Lydia, your knee-highs sound just darling, but yes, they’ll be too nice to subject to the rigors of exploring Greenland. I’ve got some ancient Scarpa plastic mountaineering boots, really heavy duty, with insulated liners that slip into the shell. Even with that design, socks need special thought.
My guess is that your sturdy hikers will be suitable, as long as you’re not planning on technical ice climbing, or maybe summiting major summits. Being waterproof is of major importance. Next, socks. I’m guessing that you use you boots for hiking in New Mexico or elsewhere. Do you wear one pair of socks, or two? For Greenland, plan on two. One thinner liner sock, to wick away foot sweat and to minimize friction that could cause blisters. Over the liner, wear a heavier wool sock. Air trapped between the two layers will help retain body heat, and you can’t beat wool for its durability and insulating performance, even if it gets wet.
Do your hiking boots have a ring on the outside, at the bottom of where the tongue attaches? That’s where a gaiter hook attaches. Even if there’s no hook, you should look into a pair of boot gaiters as another layer to keep ice and snow at bay. Carry an extra pair of wool socks with you (maybe inside your jacket, where they’ll stay warmer), and change socks partway during your activity, if the first pair isn’t keeping you really warm the entire day.
Do you use Grabber or HotHands heat packs? They warm up when exposed to oxygen, and tucked inside gloves, can really make a difference. Don’t put them in the palm of your hand, but against the back, where your blood vessels are. The heat warms your blood, which will be distributed into your fingers. The heat packs last for hours, but when they cool, they’re used up. Bring several.
The company that makes Grabber and HotHands also makes toe warmers and foot warmers, which sit against the footbed inside boots. Sure, they wind up against soles of your feet, not on top where your veins are, but boots are different than gloves.
Keep your boots inside at night. Don’t put them too close to any fire, but a warm space is a good thing.
Are you using an adventure guiding company? Do they issue crampons? How about ice axes?Do they suggest they would be needed? Your boots may or may not be compatible with crampons - the soles need to be really stout, and not flexible. Are you planning on bringing telescoping trekking poles? We found them to be really helpful on our glacier hike in Iceland 10 years ago. The snow was relatively soft, due to relatively warm temperatures that year, and we were never on blue ice. The hiking boots (with good socks) worked great.
We did a dogsled ride outside Fraser, Colorado (the veritable “Icebox of the Nation”) a few years ago, but we sat in the sled, wrapped in blankets, so weren’t mushing, standing on the back of the sled.
What if you headed up to Ski Santa Fe and wandered around for, say, three hours, testing your footwear? Kick around in loose snow away from the runs and lifts. Pace around on the packed snow - see how much grip your boots show, and how warm you remain. It sounds like you’ve got a phenomenal trip planned for March!
