Italian words: Let’s learn some Italian ski terms

Winter is approaching fast in Italy and with it cold weather. When Winter comes, many Italians can’t wait for the snow to come.

Unfortunately, thanks to global warming, nowadays in Italy you can usually find the snow only at a certain height.

So snow lovers generally book what in Italy is called la settimana bianca early on.

La settimana bianca, literally the white week, is a period you spend on the mountains during Winter. During settimana Bianca Italians can enjoy the snow and some winter sports.

Let’s learn some Italian ski terms while listing what you need to bring with you if you book a settimana bianca in Italy for skiing.

BASIC SKI CLOTHING

If you’ve never gone skiing before, you might be thinking that you’ll have to wear a lot of warm clothes since in Winter the temperature in the mountains is definitely cold. It’s normal, I thought it too.

But I soon discovered that as soon as you move you just get hotter and hotter…and yes, even if you’re a beginner.

So, there are two tricks:

1. Do not exaggerate with the number of warm clothes you’re going to wear

2. Vestirsi a cipolla, that’s to say wear layers of clothes. In this way, you can easily take them off if you’re feeling too warm.

Here are the basic clothes you may want to wear. You’ll find the Italian ski terms first and then their English translation.

a. Giacca a vento – Waterproof ski jacket

b. Tuta da sci – Ski suit

c. Pantaloni da sci impermeabili – Waterproof ski trousers

d. Maglia termica o pile – Thermals or Fleece

e. Cappello o Fascia – Warm hat/beanie or headband

f. Guanti impermeabili – Waterproof gloves

g. Calze termiche – Thermic socks

h. Occhiali da sole con lenti infrangibili o mascherina – Shutterproof sunglasses or goggles

i. Scaldacollo – Neck warmer

OTHER THINGS TO BRING WITH YOU

There are also other things you might want to bring with you during your ski season:

Crema solare – Sunscreen
At high altitudes it’s better using an SPF 30+ sunscreen. Indeed, even if it’s Winter, sun rays are strong and the surface of the snow also reflects them, increasing their power. So, it’s very easy to get a sunburn.

Burro cacao – Lip balm
Cold weather will generally dry out and damage your lips. So, a good lip balm, can be very useful, better if it’s even a sunscreen lip balm.

Bottiglietta d’acqua – Small bottle of water
Dry weather and physical activity will make you thirsty very soon. So, bringing with you a small bottle of water can be a good idea.

Zainetto – Small rucksuck
A small rucksuck can be useful to bring all the basic objects with you: sunscreen, lip balm, water, camera, etc.

In this small list I didn’t mention the following Italian ski terms because you can easily rent these objects there:

a. Bastoncini – Poles

b. Scarponi – Ski boots

c. Sci – Skis

d. Casco – Helmet

Finally, if you go skiing in Italy,  don’t forget to visit an Italian bar after skiing. In this way, you can taste a delicious cioccolata calda – hot chocolate – and a bombardino, a typical Italian hot alcoholic drink usually served in ski resorts or bars.

What about you? Did you already know these Italian ski terms? What do you bring with you when you ski?

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Credits

Original image by skeeze