Last updated on September 23rd, 2022 at 11:26 am
People new to snowshoeing, or thinking about taking it on, may find themselves wondering, ‘ how difficult is snowshoeing. After all, trudging through snow wearing giant footwear sounds hard.
Snowshoeing requires more energy than walking and hiking, but the body motions are natural and similar to these activities. For this reason, snowshoeing is relatively easy to pick-up and excel at.
Is Snowshoeing Good for Beginners
First and foremost, snowshoeing isn’t that difficult to learn.
Snowshoeing is pretty basic, especially when compared to several other winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.
In fact, the biggest adjustment is often in getting used to widening your legs a bit more to fit the composite decks of the snowshoes.
Once you have that down, you can count on your instincts and a nice set of poles to pull you through.
Is it Hard to Walk in Snowshoes
Furthermore, it us not hard to walk in snowshoes. Especially once you get the hang of it.
However, it can be difficult to remember not to step backward or try to make tight turns while snowshoeing.
For instance, snowshoers need to embrace large wide turns to move backwards.
We go over other difficulties below like climbing hills and traveling over undesirable snow types.
However, with a properly sized set of trekking poles walking in snowshoeing is easy and enjoyable.
What Can Make Snowshoeing Even Easier?
Additionally, there are several ways to make snowshoeing a bit easier.
Mainly, take it easy on your first outing, wear proper snowshoes, and keep an eye on the type of snow that’s fallen.
RRELATED: What to Wear for Snowshoeing
Plan Ahead and Take it Easy
Since snowshoeing is relatively simple, it is easy to do too much on your first outing.
As a beginner, you shouldn’t try to take on too difficult of terrain.
For instance, a flat bridal trail is best for the first time heading out.
Proper Snowshoes for the Type of Snow Make it Easier
The type of snow determines what kind of snowshoes you put on, and the right pair will make snowshoeing much easier.
- Smaller snowshoes are ideal for wet compact snow
- powdery snow requires larger shoes
Trekking Poles Make Snowshoeing Even Easier
In addition, trekking poles can help you maintain balance when snowshoeing.
Snowshoeing poles should have larger snow baskets rather than narrow-tips. Check out our post on the best snowshoeing poles to see which might make sense for your next outing.
Snowshoeing poles become ideal when the terrain is rough and trails are uneven.
As you might expect, the poles can make snowshoeing a bit easier.
In fact, poles improve balance, give you leverage, and propel you forward.
Plus, you burn even more calories by using your upper body.
RELATED: Do You Need Ski Goggles to Snowshoe?
Additionally, if you are a beginner, you might want to read through our post on the best snowshoes for beginners to get a good feel for the different options.
Hydrate and Fuel Up
Finally, it can be easy to forget to hydrate while hiking and snowshoeing on the trails.
However, not being properly hydrated can directly affect the difficulty of your trip.
Regardless of the cold, snowshoers should drink 1 liter of water per hour.
Plus, eat a good meal and bring energy bars to keep your energy up. Snowshoeing burns a load of calories after all.
Furthermore, staying hydrated will also keep your muscles and joints from cramping and seizing up on the trail.
Is Snowshoeing Easier than Hiking
Additionally, just because snowshoeing isn’t particularly difficult, doesn’t mean it isn’t work. Actually, snowshoeing is a good workout. And, at times it is indeed more difficult than hiking.
In fact, you can use some major energy trekking through the snow on snowshoes.
Snowshoeing burns calories faster than walking, and can even burn calories faster than cross country skiing.
Furthermore, snowshoeing tones the whole body and enhances balance.
However, as with any activity, the amount of calories burnt (and ultimately how difficult the activity is) depends on the speed at which you take the task on, and with how rugged the terrain is.
The faster you walk, and the more rugged your terrain, the more calories you can end up burning.
Although, if you’re traveling over flat ground in deep snow, snowshoeing will be easier than hiking through the same terrain.
How Much Harder is Snowshoeing than Hiking
While the act of snowshoeing can be a walk in the park, there are times when it becomes just a bit more challenging, and extra effort is required.
For example, there are parts of your journey where you’ll expend considerably more effort on snowshoes than hiking.
RELATED: Best Snowshoeing Poles
Snowshoeing can more of a challenge when:
- Traversing stairs and inclines. Since snowshoes are large on your feet, they may feel particularly cumbersome when taking on inclines or stairs.
- Snowshoeing in fresh lightweight snow: Fresh powder is less dense than wet / icy snow. Thus, you will need more fresh powder to support your snowshoes (and you). Fresh snow causes your foot to sink requiring more effort with every step. This can make snowshoeing quite difficult for those just starting out on snowshoes.
- Snow builds up on your shoes: As you keep snowshoeing, snow may begin to build up on the decks of your snowshoe. In turn, this adds weight to your feet, and makes it harder to walk. However, it’s easy to knock it off periodically.
Additionally, to plan an easier / more successful snowshoeing outing, check out our post on how much snow accumulation is required to go snowshoeing.
In fact, knowing what kind of snow is on the ground can ensure your snowshoes work as they were designed.
And, it will prevent you from “bottoming-out” on your snowshoeing adventure.
Additionally, most people struggle with knowing how much clothing to wear when snowshoeing.
For instance, with too much clothing you will start to sweat and get cold faster.
As a result, snowshoeing can get uncomfortable quicker than hiking in the same conditions.
The Final Take
You cannot go wrong if you decide to start snowshoeing.
If you’re looking for a winter sport that presents some challenges but that almost anyone can learn, snowshoeing might just be perfect for you.
In fact, snowshoeing is an incredible sport for outdoor lovers wanting to remain active in the coldest months of the year.
While it doesn’t look easy you’ll likely find that it is pretty straightforward once you take the first steps.
Image Credit: Jay Morrison | (source) | Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) –reduced file size
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