SnowShoeing Breaking Trail
October 5th, 2007On newfallen snow it is necessary for a snowshoer to “break” a trail. This is very exhausting (it may require up to 50% more energy than simply following behind) even on level terrain, and frequently in groups this work is shared among all participants, sometimes in shifts as short as three minutes. It is thus not recommended to snowshoe solo, particularly up a mountain, without a broken route.A trail breaker can improve the quality of the ensuing route by using a technique, similar to the hiking rest step, called “stamping”: pausing momentarily after each step before putting full weight on the foot. This helps smooth the snow underneath and compacts it even better for the next user.
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