Walking without crampons on firn

Climbing in firn snow without crampons. You will need to dig the toes of your hiking boots in several times to create a solid step onto which you will transfer your weight during the next step. On a traverse you will need to create the step with the sides of your shoes. Simply finish your step slowly and while landing check to make sure that the snow mass has no tendency to accumulate and slide. (Video from e-book Mountaineering Methodology, www.mountaineeringmethodology.com)