Our instincts have atrophied. Otherwise we would have smelled it, the winter lurking behind the mountain peaks. It is the 14th of September. We are shivering at an altitude of 1500 metres. It's snowing. Caught cold.
We set off in slightly cloudy skies and mild temperatures. I only have a thin windbreaker in my pack. But on the way to the Pleißenhütte in the Austrian Karwendel, the tour turns into a disaster: the temperature plummets! The thermometer drops to just under five degrees. It starts to snow. It's still 300 metres up to the refuge. We quickly pull on everything we can conjure up from the depths of our bike rucksacks. Layer upon layer, as long as the icy wind doesn't penetrate our skin. Vest, jersey, arm warmers, wind waistcoat and a rain jacket on top - a combination that keeps the warmth close to the body, but unfortunately also the moisture. A poor compromise, but better than getting frostbite.
SOFT ON THE OUTSIDE, WARM ON THE INSIDE
The solution would have been so simple: a softshell jacket. The basic idea behind softshells is as simple as it is effective. Anyone who dresses according to the onion principle wears a weather-repellent layer on the outside (e.g. rain jacket) and an insulating layer underneath (e.g. fleece, jersey). The softshell combines these two layers into one. Simple to say, but complicated to implement, because how do you combine a fluffy, warm fleece jumper and a vapour-repellent rain jacket to create a breathable and moisture-repellent unit? Quite simply: by making a compromise, because that's exactly what the manufacturers of softshells do.
You can find these softshell jackets in the PDF download:
Assos Fugu
Castelli Quantum
Craft Elite WS
Gore Bike Wear Tool
Sugoi Firewall 220
Sportful Altitude WS
Vaude Posta
