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Advice and details about snowshoeing on Spring snow will be helpful here!

Going to the Harz Mountains in Germany, (large hills really), as I seem to have correctly guessed they would be the last parts of Germany with deep snow and sub zero temperatures this winter. And because there is a great narrow gauge steam railway there for me to ride on from time to time! Probably an avalanche free area as well: good for me as I hike/snowshoe on my own.

But it now looks like a mild front will get the temperatures rapidly soaring from around minus 8 C this morning, to probably just sub zero early on Saturday then racing up to between 6 and 14 degrees C, (42F to 57F), on Sat/Sun. Depending on which forecast I look at! I should start my first hike there on Saturday.

I'm planning to hike in the area from Schierke up to Brocken, currently around 3 feet of snow lower down, and nearly ten feet at the "top".

Never seen Spring snow before let alone hiked/snowshoed in it! Yep, I know, but I'm a real late comer to the mountains and loving every minute of it. Four seasons a year are just not enough for me!

Any advice, information etc would be helpful in getting me to plan the first couple of days before I get a feel for things.

Hi Bryan,

I´d been up to the Broke summit in Feb 2005, without snowshoes. The ways are regularly marked. The summit of the Brocken mostly is in the clouds or really foggy even in summer.
I will be there next weekend to got BC skiing. Perhaps you join us.

Cheers

Chris

Cheers Chris.

Did the Brocken on day one via Eckerloch, but not again on foot/snowshoes as it was too busy.

Found some great snow just North of Schierke and had four days just on my own trying out my new MSR Denali Classic snow shoes. Superb bits of kit, and lovely snowshoeing in deep snow despite the sudden mild temperatures.

Spring snow seems to be a bit hard packed, a bit soft, and can suddenly give way underneath you as I found out to my surprise.

And for a fat old bastard like me it can give you lots of aches and pains.

But sod it, who cares.

After the joy of a few hours on my own, on snowshoes I didn't give a damn about having to get out of bed at 03.00 hrs to rub "heat rub" on my upper thighs, whilst saying prayers to the good Lord that I rubbed it only on my thighs at that dozy time of the night, and not on anything else!

Really big problem is that it looks like I've got to wait very many months now before I can out in Germany on my snowshoes again.

Bugger!

Hi Bryan,

sound like you had a lot of fun. When you are looking for some nice snowshoe adventures outside of Germany, you need to got to the Roandane area in southern Norway. Had been there in February. It was great. No risk of avanlanches at a high plain of about 1000 to 1200m. Wonderful powder. To Oslo there are at least two low-cost carriers.

The other much nearer snoshoe area is down in the Riesengebirge.

Because of the bad snow quality I will not be in the Harz at the weekend.

Perhaps we´ll meet next winter somewhere.

Cheers

Chris

Hi Bryan - Here is a link that might peak your interest for your next trip.
http://www.walkingontheweb.co.uk/Grande ... _Blanc.htm