What should I wear when skiing?
When planning your holiday to the mountains with Ski Verbier Exclusive, you might be wondering what you need to pack for your ski holiday. With years of experience in the industry and hundreds of hours of skiing experience across our team, we’ve pulled together our top tips for making sure you have everything you need for your time in Verbier.
In addition to general day-to-day wear for relaxing in your Ski Verbier Exclusive chalet and outfits for the evenings, you’ll need to pack your kit for the slopes. The weather in the mountains can change relatively quickly, going from a cold snowy morning to a beautiful sunny afternoon on the slopes. With that in mind, layers that can be easily removed to let you cool down or help you warm up are key. Read our check list below to make sure you have everything you’ll need for your ski trip:
- Good quality base layers made from natural materials such as merino wool, are perfect for allowing you to properly regulate your body temperature.
- Fleece or wool jumpers to give you an extra layer for those cooler days
- Waterproof, breathable ski pants
- Ski gloves or mittens. You may also want thin gloves or liners for very cold days, or to substitute for your thicker gloves for Spring skiing
- Goggles, with both a high- and low-light lens so you can see where you’re going whether its blue bird or snowy powder day
- Buff or balaclava, to keep your face warm and protected from the wind when high up on the chair lifts
- Ski socks, again natural fabrics will help to keep your feet cool and dry
- Sun glasses for those mountain lunch stops
- Beanie/warm hat, to hide any helmet hair when stopping for lunch or après drinks!
- Ski helmet, an essential item that we recommend is no older than 5 years
- Ski/Snowboard boots (unless you plan to hire these- your Ski Verbier Exclusive Concierge Manager can arrange this for you)
- Any required protective gear, perhaps wrist guards or back protection if you’re learning to snowboard
- Avalanche safety gear such as a transceiver, beacon, shovel, probe and backpack if you’ll be taking advantage of Verbier’s exceptional off-piste, such as Bruson’s famous tree runs
- Ski jacket, one with underarm zips will help with regulating your temperature
When spending a day exploring what the full four valleys has to offer, you can end up quite far from your SVE chalet, so we’ve put together a list of our essentials for your big ski days.
- Lift pass, if you take nothing else, make sure you take your lift pass!
- Water, to keep you hydrated
- Snacks, as skiing can use up a lot of energy, especially if you are a novice
- Charged phone and maybe a power bank if you’re planning to head straight to one of the legendary après bars in resort, followed by dinner in Verbier town
- The Ski Verbier Exclusive app, which has everything you need including the 4 valleys piste map, information on mountain and in-resort restaurants as well as après-ski venues, weather conditions, webcams, lift status and emergency numbers
- SPF sun cream and SPF lip balm, both the Alpine sun and wind are very powerful
- Hand/foot warmers, in case of very cold weather
- A backpack to put it all in!
Ski Gear Clothing Rental
When you only ski for one or two weeks a year, ski wear will often be left in your wardrobe for months on end and on top of that, it becomes a costly endeavour for ever-growing children. We work with Cirkel Supply who are the perfect option if you have never skied before, if you’re an eco-conscious mountain adventurer, or even if you just like to travel light.
We starting working with Cirkel Supply in season 22/23 and had amazing feedback and so would like to spread the news to our other guests! They answered a few of our questions to give us an insight into the wonderful service they offer.
What is Cirkel Supply and what do you offer?
At Cirkel Supply Co., we specialise in skiwear rental, helping skiers & snowboarders reduce the impact of the sports by renting – instead of buying – clothing they don’t use often. We rent outerwear (jackets & pants), midlayers, and gloves for the whole family. We have products to keep everyone cosy and warm, from little babies, to kids and adults.
You can view and rent the premium brands that we work with on our website. We work with premium brands that are responsible producers, including:
- Patagonia (for kids, babies & adults)
- Namuk (for babies, toddlers & kids)
- Houdini (for adults)
- Mammut (for adults)
- Picture (for kids & adults)
- Ortovox (for adults
- Hestra Gloves (for kids & adults)
How does your service work with Ski Verbier Exclusive?
We make rental premium, affordable, and ultimately convenient. You can browse Cirkel’s website like a normal online store, choose your outfit, select your rental dates and tell us where you’re staying. We will coordinate with the SVE resort team and ensure your rental order is ready and waiting at your chalet when you arrive. At the end of your stay, leave the goods behind, and we will take care of picking up the rental items, and getting them professionally cleaned and ready for their next adventure.
Why should our guests hire ski clothes?
If you ski or snowboard for just a week or so each winter, renting makes much more sense – both for your pocket and the planet. A business model life cycle assessment estimates that Cirkel’s rental model emits 76% less CO2 than a linear sales equivalent.
If sustainability isn’t enough to convince you, perhaps it’s to keep your quickly-growing kids warm & dry on the mountain without having to buy them new outfits each winter. Or if you’re travelling long-haul, this will help you cut donw on your luggage.
How do our guests know what size to order? Can you assist with choosing a size?
Like most clothing brands, there is a little variation between our brands in how sizing corresponds to the measurements of the garments. We have broken this down in a comprehensive size guide, which you can check out on our website. If you’re still unsure, the friendly Cirkel customer support team can assist you with finding the perfect fit for you and your family. For sizing advice and customer support, call us within business hours, or drop us a line on our contact page.
What if one of our guests accidentally orders the wrong size?
That’s easy to fix quickly because our warehouse is located right here in Verbier! Instead of releasing a flare or emergency carrier pigeon, give us a call so we can action a size swap as soon as possible.
There can be a lot to remember, especially if you have children with an early ski school or you have booked a mountain guide for first lifts. But rest assured, that your Ski Verbier Exclusive Chalet Host will be on hand to remind you of all of the essentials that you need for your day. Additionally, our chalets also have a helpful checklist in the boot room so that you can make sure you have everything you need for your day on the slopes. Happy skiing!
