TOP GEAR WITH...
Hannah Burrows-Smith
Brought up skiing the wild, snowy slopes of Cairngorm back in the ‘80s, Hannah is now a Ski Club favourite and British Mountain Guide
Hannah is originally from the Aviemore area in the Scottish Highlands. She grew up learning to ski on Cairngorm, back in the 1980s when there was plenty of snow, along with plenty of wild weather too. This upbringing led her to develop an interest in ski touring and winter climbing and eventually guiding in both.
Her training to become a British Mountain Guide was a process that began in the mountainous areas of the UK and culminated in two years in various regions of the Alps. Hannah has worked with the Ski Club over the past 10 years, primarily on her Val de Bagnes ski touring weekend and on various Off-piste Adventure and Day Tours programmes around the Chamonix Valley. Here she reveals his favourite items of kit when out in the wilds, and those on her wish list...
MY MOUNTAIN MUST-HAVES
ELAN RIPSTICK 94 W SKIS
I’ve already had these skis for the past five years and I would buy them again! They are a fantastic combination of turn-ability and float-ability, and they brilliantly manage stability at speed and in a whole range of snow types and terrain style. My skis will always be used for ski touring but this doesn’t mean I want my skis to be super light. At 1,570g a ski it's a weight I’m happy to work with for the ascent knowing that the skis will have a bit more 'umph' and performance for the descent. £530
SCOTT CELESTE TOUR BOOTS
These touring ski boots are a perfect blend of light weight, walkability and comfort for all the uphill demands of high-mountain ski touring, yet I have also found these strong and supportive for all my skiing in the backcountry too. I’ve been fortunate that these boots have fitted my feet straight off the shelf. This might be down to their Powerlite 2.0 shells being developed around the foot for a 'custom boot-fitter' fit right out of the box. £525
MARMOT EXUM GUIDE GLOVES
I’ve used these gloves constantly over the years, not least because they a good size and fit for my small hands, but also because they last well despite regular active use and retail at a good price. Ultimately they are not the warmest gloves, but apart from those particularly baltic conditions when I’ve favoured my mitts, these gloves have been my main choice. £110
MY LUST LIST
POMOCA CLIMB 2.0 READY CLIMB SKINS
These touring skins (120mm width) just look great and come with a trusted reputation. Pomoca has developed the new universal, light, and easy-to-apply ready2climb skin set where these skins can be cut to a specific ski in just two minutes without any special tools. The adjustable loop can be fixed to any type of ski too. £155
CAIRN MAGNETIK SPX3000IUM GOGGLES
The special feature of these goggles is that they come with two separate lens for different weather conditions that connect to the frame using magnets. This action works very well even with gloves on. There is a category 3 Iridium double lens, which allows for optimum use when it is sunny, and a yellow second category 1 lens for when the weather is bad (snow, fog etc.). Both lenses guarantee100% UVA/UVB protection. £120
ARC’TERYX GAMMA MX SOFTSHELL HOODY
This style of softshell jacket is key part of my clothing layering system both when skiing and touring. I can add down and outer shell layers for cold conditions and the downhill, and remove according to the demands of the uphill touring. This particular jacket made by Arc'teryx is well-made, long-lasting and comes in great colours for all. An essential jacket for my outdoor wardrobe! £280