 Well I am off to the Alps in a couple of weeks and was hoping some people might have neat tricks and tips for keeping cool and making life easier whilst climbing & walking in the alps.
I suffer badly in hot countries and tend to avoid them so was hoping there might be some good tips about.
Would appreciate any useful information or advice anybody has to offer!!!
Cheers,
Richard
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I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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 Sounds like you are out there the same time as me.
I was in the Alps last year during the heat wave. And I suffer big time in the heat.
But I had a Craghopper baseball cap with the bit at the back to protect the neck. And a 2 litre platypus water bladder in the rucksack, so I could make sure I drank plenty. Also carried a spare 1 litre SIG bottle to top up if I ran out.
I wore shorts, t-shirt (light weight craghopper one), sun protection cream applied regularly, sunglasses, and I was able to handle some pretty hot days.
Nothing special, just the same as if I was out over here in the sun basically.
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That's good to know then, I was getting slightly ponderous as to whether I should be buying more specific clothing really, have a couple of decent SPF rated base layers so they should do me I guess.
Can always find out the hard way though, stuck in a crevasse!!!!!
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 Bush hat and your favourite base layer stuff. Long sleeves prevent sunburn, cotton bandanna to protect your neck (with a woggle cut from a piece of hose pipe). Wear a big bum bag rather than a rucsack if possible (keeps yer back dry). Whitewash grade sun block on the exposed bits.
Avoid cotton T-shirts if you're going to sweat. When wet through, they cause yer body's cooling mechanism to go into overdrive and double your water requirements. Base layers just feel (very) hot and dry.
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Not sure my climbing gear will fit in a bumbag, but cheers for the advice!!!
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 I'm glad I'm not the only person who doesn't necessarily enjoy the heat. OK, if I'm honest, I don't enjoy it all.
If water is plentiful, I enjoy the cooling effects of a buff (basically a tube of material) dipped in water and then worn around the neck - it's a treat!
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might be worth looking at something like the berghaus freeflow type bags, as you don't get the big sweat build up associated with a normal backsystem on a rucksack.
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 Definitely a wide brimmed sun hat to protect the back of your neck etc.
I also find that, if you're fit enough, it helps to cruise gently rather than flogging yourself. The lower your engine is revving, the cooler you'll run, a bit like a car.
Incidentally, your body will adapt to working better in heat, but it takes a while, about ten days to reach 90 per-cent of your full acclimatisation or something. But, if you can find a way of training for around 20 minutes a day in a sauna for two weeks before you go out, most of that adaptation will have already taken place, yeah, not very helpful I know, unless you know a sauna you can take a treadmill into...
Other obvious stuff is maybe to start earlier and try not to walk in the middle of the day.
It's a b********* though, I'm not great with heat, so I know where you're coming from.
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I'll second the berghaus freeflow II rucksacks, I use the 25lt, while my friend used the 35lt. Both are water bladder compatible as well.
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 First, go light. That's clothes colours as well as your gear (Don't make the usual Brit mistake of black RonHills and a navy Helly top... baggy and light is pretty good, though you may want Stop-tous or gaiters to stop crampon snagging disasters
Second drink loads and use glacier snow/ice in your drinks bladders to keep the temperature down.
Think about your route to avoid the sun - get up early, be in the shade when the sun is high etc.
Don't be afraid to wear very little, when the sun is out all you need is enough to keep the wind off and cover your skin if you are the type to burn a lot. And again, ditch as much gear as you can. Look how little the locals carry (and how fast they go coz their packs weigh nothing - and they don't sweat much!!!)
Mark Twight has everything there is to be said on the subject (and on lots of others too!!!) in 'Extreme Alpinism' invest in a copy or borrow one and you'll learn a lot about how to make the alps an enjoyable experience.
Enjoy
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The Alps are cooler higher up so stay high! Of course the sun is stronger so use high factor sun cream.
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on the thought of using glacier snow in drinks, try getting a drinks bottle or bladder with a wide opening, such as a nalgene bottle. the big opening lets you get snow in more easily.
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Ooh some good tips there!!
Not a fan of the freeflow, don't really mind the sweaty back, but the glacier snow in bladder i like, hadn't thought of that one!!!!
Training in a sauna....... might just wear all my clothes and go for a run, has a similar effect.
Hmm... lot's to think about though, cheers!!
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Shorts, long sleeved light wicking top, good sun hat and high factor cream. Works for me
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 I'd say zip-off trousers rather than shorts. There comes a time when slapping on the factor 30 just isn't enough any more. make sure you can cover up all exposed skin unless you're already some tanned and rugged outdoor worker and even then think twice...
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 Yep, watch out for the harsh effect of the sun reflecting off the snow/ice. My legs burnt off in Wengen back in May - I was wearing shorts and SPF 15 only, had to wear long trousers the rest of the week :-(
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