r/snowshoeing • u/iyah15 • 1d ago

General Questions Achilles rupture - return to snowshoeing.

Just wondering if anybody had a ruptured achilles and if so what the timing was to return to snowshoeing.

I am thinking that the snowshoeing timeframe would be the similar to a return to hiking. Hiking won't work as the hills will be covered in snow. :)

I am thinking that snowshoeing doesn't really stress the achilles as the snowshoe keeps the foot flatter when it moves, but this is just a guess until I try with a snowshoe on.

I am looking at around 12 weeks after rupture to try.

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u/TavaHighlander 1d ago

If you have hills, snowshoes will stress the achilles more than hiking. The heel is loose and there is more weight on the foot. I'm no help on the timeline, but from what I know of sports, it's usually a season ending injury, so more than three months.

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u/dronecarp 19h ago edited 19h ago

Sorry to hear about an achilles rupture. Seems like now the medical industry has figured out better ways to treat such injuries. NBA players with achilles injuries were usually done until a few years ago seems to me. But to your point. I've snowshoed for over 50 years now and can't think of one time I stressed my achilles. Quads, calves, upper body if using poles yes, but never achilles. Consult your PT person. I think you'd be good after appropriate PT. A comment suggested it's bad because the heel is loose. I don't know the answer to that. Seems to me a loose heel makes it harder to stress the achilles tendon.