The ultimate protection against wind and cold on the Weissensee

Skating the Weissensee in Austria yourself is an experience not to be missed, but you do have to prepare properly. For wind and cold, for instance. Avoid trouble: go for the ultimate protection.

Sudden wind on the ‘windless’ Weissensee

You can have glorious skating tours with lovely sunshine and pleasant temperatures. Just as easily you can be faced with extreme cold. And the wind sometimes plays a surprising role on the Weissensee. In the morning it can be completely still. While in the afternoon a stiff breeze gets up. Out of nowhere…

Unusual cold thanks to a remarkable microclimate

This enchanting mountain lake has something else remarkable about it too. There is a kind of ‘microclimate’.

Gerhard Hohenwarter (ZAMG) explained this in January 2015 to the Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour (AEW) and Weissensee Information: “The location of a weather station can make a big difference. At night a thin layer of very cold air gathers above the ice of the Weissensee.”

“This can make it as much as five degrees colder than at a spot 15 metres higher up. That microclimate is the reason the ice on the Weissensee can grow so quickly.”

Over the past decades -30°C has even been touched. Rest assured, it is rarely that cold on the Weissensee. Even so, a wind chill of -20°C at the start is not unthinkable. Which is why it matters to know how to prepare for wind and cold at the Weissensee as thoroughly as you can.

The ultimate protection

It all starts with the right clothing, of course. And then there is one special material that will serve you very well in extreme cold: bubble wrap.

This material is not only good for protecting all kinds of goods around the world, but also as a superb aid for skaters. Bubble wrap is the ultimate protection against wind and cold on the Weissensee. It simply does not let the cold through.

Preventing frozen toes

Skaters also use bubble wrap to prevent frozen toes. They put it under their neoprene ‘overshoes’. That reduces the risk of frostbite from wind and cold considerably.

To keep the bubble wrap firmly in place, skaters use duct tape: they tape it directly over the toes of their skating boots.

Fall protection

Bubble wrap doubles as fall protection as well. Some skaters choose to put it around their hips. You can do that, but there are plenty of other options for fall protection. You could buy a protective pair of padded shorts, for instance.

Tip of the week

Extreme cold? Wrap your skates in bubble wrap, a layer of duct tape and neoprene overshoes. That way you can be sure you will not get cold feet on the Weissensee. This coming Tuesday we go into your skating outfit in more depth. (3 clothing tips for skating a tour on the Weissensee, ed.)