When I became a member of the Kitzbüheler Ski Club and started alpentouring all over Tirol, Austria on club outings, I noticed many of the KSC members wore Icebreaker from head to toe. There's a dedicated Icebreaker-only store right in downtown Kitzbühel. I initially thought Icebreaker was too expensive and probably not as good as modern synthetic clothing like Under Armour or Hot Chillys. Plus, Icebreaker garments mostly look drab and are finished in uninteresting colors.

Then a KSC friend gave me a few Icebreaker pieces as a gift and wow, in one alpentour I became an instant convert. Icebreaker keeps you warm no matter how sweaty & wet you get. This is the most important thing for backcountry clothing, as you get drenched skinning up 3000', then you're signing "the book" on the icy, windy summit and all of a sudden you're freezing.....unless you're wearing Icebreaker.

Now I wear Icebreaker everything - underwear, undershirt, leggings, hoody, vest, glove liners, neck gaiter, beanie, socks...with a Flylow shell jacket and pants on the outside. I use the thinner stuff (80 or 100) for warmer days and the thicker stuff (150 - 260) on colder days.

I still wince at the prices, but I just bite the bullet and pay. Icebreaker is that good.

I recommend you buy snug-fitting sizes, because the wool tends to stretch out as it ages.