Freshly fallen snow crunching under your feet as you make your way through the dark forest, leaving the slopes of Kimberley Alpine resort behind, diving into the cold night …
If you’ve never tried walking in snowshoes, you should give it a try! They’ll get you through knee deep powder snow, they’ll take you into the wilderness where you’d end up swimming in an ocean of snow otherwise.
Getting a training to guide a snowshoe tour was fun. Especially because it was the first time I put them on. A couple of days later I was guiding the same trail like pro, having a three generation family to look after.
We started at the top of our main lift, where everybody put their snowshoes, on while I helped with some adjusting and handed out their flashlights. And off we went … a moment of confusion … where was the start of the trail again? We crawled under a wooden sign and dove into the nearby forest. There, on a path with snow covered trees we started walking down getting the feel of our new gear and surrounded only by the sound of the crunching snow which was shining like diamonds every time we pointed our lights to it.
This path led into a slope road from which we soon diverted and walked into a tiny path where you’d have to watch every step in order to not step on a pointy branch. We walked in a snake, me leading the way, ocassionally counting all members of the crew. The children were having a time of their lives, enjoiying being in the wild – after dark!
The path leads down the hill at first and then bends back up, making it a nice circle through the forest, ending in Kootenay Haus. There is an opening in the trees, allowing us to take a peak at the starry sky, away enoug from Kimberly town and its lights.
The climb back up can be a bit of the challenge for those who are not used to walk in the deep snow, by the end of the hike, everyone works out their appetite to enjoy a special treat that awaits us in Kootenay Haus. We leave our snow shoes outside the hut and step into the cosy mountain hut and enjoy our yummy chocolate fondue dinner.
