It happens every winter in Stowe, Vermont. In mid to late January, deep winter sets in, bringing subzero temperatures and air like invisible ice. Overnight wind chills can reach -50 degrees, and the Green Mountains are covered in an alpine freeze. With each step, there’s a crunch of ice and snow, and the surroundings are almost silent as everyone tries to survive, let alone enjoy the snow globe setting.
But around 5:45 a.m. in late January, that’s just what I’m doing as I begin the drive to Stowe Mountain Resort. My car’s information display reads 9 degrees, and weather reports indicate a -21-degree wind chill on the mountain. Soon, I’ll be skinning up the Nosedive trail, a slow burn of roughly 2,000 vertical feet covering just over a mile. The wind will howl, and my quads will burn, and it’ll take focus and strain to make it up. I’ll be battling the cold, but also heat, as the climb takes me into my threshold heart rate and warmth builds inside. I’ll need gear suited for the task.
To that end, I’m suited up in Jones Snowboards’ Shralpinist outwear, its highest-spec offering for severe conditions. Designed by big mountain explorer Jeremy Jones in Lake Tahoe, California, the kit uses design and materials for those looking to go further in the mountains. But how would it perform during subzero climbs and all-conditions freeriding in Vermont’s harshest weather? Read on for my review.
What is Shralpinism?
Jeremy Jones is a snowboarder, explorer, and alpinist who’s skinned up and ridden down some of the world’s highest peaks. His snowboard journey began in Stowe, Vermont, and from there, he enjoyed a successful racing career and many appearances in films as a big mountain freerider. Now based in Lake Tahoe, CA, he’s focused on foot-powered snowboarding, reaching intriguing lines worldwide via splitboarding, ice climbing, rappelling, and more.
In his book, “The Art of Shralpinism”, Jeremy describes expeditions that require detailed planning, backcountry knowledge, and patience as he waits for the weather and snow to hit right. One trip to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska involves a 6-day boat ride, an 18-hour trek into the mountains, and seven days of camping after a severe blizzard. There, he climbs 10,300-foot Mount Bertha, then descends its 3,200-foot northeast face.
Another excerpt involves a journey to Nepal to ride the Himalayas. After three weeks of waiting for good weather, he walks over a crevasse-covered glacier and crosses a bergshrund while approaching the Shangri-La spine wall. He notes: “I’m now in the vertical world. Danger above and below. It is time to be present. The mind is clear, my senses are clear and sharp. I’m on the edge of the world, sticking to it with the help of an axe and two crampons, five points. I enjoy it. I am free. I am out there.”
So what does “Shralpinism” mean?
Jeremy describes his appreciation of snowboarding and nature:
“This is when I enter into a world so mystical and magical that it is no wonder I dedicate and shape my life around it. This is Shralpinism — a love of shredding, yes, but even more a love of the alpine, the mountains, the forests, the natural world.”
Jones Shralpinist Outerwear: Features and specs
The package from Jones Snowboards arrived in a nondescript box. It was about 24 x 36 inches and was easy to pick up. The shipping label indicated its origin in Sparks, Nevada, near the High Sierra. As I opened it up, the jacket and bibs were in recycled packaging, a thin plastic film encasing both. Upon glancing at each, there was an aura, as if they were designed in faraway places for daring expeditions.
Strategic placement of pockets, material choices, and cut all stood out as I hung both in my closet. Glancing at them from time to time, with shadows dancing off the creases, they resembled a space suit awaiting its next mission. Jones also sent me its Flagship Recycled Grid Fleece for warmth.
Shralpinist Recycled GORE-TEX ePE Jacket ($774.95)
Notable features:
- 100% recycled 3L GORE-TEX ePE C-Knit fabric, PFAS-free
- Dual external zipped chest pockets
- Pit zips
- Napoleon-style phone pocket
- Internal stretch pockets
- Fully-taped seams
- YKK Aquaguard zippers
- 5 Red Flags and avalanche rescue tips print
Shralpinist Recycled GORE-TEX ePE Bibs ($724.95)
Notable features:
- 100% recycled 3L GORE-TEX ePE C-Knit fabric, PFAS-free
- Dual-zipped chest pockets
- Dual thigh pockets with internal sleeves
- Taped seams
- YKK Aquaguard zippers
- Side vents
- Adjustable suspenders
- Belt loops and jacket connector
Flagship Recycled Grid Fleece ($149.95)
- 100% recycled Polartec Power Grid fleece fabric
- Zipped chest pocket
How I tested the Shralpinist kit
Stowe Mountain Resort served as my testing ground, with many mornings skinning up (and riding down) the Nosedive trail, days spent in below-zero temperatures, and all-conditions freeriding. I tested for weather protection, dexterity, breathability, and style. All of my testing occurred during Vermont’s yearly January cold spell, with temperatures frequently at or below zero.
The Nosedive trail at Stowe is a gradual, strenuous skin covering about a mile and rising 2,000 feet into the sky. It’s like performing hundreds of step-ups in succession as quads, glutes, and hamstrings work in harmony to make each stride. It gets even spicier upon reaching the “Headwall” a Z-shaped vertical staircase where the pitch increases, the surface loses traction, and heart rates near maximum. Reaching the summit is a sweet relief.
The terrain at Stowe has almost everything: the “Front Four” steeps, groomers like “Lord” and “Sunrise”, and powdery glades throughout. Each presented a unique chance to test the Shralpinist kit’s attributes.
How Shralpinist Outerwear handled subzero Vermont
My skins up Nosedive began around 6:00 a.m. Using Drift Boards, carrying my snowboard on my back, I’d start, step by step, inching my way up. At first, the pitch was medium and then grew in intensity at about a half mile in. Upon reaching the Headwall at around .7 miles, the grade steepened, traction faded, and gusts rushed over the mountain.
The Flagship fleece had the consistency of a fine Merino sweater. The medium-weight fabric draped over my body and began building heat as soon as I put it on. On morning skins, it pulled moisture off my body and helped keep me at an even temperature.
The jacket was my armor against the wind and snow, with flakes bouncing off and gusts repelled. The GORE-TEX C-Knit fabric allowed my body to flex and move as I lifted each pole and then planted it before the next stride. If too much heat built up, I reached for my elbows where the pit zips awaited. Inside, the jacket had a pewter-like finish, with seam tape that resembled welds on a motorcycle frame. The Pacific teal color was deep and appealing.
The bibs had sweatpants-like dexterity, with almost zero resistance to movement. If heat began to build up, I’d reach for my hips, where the side vent zippers awaited. As I climbed and climbed, the pants flowed with my movements.
Jones Snowboards found a balance between tough and supple with the jacket’s and pants’ 70D-rated outer shell. It sits between sandpaper and silk, with the durability for driving snow and subzero mornings, yet moving like performance-focused athletic apparel. As I scaled the Nosedive Headwall at my threshold heart rate, the GORE-TEX C-Knit material let moisture escape and kept me at a temperature equilibrium.
Both the jacket and pants have pockets with logical placement and ample space. The jacket’s two front pockets have room to store two sandwiches each, and the internal stretch pockets have about the same. The phone pocket provides convenient access during a lift ride or while snapping photos on the mountain. The bib’s thigh pockets stood out for their internal sleeves, using a stretch material that neatly held a pair of keys.
While descending Mount Mansfield, whether post-skin or via lift access, the kit’s lightweight, flexible nature stood out. My legs could flow and flex in and out of turns, and the reduced weight let me ride longer without fatigue.
Though the kit had excellent performance through all conditions, there were a few things I’d change. The velcro wrist closures, while simple and strong, let frigid winds seep through while riding the FourRunner Quad chairlift. Stretch wrist gaiters would’ve been nice.
The boot gaiters barely fit over the outside of my boots and could’ve used about a half-inch more clearance. The collar was also a little restrictive when fully zipped.
GORE-TEX C-Knit has a parachute-like feel that provides its flexible, breathable nature. But that thin and light quality means layering is essential for warmth. Under the jacket, I wore a tech tee, Jones Flagship fleece, and a down insulator jacket. I wore heavyweight base layer pants under the bibs.
Jones Shralpinist Outerwear: Made for movement
On the hang tag for the Shralpinist jacket are the words “The Journey is the Reward”. As I skinned and descended Nosedive over and over, I understood that phrase more. On the way up, my quads burned and, my heart pounded, and my skins often slipped on the icy Headwall. Sometimes, I’d slide backward, wondering if I’d make it up.
But then, at the top, after stowing my approach skis and strapping on my board, the relief and endorphins set it. As I made turns on the descent, I savored each vertical foot, knowing I’d worked for it. Painting arcs on the untouched surface equalized the struggle to the summit, with an exhilaration far exceeding lift-serviced riding.
That’s what the Shralpinist kit is made for. Though you could use it to cruise the resort on cold days, that wouldn’t be true to its purpose. This kit is made for movement, adventure, and pushing oneself in the mountains.
You could drive a Porsche 911 GT3RS around town, savor the engine’s howl, and take in the race-inspired dashboard. But it wouldn’t be in its element. A racing circuit is its home, where the redline arrives quickly and the G-forces build.
The same holds true with the Shralpinist kit. It works best on an intense skin or while ripping through the forest in a snowstorm. Like the GT3RS, it’s designed for a purpose, and that’s where it shines.
Jones Shralpinist Outerwear showed its rugged nature and thoughtful design during Vermont’s harshest conditions. Through blizzards, morning skins, and subzero gusts, it offered protection and dexterity as I pushed myself in the mountains. As winter continues, it’ll be my kit for tackling the Nosedive Headwall.
