Snowshoe hiking in South Tyrol
Absolute silence, no people far and wide. No cars. No noise and no hustle and bustle. Only enchanted winter landscape, snow-covered trees and tracks in the snow.
When you wander through forests and snow-covered alpine pastures, you discover a completely different side of the winter wonderland of South Tyrol. When snowshoeing, you find peace and quiet, largely untouched snowy landscapes and, with a glance back, your own tracks in the snow.
Snowshoeing is a wonderful way to get out into nature in an environmentally friendly way. At the same time, it is a good training opportunity. Because hiking in the snow is a lot more strenuous than "normal" hiking. The snowshoes can feel bulky at first. It takes a while to get used to them, but they serve their purpose. Without snowshoes, you would sink into the fresh snow - with snowshoes, on the other hand, you only sink in a few centimetres.
Tips for choosing snowshoes
The purpose of snowshoes is to avoid sinking in deep snow. Thanks to their special design, the body weight is distributed over a larger area. With the help of the heel lift, it is easier to get over steep passages. Integrated spikes help on icy surfaces.
However, not all snowshoes are the same. The decisive factor in choosing a snowshoe is the type of tour you want to do:
- Easy, moderately steep snowshoe hikes: As there is often more snow in the flatter terrain, wider snowshoes are recommended here. This way you sink in less. Spikes and heel lift should also be available.
- Moderately difficult tours in low mountain ranges or alpine terrain: In this case, narrower/tapered snowshoes are the best choice. Make sure you have a heel lift and good crampons.
- Challenging tours in exposed, (high) alpine terrain: At higher altitudes, there is not only snow-covered but also rocky terrain. That's why you should pay particular attention to the weight of your snowshoes, so that you can carry them without any problems. A heel lift is a must, and a good tread on the bottom is highly recommended.