I'm Going Snowshoeing: Do I Need a Guide?

So you've bought your snowshoes, practised strapping them on and are ready to head backcountry! Should you take a guide with you?

As a snowshoe guide, I get asked this question a lot. Generally, the answer goes like this: if you have to ask, then these answer's usually yes - you need to employ a guide. You know you're ready when you have measured your experience, knowledge and skills against a common yardstick. For me, that involves being an active member of an alpine Search and Rescue group, who are called on by police to assist in bush and alpine searches. My involvement and training with my peers reinforces and affirms what I know and what I can do and, more importantly, what I don't know and what I can't do. It's all about knowing your capabilities and knowing your limits.

Snowshoeing is basically bushwalking in the backcountry, so requires all the usual backcountry skills, such as navigation, first aid, etc as does bushwalking, with the additional requirement of knowledge of the intricacies of the alpine environment. That subject alone can take up a whole book!

Entering the alpine backcountry in winter is a serious proposition and should not be under estimated. The risks for the inexperienced and un(der)prepared are many: getting lost in a whiteout; hypothermia; enforced bivouac; and depending on the terrain you're in, potentially fatal slips down long icy slopes, to say nothing of cornice collapses and slab avalanches! And that's just here in Victoria, Australia. Until you are confident with your own ability to assess and mitigate these risks and ensure your safety and those of your group, you should seek out the services of an experienced snowshoe guide.

That way you can ensure you have a fun time snowshoeing the backcountry and most of all, will do so safely. That post snowshoe schnapps or beer is so much more enjoyable when you're not wearing plaster!

See you out there!

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How Easy is this Snowshoeing Thing Anyway?

It might sound like a cliché but if you can walk, you can snowshoe. Yes, it's that easy!

Guiding people snowshoeing opens your eyes to what a brilliant activity snowshoeing is for getting people out and about in the snow. Coming from a ski touring background, I was always aware of the need to build a solid skiing skills base before heading backcountry. With snowshoeing, after a few little pointers, you can strap them on your feet and head on out. Technical skills really only come into it when negotiating steep icy terrain, and traversing steeper slopes - these require a few skills to perform safely, so beginners should stay away from steep icy terrain, which should really be obvious to most of us!

To find out whether snowshoeing is for you, consult the following checklist:

Want to reconnect with nature? aCheck
Want to do something that keeps you fit? a Check
Want a break from the hustle and bustle of your ski resort? a Check
Want to see the snow up close and personal? a Check
Don't want to risk hurting yourself? a Check
Looking for a new fun way to lose weight this winter? a Check
Want a fun activity to do outdoors with friends? a Check

And there you have it. Snowshoeing ticks all the boxes.

In my next post, I'll talk about the need for a guide or relevant backcountry skills to ensure your safety out there.

Thanks for reading!

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