Ski / Alpine Climbing / Mountaineering Helmets

I'm being pestered to wear a helmet skiing and would like to get some opinions. Anyone out there have a good recommendation? All the ones I see out hear sit atop snowboarders and appear to be bulky and tricked out with earphone jacks and visors. I'd like to find a simple light helmet that might cross over to mountaineering ascents, too.

I've got a Boeri Shorty air and I really like it because of its simplicity and doesn't have any flashy stuff on it. It is an older helmet which make it harder to find but that also makes it a lot cheaper when you find a dealer that still has some in stock. Its a great ski helmet but can be a little warm when hiking up on warm days, so maybe not the best for mountaineering. Just a thought.

I ski in the smith variant brim helmet. It's lightweight, has good ventilation. I like the brim to block out the sun and so that I can tip my hat to people that walk by. I ski tour in it when appropriate, but I usually switch to my climbing helmet for ski mtneering in the warmer temps.

I rely on the mystical powers of smooth, J.R., and melo, to kept my dome piece intact.

Your results may vary.

Check out the line of Bern multi-sport helmets. Theyre lightweight and have removable liners.
bernunlimited.com/2008/prod…

I own one and think it would make a great helmet for snow mountaineering, but for alpine rock, Id use a climbing specific helmet.

Try the CAMP Pulse it is rated for both skiing and climbing. I have one and gave one to my wife, we both really like this helmet. It works well for both climbing and skiing. You can get ear pieces for colder conditions. camp-usa.com/products/helme…
Dallen

Another plug for the Camp Pulse helmet. I just bought one last week and used it for a semi-technical (4th/low 5th class) ascent of Longs Peak here in Colorado. It's a certified climbing helmet, pretty cool styling, but if you get the "winter kit" it gives you foam-backed ear pads, much like a skiing helmet. The kit also allows you to plug the helmet's ventilation holes if you want to boost warmth (note that the plugs and ear pads are easily removable to allow summer use). I wore it most the day once we arrived at steeper terrain and all the way out. Very good fit, light and really warm. The ear pads didn't noticably detract from hearing and made it warm enough to let me use the helmet as my only hat on the chilly descent. Comes in at least a couple of colors and sizes.
-Tom

Reviving an old thread. Looking for a new helmet to replace my ski helmet (Smith Variant). Looking for something lighter and than I can use on rock as well (I cracked my old rock helmet). What is different about those that are "rated for skiing?" I can always throw a hat under a helmet and make it work for winter. I had been eyeing the Mammut El Cap helmet... any reasons this would not be safe for skiing?

Ben Beckerich wrote: Climbing helments don't help you in a crash, they only protect you from impact from above. You need XPS foam or some other kind of impact-absorbing material to handle crash. I wore my Meteor III+ as a climbing and biking helmet for a while. I concluded it makes a crappy helmet for either activity, though

It seems many climbing helmets these days are EPS foam or similar, the El Cap is EPS foam and hardshell hybrid. Its design to protect from rock fall and falls on rock/alpine routes, which I am not sure how you could fall skiing that would be that much different from falling on an alpine route, or a slab route for that matter.

The CAMP Pulse is still the only climbing helmet I know of that will protect more than just the top of your head. It comes down lower on the sides and the back rather than just protecting the top from rock/icefall like most climbing helmets. It is also much thicker in these areas to help absorb side or rear impacts. I have taken some serious ski crashes that slammed the side of my head into the ground and I was very glad I had the helmet on. I don't think any of the modern foam climbing helmets would have helped in those falls. Even the CAMP Speed, which is a great climbing helmet and used worldwide by rando racers, has horrible side and back coverage. I would not ski in it.

The "winter kit" for the Pulse is stupid and the earflaps won't stay on. Don't waste your money and just wear a hat underneath. The other thing I do like about the Pulse is because it fits around the head rather than on it, it doesn't slide back as much and just seems to fit way better than every other climbing helmet.

Another option worth considering is an ice hockey helmet. They have gotten really light lately - still not as light as climbing helmets - but they offer way more coverage and are made to withstand a wide variety of impacts from sticks and pucks to high speed collisions and from all different directions. IMO they also look better than mosk ski or climbing helmets.

I also have the El Cap, which I love, but again would do absolutely nothing in a ski situation. It covers only a very small portion of your head from a direct overhead impact only. There is almost zero protection from a blow to the side.

Alright fine. I'll get another ski helmet.

The Variant just has some great skiing related creature comforts in addition to safety differences.

I'm pretty sure the Kong Scarab is rated as both a climbing and a skiing helmet too.