"Ice shreds gloves it is so coarse.
"Jimi's thumbs were white - I'm not sure how close he came to having frostbite. We'll be better prepared this time."
Mrs Walsh said other lessons learned from 2014 included taking along better tools.
"Last time it was like stepping into the unknown. We had never done that type of thing before and did the best we could.
"There was a language barrier so what we learned from the other artists was by observing them and something akin to charades."
Despite not having snow to practice on, they have fashioned various tools from lino scrapers and gardening saws.
"Everything is done by hand - no power tools."
Dressing for the conditions was another challenge last time.
Temperatures in Harbin ranged from minus 28c to a high of minus 15c. "There's no two ways about it - it's cold."
Twice during the competition Mr Walsh absentmindedly put a tool in his mouth and it stuck to his lip conditions were so cold.
Mrs and Mrs Walsh won't be the only New Zealand team next year.
They will be accompanied by Murray and Catherine Dunn from Kerikeri who are also artists with sculpting experience.
Mrs Walsh said the design of their snow sculpture was being kept under wraps until the competition.
"It's based on chaos theory and the butterfly effect and is about joining together to achieve more than you can singularly. Hopefully it's translatable culturally."
The couple are paying their own way to Harbin but their accommodation and food during the competition will be provided by the Harbin Foreign Affairs Office.
They will also hold a photographic exhibition upon their return during the March/April Artists' Open Studios event in the old Waverley scout hall.
"If we can find a camera that doesn't freeze up.
"Last time we got to take one shot at a time then had to warm the camera up again."
