UKC

Hi,

I am off for a week in Switzerland soon to learn to ski.
I am planning to wear m. Mountaineering gear. My jacket does not have a snow skirt, does this matter?

Charlie

In reply to charliehl:

Doesn't bother me, I alternate between one that does and a Paramo that doesn't/

In reply to charliehl:
You will have no problem, I use my mountain gear all the time. I don't have any ski specific clothing and do quite a lot of skiing ( 4 or 5 weeks per year all conditions). I make sure that I overlap my top and bottom layers quite well so if I fall I don't get snow everywhere or get friction burns.

In reply to charliehl:

No. You won't be skiing in powder up to your waist on your first trip. And even when you do, I have attempted to snowboard in powder well above my waist, and the fact that I was wearing a mountaineering jacket without a snow skirt was the least of my troubles.

In reply to charliehl:

I used my mountaineering gear for my first time skiing and never had an issue. Just didn't blend in with all the crazy jackets and salopettes, that's ball

But your gear is designed for the mountains, so shouldn't be an issue.

Regarding a snow skirt, I have one on my hardshell and unzipped it after the first day and didn't use it. But then again, I was only skiing piste runs with the odd bit of off piste off to the side.

In reply to charliehl:

You are probably getting the message all is ok with mountaineering clothing for skiing, It is fine.
I always ski in mountaineering clothing been doing it for years

In reply to charliehl:

Depends what you mean but "mountaineering clothing". If you use salopettes for mountaineering then they would do equally well for skiing but trousers with waterproofs on top might feel a little restictive and not quite as tough. Same goes for jackets really. I personally like less layers when skiing as I feel encumbered if I have too many layers on - a thicker jacket suits me better. As a first timer you might also want to consider that you might be falling over a bit; how roubust is your mountaineering kit? Would your lovely lightweight goretex jacket stand up to running over the sharp edge of a ski? Powder skirts are, for me, a bit of a misnomer - if you're in pow that deep it's likely to get in anyway. I prefer to call them "back warmers" - they stop draughts getting into your bones as you sit on a long, cold, ski lift.

This really isn't a shameless plug (although it will probably seem like it) but have a look for stuff like this on here and other sites. The jacket is still for sale but the other stuff is sold.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=573721=

Oh and one more thing. It is completely a personal choice but please consider wearing a helmet. I had a little tumble skiing a couple of weeks ago due to a binding that released prematurely - I went over backwards and hit my head on the piste. It still hurt and I had to take a couple of minutes breather but I honestly think I would have knocked myself out if I wasn't wearing a lid.

Enjoy yourself and I hope you have a great time - skiing is a fantastic sport.

In reply to michael lawrence:


Good point. I was thinking in terms of upper body clothing. Purpose designed trousers are definitely a good idea / must.

In reply to AlanLittle:


I dunno. I ski all the time with a pair of trousers (or just thermal fleecy things) under my North Face waterproof trousers. Works just fine.

In reply to charliehl:

I reckon either salopettes, or a jacket with a snow skirt, are good for learning - you might not be skiing waist deep powder, but you might be falling over quite a bit, and snow gets into a gap round the middle!

I tend to ski with shell trousers and power stretch leggings under them, which works fine. Snow gaiters in the bottom of your trousers are particularly useful - or at the very least, make sure your waterproof trousers are wide enough at the bottom to fit over the top of ski boots, or you'll end up with plenty of snow in your boots (though doubtless you could improvise something with gaiters).

But yes, you can mainly ski just fine in mountaineering gear.

In reply to charliehl:
From what I've seen the a lot of the market for ski kit is aimed more towards fashion than technical function so it's possible that your mountaineering kit will keep you warmer and drier anyway. I've never bothered with a snow skirt and I've not missed having one, as David said make sure you overlap your layers and give yourself a good shake out if you happen to take a big tumble into deep stuff (unlikely as a learner).

I would recommend getting a couple of pairs of ski socks instead of walking socks as they do make your boots much more comfortable, I find them much better for cold winter days walking and climbing as well.

You could wear your waterproof trousers and be ok but I probably wouldn't. I worked a ski season and spent 90% of my days in softshell trousers (£15 from trespass), more comfortable and you're not risking ripping your waterproofs. Do make sure that they fit over ski boots if you go down this line though. It's worth looking on eBay as well as sallopettes are the sort of thing people will often wear for a week and discover that skiing isn't for them, I've seen them go for as little as £15-20 sometimes.

Hope you have great week!

In reply to youngtom:

Depends what your mountaineering kit is...I got a buffalo super six with the extra long backside for Xmas and it is about the most comfortable thing I've ever worn for skiing. I have quite along back proportionately and normal mountaineering jackets always leave the small of my back nekkid wheter skiing, climbing walking...

In reply to charliehl:

Thank you for l the advice.
I have salopettes, hard shell, merino, nano puff, power stretch etc
Sounds like I am sorted, can't wait.

Charlie