Snowshoes and winter gear.

Nobody?

If i were to spend any length of time on the central plateau in winter i would have my snowshoes with me. There are some large distances to cover over and between the volcanoes and snowshoes could enable a wider coverage on many an activity. I'm planning another Ruapehu climb in June but hope to avoid the need to take snowshoes with an early start and the right conditions. I could have made good use of them last May(2009) on an ascent from Turoa immediately after a big dump of snow.

Apart from very small sections of the central plateau i cant recall ever seeing anybody using snowshoes in the north island at all. the last time was on the mountain at tukino after a week of fresh falls i notice they gave up after 1/2 an hour as too much of a nuisance

I read a terrific account once of a small group that traversed from Turoa to Ketetahi in a winters day. They obviously had the advantage of skis to cover much of the terrain descending and between the volcanoes. The point is, the amount of snow was sufficient to cover the ground.

Thanks for your answers. I'm still not sure if I pack the snowshoes with me or not - it sounds like there's not much need for them, but I admit I like to have one of these quiet day walk with them in winter. Do you reckon skis+seal skins are a better option for the north island? And what is the situation in the south island? Thganks for your advices guys, this is much appreciated :) Can't wait to arrive!

I have kind of retired from snow stuff now. I eventually came to the conclusion that it is cold and hard work to walk through. Snow shoes have only recently been available in shops here and I have never seen them used. They sound like a great idea to me though I imagine NZ's snow conditions might be an issue. NZ snow is often wet and icy, powder snow is a rarety. Not sure what is best for snow shoeing. Cross country skiing has a small following in the South Island where there are long alpine ridges. I guess there are possibilities in the North Island too but I have not heard of anyone doing them. I am inclined to ask you to bring your snow shoes and have a go and tell us how you get on. You never know, you might start something up.

Thank you all, I will certainly bring the snowshoes and try to do something with them in the North Island !