Words By: Tati Coco
Snowshoeing is a sport that everybody can do. If you think that winter sports are not for you, you are wrong. Snowshoeing is a really accessible sport to everyone and you will find all levels from easy tracks on flat land, to very hard tracks climbing high mountains. But there are very important factors to consider: the dangers in the mountain, snow, avalanche and extreme weather. So if you are not an expert, go snowshoeing with a guide. A specialist guide can also teach you about risks, wildlife and traditions.
To begin to understand and do snowshoeing, you first need some good ski clothes to keep your body warm. Gloves and hats are obvious choices as well as a good pair of snowshoes. A snowshoe is a kind of footwear for walking over the snow. It is a large pair of shoes which will avoid you from sinking completely into the snow. In the past, snowshoes were used by everybody living in the snowy mountains to move faster and more secure. Today, you can find three types of snowshoes: running, which are small and light; recreational, which are a bit larger for gentle to moderate walks; and finally mountaineering, the largest pairs meant for serious hill climbing. It’s also highly recommended to have trekking poles.
Besides being a really old outdoor activity, snowshoeing is also a healthy way to keep fit in winter or just to practice an easy activity accessible to everyone. It has been found to have beneficial effects on resting heart rate, blood pressure, exercise capacity, maximal oxygen consumption and of course quality of life.
So I had the luck and the opportunity to walk a few days with a guide named Serge Dobias from the Alps. He is an ex-mountain rescuer with more than 200 interventions in avalanche and 20 years of experience. He is also an experimental free ride skier and now that he is a retired military serviceman, he still finds time to share his passion for the mountains. Thereby I decided to have a go with Serge in the Alps. He took me with a few other people to a place called Peisey-Nancroix where we walked for five hours and we learned about wildlife and he tells us anecdotes about the big avalanche of 1995 in which 12 people were found alive after the avalanche crushed their houses. Serge is never alone; he is always accompanied by Vautan, a very friendly and intelligent German shepherd rescue dog able to quickly find anybody smashed under the snow after an avalanche.
As soon as I did my first paces into the virgin snow, my mind started to feel the silent mountain, the shy birds, the infinity of time in life. Your mind embarks in a kind of time-lapse along with a deep peace inside your soul. All you can see is the gorgeous white mountain offering you the best view and an endless blanket of snow. To top it all off, a few doe and chamois were grazing while some rested on the autumn grass. At some point, the mountain climb was long and slow, with the shoes deep in the snow, trying to find an easy way to get out from its heavy cover. My heart rate increased and felt the snow falling and sliding on my cheeks, cold and wet, but it wasn’t a problem. This expedition was simply stunning and the scenic views and cliffs have attracted and captivated me all throughout the walk. One of the prominent peaks was dominating the entire valley and Serge’s stories – the sound of the snow cracking under my feet were all just like the song of an angel.
As always I strongly invite you to try this activity, to connect with wildlife and try new adventures.
