you meet on most of your outings, not for the powder storm of the year. If you spend 80% of your time on existing tracks or packed snow, a giant pair will leave you regretting the purchase 80% of the time; hence the appeal of removable tails, which you add on days of light snow [1] [3]. TSL puts it another way: a bigger snowshoe for powder, a smaller one for following a track [4].

Bindings, boots and poles

There are two main types of binding. A fixed binding, attached to the snowshoe by straps, keeps the snowshoe as close as possible to your foot; a hinged binding pivots on a rod, so the tail of the snowshoe drops at each step and sheds the snow [3]. MSR bindings take men’s US sizes 6 to 13, in other words ordinary winter boots; its women’s models are slightly narrower, by about 1.9 cm, for a more natural stride [1].

Poles, on the other hand, are not optional: MSR considers them essential for stability and safety. They should be adjustable, so that you can shorten them on steep climbs and lengthen them on descents, with a locking system that resists freezing and works with gloves on [3].

Where to start: the waymarked trails of Nordic ski areas

Nordic France brings together more than 160 Nordic ski areas in all of France’s mountain ranges: the Northern and Southern Alps, the Jura, the Vosges, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. At these areas, different types of trail are laid out so that people on snowshoes, or on foot, can explore the mountains without getting in the skiers’ way [2]. A groomed, waymarked loop is the ideal terrain for a first outing: the track is already there, the route is maintained, and the way back is assured.

These areas charge a fee for Nordic activities. Nordic France’s national pass covers the cross-country ski trails of member areas [2] [5]: for snowshoe trails, ask at each area, where the trails start. And if you want to venture beyond the loops, Nordic France advises calling on a professional to go with you [2]. For an overview of the cross-country trails, see also our guide to choosing between classic and skate skiing.

Avalanches: why we stick to waymarked trails

Snow can become a deadly danger when it comes down as an avalanche. In France, avalanches kill an average of 31 people and injure 26 a year, and more than 90% of these accidents are caused by a dry slab avalanche, most often triggered by the victim or a member of their group, Météo-France, the French national weather service, points out [6]. That is why, for beginners, we recommend only waymarked, maintained trails.

Before every outing, check the avalanche bulletin, the BERA (bulletin d’estimation du risque d’avalanche), which Météo-France’s forecasters publish throughout the season for the Alps, the Pyrenees and Corsica. It uses the European avalanche danger scale, adopted in 1993 by all the countries of the Alpine arc, which runs from 1, low, to 5, very high [6].

Family outings: snowshoes for children

Manufacturers make snowshoes sized for children. MSR offers two types: a very simple starter model for toddlers, with a solid deck and a fixed binding, and a more complete model with a hinged binding, for shoe sizes up to US men’s 7 [3]. TSL also has a junior range [4]. On a waymarked, groomed loop, a first family outing is simply a walk, paced to suit the youngest legs.

A pair that fits, two well-adjusted poles, a waymarked loop from a Nordic centre: all that remains is to wait for the first proper snowfall, and to leave your first tracks in it.

Worth watching

REI walks first-timers through the anatomy of a snowshoe, the materials and how to pick the right type and size, with links to its guides to snowshoeing basics and avalanche safety.

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Nolwenn Bastide

Trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations

Nolwenn covers trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations for Outfarer. Curious about everything, from meteor showers to night-train timetables, she has a knack for unearthing the one detail that changes everything, and putting it in a single sentence.

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