10

Until now, all my skiing has been during the (local) winter. I recently had a spare day while in Switzerland, and found that one of the nearby resorts was still open, so for the first time I tried some late season skiing.

Some aspects of the skiing were the same as I'm used to, but some things were surprisingly different, and I wished I'd known about that beforehand so I could've planned better. (The biggest two were around the amount of water I'd need to drink, and how much the snow changed during the day)

Aiming at someone with some winter skiing experience, trying out late season (or perhaps even summer) skiing for the first time, what do you need to be aware of?

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    One piece of advise: Don't wear the "typical" resort ski gear, i.e., a thick jacket and these super-warm pants. Get a layered system so you don't overheat.
    – Lagerbaer
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 15:48
  • My experience with warm weather skiing: ski; damage your skis on rocks; cry; repeat.
    – Vorac
    Commented Sep 10, 2020 at 15:02

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
7

The snow melts some days (or most days) in the late season. If it refreezes at night, it will be icy in the morning, making icy or rough skiing.

When the snow gets slushy in the afternoon, you will get much wetter than in the cold weather. The skiing will be a little slower, too, and you may be surprised by hidden rocks since your skis are digging in deeper on the turns.

Improve this answer
1
  • 3
    I'd add that kneeling in the snow or falling means you'll get much wetter than you would in the winter, so although it's tempting to wear spring/summer clothing, you'll want at least your pants to be Gore-tex or similar. Wool is a good choice for your top if you want to breath in the heat.
    – furtive
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 17:08

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.