Laplandica

…is a subject that too few people in Lapland take even a breath of a moment to think about. Ever since the 16th century, when Gustav Wasa did his famous ski trip to become the first king of Sweden, skiing has been a so dominating means of travel in the country that consideration for an alternative has been out of the question. Skiing has always been the root to effective and reliant winter travel in Lapland. So much so as the development special ski museums dedicated in preserving hundreds of years of Swedish ski culture nostalgia and development. But, what about snowshoes in Sweden?

Photo: The toes of a touring ski are easy to entangle in low-lying forest brush or thick birch tree growths

Basically, there is no snowshoe tradition in Sweden. Without greater research, snowshoes came about with the horse. With thick and heavy snow conditions in wintertime, people found it necessary to provide their horses with better footing. Otherwise, horses would sink to their stomachs as they pulled sleighs through forests. These first snowshoes were wooden rectangular creations with leather bindings that criss-crossed around the horse’s hooves and were just minimally larger than hooves.

Later, as the forest industries advanced, workers cutting trees during wintry months would otherwise wade in deep snow without some type of snowshoe. They used small rectangular shoes, bent upwards at both ends and strapped on with a toe and heel binding. These had been developed years ago by the military and basically have held the same design up to and into the 1970’s. They largely looked like “modern” horse snowshoes and were not popular because they weren’t very effective. Better with skis!

Comparatively, skis are great in the open and treeless terrain, such as the higher mountain areas, and with these conditions prove to be a quicker transportation method. Depending upon different snow conditions, skis of different width and length are appreciated. For example, the longer or wider a ski is, the less you sink in loose snow. And different bindings provide different varieties for individual preferences.

But, skis have their problems. One is just the fact that a few different lengths and widths are necessary for changes in snow condition or terrain. With too short or thin skis one can sink deep in snow just as easily as without. Skis should be waxed for the conditions of the day. Wax wrongly and you will easily slide backwards when attempting an uphill journey or need to put on/take off, what I call, “sealskins”. (sorry, I forgot the correct word for these things that attach to the toe of the ski and underneath to provide a grip)

Just using skis in thick lowland forests give problems. The upturned toes of a ski are very easy to get tangled into brush and thick wooded areas and one has to continuously plan very short routes for the best results and not get entangled or, dread, break-off a ski toe while balancing a slight downhill route in thick spruce forest.

So, let’s be honest! A touring ski in lowland forest terrain with changing snow conditions, needing correct and daily waxing, having to choose an appropriate route with not too much uphill nor downhill and a straight line to manoeuvre along… doesn’t allow for an enjoyable outing and are like having two sticks stuck to your feet. They often are just a “necessary” big pain-in-the-butt!

Photo: Snowshoes or Swedish touring skis? The skis have a length of 8 ft and are commonly found in Sweden

Ah! Then let’s consider an alternative…the modern snowshoe!

Now, why do I use “modern” snowshoe? After having lived in Maine, I had the opportunity to learn about snowshoes from that snowshoe culture having plenty of snow. For snowshoe romantics, the wooden framed and leather laced traditional type of snowshoe fits the romantic’s dream image. But, most of these traditional shoes are poorly stringed, or laced, and nowadays don’t hold very long. Maine outdoors people are changing to modern snowshoes due to the lack of competent makers. You have to find a snowshoe maker that knows how to lace them correctly with the right material. Besides, the good quality snowshoes cost an arm and a leg! Too little demand, too high of price!

Then, there is an array of modern snowshoes with varied degrees of practical use and quality. In Sweden, a type of French-made snowshoe is being marketed by most companies. Snowshoes are marketed using the Alps or Mount Everest image trying to attract, what I would call, buyers with little-experience-in-the-outdoors or “wannabes”…possibly even the romantics, who just like the look of a pair of snowshoes hanging on their house porch.

My purpose here is not to start comparing different brands and makers but rather to promote an alternative to skis; if even with a combination of both for appropriate conditions and purposes

The snowshoe I’ve been experimenting with is an aluminium and synthetic shoe made by Tubbs. My boots are a traditional L.L. Bean brand. The snowshoes were second-hand through an Internet site. They are an earlier model Eclipse and not made for my body weight nor the conditions I had wanted snowshoes for very loose and new snow deeper than 90 cm and with a 17 kg. backpack.

And here’s something important! Firstly, when considering a snowshoe, consider your body weight, pack load and the normal snow conditions you’ll most likely to use them in. Secondly, find snowshoes that can be temporarily repaired to keep functioning (wire, string, rope, old jeans) should these break in extreme isolated terrain. Then, whatever manufacturer you choose isn’t that pertinent! Mainly ordinary consumer expectations such as material reliability, cost and quality or back-up when something goes wrong are satisfactory expectation demands on manufacturers. Don’t go for the first plastic-made constructed snowshoe that the local sport store has on its shelf! Do a little research!

Photo: Be smart with choosing snowshoes and choose for your body weight and usage

I’ve used my Tubbs snowshoes the past few months with different snow conditions and must say that snowshoes impress me as an alternative. Yes, I sank in loose snow in the beginning, but I knew I had under dimensioned equipment. So, that’s O.K. And, as the snow conditions changed and the layer compressed, I found snowshoes working better in the forests around Jokkmokk.

But, what really impressed me with snowshoes was in the thick spruce lowlands near the Västerbotten mountains! Snowshoes aren’t very long and are much lighter than skis. Having compressed snow with a slight crust, I found it to be a piece of cake walking in this terrain. I didn’t break through the snow. I had no problems with uphill climbs. I purposefully walked across deep ditches and really thick birch areas, places where snowmobiles would think twice about, and all without the slightest problem. I never got stuck in thick brush. I did not feel intimidated with walking “bowlegged” but walked almost normally and only tripped over my own feet…once! I do think the bindings must be better, but I have an earlier model so…!

With this experience, I will continue to test my snowshoes and continually compare these with my Swedish touring skis. But, for now, I’m impressed with their compatibility to the lowland forests of Lapland and being outdoors during winter. They are well worth trying and hopefully can change Lapland traditions. Snowshoeing in Lapland can truly be… a walk in the park!