As I just came back from my first proper ski holiday, I thought it might be nice to share with you some of my tips that you will hopefully find useful.
THINGS YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY:
CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
Comfortable skiing is impossible without appropriate clothes. Full stop!
When getting ready for your holiday, please make sure you have following things prepared:
1. Ski balaclava. Yes, you cannot just put ski helmet on your head and it is an essential addition to your skiing wardrobe. This item will not only protect your face, neck and head from low temperatures but also will make wearing your helmet much more comfortable. For keeping the warmth during windy/snowy weather I would recommend you to tuck it in your high-neck ski top.
Turtle Fur Balaclava
2. Ski pants. When choosing ski pants (as well as ski jacket) make sure you pay attention to waterproof/breathability rating of the item. I didn't know about this before due to I assumed that all ski clothes are automatically waterproof etc., but our friend Tamara (who helped with the whole preparation process a lot) pointed out that it is very important to check what rating this particular item has in order to understand what level of resistance is provided. Please take a look at the chart that I found and borrowed from the page www.evo.com and find out more information about what waterproof rating is by clicking this link.
My pants had only 5,000 mm of waterproof resistance and I felt absolutely comfortable, although I have to admit that I haven't been "laying" on the snow much :)
3.Ski jacket. When choosing your perfect jacket, make sure you can fully close the zip on top and there's enough space in the hood for your helmet. Unfortunately my hood appeared to be too small and I couldn't keep it on while skiing, which, believe me, during strong snow/wind makes a big difference. Also, as mentioned above, pay attention to the waterproof rating (mm) , my jacket had 35,000 mm rate.
4. Thermal underwear: leggings + top. Particularly due to your actual ski pants might appear to be quite thin, it is very important so that you layer your clothes, in order to keep you warm at all times. As it was very cold, I wore even two thermal tops when skiing. Besides, ski pants are not very pleasant against the skin, so I would say that thermal underwear is totally a must.
Perfect Moment
Imok Padded stretch-shell ski pants
3.Ski jacket. When choosing your perfect jacket, make sure you can fully close the zip on top and there's enough space in the hood for your helmet. Unfortunately my hood appeared to be too small and I couldn't keep it on while skiing, which, believe me, during strong snow/wind makes a big difference. Also, as mentioned above, pay attention to the waterproof rating (mm) , my jacket had 35,000 mm rate.
Bonger
Colour Block Kaja-D Down Jacket
4. Thermal underwear: leggings + top. Particularly due to your actual ski pants might appear to be quite thin, it is very important so that you layer your clothes, in order to keep you warm at all times. As it was very cold, I wore even two thermal tops when skiing. Besides, ski pants are not very pleasant against the skin, so I would say that thermal underwear is totally a must.
Mover
Merino wool-jersey top & leggings
5. Sports bra.
Remember that skiing is a sport activity on the first place, and I personally felt very comfortable wearing sports bra to support my assets :)
Remember that skiing is a sport activity on the first place, and I personally felt very comfortable wearing sports bra to support my assets :)
Lucas Hugh
Rio printed stretch and mesh sports bra
6. And casual/comfortable briefs!
I am a big fan of beautiful lace lingerie, however when you ski, - opt for convenience, good support and comfort!
Eres
Coton Paradis Belina Briefs
7. (Yet) Another top!
Put it on top of your sports bra and thermal underwear. Preferably with half zip fastening to keep your chest and neck warm.
Bonger
Aline Crystal Zip Top
8. Ski socks. Ideally, 2 pairs of them. I also always put regular socks first before these.
Falke
Women's SK 4 Pro Race
9. Gloves. It might be quite tricky to choose them and be prepared that they might cost a lot! I was deciding between British brand Nevica and French company Salomon . As I was buying them during the sale, it was hard for me to understand whether Nevica gloves, that used to cost £65 originally (and £24 during the sale) were really much better then Salomon gloves (£35 originally / £25 during the sale). However after my persistent questions one of consultants explained that Nevica items are normally quite overpriced and brand is known mainly in England, whereas Salomon is a professional brand known in Europe and you pay mainly for the quality of the item. I bought the Salomon ones and I am quite happy with how they served me during my trip.
Leki
Women's Griffin Pro S Glove
10. Ski Goggles.
I was lucky that a friend of ours had two pairs and was able to borrow one to me, whereas my partner had to buy them right at the resort as skiing without them was impossible! During one of the days, there was extreme weather conditions (strong snowfall, fog etc.), you could barely see anything! So anti-fog goggles is a must, especially from a safety point of view.
Make sure that you do your research and invest in goggles that will provide you with not only fog control, but also with lenses for different weather conditions (sun, snowfall etc.)
House of Holland
+ Roxy Rockferry Ski Goggles
11. For those, who have long enough hair, - don't forget about hair ties! Such basic thing, but can make a big difference, - you really don't want your hair to go onto your face while skiing, it's annoying! :)
Forever 21
Knotted Hair Tie Set
PS The list of products mentioned above is suitable and necessary for both men and women, besides, of course, sports bra and I suppose that in most cases hair ties as well :)
BE PRACTICAL!
Depends on where you go of course, but also think about what you will wear outside your skiing hours!
I travelled in my UGGs and was 100 % sure that it will keep my feet dry and warm, but as soon as I got to Switzerland I realised that they are suitable only for English winter! :) Unfortunately after my attempt to dry my poor beloved UGGs, I ended up ruining them, as this leather is probably not suitable for drying them after a walk in a snow path.
Unless you will use a car at all times, for cold places with a lot of snow you need more appropriate footwear for certain weather conditions. So if I'll go there next time, - I will make sure I am prepared properly.
Sorel
Caribou Suede and waterproof rubber boots
SKIN CARE AND BEAUTY
Before my trip, my colleagues treated me with a very nice Birthday present (once again, - thank you!!!), - Skiing Body Care Collection from Clarins.
I did not take all of the products with me, however I used some of them every day during my holiday:
Clarins
Sun Control Stick for Sun Sensitive areas UVA/UVB 30
as well as Moisture-Rich Body Lotion.
I did not use any make up while skiing. The only thing that is important to me while being active outdoors, - is to protect my skin from sun and wind, keep my lips moisturised and my brows shaped (as they are pretty much the only thing that stays visible!))
In Tax Free zone, I bought myself this famous Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour* Lip Protection Cream (see below)
As well as Benefit "Gimme Brow" gel in light/medium shade.
Would definitely recommend both of these beauty products! Shame I did not try them earlier (especially the brow gel)! I might actually tell you a little bit more about these beauty must haves later on.
THINGS YOU WILL HAVE TO HIRE
In case you (same as me) don't have your own ski equipment, when planning your holiday budget, take into consideration that you will have to hire these:
Skis
Ski boots
Ski Poles
Helmet
AND HOW MUCH DOES IT ALL ROUGHLY COST...
Pass to resort pistes: 49 CHF* daily per person after 11am (pistes open until 4:30 pm)
Skis, boots, poles and helmets rental will cost you around 150 CHF for 4 days.
*CHF = Swiss Franc
Useful tip: If you are a very entry-level skier and taking private lessons with instructor is not part of your plan, once you have your equipment hired, don't "run" to resort pistes straight away! Try to find a children slope somewhere in your area and practise there a little bit first, at least you will feel more confident and won't lose money for paying entrance fee.
E.g. I used to be taught how to ski, but last time I did it was probably 5 years ago, so I am glad that I managed to remember and practise the moves first.
WHERE TO BUY CLOTHES
If you are in UK, you could check Sports Direct - we bought thermal underwear there, the service, however, is probably worst I've ever experienced in London, so don't expect much from this shop, I think you can even get better assistance in Primark! :) (In case someone will be interested what exactly happened, - let me know :)
I bought my gloves in Lillywhites (from Salomon, french brand, - £25 after the discount), but most of the things were successfully purchased in TK Maxx !!! And if you have a chance, I would probably recommend to go there first and to look for real "clearance" bargains, e.g. for professional ski jacket that would normally cost you around £350 and more I paid just £45, and for pants (normally also around £250) ... £20!
I'd say in total for all my ski clothes (including accessories such as balaclava, ski socks and gloves) I paid around £130-£150, - but I must admit that I was really lucky with some bargains!
Of course it depends on how often you ski, e.g. a friend of ours, who lives in the resort area and leads a very active lifestyle, invests way much more in her ski clothes.
ALSO DON'T FORGET ABOUT...
Travel Insurance! Such winter sports as skiing, snowboarding etc. can put you at increased risk of traumatic injuries, so no matter how good you are it is always better to make sure you are insured before you go! E.g. I was skiing in Switzerland where all medical services are extremely expensive, so in order to secure myself I just went to my bank and arranged Travel Insurance (cost me just £8.50 per month (with Barclays) and I could cancel it right after I am back home from travelling). Be aware what exactly is covered by your insurance (equipment lost etc.) and keep in mind that in most cases your insurance doesn't work when you ski off-piste.
PS "Part Two" with my own pictures from ski holiday in Switzerland including more information about our trip is due to come... in the next post! As I am sick now and hopefully will get better soon...
Hopefully you will find this information useful, stay tuned & don't forget to follow this blog on Facebook: www.facebook.com/helenslifeblog as well as Instagram: instagram.com/helenslifeblog .
xx
