Snowshoe Advice

[Altheau]

Anyone got some? I want some to stomp around in while my BF is touring, this way I can hang out with him while not having to **** out for the touring gear (as I can not affort it and do not ski well enough for it either, but I can walk ;p)

Salamon ones where recommended by the guys at wilderness sports, but I have been looking at some on the net also, mainly atlas like these ones
Do you guys use gaiters as well?

Thanks


Mod note: please do not post links to overseas online stores.

[ 14.08.2008, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Paul Oberin ]

[Caboose]

nah don't bother with gaiters - have 3ply water proof pants and snowboarding boots on

but if you are wearing hiking shoes you might want the gaiters

if you are only doing touring and don't need to climb super steep stuff then get something easy going like the yowies

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/yowie.jpg

heard good things about Tubbs

http://www.home2garden.org/images/tubbs-snowshoes.jpg

if you are climbing steeper stuff or icey you need something with teeth

you can't go past MSR Ascents

http://static.backcountry.com/images/items/medium/CAS/CAS0341.jpg

or what i have MSR Lightning Ascents

http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/05/18/mens_msr_lightning_ascent_25_snowshoes_reviews_596 865_300.jpg

[John Deere]

Or, get touring gear and improve your skiing ;)

Touring is easy and makes far more sense if you already ski than snow shoeing....in the end the cost wont be much different to snow shoes.

You could get something called "Alpine Trekkers" they will clip into your current ski's and then all you need is skins!

You dont even have to improve your skiing, just play on the gentler slopes while the hard core people hit the steeps!

[Caboose]

nah skiings ghey .....

although in saying that snowshoing is stupid hard work if you can ski

[skijacski]

JD, Alpine Trekkers weigh a tonne!

Altheau, I have 3 sets of Tubbs snowshoes if you would like to borrow a set!

You must also use poles, as poles take up 30% of the energy and give you balance when you are going up steep sections.

If you would like to try ATing, I also have the gear (a few sets) and would be happy to give you an intro into it!

Last year I took a beginner to DHG and she loved it, it showed her another way of getting out there without the horror of people, runnaway skiers etc.

So here is your intro for both snowshoing and BC.

[skijacski]

Originally posted by Caboose:
nah skiings ghey .....

although in saying that snowshoing is stupid hard work if you can ski Boose! It is still a better option than not being on the snow, I sometimes just go snowshoeing when my legs are absolutely stuffed from skiing or the snow is terrible in the resort etc, etc.

It actually gives you another aspect of the world we live in and you can get up close to those things we/I normally whizz by.

Plus's and minus'

[Caboose]

see you have the luxury of being at the snow all winter and having down days (time off)

i don't have that luxury :(

[skijacski]

Boose, you need to make some life changes!

graemlins/penguin.gif graemlins/penguin.gif graemlins/penguin.gif

[ 06.08.2008, 06:01 PM: Message edited by: skijacski ]

[Caboose]

ummm +1 would dis-own me if i spent more time at the snow ......

[skijacski]

Hmmm, now that is a problem.

My +1 begged me to learn to ski, it took 5 years of begging.

Boy oh Boy, he let the dragon loose, he now sulks most of the time as I am up skiing most days!

Maybe you should think about doing something similar. Private lessons, wine and dine, .....

The list goes on.

[John Deere]

Alpine Trekkers are a better option than snow shoes as you don't have to whack ur skis on ur back if you decide you want to ski!

Snow shoes make no sense for a skier, they are tools of boarders.

[skijacski]

No, no, no.... no

I use them apres skiing JD, you either ski or you snowshoe, not both.

[Altheau]

Thanks for the advice guys =]
Also thanks skijacski for the generous offer, it means alot to lend someone your gear smile.gif I am not sure when I will be up next (as money is a bit tight after a few to many weekends skiing in a row ;p ) but I might take you up on the offer

As for the whole ski thing, well maybe I should have rephrased it in that I am not overly confident yet. I am still slower then all my friends on groomed runs (my bf is always waiting for me :( cause he is awesome ) I do not think it would be responsible or fair of me to go touring until I can keep up in a resort. Also snowshoeing means that just me and him can go when others are not available and I might actually be able to do something if there is a problem, rather then being one myself ;p


As for price, alot of them seem to range from 200 to 500. If I was going to go At then I think I would need new skis for a start as the ones I have are beginner groomer skis (they are certainly not designed for AT) so new skis plus bindings etc would be more and can wait till next year some time possibly :D

[Caboose]

only gotta dodge the trees BC, plenty of mellow runs

and Hugging trees is good

or so talking koalas tell me ....

[Caboose]

Originally posted by skijacski:
Hmmm, now that is a problem.

My +1 begged me to learn to ski, it took 5 years of begging.

Boy oh Boy, he let the dragon loose, he now sulks most of the time as I am up skiing most days!

Maybe you should think about doing something similar. Private lessons, wine and dine, .....

The list goes on. been there done that bought the t-shirt

plus funds are (always) tight

she is a trooper - i will have to spend some dollars on accomodation soon to temp her down more often

this season has been the coldest ever in jindy graemlins/cold.gif graemlins/snow.gif

[Podlettte]

Altheau,

If you want to give it a go before you buy, I can vouch for Sjs's lack of axe murderer capacity, I bought my blue AT boots from her earlier in the year. We even made it out of her apartment ok ;) :D

JD, while I understand what you are saying, Altheau is a fairly new skier, so although I think the alpine trekkers might seem a good solution, I think the snow shoe solution might be a better one for Altheau right now.

She can correct me if she thinks I'm wrong of course! :D

[Altheau]

I agree 100% pods, and I need to be careful to not push myself to hard to early and overface myself (which is why I have very low confidence in horse riding) and just launch into things. I am the kind of person who will learn faster and go better if I can push out of my comfort zone 1 step at a time ;p

I have lost that fear I had of new areas and I don't want it back again smile.gif

[Caboose]

i reckon riding BC is less intimidating

no punters flying out of know where to clean you up

on a good day snow can be so sweet, no noise, no crowds

enjoy snowshoeing

i recommend catching the Kosi chair up at threaders and hiking from there will save you a lot of effort, but anywhere is :cool:

have fun

[John Deere]

Skinning is as easy or easier than snow shoeing, and with trekkers, you won't need to change skis ;)

These things always seem to progress from an "i want to walk around in fresh snow" to "i want to ski it" rather quickly.

If funds are tight, why waste money on snow shoes when trekkers will acheive your initial outcome, plus develop a skill that you may wish to use in the future, for less than the cost of snowshoes.

Just a thought.

[skijacski]

I like that "Axe murderer" must mention it to +1.

Alth - I learnt in my first year of skiing, and it is not a fast thing to do, just like a walk in the bush - slow and observing.

There is no way on this world I will ski fast like the boys! Even on the groomed runs!

You don't need to start with special boots until you have tried it and want a pair, your down hill boots are fine. The skis that you use are ones that you prefer, I have MissDemeanors, MissBehaved, Phatluvs, but I use these for USA powder, and Pocket Rockets. Use them from the front of the mountain to the back. Only difference is the binding. I use Fristchi Diamir Freeride Plus, which Paul from pauls ski shop sells.

So, so, so nice and easy! You walk up the mountain, and across the plain, and then you gently ski down!

I do love being outback.

[BlueHue]

Originally posted by Caboose:
ummm +1 would dis-own me if i spent more time at the snow ...... my +1 would disown me if I spent less time at the snow.

[Podlettte]

Damn straight! :D

[SDJ]

i used the Ocean & Earth snoeshoes. they were ok i hired them for $30 from Rythm @ Cooma for the weekend with poles included. might be a good way to see if u really want to snowshoe cause i gotta say if your shoeing in a lot of fresh thigh deep snow its far from fun that is untill your sliding back down. i cant comment on AT skiing but alls i know is that next time i go BC im keen to try a split board instead of shoes

[skijacski]

Too expensive that one!

[BrumbyJack]

They are all too expensive!!! My Louis Garneau Ergo Trails cost me $150 in Canada and I love them... They are pretty similar to the MSR ones Caboose posted, they have teeth.

You don't HAVE to use poles, but it helps.

I don't use them normally and I run around on my snowshoes. If I was doing a long trek I would definitely use them.

I walked from one end of Falls Creek to the other last year, carrying a snowboard bag with one arm in a sling and managed OK without poles.

Just use your downhill poles.

[Altheau]

I am not sure why these you think the atlas + poles are to expensive, I was pretty sure that the tubbs that I saw at winderness sports where $300 and bags are $55, and poles are $100+ (for the extendable ones) so that is at least $455ish

I tried some MSRs on the weekend and they where really good, I liked it, it was easy while still giving my a good workout, I used long pole and my downhill poles at diffrent times with them and can definatly see the bonus of the adjustable ones (as sometimes the long poles where great, but other times they where to long, and vis versa for the downhill poles) So I am hoping to try some more types (such as MSRs which have the plastic body thing going, as apposed to tubed ones like the tubbs and Atlas)

=]

Mod Note: Trying to promote buying in oz on SW....thanks smile.gif

[ 14.08.2008, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: John Deere ]

[skijacski]

Sometimes you can find them in the sales around the resorts here at a good price. Or when a resort is selling its hire gear.

I don't mind buying in Australia, but i do mind paying more than 3 times what it is suppose to be.

Mod Note: Please keep references to overseas purchase out. Thanks.

[ 14.08.2008, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: John Deere ]

[bowden]

i am a boarder and would like to know if any body can say confidently that a split board and skins are better or worse than your regular board and shoes?

[John Deere]

Whilst I dont board, I dont think you could say one is better than the other categorically. In icy conditions (lots of the time in oz) I would say snow shoes are better, but in powder a split would be better IMO.

[Coopski]

Also time out back and $$$ would come into that. Good shoes with enough float a great traction are much cheaper than a splitboard and skins. I know if it were me and I planned to do lots of BC with the occasional resort trip then a splitboard might be a good option. However if it was 90% resort and the occasional trip out then I would stick to a regular board and hire/buy shoes. Just my thoughts.
Perhaps the guys from cornice store would be best to comment on this one :-)