Winter Mountaineering – How to Stay Warm, Safe and Efficient in Cold Weather
Winter mountaineering offers some of the best opportunities in terms of experience, but also one of the most difficult conditions. Extreme cold, snow-covered landscapes, and variable weather mix for a dangerous environment that requires very careful preparation and an understanding of our limits to stay safe and comfortable. No matter whether you’re climbing up a snowy summit or skirting across an icy alpine highland pass, knowing the secrets of staying toasty warm, sound and efficient is key to making your winter mountaineering mission last.
Using 20 years of mountaineering experience—much of it cold-weather—we provide the essential strategies to make sure you enjoy your winter hikes this year. Everything you need to know in order to stay warm, safe and efficient in the great outdoors.
1. The Key to Cold Weather Comfort: Layering System
Layering: The Why Behind it in Cold Weather
Layering correctly is the key to getting warm for those winter mountaineering days. With the right clothing system you will be able to manage moisture, retain body heat and protect yourself from strong winds and snow. A typical layering system is composed of three main layers: the base, insulating, and outer shell.
The Three-Layer System:
Bottom Layer (Moisture Management):
The basic role of the base later is to keep your skin dry by drawing sweat from the outside in. You may accumulate sweat when you are winter climbing or hiking which will eventually cause cold chills or even hypothermia if not dealt with properly.
Use merino wool or synthetic materials such as polyester for your base layer, they dry fast and keep you warm even when wet.
Window Insulation (Heat Capture)
The first layer keeps you warm, sort of a basic insulator by trapping air near your body. For colder conditions and higher activity levels, a fleece or down jacket would be the best options.
A high-quality down jacket is our next top picks for warmth (though it will be rendered useless if it gets wet, as down loses insulation properties).
Outer Layer (Weather Resistant)
Its outer shell is protective for wind, snow and rain. Choose a waterproof/breathable jacket(ie Gore-Tex) or some other kind of perfect blend that can keep external moisture separate while also letting interior moisture escape.
A built-in hood and adjustable cuffs will help trap and retain warmth while keeping snow out of your clothes.
Flying the Na Pali Coast Example: Staying Warm on Mount Washington
Native to Colorado, my layering system helped me conquer a winter ascent of the notoriously frigid and windy Mount Washington. My meino wool base layer, fleece jacket, and a waterproof shell kept me warm, dry and comfortable even when wind chills dropped to below -20°F.
2. Keep You Extremities Warm: Head, Hands, and Feet
Significance of Limb Protection
The head, hands and feet are the most common parts affected by frostbite as well as cold weather injuries so special arrangements should be made to shield these areas from extreme weathers. In addition, heat can be rapidly lost from the extremities, which will cause your overall core body temperature to drop.
Warm Extremities Hack Round-Up:
Head and Face:
When it is cold out, dress appropriately with warm clothing including and insulated hat or balaclava.
In case of very low temperatures an added useging shield can protect the face from freezing and will not cause a frozen wind.
Adding a hooded jacket over your hat gives you an extra wind break and keeps the cold away.
Hands:
You can layer up on your hands too. For example, a thin liner glove for dexterity and a thicker waterproof mitten to keep insulation over your hand.
When tacky surfaces will be useful during a tech climb, you might want to wear insulated gloves with high-grip material and a spare set inside your jacket in the event that your gloves get soaked.
Feet:
Proper footwear is crucial. You may want to use insulated and waterproof mountaineering boots rated for winter weather.
These socks are designed to pull moisture away from the skin, so your feet will stay dry and fresh. Wiggle Room — Layer a thin liner sock with a thicker wool sock to boost credibility insulation, especially in extremely cold weather.
Always carry extra socks and if they get wet for any reason, change them straight away — freezing cold feet in the snow all but guarantees frostbite.
Here is an example: Keeping Hands Warm on Aconcagua
My winter ascent of Aconcagua was another big test in extreme cold and with high winds which meant that I struggled to keep my hands warm. I wore a liner glove inside insulated waterproof gloves and used chemical hand warmers to help keep my hands nimble and warm, because you still need to work with gear at 25,000ft!
3. Cold Weather Hydration and Nutrition
How Freeze Prevention Affects Being Hydrated
One of the most common errors climbers will make is to skimp on hydration in winter. Cold weather typically limits how thirsty you feel, but dehydration can be just as detrimental in the winter as the summer. Dehydration results in poor judgment, tiredness and may increase chances of frostbite.
Hydration Tips:
Insulated Bottles- cold water can freeze in a normal bottle so carry iso bottles or hydration packs with insulated hoses.
Consume Warm Fluids Hot beverages such as tea or soup can warm you from the inside, in addition to keeping hydrated.
Small sips: Wait until you are thirsty to drink than you have already lost water, so take small sips throughout the day, keeping hydrated.
Winter Mountaineering Nutrition
As it has to work more to keep you warm, your body must burn more calories while in cold weather conditions. Avoiding low energy levels by consuming healthy, high-energy foods that are full of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Nutrition Tips:
High-Energy Snacks: Nuts, chocolate, energy bars and dried fruits are all good fireside snacks for providing fast calories simply processed in the body.
Warm Meals: Ideally, take a break for hot meals as well. Hot soups or pasta dishes can be the best for you, they will provide both warmth and energy.
For example, fueling up in the Swiss Alps.
During a winter tour in the Swiss Alps, I had little problem maintaining my energy by pausing often for warm beverages and eating calorie-dense snacks (cocoa, Easy Cheese, dried sausage, nuts) that helped keep me warm. Cold-weather fatigue can happen in an instant if you are not properly hydrated and fed.
4. Winter Clothes and Equipment: The Essentials
What You Need to Go Mountaineering in Cold Weather
Snow, ice and severe freezing temperatures all need specific equipment that spring and summer climbing will not. The proper gear makes all the difference between a safe and fun experience and putting yourself in peril.
Must-Have Winter Gear:
Mountaineering Boots : A necessity for travelling in snowy and icy terrain is warm, waterproof mountaineering boots. Make sure that they will work with crampons.
Crampons — Crampons are attached to your boots and provide you with grip on ice. Make sure they are correctly fitting to your boots and use them first at home.
Ice Axe (ulterior) This is necessary if the worst should happen and you indeed do fall (using an otherwise great track record of good mountain sense and skills…) so that you can self-arrest, as well as aid in getting any footing on ice.
Gaiters (to protect your lower legs from snow and ice to keep your boots and pants dry’);?>
Snow Goggles or Sunglasses – bouncing sunlight off the snow can cause you snow blind. With snow-covered bright conditions, its essential to have goggles with 100% UV protection.
Backpack with Ice Tool Loops ** A winter backpack must have spots for a gigantic ice hatchet, crampons, and the sky is the limit from there. **
Gear: Mont Blanc Winter Ascent
HotGear On the ascent of Mont Blanc in winter, good equipment was essential. The frozen ridges required crampons, ice axe and the deep snow warranted insulated boots with gaiters. Snow goggles are a must—you get lots of UV exposure at high altitude and snow provides extra opportunities to reflect the sun into your eyes.
5. A crash course in winter weather and avalanche safety.
Monitoring Weather Conditions
As we all know, winter weather in the mountains is anything but predictable and can change on a dime. Being able to read the weather and act appropriately is essential for safety.
Weather Considerations:
Look at the Forecasts: Check out the weather on your climb and know what to expect. Also, keep checking the weather updates while climbing.
Cloud Formations: Recognize the cloud patterns that can forerun storms. Such as a lenticular clouds at high altitude indicating strong winds, for instance.
Wind Chill Factor:Remember that wind can make things significantly worse as it will drastically reduce the perceived temperature.
Learning how to avoid being caught in an avalanche and other mountain hazards
Avalanches are a significant hazard in winter mountaineering, being able to read avalanche risk is essential. Avalanche terrain characterised by steep slopes, fresh snow and rapid changes in temperature.
Avalanche Safety Tips:
Avalanche Forecasts: Be sure to familiarize yourself with local avalanche forecasts before your outing. Websites and applications offer real-time conditions.
The Three Essentials: Take an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe every time you hit the backcountry. These are the key tools in case of an avalanche.
Meaning: Familiarize Yourself with the Gear This one is pretty straightforward but it’s worth repeating, which often happens to be opening line on rescue gear: You should know how and when to use any of your devices competently.
Counterexample: Deadly Denali Avalanche
A significant snowfall had hit Denali, and during a winter expedition the avalanche danger was high. We worked our way around areas with avalanche-prone slopes and kept ourselves safe by monitoring everything. Though I always travel with an avalanche beacon and have practiced once a week for the past five winters, just in case.
6. Deep snow takes a lot of effort to move through so do whatever you can do dig out a shovel suitcase, tent or if you are near the trailhead and/or know where your car is buried but with many feet of snow on it.
The difficulty with snow-travel
Hiking skill: Five tips for snow hikingMaking progress over the snow without exhaustion and injury is important. Further more, deep snow will significantly lower you down, tire you and can even result in a dangerous slip and fall.
Efficient Snow Travel Tips:
Snowshoes: Snowshoes keep you from sinking too far in deep, powdery snow and help you stay RSVP’d on the surface when it’s icy.
stop from post-holing, every step you will sink lower.
Crampons for Hard Packed Snow and Ice: This is for when things get really nasty and the snow becomes ice… pop on your crampons to provide you with some extra grip to help you stay upright!
Step Kicking — When climbing steep, snowy slopes, use your boots to kick steps into the snow creating a solid platform for your feet.
For instance: Snow travel on Mount Hood
We struggled through waist-deep snow on a winter ascent of Mount Hood. Snowshoes helped make our team more efficient which saved energy for the harder climbing sections. It would have been very slow and gruelling without snowshoes.
7. Rest and Shelter are Key
HOW TO SLEEP IN COLD CONDITIONS
Winter mountaineering is tough to rest on. If you stop for too long your body will start cooling down quickly, and the risk of hypothermia increases. But taking breaks is important, as this will prevent burnout.
Rest Tips:
More rest, less interval: Rather than extending time between sets, shorten if needed and lengthen it slowly from there as recovery improves.
Keep moving: Do light exercise like marching in place to stay warm and also let your blood circulate even when you are having a break.
Shelters and Bivvies for Emergency
In the winter, however, it is important to have an emergency shelter plan even if you are forced off the mountain for good.
Shelter Options:
Bivy Sack — A light and water repellant bivy sack could be a lifesaver, providing warmth completely irrelative to wind and snow.
Snow Cave: Snow caves can be digged out in the case of a storm in order to have some sheltered space with more stable temperatures.
How to: Build a Snow Cave on Mount Baker
We were forced to take refuge on the mountain during an unusual storm that began spontaneously during a winter trip to Mount Baker. We threw together a snow cave faster than you could say “what in the eff just happened” and crawled into it, where it managed to be free of frost but not wind. Thanks to the contant but chilly temperature outside, it was always nice to crawl inside our snow cave for a little R&R…. warm and safe.
8. Skills for Emergencies: Be Ready For The Worst Case Scenario
Cold Weather Survival Skills
But winter mountaineering can also bring more frequent emergencies — from rapidly changing weather conditions to injury or equipment failure. This is crucial as your ability to manage such incidents prepared in an ideal situation.
Emergency Skills to Master:
Basic First Aid: You need to know how to treat frostbite, hypothermia and sprains/fractures since these are the most common incidences in hiking.
Self-Rescue: Know how to rescue yourself in the event of an avalanche or fall. ~Fred Ayres
Communications: Have a satellite phone or an emergency beacon in case you are out of traditional cell phone service areas.
Example: How to React to hypothermic person
We were on a winter expedition in the Scottish Highlands and, just after buildin g camp, one of our team began to exhibit signs of hypothermia after a very fast drop in temperature. We immediately put up a bivy shelter, warmed him with extra clothes and his own, and gave him warm fluids. Because of our readiness, what could have been a very bad thing did not become outright life-threatening.
Conclusion
Mountaineering in winter is a fascinating, but dangerous way of spending your time — it is necessary to prepare carefully for any hike, choose the appropriate equipment and be able to put her on time to stay warm and safe. While the cold complicates everything about climbing, with some preparation and education, you can venture into winter mountains to experience their stunning beauty and sense of adventure without unintended consequences.
Every detail including adhering to a proper layering system, knowing avalanche safety, and keeping hydrated makes a difference. Respect the mountain environment every time and make sure you are prepared for what they can throw at you.
Implementing these approaches to your winter mountaineering adventures means that not only will you stay safe and comfortable, but be able to thoroughly relish the experience of such a fantastic outdoor activity. And in the meantime, stay safe, stay warm and savor that distinctly different winter magic of mountaineering.
