Red Snow Conditions (Coarse, Packing Snow, +5°C to -5°C)

Hard, rounded snow crystals from repeated freeze-thaw cycles can be quite abrasive even when high in moisture. Red condition glide waxes can be somewhat hard to combat kinetic friction. Similar to yellow conditions, dirt accumulating on the surface of older snow can also be an issue. Dirt-repelling additives such as graphite or molybdenum can be quite helpful. Red conditions have a high humidity content, so highly hydrophobic waxes reduce suction between the wet snowpack and the ski base. Look for waxes that replaced popular fluoro waxes from back in the day. Structure is also often necessary to break up large water droplets and send them out from underneath the ski.

Since the snow crystals in older snow have lost their idealized snowflake pattern and are now rounded blobs of humid ice, kick waxes will rarely ice up in red conditions. A universal klister has been the go-to grip wax for this condition for years. A klister-cover can speed up glide if there is still a bit of drag present. Recently, klister-mix hardwaxes have been coming out and have been the new best grip waxes for these conditions. They tend to stay grippy all the way up until the snow switches to yellow conditions!

A hardtrack ski is usually your best bet for red conditions. A good hardtrack skate ski will have shorter glide pressure zones, a wider "wheelbase", a higher camber, and a stiffer flex. These properties help the skate ski feel more planted on harder tracks. If the snow is dirty, you may want to consider a clear/red/white-based ski to help repel that dirt. A good red-condition classic ski will have enough camber to accommodate klister if needed and have the same hardtrack pressure zone characteristics as a skate ski. Structure is often used in these conditions but rilling patterns tend to be lighter than those used in super wet conditions. Make sure you are using a ski that you are comfortable rilling on.