Snowshoeing for beginners

A retired woman snowshoeing in a beautiful winter landscape.

If you enjoy hiking, you don't have to limit yourself to the warm season. With the right snowshoes, you can easily trek through the winter landscape. To ensure your hiking trip is a complete success, we have prepared five tips for you.

The Right Clothing

The good news is that you need very little equipment to explore the winter landscape. Must-haves include a functional shirt, a down jacket, and ski touring pants. Since you use your own shoes to slip into the snowshoes, it is advisable to choose comfortable footwear. Make sure to choose high shoes so that snow doesn't get in from the top. Gloves and a hat are also essential.

Fitness

A good basic level of fitness is completely sufficient. You can train this through hikes in the summer or autumn.

Technique

You should avoid the stork walk. Instead of lifting the snowshoe high above the snow, it is advisable to simply drag the snowshoes flat over the snow surface and step forward. This will save you much more energy.

Route

To ensure your first attempt is relaxed, it is advisable to avoid heavily frequented routes. Hiking on snow is much more strenuous than a "normal" hike, so plan your capacities accordingly.

The Right Travel Insurance

For your vacation at home, we recommend our Hotel Cancellation Premium, which includes an additional accident coverage package. If you plan your snowshoe hike abroad, our CompleteCover travelinsurance is ideal.