We have been getting a lot of questions regarding clothing and what to wear when heading out into the cold whether it’s for ice climbing, a skills course, or a mountaineering objective. Let’s talk a little bit about Layering and how to achieve a successful wardrobe for the cold temperatures.
In the Winter, it is all about managing or regulating your body temperature. Get too hot and you sweat which then freezes and puts you at risk for hypothermia. Get too cold and your at risk for hypothermia. It really isn’t as dramatic as it sounds but choosing the proper clothing makes a big difference between a good day out and a bad one. To regulate our body temperature, we use a technique called “Layering”. Layering allows us to put on layers or take them off to accommodate what our body needs. The goal is to stay at a comfortable temperature all day whether you are moving or at a break.
Before we talk about actual layers, we want to throw out some tips on what fabrics or materials to wear and what to avoid. We all sweat a little bit while we are on the trail at lower elevations or when we are climbing. It’s inevitable. The materials we choose to wear will make a huge difference in our comfort. Cotton is out of place in the Winter. It prefers warm Summer days with a cool breeze. When we sweat, even if it’s only a little bit, the cotton will absorb that sweat and never let go of it. All will be well when you are moving but as soon as you come into your break, that sweat will freeze in minutes and you will notice your teeth chattering long before anyone else in the group. Let’s avoid cotton completely. Some excellent materials that either wick away water, or retain their insulation value when damp are great options for cold weather pursuits. Wool, Fleece, Polyester, Techwick, and Goose Down make great choices.
Let’s start with the feet and move our way up…

FEET: Wool Socks (You should only need to wear one pair of socks). Leather or Double Plastic Mountaineering boots.
LEGS: Wool or polyester long underwear. Then you have the choice of wearing a softshell climbing pant or ski pant, OR you could wear a fleece or wool pant with a light goretex shell on top.
TORSO: Wool or polyester long underwear (I like to wear a techwick T-shirt under this layer). Then a light insulating layer (fleece jacket or light down coat). Then on top you can wear a heavy goose down or synthetic parka, or a heavy ski jacket. Finally bring along a hard shell jacket to block water and wind.
HANDS: You will need a ski glove, AND a pair of mittens. Mittens are much warmer than gloves. Thin liner gloves are optional.
FACE: Neoprene or fleece balaclava (face mask). A pair of Ski Goggles, and sunglasses.
HEAD: Wool or fleece winter hat.

There are many different variations on this system and you just have to work with what you own and what you find works with your body. This layering system works really well for me, but I have found that out through experience and spending many nights out freezing my butt off wishing I wasn’t wearing my favorite cotton t-shirt.
The goal is to have several layers here that we can take off or put on depending on what our body temperature is calling for. Perhaps we will only be wearing our base layer while we are on the move to stay cool, but when we get to a break, we will then need to put on a big warm parka to maintain our body heat so we don’t start to get cold. It takes ALOT of energy to warm your body up, so let’s keep it warm or comfortable throughout the day as opposed to getting hot, then cold, then hot, then cold.

That’s about it folks! Happy shopping and I hope this answers some questions you may have!

– Corey

Well this won’t be my normal play by play blog post although it may have some of that. This one is about why we (the guides at NEM) do what we do. It’s no myth that we all seek happiness in our lives. Some find it in caring for others, some find it tinkering with electronics, or solving problems, or volunteering etc. One way I find it is by sharing the outdoor experience with people who really appreciate it. Getting out in the mountains with folks who really take in the whole experience, ask questions, and fully appreciate every minute of it. Every day we get to watch our climbers come to us with little knowledge of the sport they are about to try and with some tips and some instruction, they progress in leaps and bounds. They get to accomplish something they never thought they could do, or maybe that they were nervous to even try. That is why I love guiding! It doesn’t make any difference if I’m on Mt. Washington 30 times/winter or if I climb the same ice route 15 times, our climbers make the trip completely unique to the one before and after. Every experience for me is new and I get to learn a lot from the climbers as well. We also get to meet a TON of awesome people who we can now call friends.
Every day we have multiple groups heading out to do their respective sports (ice climbing, Mt Washington etc). This past Sunday was no different, we had a group of 6 heading up Lions Head with Mike and Mark, Anthony took a couple ice climbing and I also took a pair of climbers to Mt. Willard for their first multi-pitch ice route. The day turned out to be a bit chilly but the winds were manageable and the weather improved by the hour. When we got back to the bunkhouse, the Mt. Washington folks had just returned as well from their successful climb in full on conditions. The general mood in the bunkhouse was of high energy, and good spirits as everyone laughed, joked, and cheered to a successful day in the mountains. 11 of us just hung out and swapped stories from the day. High winds on Washington, 20 minutes spent at a belay station laughing about nothing, -40 degree wind chills, and the horror stories of having to answer the call of nature with a harness on! There is nothing better than hanging out in the bunkhouse after a great day in the mountains and relishing in the environment that only different personalities coming together and the mountains can create! Whether you came from California, Massachusetts, Arizona, or New York City, everyone had a story to tell and there was always an ear open to listen.
We encourage you to come climb with us and take part in the NEM experience, and to get out there and try something new!