I have used my VR-1 up to 13000 ft and down as low as 10 degrees F with no Issues. I have also used it in light snow that has melted on the camera and the camera outside for 20-30 minutes with no issues. You may want to put a bit of silica in your case because for me the issue was more about blowing snow getting into the case, melting and causing a lot of condensation.

You will also want to let your camera climatize when you pull it out of your pack a few minutes.
As far as batteries, just as said keep them warm at all times. sleep with them in your bag and then use the hand warmers to keep them warm and put them in your closest layer of clothing to your body.

Battery decay
 

Mark,
Here in Oz, heat is a killer and to get around this I store my batteries in the fridge,around 1 to 2 C, removing them prior to use, allowing them to warm up to operating temp, which is normally about 25 C. Based on this, transporting in the cold shouldn't be too much of an issue. Using cold however will be an issue, I would therefore suggest you remove the battery from the cold and use body temp to bring it up to 25 C prior to use, the time taken will depend on the initial temp of the battery.

In short, keeping the battery cold will help it hold its charge once it's charged but using it cold will diminish your run time.

You may want to look into chatting to Lithium Batteries Australia - Home about some LiFePo4 batteries. Apparently they handle extreme temp fluctuations very well.


Al.

batteries
 

Thanks fellas.
I think the way I will play this one is to load up with extra batteries, and use body warmth and the proposed form fitting porta-brace cover with warmers to heat up the batteries just prior to/during use.

I will be investigating the solar charger value proposition ($/performance).

I will report back.
Mark

I took a V1U up to the top of Aconcagua about a year ago, and a few other climbs greater than 20'000 feet. Aside from the cold killing some of my batteries I experienced no problems. Bring 3-4 batteries or more if you can spare, you can't exactly go back for more. Keep them in pockets close to you and they should hold up fine. The cold is what zaps them, obviously, so you can even get some cheap chemical handwarmers to tape onto the battery pack under a porta brace or similar if you are losing power fast. The tape mechanics and focus rings can sometimes stiffen up if it's cold enough but I never experienced it to a point where my cameras stopped working.

I've had the V1U on quite a few long expeditions, from mountains in Pakistan to Nepal or deserts in Morocco or Tunisia. It's a solid camera and it takes heat or cold quite well. Make sure you have your camera protected because you'll probably get plenty of snow on it from wind or other climbers, and it can melt fast. You'll also want a nice good windscreen depending on your mic setup as it gets very windy. The downside to this is the screens get wet from snow, so fur based screens can turn useless at times.