Going uphill

As you ascend hills, you use your toe or instep crampons for traction. Always place your feet firmly on snow, poles in front of you. Several techniques can come into play, depending on the conditions.In powdery snow, use the kick step technique. Pick up your foot and literally kick into the snow with the toe of your boot to create a step. Your snowshoes will be on the angle of the slope, with the tails hanging downhill behind you and the toes above your boots. This plants the crampons or cleats into the snow, directly under the balls of your feet. If conditions are such that a kick step ends up just creating a deep hole in the snow, then look for a different route. On crusty, hardpack snow, you probably wont be able to kick step. Instead, youll be relying on your traction devices claws and poles. Walk up the slope, but if its too steep try to find an easier traversing route. On moderate to steep slopes, flip up the heel lift feature also known as a climbing bar or Televator found under the heel on many snowshoes. This puts your leg in a more comfortable position for long ascents.