The heavy silence of the winter forest is broken only by the soft, regular "swish, swish" of the snowshoes as you move quietly through the snowy mountains. This is snowshoeing at its best. The only way for you to travel through a world otherwise populated by deer, chamois, hare, fox and marten.
Snowshoeing is a great way for the young and old to get off the beaten tracks and away from the crowded slopes. Aside from being good fun, snowshoeing is also a diverse sport that can be either a gentle stroll above the tree line, enjoying the flora and fauna, or a challenging hike in the high mountains. For anyone who loves the snow and looking to explore this winter wonderland at a pleasant pace, this is the activity for you.
The snowshoe was already perfected by 4000 BC
by people from Central Asia crossing the land bridge to North America.
Made from a frame of ash covered with leather it was the only means of
traveling by foot across those immense northern forests and plains.
Developed over several thousand years by North American Indians,
snowshoes were quickly adopted by the first white hunters and trappers
to invade these regions - the French in the 16th century.
New
technologies in snowshoeing, particularly of plastic and light metals, and new ideas
of leisure time have brought about a new interest in this ancient
technique. Snowboarders need snowshoes to get to that untracked powder where as skiers would use skins for their skis.
The experience
The experience: Snowshoeing in Chamonix In Chamonix all the guideand accompagnateur(trek leader) companies offer a wide variety of snowshoe experiences
including:
Introductory half-day outings
Full day treks with picnic stop Evening walks - to finish with a traditional meal in a mountain hut or
restaurant. This last one, particularly if done as a FULL MOON trek, is
very popular and the drunken stumble and slide back to your chalet is
great fun.
The essentials If you feel you can find your own way round then the major sports shops all hire snowshoes - "raquettes"
in French. These will cost around 5 euros (£3) a half-day and 8 euros a
day as a rough guide. This price includes the essential ski poles.
Guide books (in
French) are available for ideas of typical routes with difficulties and
times; e.g. "Raquette a Neige, Haute-Savoie" published by Didier
Richard lists 20 routes around Chamonix and 80 routes in total between
Lac Leman (Geneva) and Megeve.
In the Chamonix valley you should try them in:
Vallorcine
La Flatiere/Le Coupeau (opposite Les Houches)
Vaudagne/Charousse (west of Les Houches).
