Tremblant has a lot of tourists, and my guess is that a fair amount come from places where skiing is a tad bit warmer. Mont-Tremblant is cold. It may feel fine at the base but the top is almost always freezing and blowing snow. If you're wondering what to wear to ski there, here is my guide on What to wear skiing at Tremblant, Quebec.
I am by no means an expert skier, but after 20 years of skiing in bitter cold and 10 years of skiing pretty consistently every winter weekend I’m pretty good at dressing warm.
For the record, I get cold easily and would rather be warm than chance it. My husband does not wear all this gear and my kids wear even less.
I use a mix of (mostly very old) ski gear and workout gear. It’s pretty much freezing every winter ski day so I dress like this most of the time.
Bottom from closest to the skin to outerwear:
-Regular bike shorts
-Wool ski or snowboard socks (you could get heated socks for an extra boost - I have some but they broke)
-Leggings. I wear regular workout leggings. I probably should wear a proper ski base layer (I love Kari Traa’s designs) but I just don’t have a pair right now.
-Fleece loose athletic cut pants (like this)
-Puffy Pants (like this)
-I have two sets of snow pants - the goretex bibs you see above (which I got for something like 80% off on the Arctyrex Outlet) and an old pair of Columbia snow pants I grabbed at Sports Experts for fairly cheap that have some puff and warmth to them. The bibs are really for alpine touring where you get hot fast plus you need something resistant against tears from the branches. I wear the Columbia ones most of the time for that extra warmth even though they might be regarded as the ‘lesser’ pant.
Tip: Technically nothing should be in your ski boot except your sock. If you do end up with leggings in there, make sure there are no folds otherwise it will rub and cause raw skin.
Top:
-Sports Bra
-Tank Top (just an old athletic one)
-Long Sleeve Top (something like this)
-Thick knitted sweater - I don’t have anything fancy - I use something old from Gap or Lululemon.
-Puffy layering jacket to keep you warm (something like this - any thick puffy layer will do but make sure it fits under your shell)
-Shell Jacket- again pick what works for you. I have an Arctyrex one that I got from the Outlet, but common brands on the slope are Montec, North Face, Peak Performance, etc.
Hands:
-I wear an inner thin glove, and a thick outer glove plus hot paws. I like this system which kind of mimics what I’m talking about. Don’t skimp on gloves - I know they can be expensive. I’ve had mine for 10 years. Good gloves are the difference between frozen fingers and a ruined ski day and good times. Almost all our gloves are Kombi.
Head:
-On the coldest of days I wear a buff (like this) PLUS this magnetic neck warmer which was a complete game changer for me. Often if you pull your neck warmer up high your goggles will fog up but this system prevents that. Otherwise I just wear the Stratus neck warmer.
-I wear a fleece hat under my helmet - something like this but anything will do.
Tip: If you have long hair do a low pony or braid under your helmet otherwise you’ll have an irritating bump.
Yes, it’s intense. But I’m not cold and enjoy my day. This combo has been tested time and time again and it works for me.
Last thing - you will note that I'm a frequent skier yet a lot of my gear is old, or dual purpose. Don't be shy about wearing what you have. I see a lot of skiers in very fancy extremely co-ordinated outfits and all I can think about is how cold their ass must be 🙂
I offer short outdoor sessions in Tremblant for families and couples. You can read more here and see pricing.
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