MSR Lightning Ascent

Great construction, durable, frame and deck, better traction, and the highest ascent bar out there all combine to make these the best snowshoes on the market. Plus, they're made in the USA!

These are so light, and they have a four way crampon for maximum traction. The step in on them will fit a snowboard boot easy. The straps are so easy to use. Most snowshoes make you feel awkward when you hike in deep snow in them, but not these, I could get a good pace going and not have to stop or worry about my feet. The climbing bars works great on the steeps. Great over all snowshoe.

These snowshoes work great for what they were designed for. They will climb up steep slopes with ease giving you great protection from any slipping or sliding. However, these shoes are fer less than efficient in extremely deep powder. If there isn't a proper crust on the snow you are walking on they tend to sink. But overall I think that if you choose more carefully where you walk that can be worked around, as these shoes are unmatched for their ability to climb and slip resistance.

These were my purchase of choice after trying out several pairs...sweet. Light as a feather, grip like a bear paw, and not wide as a pontoon boat (I really hate stompin on my own feet). Not to mention they float pretty well in the deep stuff and climb. If you're lookin for a pair of shoes for the long haul, worth the extra investment.

Climbing on steep terrain, you can feel the big difference on the heel lift, much more grip than others.

I bought my Lightning Ascents a bit over a year ago. At that time, the binding used two straps over the top of your boot; they have upgraded it (as you can see) this year to three straps over the top of the boot. And that may solve what I found to be the key problem: my boot drifted in the binding. Overall, I agree with the other reviewers about its traction, light weight, the value of the ascent bar, and its generally strong performance. But the foot drift was an annoying problem. I think MSR probably changed the binding in response to the problem I and others encountered. I have used the same three-strap binding on other MSRs (the Denali Ascent), and it has been very satisfactory. So, while I would rate my two-strap Lightning Ascents at three stars, my guess is that the three-strap model would deserve four or five stars.

I love these things. The frame has built in crampons as well as the toe/heel crampons and the heel riser kicks butt up steep terrain. The bindings have rubber lobes on the end making entry and exit easy with gloves on and they don't freeze like a nylon webbing could. Very easy to walk in whether up hill or down. Traversing isn't a problem either. I was also looking at Tubbs Mountaineer but I'm glad I got these. Very lite too..

Great performing snowshoe. Lots of great traction on ascents, descents, and traverses. Bindings are quick and comfortable. They pack flat on your pack and are very lightweight. I've owned several different pairs of snowshoes and these are the best I've used, particularly on the steeps and ice. I only have two complaints: 1. The ascent bar is too high. Works great on the real steep slopes, but as the slopes ease a bit, the bar is too high and this is what it must feel like to wear 5" stilettos. If they were only half the height, they would have the same benefit without having to reach down with my pole every 2 minutes to engage/disengage. 2. Because of the serrated teeth on the frames, these snowshoes do not have the typical descent tele-glide in powder experienced on traditional snowshoes. They increase confidence when traction is needed, but descents aren't as fast or as much fun.

having used Atlas before I was throughly impressed by the much improved traction and performance overall of the LIGHTNING ASCENTS. The TELEVATOR option was sweet going up steep climbs in So. Lake Tahoe area up semi icy slopes (with my ski poles helping out too). Very light and agile and decent float for a 25"...Im only 150 lbs so even with a decent size pack on they still performed well although if I was a big guy you may need more float if you're in UTAH or really fluffy stuff...in the SIERRA CEMENT of CA these work fantastically. KUDOS MSR.

The traction is amazing on these things. What really stands out to me though is how light and easy to walk in they are. You can walk pretty much normally and you don't have to worry about the shoes hitting each other. I am not in love with the binding system mainly because they are not as fast to get on and off as others I have used. Once locked in though they are very solid. I really don't see how other shoes stack up??? There is as much surface area to keep you on top of the snow and more grip than anything out there. I hear people complain about the price but they are not that much more and for what you get they are worth it.

Just field tested our MSN Lighting Ascent snowshoes in Yosemite over a wide variety of terrain and snow quality. They are what they claim - "ultra light" and easy to maneuver, outstanding crampon grip (ascent and descent), especially over icy terrain, and equipped with the easiest bindings ever! One major trial remains for absolute satisfaction: trekking in snowy and extreme windchill conditions to check whether ice accumulates on the front crampons. All in all, an excellent shoe!

I love my new Lightning Ascents. They have much better traction than any other shoe and they are easy to climb in! A+.

I might be biased ssing as these are the first snowshoes i've purchased, but they are freakin' sweet. excellent traction on ice and packed snow (they shine here) and pretty good on the fluffy stuff too. i'm looking forward to steep hills to give the Televator function a good test. MSR makes grerat gear and these are no exception.

Because I use both the MSR LA and new Atlas 12 snowshoes, I thought a review to allow comparison of the two might be useful. Both are backcountry or approach models and not for the casual user. The MSR has a unique feel because of the cookiecutter like action of its vertical rails. It excels on soft to firm snow and is very stable on a soft snow traverse. Overstepping the inside rails can be perilous because the serrated rails do not easily slide off one another. On hard snow to ice, traction falls off somewhat because you cannot kick a firm step as you can with typical underfoot crampons. The MSR has excellent flotation for a 25" shoe, it is light and packs very flat. My only criticism is that the binding is old- school and allows the boot to creep forward over distance, causing the heel to move off center. Otherwise, the MSR is a good backcountry choice.

I have used MSRs for a long time, and the Lightning Ascents are my favorites now. Very light, super strong and hold in even the iciest of snow conditions. Hardly feel like I have anything on my feet, really easy to put on, and the ascent bar is an amazing help when going up consistently steep terrain.