Question by Henry: I am thinking about getting MSR Denali Classic snowshoes can anyone tell me how they like them?
I will be using them for alpine climbing/mountaineering.

Best answer:

Answer by Willie D
I have the Denali Ascent…very similar. I use them a lot and they’ve worked fine. The thing I really like is the binding is very accommodating. While I normally use a heavy hiking boot, at times I’ve had to ditch my skis and skins and slap on the snowshoes. They fit my ski boots with no problems.

Traction is awesome. I also use Atlas 12-series snowshoes when I lead trips. I would rather use the Denali’s but keep the same equipment as my clients. The Denalis are much better in my opinion.

The downsides are these: #1: They are louder than traditional snowshoes, especially on crunchy snow. #2: If you have a pronation or supination, make sure you have some kind of footbed in your boot that will correct your stance. The binding on the Denali snowshoes is good, but it does allow for some slipping around the heel and the snowshoes may start to ride to the outside or inside of your foot if you have an imbalance.

Other point: They do not take the place of crampons completely. While the grip is awesome, if you are doing anything on very hard, steep ice you will need crampons.

Add your own answer in the comments!