Footprints left by snow giants

A bed on a sledge, with Lila the Golden Retriever stretched out comfortably on top of it and watching you with interest. You put on the snowshoes and tie the laces. You have to make sure they're on firmly before tackling the snow. It’s the first time you’ve tried this sport. Lots of people have told you about it though and it’s always fascinated you. Snowshoes give you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the uncontaminated nature of Ticino’s valleys, transformed into magical places by the pure white blanket that smothers them.
Ready? Let’s go. Every detail along the way attracts your attention: the branch of that larch touching the little stream that emerges from the snow, the trail of an aeroplane cutting through the blue sky, the colourful butterfly that perches on the snow and the animal tracks. Who made them? The information boards help you to find out and spark your interest. You didn’t know that there’s a name for each different type of snow in the local dialect. This isn’t just true of Eskimos!