The snow rackets allow us to move easily over snowy surfaces discovering spaces of great scenic beauty in a fun and comfortable way. Winter is coming and the use of snowshoes is essential to progress through the snow comfortably and efficiently through our mountains.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The use of snow rackets As an element to move around, it is not from now but it comes from prehistory. The oldest known snowshoe has been dated between the 3800 and the 3700 a.C., A few ago 5.800 years It was made by bending in a circle a birch branch of 1,5 meters in length and fasten it with some straps that allowed to support the foot.
Some archaeological remains of snowshoes have been found in the central Asian area, so it seems that this was the best way of movement on the snow that the nomadic tribes had. Snowshoes probably made it easier to cross the Bering Strait (between Asia and America), making possible the colonization by the Eurasians of North America.
These ancestors of the Eskimos and Native Americans brought snowshoes on their emigration to North America, extending its use throughout Canada and Alaska.
TYPES OF RACKETS
As we have commented, snowshoes are the easiest way to travel through the snow. A great advantage for snowshoes is learning and handling them. Its handling is very intuitive but, what's more, the wise advice of our mountain guide, if we are lucky enough to be accompanied by one, They will allow us to know different techniques for progress both uphill and downhill.
Before running out to buy a pair of rackets, you will have to catch up on the basics of the structure of a snowshoe. While all snowshoes are based on the same basic structure, there are slight differences in shape., clamping size and shape. A good option is to bring your hiking boots when you go to try on snowshoes to make sure they fit correctly.
Traditionally, snowshoes were constructed with a solid wooden frame wrapped in leather strips to form a sturdy deck that floated on soft snow. This design has evolved to use a lightweight aluminum frame wrapped in plastic or a malleable rubber that is more durable and provides more float..
Most modern snowshoes, from expedition style models to recreational snowshoes, use a traditional frame and deck style construction. further, some brands use variations on the traditional design by integrating sharp rows of teeth into a thin steel frame and incorporating a molded, hard plastic deck.
Nowadays, single snowshoes part They are ideal for their ease of use and easy maintenance as well as light weight.
Regarding the clamping options of our boot, the crampons that leads to townhouses and flexibility of the racket, We find different models that will determine their use from recreational to technical, races or expeditions.
Another factor to take into account will be the weight of the user, as that will determine specific models according to weight ranges established by the manufacturers.
DESTINATIONS IN THE CATALAN PYRENEES FOR RAQUETTES TRIPS
Disfruta de las raquetas de nieve en multitud de lugares. Puedes adecuar la actividad a tu nivel físico y técnico pudiendo realizar sencillos paseos por bosques o alcanzar espectaculares cimas. Una variedad de rutas para todos los gustos y niveles gracias a la gran cantidad y calidad de la nieve.
Cerdaña, Aran Valley, Valle de Boí, Tavascan, Fire cars, Ribagorza
Jose Antonio Nail
TD Media Montaña-Guía UIMLA
TABLE OF DIFFICULTIES
HIKING AND TREKKING: NF / TT
PHYSICAL LEVEL | ||
Unevenness + accumulated | Physical condition | |
* | until 700 m | Normal: sporadic sports practice |
** | until 1200 m | Good: practicing sports regularly |
*** | until 1500 m | Very good: practicing sports regularly |
TYPE OF LAND | |
* | Forest tracks or trails in good condition |
** | Trails in good condition. Presence of rocks and roots that requires attention during the tread |
*** | Obstructed trails, quarries and out of the way |
MOUNTAIN SKIING: NF / NE
PHYSICAL LEVEL | ||
Unevenness + accumulated | Physical condition | |
* | until 700 m | Normal: sporadic sports practice |
** | until 1200 m | Good: practicing sports regularly |
*** | until 1500 m | Very good: practicing sports regularly |
SKI LEVEL | ||
Blachere Scale and Traynard Scale relationship | Ski level | |
* | EM / S1-S2 | Inexperienced or inexperienced in mountaineering skiing that although they go down in parallel on the piste have difficulties in the off-piste descents |
** | EB / S2-S3 | Already started with mastery of the parallel on slopes up to 35 º |
*** | EB-EMB LOW / S4 | With experience who ski on any non-extreme slope (up to 35º-40º) using different descent techniques |
**** | EMB / S4-S5 | With experience who ski on any slope (up to 45º) mastering the queue jump |
Blachére scale according to the technical level of the skier | |
IN | Average skier who can handle moderate and wide slopes of up to 25º |
EB | Good skier, able to face slopes of 30º-35º and difficult snows |
EMB | Very good skier, up to slopes of 40-45º, with exposed steps and snows of all kinds |
EE | Excellent skier: able to face slopes of up to 50º, with obligatory passages somewhat exposed and with snows of all kinds |
EX | Extreme skier, able to face slopes of more than 50º, with highly exposed obligatory passages and snow of all kinds |
Traynard scale | |
S1 | Low slopes with ease for turning. Very suitable areas for off-piste initiation |
S2 | Low slopes or moderate slopes (up to 25º) but with room for turning and without obstacles. |
S3 | Moderate slope (up to 35º). No difficulty in all types of snow. Downhills that can be considered accessible to good or very good skiers |
S4 | Slope maintained higher up to 45º in terrain with little exposure and between 35º-40º in exposed terrain, narrow and bound. |
S5 | Very strong slopes, inclination greater than 45º-50º, very obligatory terrain and with exposure. Forbidden to fall! |
S6 | Maintained incline greater than 50º on exposed terrain or more than 55º on little exposed terrain. |
S7 | More of 60 º, very exposed |
CLIMBING: NC / NT
COMMITMENT LEVEL | |
Commitment level | Description |
* | Short itinerary, not far away, easy descent. |
** | Longer itinerary with certain objective hazards, easy descent. Less than half a day of climbing. |
*** | Wide itinerary in need of good mountaineering experience. Long approach and tricky descent. At least half a day of climbing or a full day. |
**** | Long itinerary on a great wall; delicate course and exposed to objective dangers on the ascent and on the approach. Difficult withdrawal, track not equipped, difficult descent. The rope must have an excellent level of competence. At least half a day of climbing or a full day. |
TECHNICAL LEVEL | |
Difficulty graduation | Description |
III | Fucking, you have to use your hands but prey abounds. |
IV / VI * | Land where you already have to use the rope. |
V / V * | Difficult climbing requiring systematic belaying. |
6a / 6a + | Difficult climbing requiring systematic belaying. |
6b/6b+ | Difficult climbing requiring systematic belaying. |
* If there is any part of the route that must be progressed in artificial climbing we will add this classification:
A0. We hold on to the safety and surpass ourselves in order to progress. We do not use stirrups.
A1 Easy artificial. The sites are usually simple and solid.
A2 Moderate artificial. Sites are typically strong, but they can be delicate and arduous to place. Normally there are one or two locations that only support the weight of our body.
VIAS FERRATAS: NC / NT
COMMITMENT LEVEL | |
Commitment level | Description |
* | Short itinerary, not far away, easy descent. |
** | Longer itinerary with certain objective hazards, easy descent. |
*** | Wide itinerary in need of a good experience in the mountains. Long approach and tricky descent. |
**** | Long itinerary on a great wall; delicate course and exposed to objective dangers on the ascent and on the approach. Difficult withdrawal, track not equipped, difficult descent. The rope must have an excellent level of competence. |
TECHNICAL LEVEL | |
Difficulty graduation | Description |
K1 | Easy |
K2 | Little difficult |
K3 | Something difficult |
K4 | Hard |
K5 | Very difficult |
K6 | Extremely difficult |
* Additionally, the French scale could be added:
The French scale, inspired by the graduation mode of the classic alpine routes, dispose of 6 different levels of difficulty of F a ED on a scale of easy a extremely difficult. The main difference with the escala Hüsler is that intermediate levels are also accepted here indicated with the symbol (+) superior o (-) inferior, like in the climbing.
Easy | Little difficult | Quite difficult | Hard | Very difficult | Extremely difficult |
F | PD | AD | D | TD | ED |
*Clarifying that the extremely difficult level does not mean that it is so difficult as to put the human capacity to the limit, but it defines the most difficult itineraries that exist.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING: NF/ NT
PHYSICAL LEVEL | ||
Unevenness + accumulated | Physical condition | |
* | until 700 m | Normal: sporadic sports practice |
** | until 1200 m | Good: practicing sports regularly |
*** | until 1500 m | Very good: practicing sports regularly |
TECHNICAL LEVEL | |
Difficulty graduation | Description |
F: Easy | Slopes (of rock, snow and / or ice) with moderate slopes, always lower than 45%, that are promoted progressing (in snow sometimes with ice ax). Easy climbs up to grade II. Some sections of glacier with crevasses. Experienced mountaineers can ascend without rope. |
PD: Little difficult | Slopes (of rock, snow and / or ice) with steep slopes always higher than 45%, although they walk up. Narrow, aerial ridges and ridges. Climbing of some difficulty, up to III degree. Cracked glaciers. The use of the rope may be necessary on more than one occasion. |
AD: Something difficult | Long earrings (of rock, snow and / or ice) with steep slopes always higher than 50%, although they can walk up. Narrow, aerial ridges and ridges. Climbs of moderate difficulty even on vertical terrain, grades III and IV. Very cracked and complicated glaciers. Mandatory use of rope. Only for experienced mountaineers. |
D: Hard | Maintained climbing, so much in rock (frequent IVº), ice or snow |
MD: Very difficult. (TD in France) | Difficult technical ascents and climbs on any type of terrain, being able to reach up to the Vº degree of classic climbing. Considerable length. Limit graduation slopes. Very high exposure. Required a lot of technique. In remote places. |
ED: Extremely difficult | Extreme difficulty with huge exposure, long-lasting, in remote places |
CANYONS: ND
DIFFICULTY LEVEL | ||
Denomination | Description | |
* | Familiar | Drops of a small length, and comfortable approaches. Possible some small rappel. Existence of playful elements to allow the little ones to enjoy themselves in the company of adults. Eventually existence of some optional adult progression elements. |
** | Initiation | Runs of moderate length, and comfortable approaches. No more than three small rappels. Existence of playful elements that will allow us to discover the activity in a pleasant way. Generally without forced jumps. Eventually existence of some more challenging optional progression items. |
*** | Sports | Moderate length descents and moderate approaches, eventually some return or approach with good unevenness. Presence of rappels in greater numbers, or someone taller, in general without going beyond 20 m. Progression elements like jumps, slides, living waters, most challenging, but with controlled risk. |
**** | Technical | Drops between moderate and long length, possibly long approaches or with sections of steep slope. Presence of rappels, some with distance greater than 30 meters. Progression elements like jumps, slides, living waters that require knowing the correct execution of the technique. |
