When Gv snowshoes asked me which snowshoes I wanted to test, I told them it was to groom fat bike trails. Right away they proposed me the Mountain trail alligator model. I use snowshoes primarily for this purpose since fat biking is my main sport during the winter.
GV Snowshoes is the foremost manufacturer of snowshoes in North America and the only one in the world to produce every type of snowshoe available on the market, from traditional wooden snowshoes to cutting-edge aluminum snowshoes. Combining a tradition of excellence that goes back to its aboriginal roots with advanced high-tech know-how, GV produces and assembles most of its products in its own Canadian manufacturing plants.
The snowshoes
For me flotation is key since we need to be able to go in deep snow and pull a tire to properly groom the trails. From a 10 to a 30 cm of fresh snow, I need to go out there to groom. The alligator harness reminds me of my snowboard bindings and are easy to use.
The mountain trail are super light and this is due to the Entech technology. All GV decking can resist extreme temperatures down to -50˚C. Entech™ decking is lighter in weight and provides better resistance against abrasion. Coupled with the Aerolite frame, it makes a lightweight and heavy duty snowshoes.
The mountain trail alligator comes in 5 sizes depending on the user weight:
Testing
The testing for me was on a 2 months period from groomed trails to big 30 cm snowfalls. The snowshoes performed flawlessly in all the conditions and I did not had the heavy feet feel once removed like I have with my other snowshoes. For me this is an important factor since it took me a while to be ”ok” with my other snowshoes.
In conclusion
For me the GV snowshoes Mountain trail alligator is a perfect fit and I will continue to use them for grooming. At 209.99$ cad for a canadian made product is a big yes here.
You can have more information about Gv snowshoes here:
