Snowshoe Walking: Discovering the Magic of Winter Mountains

The mountains in winter are not just for skiers, cross-country skiers or snowboarders, but also for those who love to walk. There is, in fact, an ancient tool still in use today that allows us to "float" on the snow and quietly pursue our favourite activity: snowshoes, better known in Italian as ciaspole.

Originally made from braided leather cord woven into a wooden frame, today they come in plastic or with aluminium grids. You can buy them at specialist shops or rent them at tourist resorts, and they are easy to put on.

Simply choose an appropriate size for your weight, adjust them to your shoe size and attach them to your boots (if you are a complete beginner, ask for advice). With a pair of trekking poles and good winter clothing, including protective gaiters, you are all set!

Walking on snow with snowshoes allows you to move more easily, without sinking with every step or risking a slip, and it is a simple, low-cost way to enjoy sport in contact with nature. It should be noted that snowshoeing requires, for the same route, 40-50% more effort than an equivalent walk.

Where to walk with snowshoes

Snowshoes are suitable for everyone, children and elderly alike, but it is always wise to pay attention to where and how you place your feet. If you are a beginner, in addition to going with a mountain guide, first check the weather forecast, choose a day with stable conditions and no alerts, assess areas where the snow is crusty, fresh or heavy, and above all identify safe areas.

For snowshoeing, mountain tracks or trails with a low to medium gradient and at least 25 cm of continuous snow cover are ideal, as are valley floors, slopes, woods and plateaus with already-beaten paths.

Adventure spots and unfrequented, unmarked terrain require a little more experience and good orientation skills, as do surfaces where the snow is hard and very compact. Obviously you should stay as far as possible from potentially dangerous environments at risk of avalanches, rockfalls or landslides. With the right precautions, you can fully enjoy this wonderful experience.

➜ Read “How to choose snowshoes”

The magic of snow

Walking with snowshoes is truly thrilling! Whether by day, in the brilliant light of the mountain sun, or by night, with the delicate presence of a full moon, the heart warms and fills with joy, even as the cold creeps beneath your clothes. The company of old or new friends makes any fatigue more bearable and lighter, giving everyone moments of genuine sharing. There is a feeling of equity and equality in the air.

Unlike the warmer season, where the landscape changes with every step, here everything is wrapped in a single white blanket that draws you in and surprises you: nothing is left out. Trees covered in snow and ice line the trails, forming long white corridors that evoke the magic of a fairy-tale forest; meadows become soft expanses of whipped cream; peaks merge with the clouds. Life seems still and motionless, yet the tracks of wild animals remind us that things are often not as they appear, just as in fairy tales.

When walking in a snowy landscape you are immersed in a gentle silence, broken only by the muffled crunch of the snowshoes. Everything rests, and it is as though you are suspended in a quiet waiting. You can breathe the fresh air, helping body and mind to relax, and savour the pleasure of an intense serenity. In the white snow you absorb the vibrations of peace, calm and tenderness. Its light reflects and illuminates everything around it, ourselves included, revealing the purity that dwells in every being: pure enchantment!