 Poster: A snowHead
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@Digger the dinosaur, Some good hints there  I have a thin windproof balaclava with a vented mouth and nose section but haven't had to wear it yet. I did use a vented neoprene face mask once in Sweden on a very cold high wind day, that did the trick.
In really bad conditions I have an old pair of mountaineering Gore-tex over mitts, just a shell gauntlet that cinches snug at the wrist and forearm and is coated with rubberised grippy material on the palm and thumb. Not the easist things to grip poles with over your gloves but will block the worst of the weather from reaching your gloves. 20 years old and still going strong.
http://www.gore-tex.co.uk/product/mountain-equipment-pro-shell-mitt/1415350360268/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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....or the taking a leak at the edge of the piste trick.....not to be recommended at -20C
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
only thin material is usually required to cover your face between goggles and neck, I tend to ski with a thin one under a thick one, then I can pull the thin one up over my face if it gets arctic.
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snowHead buffs are ideal for this very purpose (and for other more obscure purposes too, as Schuss in Boots and Scarpa can testify  )
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Scarpa, you are SUCH a gear whore! 😀 x
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As some say above, -20 is no big deal.
I ride with a thermal compression top and just a jacket to about -20, anything colder and ill put another layer between the thermal and jacket.
I of course wear thermal bottoms under my board pants, a snood to cover my face and head, a helmet (lets not even go there) and mitts with hand warmers in.
I have ridden in -36 and to be honest, the only time I feel the cold is on lifts.......that's when the hand warmers really feel like a luxury.
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I suffered from mild hypothermia on an otherwise beautiful day in -22°C and the problems weren't at the extremeties - fortunately I stopped and told my companions I was giving up for the day and turning 'round as we got to a café on piste. It wasn't until I went in (and I almost pressed on home) that it hit me: I felt like I had a ball of ice about 10cm wide in the middle of my chest and it was all I could do to get a hot chocolate and sit down. It took about an hour+, some food and another hot drink before I was OK again.
I'd fallen into the trap of pressing on with the group (led by a nutter intent on his target) because I was warm on the surface. They were keen to get to a distant part of the Domaine and I just went with the flow. and skipped the usual stops. The weather was beautiful and clear, so the sun on my outer garments was quite warm, but the air was desperately cold.
So the lesson I learned was that you need to make it clear that anyone who wants to stop should do so, and in any event, make everyone stop at reasonable intervals. It may be sunny and warm on the outside, but you're breathing that air at well below freezer temperatures. If it means having to reset your plans, then so be it - better to miss some skiing that have to be helicoptered off. This was actually the second time this guy had hijacked the itinerary and suffice to say, I did my own thing subsequently (he ended up skiing on his own a lot ....).
And another thing .... In retrospect it was really quite irresponsible of the rest of the group to leave me behind. Nowadays, I'd say that however keen people are, if someone decides to call it a day they may well be in worse condition that they realise and should be accompanied. I've taken someone back down on the lifts who just felt a bit dizzy - subsequently transpired he had a condition that could have turned out much worse and he could have passed out.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 17-01-17 16:23; edited 4 times in total
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@LaForet, .....and drink plenty of fluids
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yup, lots of fluids and also quite a lot of calories. Food is fuel, it's a great excuse not to skimp on it 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As many say -20 degrees isn't that big of a deal, if you dress reasonably warm and mind your face, hands and feet. BUT, make sure to plan ahead to avoid the risk of getting caught in the cold! You'll be fine for shorter periods, in any reasonable dress.
...and don't lick any metal!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@SnoodyMcFlude, Just to clarify, that was a pretty nasty chest infection and not the cold. I'm almost over it now, took a full 10 bloody days though.
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-23 in Trysil this week. When I go in a few weeks time I will be wearing my trust Rodeo (c and a - remember them?!) ski jacket that I have worn for every ski trip over the years. It is simply the warmest, loveliest jacket ever and I always get complimented on it.
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You know it makes sense.
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@bambionskiis, Still got my Rodeo gloves from 25 years ago, I only use them in extremis now as the colour is a bit naff.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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they were sold in C&A i miss that shop!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I find that people feel the cold very differently and some people are way more susceptible to frostbite than others.
No exposed ski is a great rule. Race kids here often where KT tape on their faces.
I get cold so at -20 I am wearing 4 base/mid layers. Admittedly one isn't any good, but the rest are. Merino long johns ski pants and coat. Keep your neck and wrists warm. Under helmet balaclava and face mask. I have boot heaters and on cold days, liner gloves, mitts and little hotties.
Certain people seem susceptible to frostbite in their feet. Boot gloves help
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| warbis66 wrote: |
| they were sold in C&A i miss that shop! |
C&A still going strong in mainland Europe, it was only UK they pulled out of. Several branches in the big malls around Lisbon.
Did the OP go skiing, was it all OK after this advice?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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My daughter really suffers from cold (may have Raynaud's disease, if that's what it's called). I did look at buying muscle heat patches to stick on the top of her feet but instructions say this is not allowed. Has anyone tried this?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Currently in Canada skiing and has been about minus 29 last few days.
Was quite worried about the temperature but not finding it as bad as I thought.
As others have mentioned the disposable hand and foot warmers are great. Thing I'm finding essential is my neoprene glacier mask - with buff underneath. After a while it freezes solid!
Am comfortable skiing for about hour and half at a time then need to pop in for a hot drink (non alcoholic)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@mini_mo, @mini_mo, Having spent many days in zero temps and at high risk in the hills, these approaches are not really the answer. The body makes heat - by food and activity. Then we need to keep that heat in. Insulation is the key. And the focus should be on the upper body. Thick pile fleece is excellent. Mountain Hardwear Monkeyman fleece; rab double pile fleece. Using things like hand warmers are problematic since they start to fool the body that extremities are warm, and that starts all the wrong processes in the body regarding a response to cold. And they stop....so you can get into trouble if you are still out in the low temps far away from anywhere. Better to get stacked up with food and take some with you. Really make sure that your core is warm, that's what keeps the blood flowing into the extremities, and keep active.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Keep moving, do exercises when you stop, take high calorie food with you for breaks, get indoors regularly to defrost, check each other for signs of frostbite and test each other with simple maths for signs of hypothermia.
Enjoy it...when we were in Switzerland in such weather the deep blue sky was amazing and the stars at night were simply breathtaking...
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@valais2, if it really is Raynaud's, then no, the body doesn't work like that at all. My wife suffers (and has had a formal diagnosis) and the only things that allow her to ski now are heated glove and boot liners.
The problem is a poorly known nervous response whereby capillary action at the extremities shuts down. Apparently low dose viagra helps but she refuses to try it... 
@mini_mo, the "tea bag" heaters might be effective enough if there's enough room in the boots/gloves.
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At some of the temperatures mentioned here you actually stop sliding on the shallower gradients, and even the steeper ones become hard work.
So better to be in the bar. For most it's meant to be a holiday, not an assault course ......
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FAQ
When we returned to the hut to pick him up I wasn't sure if he'd be skiing down or in a body bag, turns out he skied down, and it was on the Schladming WC run, and I was left gasping for breath trying to follow 
TBF I'd expect everyone to do the same for me, especially on a day that the skiing's good. If someone is in a hut then there are people around them should anything go drastically wrong.
