# What is snowshoeing, and is it easy for beginners? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/what-is-snowshoeing/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Movement · Updated: 2026-10-14 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Snowshoeing is winter walking with wide, light frames strapped to your boots, so you float on the snow instead of sinking in. If you can walk, you can snowshoe, and on marked, groomed snowshoe trails it is one of the easiest winter sports to start, usually with hired kit. Away from marked trails you may be in avalanche terrain, where you need to read the avalanche bulletin, carry rescue kit (in Italy the law can require it) and ideally go with a guide. Snowshoeing, *le ciaspole* to Italians, is the winter sport for people who don't fancy going fast downhill. You walk through snowy woods and across white meadows, in silence apart from the crunch underfoot, and arrive at a hut for a bowl of something hot. No lift pass, no queue, no lessons in falling over gracefully. ## How it works Modern snowshoes are light frames with a binding for your boot and a decking that spreads your weight across the snow. Many have metal teeth underneath for grip on slopes, and many have a heel bar you can flip up to make climbing more comfortable. You walk with a slightly wider stance than usual, so the shoes don't knock together, and use poles for balance. That is more or less the technique. The first ten minutes feel like walking in flippers; after that, you forget about it. ## Is it easy for beginners? On the right terrain, yes. Many winter resorts and valleys have marked snowshoe trails, signposted and maintained, often starting from a car park or a lift and ending somewhere with hot chocolate. These are ideal for a first outing: - **Hire the kit** from a sports shop in the resort. Shoes and poles are inexpensive to rent. - **Wear winter hiking boots** or warm, waterproof boots that fit the bindings. - **Dress in layers**, because you will warm up quickly when moving and cool down fast when you stop. - **Pick a short loop** on a marked trail and turn it into a half day with lunch. - **Ask the tourist office or hire shop** which routes are open and suitable. Snowshoeing in deep, fresh snow is much harder work than walking on a packed trail, so expect to go slower than you would on the same path in summer. ## Avalanche awareness Here is the serious bit. Snowshoes take you easily into places that look like gentle winter walks but are, in fact, avalanche terrain: open slopes, gullies, the bottoms of steep faces. This is a summary of official guidance in our own words, not a substitute for training or a guide. - **Read the avalanche bulletin.** In the Italian Alps, regional bulletins are gathered by [AINEVA](https://aineva.it/), the association of the Alpine regions and provinces, and use the five-level European avalanche danger scale, from 1 (*debole*) to 5 (*molto forte*). AINEVA notes that most avalanche victims are people doing ski touring and off-piste activities, which is exactly the terrain snowshoers can wander into. - **Know the law where you are.** In Italy, Article 26 of [Legislative Decree 40/2021](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2021-02-28;40~art26) requires people doing ski touring, off-piste skiing or excursions in particular snowy environments, including on snowshoes, to carry an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe where snow and weather conditions create a risk of avalanches. - **Carrying the kit is not enough.** It is only useful if you and your companions know how to use it, which means training. - **Go with a guide** if you want to leave marked trails. Mountain guides and qualified leaders run snowshoe outings that choose terrain to match the day's conditions. - **Stick to marked, open snowshoe trails** if you are not trained. In Switzerland, the federal risk activities ordinance treats snowshoe tours on marked and open snowshoe trails differently from more demanding routes, which tells you something about where the line lies. ## If something goes wrong In Italy, the alpine rescue service CNSAS advises calling 118, or 112 where it is in use, and asking for mountain rescue, then explaining what happened, where you are and what the weather is doing. Set off with a fully charged phone and keep it in an inside pocket. ## FAQ ### Do I need special boots for snowshoeing? Not usually. Warm, waterproof winter boots with a firm sole work with most hire bindings. Avoid soft trainers, which leave your feet cold and wet. ### Are poles necessary? They help a great deal with balance, especially on slopes and in deep snow. Hire shops usually include them. Our page on [trekking poles](https://zestasy.com/wiki/trekking-poles/) explains adjusting the length. ### Is snowshoeing easier than cross-country skiing? For a first day, yes: there is almost nothing to learn. [Cross-country skiing](https://zestasy.com/wiki/cross-country-skiing/) has a steeper learning curve but more glide and speed once you get it. ### Can I take children snowshoeing? Yes, on short marked trails, with child-sized snowshoes from the hire shop. Keep it short, warm and full of snacks, and turn back while everyone is still smiling. ## Sources - [AINEVA: home page](https://aineva.it/) - [AINEVA: Scala europea del pericolo valanghe](https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/scala-europea-del-pericolo-valanghe/) - [Normattiva: Decreto legislativo 28 febbraio 2021, n. 40, art. 26](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2021-02-28;40~art26) - [Swiss Federal Council (admin.ch): Ordonnance sur les activités à risque, provisional text](https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/51833.pdf) - [CNSAS (Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico): La richiesta di soccorso](https://www.cnsas.it/richiesta-di-soccorso/) ## Related - [Is cross-country skiing easier than downhill skiing?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/cross-country-skiing/) - [How do you stay active when it's cold and dark?](https://zestasy.com/movement/staying-active-in-winter/) - [Can you learn to ski as an adult?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/learning-to-ski-as-an-adult/) - [Are trekking poles worth it?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/trekking-poles/) - [What is a rifugio, and how do you plan a hut-to-hut hike?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/what-is-a-rifugio/) - [All Movement answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#movement)