Let Loose with Adventure

Picture yourself as a Native America Indian; the winter has come, you and your family need food. You are going to hunt and gather. You dress warmly, and chose your most reliable bow and a faithful blade. You leave the warmth and comfort of your tepee and step out into thigh deep powder snow – you won’t be going anywhere without your snowshoes!

It’s thought that the attachment of materials to the feet to aid walking on snow originated some 6,000 years ago in Central Asia. It fuelled the expansion of native peoples into Scandinavia, Siberia and the Americas, (the Bering Straits were still land then), and facilitated trappers, fur traders, and explorers – Scott may have fared better had he not dismissed the use of snowshoes for his horses.

It was the Native American Indian who developed the snowshoe according to its intended use. Long and narrow meant swift travel; canoe-shaped for difficult terrain; leaf-shaped were awkward to turn but good for heavy loads; oval were quick and easy to manoeuvre in, making it easy to pursue. To the Indian, the snowshoe in winter was as fundamental as the canoe in summer.

Ash was the favoured wood but they also used birch, willow and spruce, and all with rawhide lacing. It was in the 1880’s that clubs for snowshoe enthusiasts appeared in Canada, and winter walking for pleasure and fitness led to snowshoe races. Superseded by the ski, especially in Europe, and the snowmobile as a working tool, it wasn’t until the 1970s that snowshoes

saw a renewed interest.

They work by distributing the person’s weight over a larger area thereby preventing penetration of the soft snow. Innovation came with new, lighter and stronger materials, and the addition of metal spikes to the underside. Design allowed them to become smaller, with a boot harness and quick fastenings, plus a pivotal system making them easier and more practical to use.

        Today, they are the way to spend a great time outdoors in winter; this is evident by the amount of companies now offering snowshoe holidays. It’s an enjoyable way to stay in shape, especially after the Christmas over indulgence; and in America, it’s being used to combat obesity in school kids. Snowboarders have found snowshoes useful in getting to those off-piste powder bowls and mountaineers use them when the snow is too soft for crampons.

However, seeing nature in her winter glory must be one of the best reasons for snowshoeing. Those pioneering footsteps in fresh snow that lead to unique sights and experiences – the early morning sparkle from sunlight on crystal; following fresh tracks of the hare or fox; the trance-inducing scenery touched by winter conditions.

Snowshoeing is about having fun – as is anything to do with snow. Beauty, tranquillity, and uniqueness are also good descriptions but we should always remember we are dealing with Mother Nature, and there are some inherent risks in the winter environment. Days are shorter, cold can lead to hypothermia, and navigation is more difficult. Snow can avalanche and the science of snowpack assessment is a complicated subject.

To get the best out of exploring on snowshoes, it is worth going with a guide.There are two recognised qualifications for guiding snowshoe trips: the Alpine Guide (UIAGM/IFMGA) and the International Mountain Leader (UIMLA). It’s the latter, or the Accompagnateur en Montagne in France that you are most likely to find on snowshoe holidays. They will be able to show you where to go, what to see and how to observe nature at its best. The qualification is designed not only to provide safe passage and a keen understanding of risk management in the winter but to engender enthusiasm and passion for the outdoors. Your guide will be familiar with the area, and have a good knowledge on local flora and fauna.They will usually provide the snowshoes and walking poles, speak the local language and have a good knowledge of the area. Get them to take you snowshoeing at night, to see those sparkling snow crystal in the moonlight or a night in a mountain hut to be the first to see the new day rising.

10 Reasons to go Snowshoeing instead of Skiing

Every winter, thousands of people flock to the resorts to ski - and I'm not going to knock that, I ski myself. However, with snowshoeing being very popular in Europe but virtually unherad of in the UK, I thought I'd make a little comparison. 

So, here are my ten top reasons for going snowshoeing this winter.

1.Less expensive: snowshoe hire with walking poles is about €7 a day, and as many routes are easily accessible, you don’t need a ski pass.

2. Family activity: local school kids do it as part of their lessons, so it's clearly for everyone.

3. Cardio-vascular: especially in fresh powder, and the good thing is you can go at your own pace.

4. Day one: we all know how to walk, so you can get straight into the sport.

5. Seeing Nature: an opportunity to see wildlife in their winter habitat, and the signs and tracks they leave

6. No over-crowding: you’ll be off the busy ski slopes, and away from the

7. Conversation: you can talk to your companions throughout the day not just when you both stop.

8. Safe sport: there’s no being taken out by snowboarders or out-of-control beginners.

9. Photographs: you’ll have more time to take those sensational winter mountain shots.

10. Fun: hey, it’s playing in the snow!

Where to go.

Let Loose with Adventure, base themsleves in the village of Eup close to Bagnères-de-Luchon. It sits mid-way between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and where the Spanish border kicks north thereby covering the town on two sides. This might be why the town has such flair about it as the routes from Spain bring in the different flavours of another culture. This includes the pilgrim's route through the hospice de France, an old staging post established by the Knights of St John in the 14th century.

It is a town of winter festivals and sporting events. The main street, allée d'Etigny, is tree-lined and peppered with restaurants, cafés and bars, made more colourful by people in their winter attire of down jackets and bobble hats; try the hot chocolate with marshmallows at Le Bellevue. There are two ski resorts, Superbagnères and Peyragudes, which provide all the resources of any alpine resort. The bonus of being in the Pyrenees is that most people gravitate to the Alps, leaving room to breath on the Pyrenean slopes.

The town is also a spa with thermal baths and massage treatment; the ultimate treat after a hard day of activity. There are all the usual resort thrills of paragliding from mountain tops (one of the top places in France due to the topography), dog sledding (so much fun), ice climbing and cross country skiing. 

Wintertime in any mountain town can be addictive, with its atmosphere of an electric buzz; the beauty of snow, cold air and warm clothes, exhilarating sports, one of which is snowshoeing. Known as racquette de neige in French, it is a popular sport throughout Europe, maybe because they have lots of fresh powder, and is a brilliant way to get about. And not just for a walk in the woods, with their tungsten points and an articulated metal claw, snowshoes will get you up mountain slopes, across ridges  and on to summits.

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