On our recent trip to the Dolomites (in San Cassiano, in the Alta Badia region of Italy), I found a system of clothing that works well (for me at least).
I find the idea of wearing a heavy skiing-specific jacket a bit limiting—too hot, too heavy, not flexible enough—so I’ve always worn a softshell jacket when skiing. After all, I am a bit of a fair weather skier and if it really started to lash down I’d be off the slopes and into the warmth of the hotel sharpish. And if it were a real emergency, the softshell would keep the worst off you for long enough.
This year my system was, head to toe, as follows—sorry that I seem to be a walking/skiing advert for Ibex kit:
1. Ibex Vega hat
2. Eidelweiss buff (not the winter sort, with fleece)
3. Mt Cook Merino T-shirt from Chocolate Fish, or long-sleeve silk/merino crew neck from SilkBody (NZ), though I bought mine from Backpackinglight.co.uk
4. Taranaki crew neck merino top, also from Chocolate Fish
5. Marmot DriClime windshirt (black)—really, one of the single best bits of kit out there
6. Ibex Chiru hooded jacket
7. PHD Minimus vest (if *really* cold)—top quality British expedition gear. Super light and incredily warm.
8. Ibex ClimaWool gloves—excellent
9. Ibex Guide Lite trousers—which I think are more or less what they now call (strangely) the Milo pant
10. Falke socks (helpfully marked ‘L’ and ‘R’ !)
11. Atomic boots
This kept me warm, dry and comfortable, but never over-heated. And while the trousers are not water-proof they are sufficiently water-resistant and warm for that not to be a problem. And you can wear all the stuff quite casually, to, even in a smart place like San Cassiano.
notsokrates 