If 25°C feels cold at home, minus ten in Gangwon is a shock. Five practical tips for first-timers from Southeast Asia: base layers, dry air, walking on ice, phone batteries and why not to eat the snow.
If you grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or Bangkok, 25°C can feel cool. Stepping out into minus ten in the Gangwon mountains is a real shock, and your body needs a day or two to adjust. Don't let the cold spoil your holiday. These are the things first-time snow visitors most often get wrong.
The classic mistake is piling on thick cotton hoodies. Cotton holds sweat, and once it is damp it makes you colder. Instead, wear one thin thermal base layer against your skin, such as Uniqlo's Heattech or a merino wool top, then a fleece, then a windproof and waterproof jacket. Thermal layers are easy to buy before you fly. Add warm socks (not cotton), gloves, a hat or helmet and a neck warmer. Our packing list has the full set, and how cold it gets at Korean resorts explains the temperatures to expect.
Tropical air is humid. Korean winter air, especially indoors with the heating on, is very dry. Lips crack, noses can bleed and the skin on your knuckles may split. Bring a thick lip balm and use it often, pack a rich body lotion, and drink more water than you think you need. In your room at night, hanging a damp towel near the heater helps add a little moisture to the air.
Ice is slippery, which sounds obvious until you are on it. New visitors often slip in car parks and on paths and land on their wrists. Take short steps with your feet flat, lean slightly forward and keep your hands out of your pockets so you can catch yourself. Shoes with a good rubber grip help a lot.
Yes, you will see your breath, and yes, it is fun. But cold drains phone batteries fast, and a phone left out for a few minutes of filming can shut down. Keep it in an inside pocket close to your body, and carry a small power bank.
It looks clean, but snow at a ski resort is mixed with dust, exhaust and ski wax. Enjoy looking at it, throwing it and lying in it, but don't eat it.
The first five minutes outside are a shock. After that, most visitors love it. Seeing snow fall for the first time is a memory that stays with you. Dress properly and give yourself a slow first day. If you are going to try skiing, read our beginner resorts guide and ski schools in Korea, and for the full adjustment, see from tropical heat to freezing snow.