MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes

cascadedesigns.com
While we normally seek out loads of fluffy powder to snowshoe in, you never know when you’re going to run into some wind-scoured ascent to a ridge, and the MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes for women have the kind of traction that holds you firmly in place no matter the conditions.  Try traversing a hard-packed slope in most snowshoes and you’ll have a devil of a time getting a comfortable grip.  I feel invincible and strangely Spider Man-like hiking in these things.  The women’s version is a little narrower to accommodate the female stride.  They even have a heel lifter to make steep climbs easier, and 360-degree traction frames means you’re always on a traction-friendly edge (unlike some of the boxier snowshoes on the market).  Three straps in the front a flexible heel anchor you to the shoe, and it’s also got a fantastic little elevation component in the back that raises your heel and helps reduce fatigue when you’re hiking uphill (it engages with the simply flick of your hiking poles).
-Deirdre Flynn