An umbrella for walking in the mountains!? Whatever next!
The first time I saw an umbrella in use in the mountains was in Chamonix in 1982.? I was walking on the Mer de Glace in the Mont Blanc Massif in the pouring rain returning from the Couvercle refuge when a French guide passed me carrying an umbrella.? He looked very comfortable too! I’ve started using one since living in the Alps where the rain tends to fall more vertically rather than being coming at you horizontally across a Scottish hillside; although I’m sure there would be some days it’s ideal.
Benefits
You don’t need to wear waterproofs!? So using an umbrella means you don’t get hot and clammy; the ultimate solution to the breathability question.
Not only keeps you dry but your rucsack and its contents too.? So rain covers for the rucsack aren’t needed either.
If it’s sunny you can use it as a parasol!
Types of Umbrella
I’ve tried short compact brollies but they tend to need a hand held high so my most recent preference has been one of my son’s golf umbrellas; much larger and with a long handle.
Objections
Yes, you can’t walk with two poles but given the choice between being soaked and using my poles I know which I prefer.
