Off the slopes, immersed in nature, feel your own breathing, sink your foot into the snow and climb back up not without difficulty and meanwhile move your arms to give yourself momentum, try to compensate for the weights and have a harmonious pace.
The snowshoe mountain is slow, slow, authentic and despite having a history that dates back to prehistory - there are cave illustrations with people moving with snowshoes tied to their shoes - it has been increasingly trendy for a few years.
With winter trekking, which can be at high altitude or even through woods, clearings and along rivers, and alpine or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing is a way to experience the mountains in a more authentic, sustainable way (both for the costs of equipment and both for zero environmental impact) even primordial.
Snowshoeers generally don't like downhill skiing but there's nothing to stop you from doing both.
Loved by people of various ages, especially those aged 50 and over, snowshoeing is increasingly conquering young targets as well as well-known social media personalities.
It is also suitable for beginners because it is essentially a walk with snowshoes on uneven terrain, but you certainly need to be in good health.
"The snowshoeing activity is very complete for the body, from the ankles to the legs, arms and back. It can be practiced from 4 to 85 years old with a minimum of physical fitness. It leads to fewer injuries than skiing due to the lower speed and the lower risk of collision with other people", says Alexandre Thomas, certified in mountaineering, guiding some beginners on the Massif in Haute-Savoie, among the many sporting activities offered by Club Med, one of the largest in Europe.
Snowshoes or snowshoes are attached to common mountain boots, they provide grip on snowy or icy ground, they facilitate climbing and descent which, with the help of the poles, allows you to climb up the mountains at high altitude and enjoy wonderful views, perhaps meet some animals, stop bird watching or taking photographs.
It's you, preferably not alone but in small groups for obvious safety reasons, and the mountain.
You have to be careful obviously but fun and clean breathing are guaranteed.
Snowshoeing, an entirely Italian and now current way to indicate this activity which is a mode of daily mobility for the inhabitants as it was for the soldiers of the various wars, is a term that derives from the famous Ciaspolada sports competition, the quintessential of the Val di Non in winter and which celebrated its first 50 years on 6 January 2024, attracting many visitors.
Invented in this Trentino valley in 1973, it has since become a model to imitate and now snowshoe running competitions are held all over the world.
But the largest one, recognized as a world championship, is La Ciaspolada, in which athletes, families, simple mountain lovers, tourists who want to attend a famous event and party participate;
in addition to the actual race, there is also the non-competitive race open to all which has become a renowned tourist event.
One of the experiences that snowshoeing in the mountains allows is, Alexandre Thomas tells us again that teaching respect for the mountains is almost a mission, the possibility of understanding the snow, its complex and different composition according to the temperature and the weather, and also the signals for the arrival of avalanches.
"When it falls, snow is just ice and air: it is very light and dry. Then, with the influence of the sun and wind, its transformation begins. It gains hardness and density, also depending on the intensity of the frost during the night and cloud cover. When practicing off-piste skiing or snowshoeing - he explains - we find various qualities and textures of snow. It is one of the main pleasures of these activities: walking in all types of snow".
Found on the Gurgler Eisjoch glacier in the Ötztal Alps, not far from Ötzi's discovery site, the oldest snowshoe in the world dating back to the late Neolithic has been preserved at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum since 2023.
The oldest snowshoe known so far, made entirely of birch wood, was built by bending a branch about 1.5 m long into an oval section with a diameter of 32 cm, inside which tie rods were stretched.
A return to the past?
Certainly a recovery but also a full-fledged activity in the contemporary slow mountain trend
Snowshoeing is one of the possibilities on the menu at Club Med Grand Massif Samoëns Morillon located in a ski area in France with 265 km of slopes for all levels.
It is located in Haute-Savoie and overlooks the slopes with a 360-degree view of the mountains and a contemporary design (it opened in 2016) that seeks a balance between chalet tradition and modernity.
Frequented by an international clientele, between January and February over 50% are Brazilians for example, also for connections - one hour and 10 minutes from Geneva airport with desks dedicated to the service and thirty minutes from Cluses train station.
The idea of this brand (symbol of freedom, relaxation and luxury since 1950, quiet luxury we would say today, pioneers of all inclusive as well as inventors of the 'mini club' for children), specifically of the Grand Massif, is to facilitate in any case the stay, traveling light (Rossignol and La Croix equipment are rented), dedicating the locker rooms of the ski room from the moment of arrival, ski passes included at check in, a record in the Premium All Inclusive sector, particularly dedicated to the culinary experience to local food (80%) and to the family with nursery care from newborns aged 4 months up to 17 years.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA