Skis and snowshoes both facilitate travel in otherwise impassible snow conditions. You can go almost anywhere on snowshoes that you'd go on skis -- just slower. The snowshoes' shorter length helps you fit into small spaces that won't accommodate skis, but snowshoes aren't constructed to control a speedy downhill descent like skis are. Despite their similar applications, traveling by snowshoe and traveling by skis provide distinctly different experiences, and most people quickly form a preference for one mode of travel or the other.
Function
Snowshoes distribute your weight over a large surface area, so you only sink slightly into the snow. Skis serve much the same purpose, distributing your weight over a long, slender area instead of the snowshoe's rough oval. The heavier you are -- don't forget to add in the weight of your pack, too -- the larger a snowshoe or ski you'll need to support your weight in the snow.
Ease of Use
Walking in snowshoes requires little more skill than putting one foot in front of the other. Skis have a much steeper learning curve: If you want to go uphill on skis you must learn to use climbing skins, which keep you from sliding downhill backwards. You also have to learn to handle the skis on a speedy downhill descent, avoiding obstacles without flying out of control.
Simple vs. Complex Systems
You choose snowshoes by their weight capacity and your intended activity: Mountaineering, racing or recreational exploring. The snowshoes come complete with bindings already attached, and as long as your winter boots fit the bindings, you don't need any specialized footwear. The only accessory you might want to consider purchasing is a set of poles for extra balance.
You choose skis -- the actual boards themselves -- by similar criteria, selecting alpine, backcountry or cross-country skis that are sized to support you and your gear in the snow. But you must also select your own bindings, specialized ski boots and poles to assemble a complete ski package; trying to ski without any of these components is a disaster waiting to happen.
Cost
Snowshoes cost much less than a pair of skis. As of 2010 you can expect to pay up to $300 for high-end snowshoes, according to the "Snowshoe Magazine" first-timer's guide. You can easily spend $1,000 or more for a backcountry or alpine ski package. Expect to pay $500 or more for a high-end cross-country ski package.
Warning
Skis offer two potential advantages over snowshoes if you're caught in an avalanche. There's an extremely small chance that you might be able to ski off to the side fast enough to escape an avalanche; this becomes an even slimmer chance on snowshoes, which move much more slowly than skis.
Neither snowshoes nor skis directly affect the snowpack, weather, or terrain conditions that contribute to avalanche hazard. But both modes of travel make it possible for you to wander into dangerous avalanche terrain without ever realizing it, if you don't know what you're doing. You can decrease your risk of getting caught or killed in an avalanche by taking the time to learn how to evaluate avalanche hazard, no matter how you plan to travel in the backcountry.
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