Having spotted a pair of antique snowshoes that resemble out-of-shape wooden tennis racquets, hanging on the walls of our overnight Jindabyne digs, my two girls are pleasantly surprised when our guide Peter Cocker of Snowy Mountains tour operator K7 Adventures carefully straps a pair of colourful articulated snowshoes onto their feet.

Their first steps in the hi-tech snowshoes are with over-exaggerated knee lifts, but after a few metres they realise they don’t have to change the way they walk.

“You don’t need to take unnaturally huge steps to account for the snowshoes, just walk normally,” explains Cocker as we stride out along the Rock Valley snowshoe track that starts from near the Nordic Shelter.

We had hoped to conquer the 6km return trek to the mythical Porcupine Rocks which overlook the Thredbo River Valley, but the weather has closed in and at Cocker’s recommendation we’ve settled on this less-exposed track, ideal for beginners and which leads through a naturally treeless frost hollow and into snowgum woodland.

We aren’t the only family bracing the icy conditions and venturing along the track, there’s another family from Canberra just ahead being guided by Cocker’s partner Acacia Rose.

“Several years ago it was unusual to see someone on snowshoes, now it’s almost commonplace,” explains Cocker as in single file we crunch through the snow.

In fact, according to Jindabyne outfitters, this year Australians are snowshoeing in record numbers.

“We have definitely seen an increase in both sales and hire of snowshoes this year, reports Craig Hemsley from Jindabyne Sports. “It’s perfect, especially in spring for those looking to try something different and explore beyond the ski resorts.”

While the lower cost compared to skiing is also a contributing factor (you can hire a pair for about $40 a day, half as much for kids, plus you don’t need a lift pass), according to Cocker, the increase in popularity of snowshoeing is the result of “the feeling of absolute joy of being free with no stress, no crowds and no rush.”

Contributing to the boom in snowshoeing at Perisher has been a number of dedicated snowshoe tracks, which complete with yellow marking poles, interpretative signage and maps are ideal for beginners.

“People who have skied in the past like the serenity and photographic opportunities that snowshoeing provides, while bushwalkers enjoy the thrill of experiencing their favourite trails in a whole new light,” explains Bruce Easton of Wilderness Sports, Australia’s largest backcountry hire and guiding operator, and who has been instrumental in the development of these dedicated tracks.

While first-timers could easily strap on a pair of snowshoes and head off along one of these tracks, booking on a guided-tour first, especially if you have kids in tow, provides you with invaluable experience.

A guide will help you learn important skills like about how to walk uphill (depending on what snowshoe you have hired, you may need to use heel lifters), the importance of trekking poles (essential as they enable you to use your upper body for power or balance) and also some basic snow safety. Oh and you’ll quickly learn that bindings in snowshoes don’t allow you to walk backwards.

Indeed, it’s not long before being on a tour pays off, when the weather deteriorates even further. Sure, we aren’t exactly in back country, in fact before the white out we could still see the lodges at the southern extremity of Perisher, but given our novice level, and with the ravens flapping like mad to fly backwards, Cocker decides it’s not safe pressing on.

He stops near a gentle slope and pulls out an extendable avalanche probe from his backpack and starts prodding at the snow.

“I’m going build a snow cave, and you're all going to help me,” he tells us after finding an appropriately deep drift of snow with his probe.

He then hands us each an extendable snow shovel and we start digging. It’s tough going, and any thought of complaining about the cold soon dissipates as we huff and puff through each shovel full.

Our snow cave probably wouldn’t pass an engineer’s test, but it provides more than enough shelter for us all to sit in, and comfortably out of the elements tuck into our pre-prepared lunch.

On the way back, having forgotten the mercury is hovering around minus 10 with a wind-chill near double that, the girls gain more and more confidence and stride ahead. Although little Emily gets a little too brazen and promptly discovers why the track is named after creek. With wet feet and a bruised ego she accepts the offer of a lift back in Cocker’s sled.

Back at the ski shelter Emily takes off her shoes and puts on a dry pair of socks (I always carry a pair for the kids when in the snow). Despite the trying conditions both girls have not only joined the growing list of people snowshoeing but also learned the potentially life-saving skill of building a snow cave.

Having well and truly caught the snowshoe bug, with the girls back at school in Canberra, next day I accept an offer to join mountain man Brett Smith, a keen snowshoer, on a short trek into the hills to the west north-east of Smiggin Holes. In fact, Smith will do just about anything in the snow —you may even recognise his name as the audacious winter trout snorkeler who featured on these pages last year (Trout Snorkeler, 5 September 2017).
With the weekend storm now over the Tasman Sea, it’s a bluebird day. Half-a-metre of powder and blue skies as far as the eye can see.

With my newly acquired skills, as we trek towards Dainers Creek, while I wouldn’t exactly say I move like a gazelle, I’m less sloth-like than on my initial snowshoeing foray just a day earlier.

Away from the busy resorts, the first thing you notice is the lack of tracks in the snow, the second, just how hard it is to walk in deep powder.

“If you think it’s too hard, try taking off your snow shoes and walk just in your boots,” quips Smith. Having foolishly attempted that in the Brindabellas a couple of years back (Alpine Adventure, 24 July 2014), and ending up with a nasty case of frost bite, I keep my snow shoes firmly strapped-on.

Heading uphill in deep powder is particularly energy-sapping but once we reach the near ridge, the view towards Guthega and beyond more than worth it. Out of sight of the traffic, and while not exactly in remote wilderness, we feel like we have the whole alps to ourselves. That is until the southerly picks up and rock music, blaring from the speakers at Blue Cow, wafts in our direction.

Over the next spur, the breeze drops and thankfully so too does the noise pollution. We find a sheltered spot between two granite tors, put the feet up (easier said than done in snowshoes) and soak up the view. We planned to trek twice as far, but with the clouds rolling in, we decide to make tracks back to Kosciuszko Road.

Apparently over 99 per cent of winter visitors to Kosciuszko National Park stick within the confines of the big resorts. Snowshoeing allows you to be part of that one per cent to explore other parts of the park and to discover more remote parts of our spectacular snowies.

It also allows you to rediscover muscles in your legs you haven’t used for years. Thankfully, nothing a long bath won’t fix.

Snowshoeing tracks: There are several dedicated snowshoe tracks at Perisher, including Porcupine Rocks Loop Track (6km) and Rock Creek Track (3km). Closer to home the Mt Franklin Road in the Brindabellas is ideal for snowshoeing when closed to vehicles after a snow fall.

Guided tours: Several operators offer snowshoeing expeditions in the NSW snowies, from half-day picnics to overnight snow camps. For more, check-out K7 Adventures ( www.k7adventures.com ) and Wilderness Sports (www.wildernesssports.com.au )

Hire or buy: The days of wooden frames and gut lacing are long gone, modern snowshoes are lightweight, allow for a natural gait, and are easy to use. A good set of snowshoes will set you back upwards of $300 so it’s definitely worth hiring a pair before buying.

More: Matt McClelland’s Best River and Alpine Walks around Mt Kosciuszko (Woodslane Press, 2010) has a dedicated chapter about snowshoe walks in the snowy mountains.

Did You Know? An increasing number of daredevil snowboarders are using snowshoes to access the best powder. They simply slip the shoes into their backpack on the way back downhill.

Back-country guide Bruce Easton shares his top five snowshoeing tips for beginners:

1. You can snowshoe throughout the entire snow season, but early and late season is a particularly good time, when you’d be at risk of damaging your skis on the thin snow cover and the slopes are less busy.

2. Take trekking poles – it’s all-wheel stability for the mountains.

3. Dress in layers so you can adjust to the fickle mountain weather.

4. If not on a dedicated snowshoe track, for the safety of skiers, avoid snowshoeing on cross-country skiing trails where you will leave indentations. Best practise is to simply stay just to the side of marked trails.

5. Buy snowshoes locally - many for purchase via overseas websites may not suit Australian conditions.

While recently snowshoeing at Perisher, Robert Gardiner of Isabella Plains noticed this granite rock, partly covered in snow. “It looks like the home of Tiddalik, the frog of indigenous legend, with two large beady eyes who laughed with a tummyful of water and caused a flood,” claims Gardiner. I do see a resemblance, do you?

Gardiner, an active septuagenarian, further reports that snowshoeing is suitable for all ages. “If you can walk, you can snowshoe,” he says. “I snowshoe every year; the hardest bit is the first two minutes when you attempt to relearn how wide they make your feet,” he explains, adding, “although I fall short of dancing in them.”

Contact Tim: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns online.

Cryptic Clue: Freaky
Degree of difficulty: Medium - Hard

Congratulations to June McKenzie of Fisher who was the first reader to correctly identify last week’s photo, above, as a vent of sorts in “the small car park behind the Canberra Theatre”. It was immediately recognisable for McKenzie who confesses to “walking past it many times on the way to and from shows at the theatre, most recently to see the musical Calamity Jane”.

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday September 1, 2018 will win a double pass to Dendy - The Home of Quality Cinema.