As winter approaches I thought I’d write a blog post on winter tramping, especially after seeing the first heavy snowfalls in New Zealand on social media.
New Zealand’s mountains are often at their most dramatically beautiful in winter, but tramping at this time of year presents a few challenges. ‘Tramping’ -the NZ word for rugged hiking, for those that don’t know – sometimes implies longer overnight walks. But I’ve been happy enough sticking to day-walks in winter. So this article is about how to get up and down medium sized mountains in winter conditions. And if you want tips for which mountains to climb, have a look at my winter best-of blog post for the South Island.
Contents
Alpine Zone
A quick word about what constitutes the alpine zone. On New Zealand’s South Island, where most of the mountains are, the tree line is between 900m to 1200m depending on the latitude and local conditions. This is where you’ll most likely face wintery conditions, including possible snow cover. Nevertheless, in a dry and warm winter you might not encounter any snow at these elevations. Over 1800m is generally considered high alpine. It’s typically rocky and barren, and there’s more reliable snow cover in winter and spring.
Snow below the tree line is uncommon, but happens…
How prepared should you be?
There are members in the tramping community that love to criticise people for not having the right equipment or knowledge, particularly in winter. Their indignation is reinforced by the publicised rescues of sometimes ill-prepared hikers. I see it online a lot, but my wife Sophia and I were once on the receiving end of an angry tirade on top of a mountain, accused of irresponsible behaviour for not using the equipment we had brought with us. This was shortly before I took the photo below, on Mt Somers in Mid Canterbury.
Nevertheless, the first time I climbed a snow covered mountain in New Zealand (Avalanche Peak in Arthur’s Pass) we were the only people up there with any specialised equipment. There was one guy in runners and sports socks. So I guess the first lesson is that you can often get away with minimal equipment if the conditions are benign, or if you’re okay with increased risk and discomfort.
I’m definitely not one of the risk-averse know-it-all types, but I will suggest erring on the side of caution if you are inexperienced. That applies to hiking in any season, but especially so in winter. You’ll eventually build an intuition for what terrain and conditions require particular precautions.
There are roughly three main problems you have to address when climbing mountains in winter: the cold, sliding, and avalanches. Let’s look at each.
The Cold
I asked my wife Sophia which winter mountain climbing challenge was most significant. She said the wind, so let’s talk about the wind.
The Wind
We lived for four years in Christchurch, Canterbury, and the mountain ranges to the west – the Canterbury Foothills and Kā Tiritiri o te Moana / Southern Alps – were our main playground during that time. The prevailing winds in Canterbury are the notorious nor’westers, a type of foehn wind apparently. In any season they can be ferocious, but in winter they are both cold and ferocious.
Generally, New Zealand’s weather is actually quite mild. It’s an island far from any continent, and not all that far south (the South Island is between roughly 40 to 46 degrees latitude). On a sunny and calm day in mid winter it can be quite pleasant even in the high alpine zone. But gale force winds are another matter. Have a look at the following video, taken on Big Ben (1416m) in early winter, before we learned about how strong the winds can get. (I guess we learned that day).
Check the wind forecast
After this experience we tended to avoid gale force winds, and definitely stayed at home if the forecast was for “severe gale”. This applied in any season because of the risk of being blown off ridges.
I recommend checking the wind forecast at least the day before. For a long time I used only the NZ Met Service website, which gives you wind forecasts at different elevations in mountainous regions. I sometimes found the wind forecasts a little exaggerated, and tried using other websites to supplement this. One was windy.com and the accompanying app. There are many other options.
Clothing
Here’s a list of the clothing I wear or carry for a winter hike:
- Long sleeved merino base layer with a zip up neck
- Thicker merino zip up jumper
- Wind and rain proof jacket with hood (GORE TEX or equivalent)
- Regular hiking pants
- Rain proof over-pants
- Two pairs of gloves: merino/possum inner gloves (I used fingerless) + insulated leather ski gloves
- Woolen hat (beanie) and/or neck gaiter
- Neoprene face mask
- Woolen or alpine rated wool-blend hiking socks
- Rugged leather hiking boots
- Full waterproof gaiters
- Duck-down puffer jacket
Wind Proof Clothing
As you can see in the above video Sophia is wearing a wind and rain proof jacket. Without such a barrier the wind will pass straight through your clothing no matter how well insulated. I also bring rain pants, which could be handy if your legs get cold (though I’ve never used them like that).
For the same reason you’ll also want gloves that keep the wind out. I got chilblains (or possibly worse) by not covering my fingers on a windy mountain top in winter, and one of my fingers has never quite recovered. I eventually settled on a pair of leather ski gloves that I wear over possum*/wool fingerless gloves. Sophia wears the same gloves over full merino liners. These leather gloves are also reasonably tough for occasional scrambling.
(*Possums are introduced pests in NZ, so they make gloves and socks out of the fur. In Australia (where I’m from) they are of course one of our native treasures 🙂).
Keeping Warm
There are a few options for well insulated clothing. We always wear merino wool, but there are appropriate synthetic fibres. One benefit of wool is that it can still insulate when wet (to a point). It also resists odour, which is particularly useful for multi-day trips. And wool breathes quite nicely, for those warmer winter days. Note that cotton is –not- suitable for winter walking.
In winter I wear a long sleeved merino ‘base layer’ (worn close to the body) with zip-up neck, and thicker zip-up jumper. I’ll put on my wind proof jacket in the wind (or rain/snow of course).
We like to sit on the summits and eat our lunch with views, so I bring a duck down puffer jacket for extra warmth up there. This is also useful if something goes wrong and you get stuck on the mountain. (They are light and pack down quite small). I also wear thick woolen hiking socks, graded for alpine conditions if I expect to walk through snow (which often use some other special material along with wool).
Regulating Temperature
Note that clothing with zip up necks are useful for regulating temperature. It can sometimes be quite mild even in mid-winter, and when climbing a tall mountain you’ll work up some heat. You can open up the neck and roll up your sleeves to keep cool, then zip back up when you get cold. This saves having to take clothes off and on as the terrain and weather change.
When I first walked in the New Zealand winter, coming from Australia, I thought it would be really cold and wore warm hiking pants I had bought in South Korea. I was uncomfortably hot, and since then have worn the same pants in winter as I do in summer. With no internal organs inside and blood circulating around when walking, my legs seldom feel cold.
I already mentioned gloves. Carry two: wool or wool/possum blend for inside, and something tougher and wind proof for outside. I like the inside pair to be fingerless so I can keep them on and do things like work my phone. Sophia likes full fingers to maximise warmth at the tips. Note that merino is not a durable wool, so merino gloves won’t last if you are scrambling over rocks with them on.
And don’t forget a woolen hat (beanie). You might also consider a neck gaiter or neoprene face mask in case the wind is really up. I seldom use my face mask but a really cold wind can freeze your nose, so it’s handy to have just in case.
Boots and Gaiters
Generally you want to keep your feet warm and dry. I wear sturdy, though comfortable, leather boots pretty much all year round in NZ due to the rugged terrain. (My last two have been Zamberlans). Most days I’ll wear full length waterproof gaiters with them. In any season this protects your feet and lower legs from getting wet, (water or snow), and stops debris getting in your boots. They also allows you to wear crampons, which I’ll get to later.
Sliding
This is where it gets complicated, and you’ll need to do at least some Youtube research to really understand the various techniques. Of course, taking a field course is best as you get to practice under supervision. Here’s a summary of the things you need to know before setting off up steep snow slopes.
- Kicking steps
- Ice axe
- Crampons
Kicking Steps
Walking through soft or crunchy snow on level ground is easy. Once you hit steeper slopes however, you will need to kick steps into the snow with your boots. This a fundamental technique for winter tramping and you need to practice at the bottom of a slope the first time you do it.
I won’t go into the details too much because you’ll need to look at some YouTube videos to really see the technique. But basically, you kick into the snow with the side edge of your boot to make flat ledges for each step you take. This requires walking up or down a slope on a bit of an angle.
On steeper terrain you can kick steps with your toes. To descend this way you need to go backwards and face the slope. If you are kicking steps in this way then you almost certainly need to have your ice axe out.
Ice Axe
The primary function of an ice axe is to stop you from sliding down a snow slope, something which can result in serious injury or death. 😨 Advice I received from a real mountaineer is to have your ice axe in-hand on steep slopes that are blanketed with snow.
In my experience you don’t need an ice axe if:
- the snow is very patchy – you can avoid the snow, or won’t slide very far
- the slope is not very steep – you won’t start to slide
- the snow is quite thick and soft or crunchy – a low chance of losing your footing, and if you do you’ll just sink into the snow
I use walking poles on all my off track NZ walks, and in the circumstances above I prefer to keep using them rather than an ice axe.
You hold the axe by one hand at the top of the shaft with the adze facing forwards, and the shaft pointing down (as pictured). A bit like a walking stick. If you are side on to a slope then you carry the axe in the hand that is up-slope. You can dig the spike into the snow to aid with stability. Should you slip then in most cases you can dig the spike into the snow and hold on to the shaft with your other hand. Pull yourself back up and regain your footing. I’ve done this before and it felt quite safe.
However, should you start to slide down the mountain then you’ll need to self arrest.
Self Arresting
Ideally you’ll learn how to use an ice axe from a guide, especially self arresting. I didn’t, however. Instead I watched YouTube videos and practiced a handful of times on safe slopes. I also started on fairly simple winter walks, slowly increasing the danger level as I increased in skills and confidence. I’ve never had to self arrest for real however, and honestly don’t know how I’d go. The best policy is not to fall in the first place!
To self arrest you need to dig the pick into the hardened snow as much as possible. I’ll describe the technique (with a bit of help from AI) but you’ll need to go and watch a couple of videos to really see how it works.
Let’s assume you are holding the head with your right hand when you lose your footing and begin to slide down a slope on hard snow.
Getting into the Arrest Position:
- Quickly determine which way you’re sliding and orient yourself face-down, head uphill. If you’re on your back, roll onto your stomach.
- Spread your legs slightly.
- Raise your feet (bend at the knees) to keep them from catching on the snow, especially if you’re wearing crampons. Catching a crampon can cause you to tumble and may also break your ankle.
Using the Ice Axe:
Grip
Hold the ice axe diagonally across your body. In my scenario hold the head of the axe in line with your right chest/shoulder, pick facing towards the slope, and grab the lower part of the shaft with the your left hand, roughly in line with your left hip. If you are holding the axe correctly to start with you should be able to do this in one motion, without altering your right hand grip on the head.
Engage the Pick
- Drive the pick of the ice axe into the snow.
- Apply downward pressure, pulling the axe towards your hip, using your body weight to increase friction. Really push your shoulder and chest into the axe head.
- The goal is to dig the pick in deeply enough to stop your slide.
- Maintain pressure until you come to a complete stop.
- Once stopped, secure your position by driving the pick further into the snow.
- Take a moment to assess the situation and plan your next move.
Sounds simple right? 😉
Cutting Steps
You can also use your ice axe to ‘cut steps’ in situations when the snow is a bit too hard to kick steps into. You swing the axe holding the bottom of the shaft and cut with the adze. Put your hand through the leash in case you accidentally let go of the axe! I think I tried this once. If the snow is getting that hard then you might need to put on your crampons.
Crampons
Use crampons when there is ice or hard snow that is too slippery to walk on in boots. That is, you are unable to kick or cut steps into the snow. If you are sticking to trails then you might be fine with micro-spikes on icy sections. But if you are walking off trail, or the trail is buried under snow, and you are walking up steep slopes on hard snow, then you should use crampons.
Regarding when to put them on exactly, there appear to be two schools of thought. Most people say put them on early so you are not stuck on a steep, slippery slope trying to fit them. Nevertheless, I’ve also heard that since crampons can get caught on things, and make self arresting more dangerous, you should only have them on when you really need them.
I’m pretty confident kicking steps and only put my crampons on when I think I really need them. But I have found myself fitting them in awkward locations, so I recommend looking ahead to see whether there are places you can safely fit your crampons.
Entry level crampons
Sophia and I bought entry level ten-point crampons (‘Grivel G-10’) – eight on the bottom and two at the front. They strap onto our boots. It would be good if the shop you buy them from can show you how to fit them. It can be a bit fiddly. You might need a YouTube refresher before you go out the first few times.
If you plan to use crampons often then you could consider models that snap on and off, but you’ll need compatible boots for that. If you are learning about winter tramping from this article it is unlikely you’ll need that sort of gear.
Basic Technique
The basic technique for using crampons is to keep all of your spikes on the snow or ice. Depending on the angle of the terrain this might require turning your ankle to keep your foot flat to the ground surface. I found it doesn’t feel natural and is quite tiring for my leg muscles. Nevertheless, the big spikes on crampons feel reassuringly secure in icy conditions.
Front Pointing
The two spikes out the front are for ‘front pointing’, which is an advanced technique I used briefly only once. You should get tuition if you plan to be in situations requiring front pointing. The technique is used on very steep slopes when you cannot keep your spikes flat to the ground. Instead you walk up by kicking the two front spikes into the hard snow on each step. To descend in this way you have to face the slope of course. If this sounds familiar, you may have realised that this is like kicking steps into snow, only for when the snow is hard.
The one time I tried it, it was because sudden steepness and hard snow had caught me by surprise. I attempted front pointing, hoping to reach the ridge above, but quickly reconsidered. With such little margin for error, and just the two of us lacking ropes and proper mountaineering experience, I decided against it. I front pointed back down to softer snow and then gained the ridge via a lower, less challenging route.
Avalanches and Cornices
Cornices
Cornices are overhanging masses of snow that accumulate on the downwind (leeward) side of ridges, mountain crests, and gullies. The problem is that you might think there is land under these accumulations of snow, but in fact there isn’t, and standing on a cornice can cause them to collapse. You will fall with the collapsing snow, and depending on the extent of the drop and the amount of snow, there’s a reasonable chance you will die. Basically don’t step on cornices.
Cornices are easy enough to identify as snow drifts on the leeward edge of a ridge or mountain edge. The windward edge of a ridge might be quite bare in comparison, (although the angle of the sun makes a difference to that – southern slopes are in shadow in the southern hemisphere and snow remains longer).
See the image below for examples of cornices on the west ridge of Mt Princess (on the left). The prevailing Nor’westers have blown snow from left to right, leaving cornices on the south-eastern side of the ridge.
Avalanches
I very much wish I had done an avalanche awareness course in the field, but alas I only did an online course. (I can’t remember which one it was, but an online search reveals a few options to choose from). I’ve consequently made pretty risk averse decisions regarding avalanches. Understanding avalanches and the risk they pose is a pretty technical business, but I’ll keep it really simple just to get you started. Go and do an online course, and then book in for a field course that includes avalanche awareness. (Then you can teach me 🙂) .
Types of Avalanches
There are various types of avalanches, classified based on their structure and how they form. Two of the common ones are as follows:
Slab avalanches are generally considered the most dangerous, and form when a cohesive mass of snow (the ‘slab’) slides on a weaker layer underneath. In Canterbury wind slabs are common due to the strong winds.
These strong winds blow snow onto the leeside of peaks and ridges. The wind action makes the snow dense, forming a slab. These can be hard to identify as there may be fresh snow on top, so checking the avalanche forecast is important.
Loose snow avalanches are another type. These form when unconsolidated (loose) snow becomes unstable and falls down a slope. In NZ the weather contributes to elevated risk of loose, wet avalanches. The sun is reasonably strong, and temperatures can change considerably. There is a common cycle of freezing at night and thawing during the day, particularly from late winter into spring. There can also be rain at quite high altitudes, adding moisture to the snow pack. The risk of these avalanches increases as the day warms up, particularly on north facing slopes. (Being in the southern hemisphere, the northern slopes are the sunny ones).
Avoiding Avalanches
Firstly, always check the NZ avalanche forecast for your area before you head out in winter. I tend to enter avalanche terrain (basically, on or below steep slopes) only in low or moderate risk conditions. If there’s risk of loose wet avalanches you should consider leaving early to avoid the hot afternoon melt. If there’s a risk of slab avalanches then avoid slopes on the risky side of the mountain (the forecast will tell you which that is).
When climbing a mountain, travelling on ridges is the best way to minimise avalanche risk. Thankfully, most routes tend to follow ridges after the initial climb, so you’ll still have quite a few choices to climb peaks in snowy conditions. Even still, if you stray onto the snow pack on the edge of a ridge it might give way beneath your feet and send you down the mountain. (Also, see cornices above). Walkers disrupting the delicately balanced snowpack are a common cause of avalanches.
If climbing on steep slopes, note that inclines between 30 to 45 degrees are the riskiest for avalanches. You can sometimes see evidence of avalanche activity, usually a trail of fallen snow on a slope. If it looks recent then reconsider entering avalanche terrain. And there’s greater risk in the day or two following heavy snowfall, until the snow has had chance to pack more densely.
As a general rule late autumn and early winter are reasonably safe periods to walk in snow. Late winter and spring are more dangerous, with plenty of layers of potentially unstable and melting snow to make things complicated.
Avalanche Rescue
To rescue someone from an avalanche requires specialist electronic equipment to locate them in the snow, and a shovel to dig them out. Experts recommend carrying this equipment and practicing how to use it if you are entering avalanche terrain. It all sounded complicated to me so I make conservative decisions regarding avalanches.
Other Considerations
Visibility
I am a fair weather hiker and believe it or not, have only walked in proper rain a handful of times, and not for very long. I’ve never walked when it was snowing. You can achieve this by studying weather forecasts and being selective about the days you go out. Waiting for a weather window isn’t always possible however, and if it does snow when you are out and about you could experience a complete white out. You’d need maps and compass and/or online maps and GPS, which you should always carry anyway. I imagine these conditions would be a bit scary and I don’t really see the point of being out when you can’t see anything, so I’ve avoided it.
Deep Snow
Deep snow can really slow you down, and possibly halt progress altogether (I’ve had that experience once). You can struggle through snow drifts, but to progress through consistently deep snow you’ll need to wear snow shoes. I’ve never worn them so I can’t tell you much more. Thankfully I found such deep snow rare in New Zealand.
Walking through deep snow is tiring and even when I’ve powered on I found myself cramping up after extended periods, probably because I was using muscles that don’t get much use normally. Walking poles are useful in New Zealand conditions generally, and this includes walking in snow, enlisting your arms to help power you forward and to maintain stability.
Helmets
We bought climbing helmets not long before we left New Zealand, so we had managed without them until then. Essentially we’d accepted the added risk of not having a helmet. Helmets are insurance against a few mishaps though, including rockfall from above, but also to protect your head if you fall. They are light and can be strapped to the outside of your pack if you don’t need them on.
Photography
The sun stays low in winter which can make for attractive light conditions. Nevertheless, if you are shooting roughly north, then the mountain faces will be in shadow and the sun may be pointing straight into the camera. I recommend planning your photography around the position of the sun during the day. When planning your route, estimate where the sun will be, and if you have the option, time your arrival at a photogenic spot in good light. There are also a few more cloud inversions in winter I’ve noticed, and they can add to a scene.
I’d never photographed in snow until I arrived in New Zealand to live. I found the bright snow played havoc with my exposure, and sometimes had to adjust that manually to get the light right. The right exposure would be very different depending on whether I was shooting at bright snow covered areas or not. In general I was underexposing my shots when relying on the camera’s automatic exposure, perhaps because it was overcompensating for the glare. You’ll have to experiment to get it right.
Generally the scenery is improved by snow, depending on your personal taste. The most notable exceptions are alpine tarns and lakes, which can be frozen and covered in snow, like in the photo below.
One last thing to note on photography is that cold weather drains batteries faster. My phone is in my pocket and on airplane mode so that’s not so affected. But my mirrorless camera is clipped to my backpack arm straps and exposed to the cold. I carry a few spare batteries.
Easier Climbing in Winter
An old neighbour of mine was an amateur mountaineer. He generally preferred to climb in winter or spring on snow, because snow covers the notoriously loose New Zealand alpine rock. Even if the rock is not a problem, the right kind of snow is a smooth and potentially grippy surface to walk on, and hard, icy snow is managed with crampons. So, more advanced snow skills and avalanche awareness allow access to routes that would be more difficult or risky otherwise. I was not quite at that level, but with practice and an advanced course or two, snow can open your world of climbing.
Anyway, enjoy your winter tramping, and let me know if you have any thoughts or questions, including if you think I’ve left something out or got something wrong 🙃 And I might write a winter best-of list at some point… Edit: now done – click here 🙂
