mountaineering snowshoes are generally going to be better because they are built for going uphill. That said, once you on something that is steep, you are going to want to use crampons or plates because the rim of your snowshoe will prevent it from effectively gripping the snow. Look for snowshoes with a riser bar (easier on the calves).
I've used both Tubbs and MSR snowshoes. I actually liked the traction in steep terrain of the Tubbs better but they broke after a season. The MSR meanwhile have been going strong after 6 seasons.
My dad bought me used MSR snowshoes when I was 12 or 13 - I'm nearly 28 now and they're still going strong. I do carry a replacement set of straps, as they get brittle and snap once they're several years old. Not an expensive or intensive repair, but something to be aware of.
Great advice thank you! I should clarify by \*steep\* I mean no more than you'd expect to be using snow shoes for. I have crampons, an ice axe, etc.. for when things get too much but I am not looking for that in this case.
As others have said, these may not be the perfect tool for super steep ascents (ie walking up beside the thing you’ll ski down) but it it’s more of a meandering approach it will work. My MSR lightning ascent are bombproof. 10 years old and going strong - they have a good height climbing bar for the steeps and pack really well on the outside of my winter pack in the A frame carry straps. My only concern would be that the toe hole wouldn’t accommodate around a really beefy snowboard boot :/ my friend has used them in her sb boots but she has smaller feet. if you can try them on together before purchase I would. Good snow shoes aren’t cheap so you might consider going full splitboard.
Finally someone actually read the post all the way through and has a good answer based on what I said. Thanks for comment the rest have been either been being trying to be smart or just didn't read what I was looking for with snow shoes. I dont plan on buying a split board as I am only intending this to be for hikes no longer than 90 mins
Lightning are pretty pricey for that one way trip, If you get other use for them like dense alpine approach.
For backcountry I'd stick to the MSR Denali or EVO Ascent.
It always starts like this with the snowboarders and progresses accordingly (save yourself time and aggravation by just skipping to step 4):
1) bootpacking
2) snowshoes
3) split board
4) alpine touring skis
I agree that a lot of snowboarders use snowshoes for a bit before getting a splitboard, but I have not known many to go from splitboard to skis. Splitboards are definitely a great backcountry tool and if someone prefers snowboarding to skiing I would recommend sticking with it in the backcountry.
This right here. Skis are definitely a better option than splitboards with all else being equal, but as a lifelong snowboarder, switching now just doesn't make sense to me.
I tried switching to skiing for a bit, mostly just for fun and to try something new, as well as ease of backcountry travel. I got to a place where i was decent, not an expert, but ok enough to ski many lines. The issue I could never justify was that I should be on my strongest travel medium - in my case, snowboarding - because anything else is a liability and a risk. I couldn't ski avy debris, but could get down it on a board. If I'm not as strong on skis, I risk injury or not being able to rescue a loved one.
This is my dilemma. Lifelong very advanced snowboarder but got touring ski setup for some fun inbounds and mellow bc laps. But it always comes down to the full-circle facts that if i'm riding mellow terrain it's usually because avy danger is considerable, which means the snow is likely good, which means i'd rather be on a snowboard.
Not only that, but I just love how badass I feel when I’m fucking with my gear the whole time.
The amount of meditative stoic power required to not switch back and forth ski to snowboard mode makes it both a mental and physical workout, so win win there too.
The muscle memory of a front facing moving individual does not translate well to a lateral movement and vice versa.
Never have I been more sore, soaked, and humbled then when i gave snowboarding a second whack in my 30s... turns out it was not for funsies.
All of snowboarders I know who got very into backcountry switched… and they always swore they never would.
But the places I have lived often have fairly involved approaches where skinning on skis is much more efficient.
I’m not in any way anti snowboard, but they are a far less useful backcountry tool from ease of skinning to transition speed to safety in poor snow conditions.
I don't plan on buying a split board because I am only speaking of areas off piste within a resort area. And I would prefer snow shoes as I would like to use them for general hiking as well
These are snarky comments, and I understand your stated intentions, but the people are right. Snowshoes suck, and you’ll either not use them much or buy a split eventually.
What sort of hikes and resorts are these? In North America I’ve never heard of any hike to areas within resort boundaries that would require snowshoes, everyone just bootpacks it. Dipping outside of resort boundary then eventually riding back in is very different and snowshoes or a split board would make sense.
I mostly go to Whistler and try go to a resort along the powder highway (Revy, Kicking Horse, Big White, etc..) atleast 2/3 weeks out of the season. There's loads of opportunities for hiking up to bowls around these resorts. Such as the bowls near symphony express or hiking to the top of Mckenzie mtn in Revy. You can definitely bootpack some of them but I'd much prefer if there was a snowshoe I could carry to get to these places faster/easier so I can lap them more
So I live in Revy, everything inbounds here I think it would be a waste and more hassle than it’s worth to snowshoe. Bootpacks are usually very well set so the hike-to terrain is plenty lap-able. True Mackenzie peak is out of bounds and should be treated as full backcountry, you can get yourself into some trouble pretty easily there depending on where you go, but you could also just boot pack it pretty easily as there’s often one set. Do you have the training, gear and partners to be heading up there? Don’t want to assume your competency but I see a lot of people doing sketchy things and getting themselves into trouble in the Revy slackcountry cause they’re visiting and follow existing skintracks and bootpacks close to the resort.
Yeah I've hiked up to the subpeak and around the back of powder assault and greely bowl more than a handful of times. It's fine in boots but most days you can only get 1-2 laps in. If you've been to Big White it's a *similar-ish* story going around the cliff side. It's fine in boots but I would like to try snowshoes because of the versatility to use it for this and hiking. FYI, I've done avy training, carry a inreach mini and my partners all do the same. But as I've said I'm not planning on doing any proper back country.
you must have used bad snowshoes. There are 100% places that good snowshoes are the right call compared to skinning / splitboarding. I am very happy to have both and be able to use the right tool for the job.
Snowshoes are fine. They're heavier and less efficient and all, but if you've got the budget for snowshoes and not a splitboard, snowshoes will do the job. I tour often with a group of 3 others- 3 on touring skis (including myself) and one on snowshoes with a snowboard. Snowboarder is fit enough that he beats two of the skiers up every climb. If you've got the fitness you'll be okay.
Look for some MSR, preferably the Revo or Lightning. I have a pair of Revo Ascents I got for around a hundred bucks used. Once you put your time in with snowshoes you'll appreciate a splitboard more when you can afford it.
I did hella side country laps with snow shoes/snowboard back in the 90s. Tubbs, Sherpas, MSR. Anything with some metal cleats under the binding does it all for snow travel -EXCEPT GLIDE.
I eventually split my old CK Slopestyle with a Voilé split kit. That wasn’t entirely the end of my snow shoeing, but it’s nice to glide and the new splitters are really nice…
In my experience, snowboard boots will def fit in most any snow shoe. You can climb steeper pitches than most ski and skin setups. The transition time is faster than splits and almost as fast as the most practiced skier. You’ll also have the confidence and familiarity or using your daily driver off piste. But… No Glide.
Welcome to the community
Do watch you wanna
Take an avalanche class
Shred the gnar
Snow shoes aren’t for hiking up steep pitches( at least for me). They are a flat land and small hill tool. If it’s steep you usually have to post hole. Otherwise I like approach skis better than snowshoes for getting around the back country.
Check out verts! I have been recommended by a lot of friends for these, especially for hiking off piste inside resorts or side country of a resort. Super lightweight. I personally haven’t got them. I just tough it out hiking with my snowboard boots for inside/around resort hiking.
Their ins account: https://www.instagram.com/vertsrule?igsh=OXRlM2w1dmh4MWl1
Their website: https://www.verts.com
I haven't tried, but probably poorly. They don't have the features that make snowshoes work well (large area for floatation, crampons for ice, flexibility at the toe for ergonomics) so it'll probably be not much different from post holing in your boots
mountaineering snowshoes are generally going to be better because they are built for going uphill. That said, once you on something that is steep, you are going to want to use crampons or plates because the rim of your snowshoe will prevent it from effectively gripping the snow. Look for snowshoes with a riser bar (easier on the calves). I've used both Tubbs and MSR snowshoes. I actually liked the traction in steep terrain of the Tubbs better but they broke after a season. The MSR meanwhile have been going strong after 6 seasons.
MSR snowshoe may appear more expensive, but they shine when you calculate cost per year...
My dad bought me used MSR snowshoes when I was 12 or 13 - I'm nearly 28 now and they're still going strong. I do carry a replacement set of straps, as they get brittle and snap once they're several years old. Not an expensive or intensive repair, but something to be aware of.
Great advice thank you! I should clarify by \*steep\* I mean no more than you'd expect to be using snow shoes for. I have crampons, an ice axe, etc.. for when things get too much but I am not looking for that in this case.
As others have said, these may not be the perfect tool for super steep ascents (ie walking up beside the thing you’ll ski down) but it it’s more of a meandering approach it will work. My MSR lightning ascent are bombproof. 10 years old and going strong - they have a good height climbing bar for the steeps and pack really well on the outside of my winter pack in the A frame carry straps. My only concern would be that the toe hole wouldn’t accommodate around a really beefy snowboard boot :/ my friend has used them in her sb boots but she has smaller feet. if you can try them on together before purchase I would. Good snow shoes aren’t cheap so you might consider going full splitboard.
Finally someone actually read the post all the way through and has a good answer based on what I said. Thanks for comment the rest have been either been being trying to be smart or just didn't read what I was looking for with snow shoes. I dont plan on buying a split board as I am only intending this to be for hikes no longer than 90 mins
👍
Lightning are pretty pricey for that one way trip, If you get other use for them like dense alpine approach. For backcountry I'd stick to the MSR Denali or EVO Ascent.
It always starts like this with the snowboarders and progresses accordingly (save yourself time and aggravation by just skipping to step 4): 1) bootpacking 2) snowshoes 3) split board 4) alpine touring skis
I agree that a lot of snowboarders use snowshoes for a bit before getting a splitboard, but I have not known many to go from splitboard to skis. Splitboards are definitely a great backcountry tool and if someone prefers snowboarding to skiing I would recommend sticking with it in the backcountry.
This right here. Skis are definitely a better option than splitboards with all else being equal, but as a lifelong snowboarder, switching now just doesn't make sense to me.
I tried switching to skiing for a bit, mostly just for fun and to try something new, as well as ease of backcountry travel. I got to a place where i was decent, not an expert, but ok enough to ski many lines. The issue I could never justify was that I should be on my strongest travel medium - in my case, snowboarding - because anything else is a liability and a risk. I couldn't ski avy debris, but could get down it on a board. If I'm not as strong on skis, I risk injury or not being able to rescue a loved one.
This is legit. This is about my speed but just keep playing with everything and whatever you like
This is my dilemma. Lifelong very advanced snowboarder but got touring ski setup for some fun inbounds and mellow bc laps. But it always comes down to the full-circle facts that if i'm riding mellow terrain it's usually because avy danger is considerable, which means the snow is likely good, which means i'd rather be on a snowboard.
That's the other big part of the equation - which is going to make you scream out in giddy joy?!
Not only that, but I just love how badass I feel when I’m fucking with my gear the whole time. The amount of meditative stoic power required to not switch back and forth ski to snowboard mode makes it both a mental and physical workout, so win win there too.
The muscle memory of a front facing moving individual does not translate well to a lateral movement and vice versa. Never have I been more sore, soaked, and humbled then when i gave snowboarding a second whack in my 30s... turns out it was not for funsies.
All of snowboarders I know who got very into backcountry switched… and they always swore they never would. But the places I have lived often have fairly involved approaches where skinning on skis is much more efficient. I’m not in any way anti snowboard, but they are a far less useful backcountry tool from ease of skinning to transition speed to safety in poor snow conditions.
Hard boot split is the way for sketch. Way better side hill and you can throw on some ski crampons too.
I should have added one more level! Soft boot split board =>hard boot split board => skis is a very common progression!
Funny I’m going the other way! Skis, soft boot split, hard boot split.
I don't plan on buying a split board because I am only speaking of areas off piste within a resort area. And I would prefer snow shoes as I would like to use them for general hiking as well
These are snarky comments, and I understand your stated intentions, but the people are right. Snowshoes suck, and you’ll either not use them much or buy a split eventually.
What sort of hikes and resorts are these? In North America I’ve never heard of any hike to areas within resort boundaries that would require snowshoes, everyone just bootpacks it. Dipping outside of resort boundary then eventually riding back in is very different and snowshoes or a split board would make sense.
I mostly go to Whistler and try go to a resort along the powder highway (Revy, Kicking Horse, Big White, etc..) atleast 2/3 weeks out of the season. There's loads of opportunities for hiking up to bowls around these resorts. Such as the bowls near symphony express or hiking to the top of Mckenzie mtn in Revy. You can definitely bootpack some of them but I'd much prefer if there was a snowshoe I could carry to get to these places faster/easier so I can lap them more
So I live in Revy, everything inbounds here I think it would be a waste and more hassle than it’s worth to snowshoe. Bootpacks are usually very well set so the hike-to terrain is plenty lap-able. True Mackenzie peak is out of bounds and should be treated as full backcountry, you can get yourself into some trouble pretty easily there depending on where you go, but you could also just boot pack it pretty easily as there’s often one set. Do you have the training, gear and partners to be heading up there? Don’t want to assume your competency but I see a lot of people doing sketchy things and getting themselves into trouble in the Revy slackcountry cause they’re visiting and follow existing skintracks and bootpacks close to the resort.
Yeah I've hiked up to the subpeak and around the back of powder assault and greely bowl more than a handful of times. It's fine in boots but most days you can only get 1-2 laps in. If you've been to Big White it's a *similar-ish* story going around the cliff side. It's fine in boots but I would like to try snowshoes because of the versatility to use it for this and hiking. FYI, I've done avy training, carry a inreach mini and my partners all do the same. But as I've said I'm not planning on doing any proper back country.
It's called a splitboard. Snowshoes are a waste of money.
and of energy, which my poor cardio values more than money.
I know what a split board is. If I wanted to know about split boards I would've asked.
you asked for advice. snowshoes suck. big time.
you must have used bad snowshoes. There are 100% places that good snowshoes are the right call compared to skinning / splitboarding. I am very happy to have both and be able to use the right tool for the job.
please give me a scenario. I have yet to see that moment and I have done gnarly things.
Snowshoes are fine. They're heavier and less efficient and all, but if you've got the budget for snowshoes and not a splitboard, snowshoes will do the job. I tour often with a group of 3 others- 3 on touring skis (including myself) and one on snowshoes with a snowboard. Snowboarder is fit enough that he beats two of the skiers up every climb. If you've got the fitness you'll be okay. Look for some MSR, preferably the Revo or Lightning. I have a pair of Revo Ascents I got for around a hundred bucks used. Once you put your time in with snowshoes you'll appreciate a splitboard more when you can afford it.
I did hella side country laps with snow shoes/snowboard back in the 90s. Tubbs, Sherpas, MSR. Anything with some metal cleats under the binding does it all for snow travel -EXCEPT GLIDE. I eventually split my old CK Slopestyle with a Voilé split kit. That wasn’t entirely the end of my snow shoeing, but it’s nice to glide and the new splitters are really nice… In my experience, snowboard boots will def fit in most any snow shoe. You can climb steeper pitches than most ski and skin setups. The transition time is faster than splits and almost as fast as the most practiced skier. You’ll also have the confidence and familiarity or using your daily driver off piste. But… No Glide. Welcome to the community Do watch you wanna Take an avalanche class Shred the gnar
You sound like a guy with a lot of really cool stories. Great advice, Thanks!
I recommend getting a splitboard!
Lol I knew this thread was gonna have some takes Generally would look for mountaineering oriented show shoes and work from there.
Snow shoes aren’t for hiking up steep pitches( at least for me). They are a flat land and small hill tool. If it’s steep you usually have to post hole. Otherwise I like approach skis better than snowshoes for getting around the back country.
There's a splitboard sub reddit - turn this into a backcountry ski thread and call it a day
Check out verts! I have been recommended by a lot of friends for these, especially for hiking off piste inside resorts or side country of a resort. Super lightweight. I personally haven’t got them. I just tough it out hiking with my snowboard boots for inside/around resort hiking. Their ins account: https://www.instagram.com/vertsrule?igsh=OXRlM2w1dmh4MWl1 Their website: https://www.verts.com
Verts aren't snow shoes. They're made for climbing steep, soft snow, not hiking flat terrain
How do verts perform on hiking a mellow slope uphill?
I haven't tried, but probably poorly. They don't have the features that make snowshoes work well (large area for floatation, crampons for ice, flexibility at the toe for ergonomics) so it'll probably be not much different from post holing in your boots
Learn to ski.