Finding great winter sporting events south of Vermont and East of the Rockies is often a needle in a haystack endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to do, but rarely anything resembling a premier event. Not so when it comes to women’s snowshoe racing (and, yes, men & kids too).

We’re taking a little distraction from reviewing womens snowshoes to let you know about the 9^th Annual 2010 PowerSox United States National Snowshoe Championship because, believe it or not, you still have time to enter or cheer on your favorite racers.

Race dates for the championship are set for March 5-7, 2010 and the race will be held in Highland Forest Park in DeRuyter, New York. If you’d like to participate, the course preview, event registration and athlete check-in will be at 11am on the 5^th followed by an Athlete reception later that night. You can pre-register by mail or on race day.

And, ladies, I’m covering this event here because it really is family friendly engagement. Events include:

• Junior Boys & Girls 5km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Senior Women’s 10km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Senior Men’s 10km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Kid’s Kilo (for ages 12 and under)
• Citizen’s 5km Snowshoe run/walk
• 4 x 2.5km snowshoe team relay

The top 5 senior men and women in the 10km event and the top 3 junior boys and girls in the 5km event will make the US National Snowshoe Team but there are prizes for the amateurs among you, as well, including medals and other prizes.

If you’ve just bought your first pair of snowshoes (read my Atlas women’s snowshoes articles if you’re still thinking about it) then the 9^th Annual 2010 PowerSox United States National Snowshoe Championship would be a great place to meet fellow enthusiasts like yourself and make a few lifetime friends. If my work schedule allows it, I hope to be there myself!For more on the PowerSox championship including event schedules, directions and accommodations, visit:

http://www.snowshoeracing.com/national_championship10.htm

Now while previous review focused on trail walking snowshoes by Atlas, this review will take you to the next level in the Atlas Elektra series, the 11 and 12 series snowshoes, which are designed for more advanced and technical mountain hiking. If you’re new to the sport, don’t hit the back button because you think this snowshoe is too advanced for you. Let’s clear up that misconception before we get to the review.

Moving from the 8-10 series up to the 11 or 12 series isn’t a measure of your technical skill in snowshoeing. In other words, you don’t have to have spent years developing snowshoeing expertise before you graduate to the Atlas 1223 (or Atlas 1225 if you’re shopping for your husband). The “technical” element of this snowshoe is all about the terrain type, not your personal skill. Mountain terrains mean a lot of ups and downs through all kinds of snow conditions. That means a few things:

• Your snowshoes have to keep you floating over everything including vapor-thin powder while still providing you exceptional traction on rock-hard ice
• Steep inclines and varied terrain mean you need the lightest, most comfortable snowshoe and bindings you can get as your legs and ankles will be under significant strain
• Anything that can reduce calf fatigue during ascent is a tremendous plus
• And, of course, the snowshoe must do all of this with a woman’s specific stride and gait in mind

Both the Atlas Elektra 11 series (1123 and 1127) and the Atlas Elektra 12 series (1223 and 1227) meet all of the criteria above. As womens snowshoes go, they are each great, light snowshoes offering the float you’d expect. But, of course, it wouldn’t be much of a snowshoe if it didn’t keep you on top of the snow. So let’s break down each of these snowshoes so you can see for yourself what makes them so exceptional.

The Atlas Elektra 1123 and 1127 Mountain Hiking Womens Snowshoes

One of the first essentials I mentioned to qualify a snowshoe as sufficient for mountain hiking is the ability to provide traction. While that sounds simple, different circumstances call for different traction requirements. For example, a snowshoe that is well designed to prevent backsliding while ascending a slope but doesn’t provide sufficient traction for the descent is just about useless. Likewise, some slopes are best attacked by side-stepping.

The problem presented by each type of approach (up, down, side) to the terrain you encounter requires a different solution. There is no one-size-fits-all technology that will cover every variable. Recognizing that, Atlas has thrown two pieces of tech at the traction problem starting with their All-Trac™ Toe Crampon.

The All-Trac™ Toe Crampon resides under the toe and ball of your foot. If you watch the video at the end of this post you can see where you slip the front of your foot into the bindings. It’s the bottom side of that floating suspension that houses the toe crampons. As you can see in the image to the upper left, the All-Trac™ Toe Crampon offers aggressive bite from all angles giving you superb traction in all directions. The points (front and back) are sharp, biting points that really fight front and back slippage while the wider side and corner tabs provide unbelievable stability and help fight against side slip.

On its own, the All-Trac™ Toe Crampons would do a lot to provide confident footing, but, like I said, there is no single solution to address all variables. While the toe crampons do a great job for the front of your foot (where the majority of your uphill traction is required), there’s a tremendous amount of surface area behind that area that has the potential to slip on descents (either direct attack or sidestep). To address this problem area, the designers at Atlas Snowshoes company decided to add a wonderfully aggressive heel traction system. You can see in the schematic to the upper left and in the backside picture at the beginning of the 11 series review what the aft traction system looks like. Let’s break it down.

The Atlas Advanced Aft Traction System in the Elektra 11 Series Women’s Snowshoes

The Atlas advanced aft traction system addresses traction in three ways. The first element is the heel cleat. This element provides deep bite for excellent front and backslip traction control. This sharp tips bite well even into ice. But Atlas doesn’t stop there. In addition to the heel cleat, two sets of bracket-shaped side rails slightly overlap and offer outstanding bite to fight side slip. Where a less aggressive snowshoe might offer adequate front, back and side slip control, The bracket shape of the Atlas Advanced Aft Traction system offers superior traction at offset angles. It’s an amazing bit of technology worthy of acclaim.

What really helps this system bite (in a good way) is the way it is positioned and tied in to the heel lift system. We’ll get to that part later in this review but, for now, accept that this ensures rock solid bite when your heel comes down, causing the crampons and cleat to really dig into the snow or ice you’re traversing.

As with the  All-Trac™ Toe Crampons, you can get a technical view of the Atlas heel traction system in the schematic view to the left and a live view in the first image at the beginning of the 11 series review portion of this article. The heel traction system sits roughly in the middle of the shoe as pictured.

Atlas Elektra 11 Series Women’s Snowshoes feature the Wrapp™ Plus Binding

In my earlier review of Atlas womens snowshoes you heard me praise the good  Strapp™, the better Wrapp™, and the even better Wrapp™ Comfort on the 8, 9 and 10 series snowshoes. You’d think the top of the mountain in excellent binding systems would have been reached, but Atlas has pushed their technology into rarefied air and brought out the big guns with the Wrapp™ Plus binding. So how do you improve on the already great Wrapp™ Comfort?

Well, to hear some tell it, you don’t. My wife actually prefers the 10 series binding over the 11 series because, as she claims, it feels like it hugs more of her foot, giving a greater sense of connection to the snowshoe. It also features the Uni-Loop design that let’s you snug the binding around toe, instep and heel with a single pull. But it really is a matter of preference because, despite the fact that she’s almost always right (hi, honey, if you’re reading this) the Wrapp™ Plus is actually the superior binding in the role for which it is intended. It is a streamlined, lighter wrap and you want that on mountain terrain.

I also prefer the straps. Yes, you have to tug on two straps (one to tighten the binding around the toes and instep and another to tighten the heel) vs the simple one-pull uniloop design in the 10 series, but the toe loops on the 11 are a nylon webbing material which is more durable than the rubber straps on the 10.

Where the 11 series doesn’t bother trying to improve on its binding is the SLS (Spring-Loaded™ Suspension) system. It’s a consistent system seen in all their women’s snowshoes and for good reason. It works incredibly well so there simply is no need to improve it. SLS affords the wearer excellent foot and ankle articulation. It’s a welcome addition in a trail walking snowshoe but a virtual necessity in this mountain hiking snowshoe. Why mess with perfection?

Heels Up for Easier Climbing in your Snowshoes

Those of you who have done any technical snowshoeing know what I’m about to discuss. If you’re new to the sport, I want you to imagine how tiring it might be to walk up a steep hill in a pair of snowshoes. Where do you feel it? In your calves, ladies. How do you address it? With a heel lift. This simple solution is simply a bar that can be raised to keep your heel from sinking all the way to the deck during ascents. Atlas isn’t the only company to offer it, of course, but they’ve done a great job with it anyway by tying it in to those heel crampons. This gives the crampons great stick on up hills.

There isn’t much more to say about this technology other than that, with it being available, you don’t want a mountain hiking snowshoe that doesn’t offer it.

The final feature that distinguishes the 11 series mountain hiking snowshoes from the 8, 9 and 10 trail walking Elektra snowshoes is the decking. The Atlas Elektra 1123 and 1127 feature Duratek rather than Nytex decking. Duratek is lighter and stronger and further differentiated by a pebble texture that, according to Atlas, provides better abrasion resistance.

Looks Count – Are These the Best Looking Womens Snowshoes or What?!

Now, let’s be honest, a great looking snowshoe isn’t going to make your hike any easier. But, with the possible exception of the 12 series, this is one of the best looking snowshoes I’ve seen. It may lack some of the garish and wholly unnecessary pattern and design on the decking of some of the men’s snowshoes, but it offers a combination of elegant understatement and bold color that says, “I’m a pro, but I don’t mind looking good while I’m at it.” I mean, it’s fuchsia, isn’t it? I think it is…or is that metallic pink? Heck, I don’t know…I’m a guy, but what do I know is that it’s uber-feminine while being uber cool too!

Good stuff.

All the Best Atlas Elektra Has to Offer

The remaining features of the Elektra 11 series are common to most or all of their womens snowshoes. You get your super light aluminum V-frame design, a proprietary shape that tracks straight in deep snow,. You also get the tapered tail which turns up for a nice rolling stride and which pulls less snow as you step forward for an efficient, energy-saving motion.

Most importantly, you also get the Atlas Elektra design. I haven’t really touched on this yet, but you should know that Atlas invested two years in biomechanics research for the Elektra. It’s a testement to their willingness to relate to the important differences in male/female physiology and it’s why they’re a proven leader in the design of women’s snowshoes.

Their Elektra frames are specifically designed for a woman’s gait, offering a narrower nose and more streamlined shape. It’s the difference between hiking in snowshoes with the best of them or lumbering along like a half drunk yeti.

Ok, gang, this review ran longer than I intended so we’ll come back and review the last of our atlas snowshoes for women, the 12 series, in a subsequent post. It represents the pinnacle of Elektra snowshoes and deserves its own page anyway.

Check back soon!

The following video review covers the men’s 11 series, but the elements covered are the same as those offered on the Atlas Elektra 11 series womens snowshoes.

Credit for Images and Video: Atlas Snowshoes, ORS Snowshoes Direct

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I was having a chat with my sister-in-law this morning. She asked what I’ve been doing lately so I told her about my new womens snowshoe site. She mentioned she’d never considered the sport, despite being an avid spring and summer hiker, because of the expense. “not only do I have spend a lot for the snowshoes but I have to buy boots for them as well,” she explained.

Good news, folks. Though she’s not alone in that assumption, she’s also wrong. Many people associate winter sports like snowshoeing with specialized footwear. You buy alpine skis, you need ski boots too, right? But the truth that holds true with skiing does not hold true with snowshoeing. In fact, the additional equipment needed in a womens snowshoeing arsenal is probably already occupying storage space in your closet. So let’s talk a bit about women’s snowshoe accessories.

Snowshoe bindings are designed to work with just about any footwear. While, technically, you could slip into your favorite sneakers and strap on your snowshoes, I don’t recommend it. Nothing says uncomfortable like a sopping wet pair of feet on a cold winter’s day. Ideally, you want to wear a pair of waterproof hiking boots. If you’d be comfortable hiking in them, you’ll be comfortable using them in your snowshoes. The three things you should consider in a boot that works well with snowshoeing are medium height, waterproof and the lighter the better. Something like the Asolo Stynger GTX Women’s Hiking Boots is perfect but pursue your own brand loyalty as long as it meets the criteria I’ve outlined. Another great boot I really love is the 2010 Northface ChillKat Woman’s Boot. While there isn’t such a thing as a specific snowshoe boot for women, this is what it would be were they to begin specifically making one.

In addition to hiking boots (which you hopefully already own if you’re the type who likes to get out in the wilderness) you should consider waterproof shell pants like those designed for skiing or snowboarding. Ideally they’ll have a powder boot cuff. While you will be floating above the snow when on snowshoes, you may occasionally sink a bit, fall over or kick snow up on your legs. Keeping the snow out of your boots will make your snowshoeing experience much more enjoyable. Marker and Nils are two companies that both make great clothes for snowshoeing and other winter sports.

From there it’s all about common sense. You’re going out in the cold so dress appropriately. Layered clothing for warmth, a coat or jacket that offers both wind and water resistance, waterproof gloves and, of course, something to keep your head warm. If it’s a particularly cold or wind-bitten day, you might want to consider face protection like that offered by a cozy Seirus Neofleece Extreme Masque. Remember that your outer layer of clothing (gloves, jacket, pants) should always be waterproof.

So don’t be turned off by the price, folks. After you’ve bought the womens snowshoes that are right for your particular hiking preference, the clothing (providing it’s sensible and weather appropriate) is something you probably already own and perfectly useful for other winter sport activities. Here’s a video to give you a bit more advice on layering and dressing appropriately for snowshoeing.

I hesitated jumping straight into this post because I do want to take some time to write some educational posts for those of you shopping for snowshoes who don’t have any/much experience and who might have a lot of questions. I promise I’ll get to the informational stuff in a post to follow soon. For now, I’ll try to keep things simple and we’ll start with trailwalking snowshoes for reasons I’ll explain shortly..

Atlas Trail Walking Snowshoes for Women

Trailwalking is the most common type of snowshoeing, involving generally forgiving terrain, established trails and somewhat compact and forgiving snow conditions. It’s where most of us cut our teeth and get our introduction to the sport. As such, it’s no surprise that Atlas offers the majority of its options in this category and it’s why we’ll start with this category of snowshoeing.

It’s in trailwalking womens snowshoes that you’ll first get your introduction to the Atlas Elekra snowshoe offered in 8, 9 and 10 series and a “kit” in the 9 model. We’ll get to the kit in a minute but what you’re probably wondering is what the difference is between the 8, 9 and 10 models.

Atlas Elektra 8 Series Women’s Snowshoes for Trail Walking

The first thing you’ll probably notice about this snowshoe is the price. The 8 series in women’s Atlas snowshoes is Atlas’ least expensive model (in women’s snowshoes) and one you might want to consider as an introductory shoe if you’ve never been in snowshoes before. I’m not recommending it specifically for that purpose, though, as I think the 9 and 10 series, despite being more expensive, offer some features that make them a better 1^st shoe. Better, albeit more expensive, technology can lead to a more enjoyable experience that will make you a snowshoe fan for life. If price really is a serious concern, though, the 8 series is where you should start.

Obviously you don’t get all the bells and whistles with a lower-end model, but the 8 Series snowshoes still offer Atlas performance mainstays such as their no-hassle Strapp™ binding system, reasonable arch support and what Atlas refers to as their Uniloop pull which ties several straps into a single pull mechanism for easy tightening and adjusting.

In addition to their great binding system, the 8 series snowshoe offers tempered steel heel cleats for great crampon penetration and a durable Nytex deck attached to an aluminum V-frame.

Atlas Elektra 9 Series Women’s Snowshoes for Trail Walking

Next up in the women’s trailwalking snowshoe is the Women’s Atlas Snowshoes 9 Series. Though the 8 series is a good introductory shoe, the 9 series trail walking snowshoe for women is a significant step up in both comfort and performance.

First, the 9 series a better binding system, upgrading from the Strapp™ to the Atlas proprietary Wrapp™. I’m a big fan of the Wrapp bindings for both comfort, security and stay. It’s not uncommon to find bindings that come lose too easily and that can be a really frustrating experience. No such problems with the Atlas Wrapp™ bindings, I’m happy to report. Both in my men’s shoe and my wife’s Atlas snow shoes, the Wrapp™ system works as advertised.

What I think is equally notable in this women’s snowshoe is the suspension (stick with me, ladies, I’m still talking snowshoes, not cars). The Elektra 9 Series uses a patented Spring-Loaded™ Suspension which, according to the literature, offers “natural articulation of the foot over uneven and sidehill terrain.” What this means to the layman is a great step forward (pardon the pun) in snowshoe comfort. Basically, your ankles don’t feel unnaturally contorted in these shoes when traversing less hospitable terrain.

As with the 8 series, the 9 series snowshoe comes with an aluminum V-frame and flexible, durable Nytex decking but it improves on the 8 series with what I feel is a superior cleat system. As mentioned in my points on the 8 series, I think you should consider the 9 and even possibly the 10 if you’re looking for an introductory womens snowshoe. I’m not criticizing the 8, mind you, but I think a step up from the bare minimum often offers the better introductory experience.

The Atlas Elektra 9 Series Trail Walking Kit

If you decide on a mid-level women’s snowshoe, the Elektra 9 Series kit is a great place to start. The kit includes either the 923 or 927 snowshoes, the 6000 series poles for better stability snow treking and a convenient zippered tote. There’s not much to say beyond that since I already covered the snowshoe itself, but I do think this is a great bargain.

Atlas Elektra 10 Series Women’s Snowshoes for Trail Walking

After covering the 8 and 9, you’d think there wouldn’t be much the 10 series Elektra could improve on, but Atlas came through with this snowshoe. First, while the 9 has a great binding system, the 10 improved on it enhancing their Wrapp™ and upgrading it to the Wrapp™ Comfort. What does that mean? It means the deceptively simple addition of insulating EVA padding which makes this one of the most comfortable womens snowshoes you can buy.

The EVA padding in the Wrapp™ Comfort bindings offers superior comfort, the elimination of annoying pressure points and does so without sacrificing any of the fit or security of the original Wrapp™ binding system. It’s features like that which have led me to repeatedly advise you to consider a slightly more expensive, higher-end snowshoe if you’re just getting started. If you just want to try the sport out without spending a lot of money, I’d actually recommend renting a pair of snowshoes to see if you might like the sport and then make the Elektra 10 series womens snowshoe your first shoe. If you enjoyed the sport, this shoe will help ensure that you continue to enjoy snowshoeing without suffering the sometimes nagging discomforts that can ruin any sport.

In addition to the binding, the 10 series also offers some improvements on rails & crampons for superior side hill control. Side rails run lengthwise on both sides of the snowshoe and a V-shape crampon sits in roughly the heel area for great downhill stick. I’m including a video below that emphasizes both the ease and usability of the binding system and also shoes the rails/crampons.

Final Points on Atlas Snowshoes for Women

As you begin your search for Atlas snowshoes for women, you might find offerings confusing. For example, you might come across the Atlas 1023 Elektra snowshoes for women (one of the most popular brands out there). Is that a 10 series snowshoe? Yes it is. The 23 in the 1023 Elektra simply refers to the shoe’s 23 inch size. How do you know what size snowshoe you need? I know it can be a touchy subject, but you pick your snowshoe based primarily on your weight. A shorter shoe on a heavier user might fail to float on the snow. A longer shoe on a lighter person might be excessively cumbersome so pick the right shoe for you! To help guide you, see the chart below.

Atlas Elektra Womens Snowshoes for Trail Walking Sizing Chart:

• Atlas Elektra 823: 80-160 lbs
• Atlas Elektra 827: 120-200+ lbs
• Atlas Elektra 923: 80-160 lbs
• Atlas Elektra 927: 120-200+ lbs
• Atlas Elektra 1023: 80-160 lbs
• Atlas Elektra 1027: .120-200+ lbs

If you’ve wondered why somebody even bothered inventing women’s snowshoes, it has less to do with a gal’s particular size and weight and more to do with her particular stride and gait than you may have expected. A burly pair of snowshoes for dudes just isn’t suitable for a woman’s physiology. They’ll get the job done in an emergency, but don’t expect a lady to join you in your outdoor passion if you don’t take her physical needs into consideration.

Snowshoes for women were an overdue creation whose subtle differences open up the world of snowshoeing adventure to our better halves. With the differences in your physiology finally accommodated, you ladies can get away from lumbering behind your yeti of a husband in an awkward, Frankenstein stride (when you aren’t falling flat on your faces due to an ill-fitting and inappropriate snowshoe).

Which brand offers the best  womens snowshoes

It’s impossible to point to a single brand and say that this is the one you should buy. I’ll be reviewing several brands (and models) of womens snowshoe on this blog to help you pick the right one for you. But we’ll go deeper than that. Not only do you need to decide whether or not Atlas snowshoes for women are a better choice than, say, Tubbs womens snowshoes, you also have to consider size, style, bindings, intended terrain… the list goes on.

Snowshoeing isn’t as simple as strapping a pair of tennis racket forms onto your feet and getting to it. It can be a confusing world out there. While companies such as MSR, Atlas, Tubbs and Readfeather all make great snowshoes, the right one for you has less to do with brand and more to do with your physical requirements and the type of environment (and technical difficulty) specific to you.

Atlas Snowshoes for Women

We’ll begin delving into womens snowshoes by focusing on a great company in the industry, Atlas. Though a relative new comer (they began operation in 1990), Atlas is also an innovator. Their founder, Perry Klebahn, is credited with earning the first snowshoe patent in 40 years as part of his Stanford University Engineering thesis project. And he and his company didn’t rest on their laurels. Since its incorporation, Atlas has been awarded an additional 19 patents (at time of this writing) for everything from an exceptional buckle/binding system to an elliptical cross-section tubing design that lends excellent strength to their snowshoe frames.

So, though they’re a young company, their models are some of the best selling snowshoes out there and, hence, deserving of first go in our reviews and write-ups. Time and again I find retailers pushing Atlas products. The reason is as much due to excellent product design (I’m particularly a fan of their buckle system) as the fact that Atlas snowshoes for women are often affordably priced. Don’t get me wrong, I would recommend against letting price be the sole factor in determining your purchase as, in some cases, you get what you pay for, but Atlas snowshoes are affordable, not cheap. There’s a big difference.

Check back soon for our reviews of womens snowshoes by Atlas.