Essential Gear for Snow Trail Running

When the cold reaches the last corner of Spain and we find snow up to our doorstep, a rare opportunity arises, but the more you think about it, the more appealing it becomes: Training in the snow.

Training in the snow not only looks good in photos, but it also allows us to work on endurance and intensity in low temperatures, which benefits our immune system and makes us more effective in warm temperatures.

Which shoes are best for running in the snow?

The first thing is to understand the environment we are going to be moving in. A soft, humid texture, very low temperature, below 0 degrees, and a high heat absorption capacity. For all this, we will need shoes with lugs that provide traction; here, the rubber compound can even be decisive, and many brands have developed specific soles for running in snow, such as Vibram Artic Grip, or models with a more aggressive lug pattern for running in snow, like the Salomon SpeedCross.

In principle, any sole with an aggressive lug pattern will allow us to move through soft or compacted snow, as long as we don't encounter ice patches. We will talk about this later. The second thing to consider is temperature and humidity; snow is still frozen water vapor, so any contact with it will wet our gear. Therefore, in these cases, it is advisable to use models with a membrane, or even with a bootie, that allows us to insulate ourselves and keep our feet dry and warm longer.

We can also equip our regular shoes with waterproof gaiters to insulate them from the snow and keep them dry, a cheaper solution that can serve us for an occasional outing.

What clothing do I need to run in the snow?

Even if we go to the snow, we must not forget that we are going to train, so we will be generating a lot of energy that will translate into calories. To get the maximum performance from those calories and that effort, we must use several layers:

· The first, very light and breathable, to keep us dry even during intense training.
· The second, insulating, to prevent heat transfer to the outside and avoid spending more calories to maintain our temperature in an optimal performance range.
– The third layer must be waterproof, and we must wear it from the start, as even a slight fall can end up soaking all our clothes.

So we should wear light and breathable underwear: a layer composed of a thermal shirt and tights and finally pants and a jacket with a membrane to prevent heat loss by transfer if we get wet.

We also find many accessories that will improve the quality of our snow running experience.

Safety Equipment

We should always carry a mobile phone with a charged battery when training in snowy mountains; it is the first essential safety item.

When snow covers paths and trails, we might mistakenly conclude that it will be more fun and less dangerous to go for a run in the mountains. The reality is that snow covers gaps and edges, so we might encounter a delicate passage area.

Basic Safety Kit

We should always carry it with us, and it should consist of:

A small first-aid kit with elastic bandage, gauze, paracetamol or ibuprofen, antiseptic, gloves, and an emergency thermal blanket (they are foldable and usually take up very little space, so the first-aid kit is a good place to carry them), and some physiological saline ampoules.

It goes without saying that without basic first aid knowledge, carrying this material will not be of much use to us, so we should consider taking an introductory course.

If the area where we are going to train is steep and very technical, it is never a bad idea to carry poles (with baskets), crampons in case we encounter icy areas, and a backpack with some spare clothes in case of a fall that wets what we are wearing. Our eyes suffer a lot when running in the snow due to the reflection it causes; the brightness can be such that on very sunny days it can cause eye injuries.

Hence the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes, in addition to the convenience of protecting ourselves from the wind, which can also be annoying.

Nutrition for running in the snow.

Unless our trip to the snow is for leisure, when we are seriously training in the snow, all precautions regarding nutrition and hydration must be taken.

Snow leads to a higher caloric expenditure than usual, and for this, we can use different methods: natural ones, in which we will use fruit and nuts, and, let's say, commercial ones, using bars, gummies, and other easily transportable and digestible nutrition products.

Particular attention from our part deserves the issue of hydration, since the cold temperatures we find in the snow can undoubtedly make us forget the need to hydrate constantly. The ideal is to drink small sips regularly, thus replenishing the liquid that, although we don't realize it, we lose through the water vapor we generate.

With these small tips, we can go to the mountains safely, so that it is an enjoyable occasion, and we can improve our performance at the same time.

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