- Always warm up before setting out.
- Start the day with a good breakfast but stay home if you’re not feeling well.
- Using snowshoes means you walk without sinking into the snow, so you can reach places that would otherwise be inaccessible. But remember that it can be hard going because the weight of your snowshoes is added to your weight and you use more energy in the cold.
- Snowshoes are easy to use on flat ground, they can be trickier on slopes and downright dangerous on icy terrain.
- Listen to the sound of the snow as you walk and keep your wits about you.
- Wear your avalanche transceiver in “transmit” mode underneath your outer layer of clothing, close to your body over your vest or thermal vest. Don’t stow it in your backpack.
- In winter the snow covers most of the trail markers, so it’s easier to lose your way.
- Don’t follow tracks left by others if you’re not sure where they lead to.
- Remember that summer hiking trails are not always suitable and safe in the winter. The same applies to ski mountaineering trails.
Stick to signposted trails – it’s safer! If you want the thrill of skiing on ungroomed terrain immersed in nature, you must plan ahead and be technically prepared.
If you have limited off-piste experience, it’s a good idea to sign up for a course that gives you a better understanding of snow and snow pack stability and then hire a mountain guide.
Get as much information as you can from guidebooks, books, forecasts and contact tourist offices, local mountain guides or refuges open in the area to find out the conditions of the snow and how busy the trails are. The conditions of the terrain can differ from those of the forecast and even change throughout the day itself, meaning you might have to change your plans. It’s important to know your off-piste companions and their skill level, never go alone and always make sure the technical difficulty is within the capabilities of all members of the group!
As well as a backpack with a topographic map of the area, a change of clothes, sunglasses and sunscreen, you will need snowshoes, crampons and trekking poles. Always carry an avalanche safety kit consisting of a transceiver, shovel and probe, as well as a first aid kit. Attend a course to learn how to use this equipment and how to act in avalanche conditions.
Dress in layers, because the weather and your physical exertion can change during the course of the day. Wear winter hiking boots, waterproof trousers, a jacket (shell), a thin down jacket if it gets very cold and always carry an extra pair of gloves in your backpack.
