 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all going to Finland next January which I think is very cold! I've been to France before so I have the basic base layers (merino) is there anything else anyone can recommend?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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blackadder, All the usuals really. Layering is the key. Merino is great. I use Icebreaker 250 top and pants. Good gloves and inner gloves are important and wear a neckwarmer that you can pull over your face and under your helmet. If you suffer with cold hands think about mitts, they are warmer. Also maybe consider hand and foot warmers that slip into gloves. They can make a difference. If it's very cold, protect your face with your neckwarmer or a silk balaclava or neoprene face mask.
A lot is also in your preparation. Make sure you're well fuelled and hydrated and avoid excessive alcohol. In Sweden they have warming huts around the mountain where you can safely leave a rucksack for the day with a flask in it and something to eat to keep energy levels up which makes a big difference in the cold.
It certainly can be very cold in January but don't be anxious about it. It tends to be a dry cold that good clothing will protect you from. I love that kind of weather.
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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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Hi,
| blackadder wrote: |
| Hi all going to Finland next January which I think is very cold! |
Depends. I've been several times - Yllas (twice), Ruka, Levi, Sala and Iso-Syote. First time we went in January because the kids were pre-schoolers. Coldest it got then was -20 ... but the previous week it'd been down to -35  - that was the winter it went down to -50 in Russia, which obviously isn't very far away. Otoh, in that same week, I was skiiing just in salopettes, T-shirt and cheapo fleece in -6.
Unless you particularly feel the cold, I wouldn't bother banking on too many extra layers. Last February, while it dropped to -23 some nights, it was no colder than -14/-15 during the day; I ski in man-made base layer (Trespass and Surfanic), salopettes, cheap Decathlon fleece and Surfanic jacket, and sometimes I skied without the fleece. SonAndHeir does feel the cold and, even on the worst days (ski school isn't cancelled 'til it gets below -18 ), he was only wearing one additional layer.
Things worth remembering are:-
. although Finnish 'mountains' aren't very high (their highest is about 800m), most of them tend not to have any trees so, if it's windy, the wind-chill is murderous;
. unlike France, runs and lifts are rarely longer than a km but most lifts are drags (so they don't get closed in the wind), and that's where you get cold;
. strongly recommended against is any exposed skin, even if it's just to adjust something, so strongly recommended are inner gloves inside your ski gloves or mitts; I wear thin thermal golfing gloves as inners, MissusMac prefers silk ...
. for the same reason, whichever (gloves or mitts) I'm not wearing, I carry in a small backpack;
. as well as loads of fire huts, there are also plenty of cafes and restaurants at the tops and bottoms of runs if you need a warm-up.
Just as a matter of interest, where are going and are you 'packaging' (who with?) or doing it independently? Last February, we went Ryanair from Stanstead to Tampere, overnight sleeper train from Tampere to Rovaniemi, bus (meets the train) to Yllas ... 
Hth.
Regards,
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The temperature can be quite variable, so good layering is key. There's good advice above, so I won't repeat it.
If you are suffering a particularly cold week, consider changing your activity - ask the hire shop if you can swap for cross country skis and boots for a day. The basics are pretty straightforward, you can follow the tracks to see a different part of the resort, and it's an excellent way to keep warm! No sitting on T-bars either.
Keep your eyes open for the local wildlife too - we had a reindeer on the piste which made an interesting obstacle for a beginner class, and also saw a snow hare.
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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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Thanks for the advice were are going to Ruka as we wanted somewhere not to high to have lessons and learn properly. Also could anyone recommend a brand for mitts? Thanks
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hestra are excellent albeit expensive. They were designed for the Swedish armed forces originally.
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When we were last in Ruka and went on a snowmobile excursion they would not take us out without extra clothing. It was -35. We all had our normal base layers and ski clothes but they made us put their all in one thermal suits on over the top. Felt like Michelin men but stayed really warm. They also gave out gloves but I found them not as warm as my usual Hestra mitts and changed into them halfway round. I developed an egg sized lump under my chin which was very painful and as I have a nickel allergy thought it was from the buckle of the helmet. Some-one looked at it next day and said it was the start of frostbite, there must have been the smallest gap between my neck warmer and balaclava.
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Mind you, snowmobile is "bad" from a temperature point of view: you have lots of windchill, and you aren't moving/exercising to any significant extent.
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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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All good advice on dressing in layers with gore-tex type breathable jacket and pants to keep you dry and also avoid perspiration buildup.
Not sure where you will be in Finland but as you likely already know, the closer you get to the Arctic Circle the colder it becomes and the later the sun rises and earlier it sets with up to 24 hours of darkness in the far north around Sodankyla in Finland or Kiruna in Sweden in January.
Hestra gloves are top quality. They actually started making gloves for loggers in the 1930's. Sweden and Finland are both heavily forested. Shortly, after beginning their glove business a ski slope opened near the factory and the family run company began making ski gloves. It is still a family owned company with a reputation for quality and durability. As has been mentioned they also supply gloves to their armed forces.
If you have the chance, you may want to hop over the Baltic and visit Åre, Sweden. It is not the Alps, but is the largest ski resort in Scandinavia (actually it's four linked areas- central Åre by, which is flanked on its sides by Åre Björnen, Tegefjäll and Duved). The town near the base of central Åre by is a fun place to spend time strolling around, as well for shopping, eating et cetera.
Nordic country skiers are relaxed and polite compared to some other places. You will also see many excellent skiers. What you will not see is the general chaos at the the lift loading areas that you sometimes see elsewhere in Europe.
In January, it does get dark early and can also be quite cold in Åre but much skiing can be done under the lights which go on from about 3:00 PM. In addition to the many excellent local skiers, there are also a lot of visiting skiers from the UK.
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